^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


:/. 


^ 


^o 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


m  lU  [2.2 

S  nt  ^" 


^1^ 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 

(Jorporation 


^"   '^^'^^V 


^. 


23  WiST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIISTIII,N.Y.  14SM 

(71«)t72-4S03 


4^^ 


4^    4^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IVIicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Tachnical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notaa  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquaa 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  «t*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibllographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
una  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exigar  una 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 
0 


D 


Couverture  endommagte 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pellicuWe 


□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  inic  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I — I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrationa  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relii  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  mcgin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  .a  long  de  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  la  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At*  filmtes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplimentaires: 


n 

D 
D 

0 
0 
0 
n 

D 

0 

0 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurios  it/ou  peliiculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dieolories,  tachetAes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  dttschAes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  inigale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprand  du  materiel  suppKlmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mitlon  disponibie 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  une  pelure. 
etc.,  ont  At*  filmAes  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


T 

s 
T 

VI 

h 
d 
ei 
b( 
ri 
r« 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


>• 


12X 


16X 


20X 


UX 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  film«d  h«r«  Hm  bMn  raproduetd  thanks 
to  th«  g«n«rotity  of: 


L'vxemplairo  f ilmi  ffut  roproduit  grico  i  la 
ginirositA  do: 


UnivmrsityofWindMr 


University  off  Windsor 


Tho  Imago*  appoaring  horo  aro  tho  boat  quality 
posaibia  consldoring  tho  condition  and  loglblllty 
of  tho  original  copy  and  in  kaoping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif leatlona. 


Original  copioa  in  printod  papar  covors  aro  fllmod 
boglnning  with  tho  front  eovor  and  anding  on 
tho  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  Impraa- 
slon,  or  tho  back  covor  whon  approprlata.  All 
othor  original  copioa  ara  fllmad  baglnning  on  tho 
f  Irat  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  improa* 
slon,  and  anding  on  tho  laat  iMga  with  a  printad 
or  llluatratad  impraaalon. 


Tho  last  racordod  frama  on  oach  microflcho 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tho  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichovor  appliaa. 

Maps,  platas,  charts,  ate,  may  ba  filmod  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thoso  too  larga  to  bo 
ontiroly  included  in  ono  axpoaura  ara  fllmod 
boglnning  In  tho  uppor  loft  hand  cornor,  loft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framas  aa 
raqulrad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Las  imagas  suivantes  ont  *t*  roproduitos  avoc  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compto  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  I'axamplaira  film*,  at  Mn 
conformM  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Las  axamplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvortura  an 
papiar  ast  ImprimAo  sont  fiimte  on  commandant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustratlon,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  lo  cos.  Tous  las  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  fiimis  an  commandant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporte  une  amprainta 
d'impraaalon  ou  d'illustratlon  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnlAra  paga  qui  comporto  uno  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  das  symbolos  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
darniira  image  da  chaqua  microficha.  salon  lo 
cas:  la  symbola  — »•  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbolo  V  signiffie  "FIN". 

Las  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  Atre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  lo  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
roproduit  en  un  soul  clich6.  ii  est  f  ilmA  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nteessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1 


Al 


A( 


TH] 


riTH  THE  A] 


wn 


rHE  ONLY  i 


SEORQE  M.  81 
NETTLE 


THE 


UNCIVILIZED  RACES, 


OR 


ATURAL    HISTORY    OF    MAN; 


SBISO 


A  COMPLETE  ACCOUNT  OP  THE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  AND  THE 
PHYSICAL,  SOCIAL  AND  REUGIOUS  CONDITION  AND 
CHARACTERISTICS,  OP  THE  UNCIVILIZED 
RACES  OP  MEN, 

THROUGHOUT  THE   ENTIRE   WORLD. 


BT 


Rev.   J.   G.   'WOOD,   M 

ITO.  ETC.  >T0. 


•.^L*       jf  aXjaO* 


riTH  THE  ADDITION  OF  A  FULL  INDEX  AND  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS,  AND  A  DESCRIPTION 
1  OF  THE  RACES  OF  ALASKA  AND  SIBERIA,  BT  AN 

"  EiMiiisrEasrT  ^iLffBDaiojLisr  TiajLVEXiEia. 

WITH  OVER  700  FINE  ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  NEW  DESIGNS, 
BY  ZWECKER,  ANQAS,  DANBY,  WOLP,  HANDLEY,  ETC.  ETC. 

ENGRAVED  BT  THE  BROTHERS  DALZIEL. 

* 


ONLY  AUTHORIZED  AND  UNABRIDGED  EDITION  PUBLISHED  IN  THIS  COUNTRY 


VOL.   I. 


HARTFORD,    CONN: 
AMERICAN    PUBLISHING    COMPANY.  ' 

3E0RGE  M.  SMITH  &  CO.,  BOSTON;  F.  G.  OILMAN  &  CO.,  CHICAGO;  W.  E.  BLISS,  TOLEDO,  0.; 
NETTLETON  &  CO.,  CINCINNATI,  O. ;  FRANCIS  DEWING  &  CO.,  SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 

1870. 


3/ 


PREFACE. 

This  work  is  simply,  as  tlie  title-page  states,  an  account  of  the  manners  and  enstoms  of  nndviUzcd  races 
of  men  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

Many  travelers  have  given  accounts,  scattered  rathar  at  random  through  their  l)ookB,  of  the  habits  and 
modes  of  life  exhibited  by  tlie  various  people  among  whom  they  have  traveled.  These  notices,  however, 
are  distributed  thnjugli  a  vast  number  of  books,  many  of  them  very  scarce,  many  very  expensive,  and  m<)e>t 
of  them  ill-arranged ;  and  it  has  therefore  been  my  task  to  gather  together  in  one  work,  and  to  present  to 
the  reader  in  a  tolerably  systematic  and  intelligible  form,  the  varieties  of  character  which  develop  them- 
selveft  among  races  who  have  not  as  yet  lost  their  individuality  by  modern  civilization.  In  this  task  I  have 
been  greatly  assisted  by  many  travelers,  who  have  taken  a  kindly  interest  in  the  work,  and  have  given  me 
the  invaluable  help  of  their  practical  experience. 

The  engravings  with  which  the  work  is  profusely  illustrated  have  been  derived  from  many  sources.  For 
the  most  part  the  countenances  of  the  people  have  been  drawn  from  photographs,  and  in  many  instances 
whole  groups  taken  by  the  photographers  have  been  transferred  to  tlie  wood-block,  Iho  artist  only  making  a 
few  changes  of  attitude,  so  as  to  avoid  tho  unploasjint  siitfuoss  whicli  characterizes  photographic  groups. 
Jt'any  of  the  illustrations  are  taken  from  sketchus  mode  by  travelers,  who  have  kindly  allowed  me  to  make 
use  of  tliem ;  and  I  must  here  express  my  thanks  ^to  Mr.  T.  Baines,  the  accomplished  artist  and  traveler, 
who  made  many  sketches  expressly  for  the  work,  and  placed  at  my  disposal  tlie  whole  of  his  diaries  and 
portfolios.  I  nuist  also  express  my  thanks  to  Mr.  J.  B.  Zweckcr,  who  undertook  the  onerous  task  of  inter- 
preting pictorially  the  various  scenes  of  savage  life  which  are  described  in  the  work,  and  who  brought  to 
that  task  a  hearty  good  will  and  a  wide  knowledge  of  the  subject,  without  which  the  work  would  have  lost 
much  of  its  spirit.  The  drawings  of  the  weapons,  implements,  and  utensils  are  all  taken  from  actual  spe- 
cimens most  of  which  are  in  my  own  collection,  made,  through  a  series  of  several  years,  for  tho  express 
purpose  of  illustrating  this  work. 

That  all  uncivilized  tribes  should  be  mentioned,  is  necessarily  impossible,  and  I  have  been  reluctantly 
forced  to  omit  altogether,  or  to  dismiss  with  a  brief  notice,  many  interesting  people,  to  whom  I  would 
gladly  have  given  a  greater  amoun^  of  space.  Especially  has  tliis  been  the  case  with  Africa,  to  which 
country  the  moiety  of  the  book  is  necessarily  given,  in  consequence  or  the  extraordinary  variety  of  the 
native  customs  wliich  prevail  in  that  wonderful  land.  We  have,  for  example  on  one  side  of  a  river,  a 
people  well  clothed,  well  fed,  well  governed,  and  retaining  but  few  of  the  old  savage  customs.  On  the 
other  side,  we  find  people  without  clothes,  goverament,  manners,  or  morality,  and  sunk  as  deeply  as  man 
-an  be  in  all  the  squalid  miseries  of  savage  life.  Besides,  the  chief  characteristic  of  uncivilized  Africa  is 
Oie  continual  change  to  which  it  is  subject.  Some  tribes  are  warlike  and  restless,  always  working  their 
way  seaward  from  the  interior,  carrying  their  own  customs  with  them,  forming  settlements  on  their  way, 
4nd  invariably  adding  to  their  own  habits  and  superstitions  those  of  the  tribes  among  whom  they  have 
settled.  In  process  of  time  they  become  careless  of  the  military  arts  by  which  they  gained  possession  of 
'.he  country,  and  are  in  their  turn  ousted  by  others,  who  bring  fresh  habits  and  modes  of  life  with  them.  It 
will  be  seen,  therefore,  how  full  of  incident  is  life  in  Africa,  the  great  stronghold  of  barbarism,  and  how 
necessary  it  is  to  devote  to  that  one  continent  a  very  considerable  portion  of  the  entire  work. 


EXPLANATION  OP  THE  FRONTISPIECE. 

The  Frontispiece  gives  a  pictorial  representation  of  African  mankind.  Superstition  reigning  supreme, 
the  most  prominent  figure  is  the  fetish  priest,  witli  his  idols  at  his  feet,  and  holding  up  for  adoration  tho 
sacred  serpent.  >Var.i8  illustrated  bv  the  Kaffir  chief  in  the  foreground ;  tho  Bosjesman  with  his  bow  and 
poisoned  arrows,  and  the  Abyssinian  chief  behind  him.  -The  gluttony  of  the  Negro  race  is  exemplified  by  the 
sensual  faces  of  tho  squatting  men  with  their  jors  of  porridge  and  fruit.  The  grace  and  beauty  of  the  young 
female  is  shown  by  the  Nubian  girl  and  Sliooa  woman  behind  the  Kaffir;  while  the  hideousufiss  of  the  old 
women  is  exemplified  by  the  Negro  woman  above  with  her  fetish.  Slavery  is  illustrated  by  the  slave  cara- 
van in  the  middle  distance,  and  the  pyramids  speak  of  the  interest  attached  to  Africa  by  hundreds  of  centarioB. 

306930 


PREFACE  TO  THE  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


Tho  groat  favor  with  which  "  Tho  Natural  History  of  Man  "  was  rocoivcd  in  Great 
Britain,  and  tho  unqualitied  commendations  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  most  scholarly 
jxjns,  suggested  to  tho  Publishers  of  this  American  Edition  tho  project  of  reprinting 
it  in  this  country,  with  the  sanction  of  tho  Author  and  the  Proprietors  and  Publishers 
of  tho  work  in  London.  So  valuable  a  book  as  this  should  be  found  in  every  family  in 
tlio  lan4,  yet  its  price, — $7.00  per  volume, — prevented  its  reaching  the  great  mass  of  the 
people. 

By  a  favorable  arrangement  with  the  English  Publishers,  duplicates  of  the  original 
plates  have  been  obtained,  and  depending  upon  a  largo  and  general  sale  of  the  work 
^he  American  Publishers  have  reduced  the  price  very  largely,  while  their  reprint 
equals  the  Original  Edition  in  every  respect,  and  excels  it  in  so  far  as  they  have  made  \ 
additions  which  are  as  follows  : — 1st. —Two  Chapters  describing  tho  interesting  races 
that  inhabit  Alaska  and  Siberia.  2d. — A  full  list  of  Illustrations.  3d. — An  ample  and 
complete  Index  to  the  whole  work.  In  the  English  Edition,  this  last  was  entirely  too 
brief  for  completeness.  With  these  exceptions,  tliia  Edition  is  a  perfect  reprint  of  the 
London  one — ^fuU,  unabridged,  and  unmutilatod ;  its  clear  large  type,  its  one  column 
page"),  its  text  illustrations,  its  maps  and  its  splendid  letter  press  being  retained  entire  and 
complete. 

The  American  Publishers  take  pleasure  in  annexing  a  certificate  showing 
that  they  only  are  authorized  to  reproduce  tho  work  in  this  country,  and  that  their 
action  in  the  matter  is  honest,  legitimate,  and  just  towards  the  Author  and  tJio  Pro- 
prietors of  tho  work,  and  also  that  their  Edition  is  as  they  represent,  a  faithful  and  ima- 
bridged  reprint  of  the  original,  from  duplicate  plates. 


CERTIFICATE. 

Wo  the  Proprintors  and  English  Publishers  of  the  "  Natural  History  of  Man,"  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood, 
certify  that  the  American  Publishing  Company  of  Hartford.  Conn.,  havo  received  from  us,  a  duplicate  set  of 
the  original  plates,  from  which  said  work  is  printed  in  London,  and  that  they  are  tho  only  Publishers  in 
America,  who  reprint  it  with  our  leave  or  sanction,  or  who  pay  copyright  upon  it.  Their  Edition  con- 
tains all  the  matter,  both  of  text  and  illustrations,  to  be  found  in  the  original  London  Edition. 
June,  1870.  .  GEORGE  ROUTLEDGE  &  SONS,  Zondon. 


m 


CONTENTS. 

Vol,  1 


OHAP.  rAOB 

I.  The  Kaffirs ,    ; 1 

II.  Course  of  Life 8 

III.  Course  of  Life  {concluded) 12 

IV.  Masculike  Dress  and  Ornaments 19 

V.  Masculine  Dress  and  Oknamcnts  {conclw'ed) .  29 

VI.  Feminine  Dress  and  Ornaments 42 

VIL  Architecture 52 

VIII.  Cattle  Keeping 62 

IX.  Marriage 71 

X.  Marriage  (conchided) 81 

XI.  War — Offensive  Wbapojjs 93 

XII.  War  (concluded) — DEFENdiva  Weapons  and  Mode  of  Fighting  .  llO 

XIII.  Hunting 128 

XIV.  Agriculture 145 

XV.  Food 151 

XVI.  Social  Characteristics 170 

XVII.  Religion  and  Superstition 183 

XVIII.  Religion  and  Superstition  (continued) 194 

XIX.  Superstition  (concluded) 208 

XX.  Funeral  Rites 220 

XXI.  Domestic  Life 226       « 

XXII.  The  Hottentot  Races 240 

XXIIL  Weapons 255 

XXIV.  The  Bosjesman  or  Bushman 265 

XXV.  The  Bosjesman  (continued) 274 

XXVI.  The  Bosjesman  (concluded) 291 

XXVIL  The  Korannas  and  Namaquas 300 

XXVIIL  The  Bechuanas 3:2 

XXIX.  The  Bechuanas  (concluded) 322 

XXX.  The  Damara  Tribe 337 

XXX I.  The  Ovambo  or  Ovampo  Tribe 350 


:.0 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAOB 

XXXII.  The  ^fARototo  Tribd 3U0 

XXXIII.  The  Bateyb  and  Makooa  TiiiDEa h'ta 

XXXiy.  The  Batoka  and  Manoanja  Tuides 386 

XXXV.  The  Banyai  and  Badema  Tribes 3fi9 

XXXVI.  The  Balondo  or  Balonda  and  the  Anoolese 408 

XXXVII.  The  Waooqo  and  Wantamuezi 427 

XXXVIII.  Karaoub 442 

XXXIX.  The  Watdsi  and  Waqanua 4f»2 

XL  The  Wanyoro 467 

XLI.  Ga.^i,  Madi,  Obdo,  and  Kytch 477 

XLII.  The  Neam-Nam,  Dor,  and  Djour  Tribes 487 

XLUI.  The  Latooka  Trtdb 805 

XLIV.  The  Shir,  Bari,  Djibba,  Nuehr,  Dinka,  and  Shillook  Tribes  .  614 

XLV.  The  Ishooo,  Ashanoo,  and  Obongo  Tribes 631 

XLVI.  The  Aponoo  and  Apinqi  Tribes 64l> 

XLVII.  The  Bakalai 649 

XLVIII.  The  Ashira 665 

XLIX.  The  Cabima,  or  Commi 663 

L.  The  Sheriani  and  Mpokgw^ 682 

LI.  The  Fans 690 

LII.  The  Fans  (concluded) 699 

nil.  The  Kruuen  and  Fanti 610 

LIV.  The  Ashanti 622 

LV.  Dahomb 629 

LVI.  Dahomb  (continued) 644 

LVII.  Dahomb  (concltided) 650 

LVIII.  The  Eobas 669 

LIX.  Bonny 670 

LX.  The  Mandingoes 677 

LXI.  The  Bubes  and  Conooese .  681 

LXII.  BoRNU 689 

LXIII.  The  Shooas,  Tibboos,  Tuaricks,  Beoharhis,  and  Musguesss   .    .  700 

LXIV.  Abyssinia 714 

LXV.  Abyssinia  (continued) 723 

LXVI.  Abyssinia  (concluded) 733 

LXVII.  Nubian  and  Hamran  Arabs 749 

LXVIII.  Bedouins,  Hassaniyeuh,  and  Malagasy   . 768 


^M 

3U0             H 

H 

386             H 

309             H 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

487          .  H 

605            I 

1 

1 

1 

I 

549            1 

4 

555            I 

6 

663             ■ 

6 

7 

582            1 

8 

590            I 

9 

699             ■ 

10 
11 
13 
18 

622       ^     1 

i   1 

14 
15 
16 
17 

669            H 

18 

i   1 

19 

20 

.21 

22 

i   1 

28 
24 
25 
26 

723           1 

27 

733           1 

28 
29 
80 
81 

7^8           1 

82 

88 

H 

84 

,  1 

85 

H 

86 

1 

87 

■ 

38 

1 

39 

H 

40 

I 

41 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 


VOLUME  L 


Pictorial  BtproMBtation  of  African  Races. 

Frontispiece. 

Map.    Bange  of  KaflBr  Tribea 2 

Kaffir  trom  childhood  to  age. 8 

Old  conncillor  and  wives 6 

Kaffir  cradle 9 

Young  Kaffir  armed 18 

Kaffir  postman 14 

Unmarried  Kaffir  girla 16 

OldKaffir  women 17 

The  meerkat 21 

Needle  and  sheath 33 

Kaffir  needles  and  sheaths ^  24 

Articles  of  Kaffir  costume 25 

Kaffir  dolls 26 

Kaffir  chief,  Qoza,  in  ordinary  undress 27 

Kaffiromaments. 80 

Kaffir  beads 81 

Necklaces— l)eads  and  teeth 82 

Kaffir  ornaments 88 

Toung  Kaffir  in  full  dress 85 

General  map  of  Africa 87 

Grass  bracelet 89 

Ivory  armlets. , 40 

Kaffir  dress  and  ornaments....' 48 

Apron  of  a  chiefs  wife 44 

Bracelets  made  from  hoof  of  the  Bluebok ...  40 

Kaffir  girl  in  dancing  dresB. 47 

African  porcupine 48 

Kaffir  belt 48 

Gourd  snuff-lrax 60 

Bone  snuff-lwx 60 

Bone  scraper 60 

Kaffir  dancing  belt 61 

Kaffirs  at  home. 68 

Exterior  of  a  Kaffir  hut 64 

Intorior  of  a  Kaffir  hut 66 

Making  door  of  hut 67 

Kaffir  kraal 59 

Kaffir  milking  pail 63 

Kaffir  beer  bowl 63 

Kaffir  beerstrainer 68 


Pass. 

43  Kaffir  water  pipe 63 

48  Woman's  basket 63 

44  Kaffir  whistles 64 

45  Kaffir  cattle— training  the  boms 67 

46  Return  of  a  Kaffir  war  party 69 

47  Old  wives  beating  young  fkvoritea 74 

48  Bridegroom  on  approval 77 

49  Procession  of  the  bride. . . , 83 

50  Bride  insulting  the  bridegroom 84 

51  Kaffir  passing  his  mother-in-law 87 

63  Girls  and  women  returning  from  the  bush. .    91 
68  Kaffir  at  his  forge 98 

64  Kaffirs  mjiking  fire 101 

55  Group  of  assidgids 108 

66  Heads  of  assafi^is 104 

67  Kaffir  Warriors  skirmishing 105 

68  Kaffir  throwing  the  kerrie 108 

69  Kaffir  war  shield Ill 

60  Muscular  advocacy 118 

61  Wife's  anxiety 115 

63  Qoza  in  fall  war  dress  and  councillors 119 

63  Panda's  soldiers  in  full  uniform 121 

64  Panda's  review 128 

66  Hunting  scene  on  the  Umgenie  river 181 

66  Giraffe.    Section  showing  form  of  pit 184 

67  Giraffe  in  pitfall 185 

68  Cooking  elephants  foot 186 

69  Hunting  scene  in  Kaffirland 140 

70  Falls  on  the  river  Umzimoubu 141 

71  Kaffir  hunting  dance 148 

72  Baixwn  finding  water  roots 147 

73  Approach  of  elephants... 149 

74  Grinding  com  and  mixing  it  with  amasi.. . .  153 

75  Kaffir  dinner  party. 163 

76  Spoons  for  eating  porridge 196 

77  Ornamented  spoons 157 

78  Kaffir  spoon  and  ladle 158 

79  Kaffir  skimmers 158 

80  Kaffirs  cooking  locusts 160 

81  Kaffir  soldier  with  hunger  belt 161 

83  Kaffir  soldiers  lapping  water 163 

83  Kaffir  women  brewing  beer 164 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Pira. 

84  Kaffir  StonhontM 100 

85  Kaffir  woman  baaket  making 160 

86  Kaffir  milk  baaket 167 

87  Kaffir  fowl  houae 168 

88  Throe  kinda  anuff  apoona 171 

80  Kaffir  giving  and  Uking  anuff. 179 

00  Kaffir  anuff  boxea 178 

01  Snuffbox  made  of  cowa  blood 174 

•2  Small  gourd  anuff  box 174 

03  Kaffir  gourd 176 

04  Amaal  gourd 176 

05  Kaffir  wooden  pipe... 177 

00  Kaffir  greenatone  pipe 177 

07  Kaffir  Inlaid  pipe 178 

08  Kaffir  water  pipo 170 

00  The  poor  man'a  pipe 180 

100  Kaffir  gentlemen  amoklng 181 

101  Kaffir  Btaff. 183 

108  Kaffir  finding  a  anake 185 

108  Sacrificing  the  bull 187 

104  The  prophets  return 180 

105  The  prophets  school 100 

106  The  prophet  and  wife. 101 

107  Old  prophets 102 

108  Prophets  and  inquirers 105 

100  Kaffir  curing  cattle 100 

110  Kaffir  smelling  for  a  wizard *. 201 

111  Approach  of  the  prophetess 203 

112  The  prophetess  at  work 205 

118  Kaffir's  churning  rain 20!) 

114  Bringing  the  baboon 211 

lis  Wailing  of  deceived  Kaffirs 213 

116  Necklace  of  human  finger  bones 21A 

117  The  daghasac 217 

118  Unfavourable  prophecy 219 

110  Burial  of  Tchaka's  mother 223 

120  Circular  Kaffir  shield 225 

121  Kaffir  bed  furniture 227 

122  Dingan  at  home 220 

123  Kaffir  harp 231 

124  Kaffir  musician 231 

125  Kaffir  women  making  pots 232 

126  Kaffir  women  quarelling 284 

127  Horns  of  acacia 235 

128  Grapple  plant 237 

120  Hottentot  young  man 240 

180  Hottentot  woman 242 

181  Hottentot  in  full  dress 244 

182  Hottentot  sandals 245 

188  Hottentot  girl 246 

184  Hottentot  frontlet 247 

186  Hottentots  preparing  hides 240 

186  Hottentot  knife,  jar  and  bowl 250 

187  Hottentot  kraal 258 

188  Hottentot  digging  stick. 254 

180  Hottentots  asleep 256 

140  Hottentots  card  playing 260 


Pmi. 

41  Oroop  of  Bfli^eflmana  and  camp 866 

48  Woman  and  child 878 

,48  Bo^Joaman  Temporary  camp '. .  878 

44  Bosjesman  ostrich  hunting 877 

,48  Bot^josman  altooting  cattle 878 

,46  Kaffira  and  Bosjimmans 881 

47  Bosjcsman  quiver  and  arrow* 884 

48  Poison  grub 886 

40  Arrow  Heads 880 

50  Dancing  rattles 808 

51  Quill  of  goura 804 

52  Playing  goura 808 

58  Bosjesman  painting 807 

54  Portrait  of  Koranna  chief 808 

55  Namaiiuaa  shooting  at  the  storm 807 

50  Namaquaa  sucking  goata 800 

57  African  axe  for  chopping  wood 811 

58  Bochuana  knives  818 

50  Knife  and  assagai  heads 814 

60  Bechuana   apron 815 

,61  Ornamonts  made  from  monkey's  teeth 815 

62  Bechuana  parliament 818 

03  Bechuana  axes 821 

64  Magicdlce 828 

65  Amulets  for  children 824 

66  Si)artan  practices  among  the  Bechuanas. . . .  825, 

67  The  girl's  ordeal  among  the  Bechuanas. . . .  826 ' 

68  Dancing  cap  and  milk  bag 827 

60  Bechuana  feather  handkerchief 820 

70  Female  architects  among  the  Bechuanas. . . .  880 

71  Bechuana  house 881 

73  Section  of  a  Bechuana  house 883 

78  Plan  of  a  Bechuano.  house 838 

74  Interior  of  a  Bechuana  chiefs  house 884 

75  Bechuana  funeral 835 

76  Damara  warrior  and  wife 830 

77  Damara  girl  resting 841 

78  Damara  donee 847 

79  Grave  and  monument  of  a  Damara  chief. . . .  840 

80  Ovambo  houses , 851 

81  Ovambo  girls 853 

82  Ovambo  women  pounding  com 854 

83  Ovambo  dinner  party 850 

84  Makalolo  house  building 805 

85  Children's  games  among  the  Makalolo 868 

86  M'Bopo,  a  Makololo  chief  at  home 870 

87  South  African  double  spoon 873 

88  Boating  scene  on  the  Bo-tlet-le  river 878 

80  Spearing  the  Hippopotamus  880 

80  Hippopotamus  towing  the  canoe 881 

01  The  final  attack 883 

92  Batoko  men 887 

03  Batoka  salutation 880 

04  TheSansa 802 

05  ThePelele  or  lip  ring 895 

96  African  rattle 808 

97  Hippopotamun  trap 401 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


198  CurylngihtvuS....'i,.,, 408 

109  AxM  of  the  Banyal 404 

MO  Hknutringing  an  elephant 40S 

201  Balondo  woidmi'i  he«d-dieM 410 

202  Bklondo  tUffgen 411 

208  The  marimb*  or  AMean  piano 414 

204  Manenko  In  command 41S 

205  Balondo'a  comentlnff  Mendahip 410 

200  The  Angoleie  rapping  and  bleeding 423 

207  Wagogo  greedineaa 420 

208  Aiohltecture  of  the  Weewe 484 

200  Weesee  aalatation 488 

210  Hoabanda  welcome  among  the  Weesee 484 

211  Tweeaera  of  the  Weeiee 484 

212  Wanjramnexi  dance 486 

218  The  Saltan  drinliing  pombe 488 

214  Harreat  aoene  among  the  Weeiee 430 

I  215  Weesee  tufted  bow  and  apear 441 

216  Chundenh  playing  the  guitar 444 

217  Runuunka'a  private  band 448 

218  Wazaramo  hair-dreaaing 450 

210  Watufli  aalntation 434 

1 220  Arrest  of  the  queen ^57 

1221  M'tesa  reviewhig  his  men 4C0 

1223  Reception  of  a  visitor  by  the  Waganda 403 

|228  Water  spirits  high-priest. 405 

1224  Wanyoro  culprit  in  the  shoe 408 

1225  Wanyoro  magician  at  work 474 

1226  Majembe  or  spade  money  of  the  Wanyoro.  475 

|227  Ornamented  spear  head 476 

|228  Group  of  Qani  and  Madi 470 

239  Removal  of  village  by  Madi 4S1 

Group  of  tlieKytch  Tribe 485 

^31  Ivory  war  trumpet 480 

32  Neam-Nam  women's  aprons 400 

88  Neam-Nam  nut  bells 400 

Neam-Nam  girl's  dancing  belt 400 

p33  Neam-Nam  fighting 401 

Weapons  of  the  Neam-Nam 403 

37  War  trumpets  of  the  Neam-Nam 403 

38  Bow,  club,  quiver  and  arrows  of  the  Dor's. .  404 

39  Quiver  and  arrow  of  the  Dor's 400 

Amulet  necklace 400 

11  Wooden  chiefs  of  the  Dor's 500 

Guitars , 601 

Ornaments  of  the  Djour, 503 

Women's  knives 603 

Djour  pipes 604 

The  Latooka  victory....:  508 

Latooka  funeral  dance \..  613 

Iron  bells 613 

A  Bari  homestead 517 

Scalp  lock  of  the  Djibbas. 610 

61  Battle-axe  of  the  Djibbas 610 

S2Club  of  the  Djibbas. 510 

ISSDjibba  bracelets 530 

I54  ANuehr helmet 533 


PASIi 

WW  Dinkaelnbd. , bm 

8M  Shillooks  eroaslng  the  riTsr, S88 

987  A  Shlllook  flate S80 

958  The  ceremony  of  BfPaia. S84 

959  Obongo  market 880 

260  Obongo  dagger  and  sheath (40 

261  Uiant  dtura  of  the  Apono'a 549 

269  River  scene  on  the  Rembo 846 

268  An  Apingi  dagger, 648 

964  Bakalai  flahing  scene Ml 

265  Ashira  aaluUtion  to  an  Ishogo  chief 658 

206  Ashira  fkrewell tMl 

267  Gamma  dance 557 

368  Quenquesa's  walk 671 

200  Gamma  prophet  footing  a  demon 678 

370  Olanga  drinking  mboundon 677 

271  Wator  custom  of  the  Gammas 680 

272  Pate  of  the  Skekiani  wisaid 684 

278  The  mpongwe  coronation 688 

374  War-knives  of  the  Fans 6O8 

275  The  Fan  crossbow 505 

376  The  Fan  quiver  and  arrows 605 

277  Shields  and  war-axe  of  the  Fans 600 

278  Attack  on  a  mpongwe  village 600 

279  Bargaining  tor  a  wife COI 

280  Dance  of  the  Fans  in  honor  of  the  new  moon  t;04 

281  Fans  hunting  the  gorilla 600 

283  Krumen  and  their  canoes 611 

388  Fetishes,  male  and  female 615 

284  The  primaeval  child 680 

285  Fanti  dagger  and  sheath 621 

286  An  Ashanti  captain 623 

'2S7  Ashanti  GalxKeer  and  soldiers 624 

388  Aslianti  bow  and  arrows 635 

289  Fetish  drum  and  trumpet 687 

200  Ashanti  clasp-knife  and  razor 628 

201  Punishment  of  a  snake  killer 631 

203  "The  bell  comes" 684 

293  Dahoman  bells 635 

304  Dahoman  Amazons 637 

395  Dahoman  powder  flasks 638 

206  Amazon  review flgo 

297  Daiioman  quivers  and  arrows C40 

393  Dahoman  war  drum  and  razor 641 

399  Dahoman  ivory  trumpets 644 

300  Dahoman  king's  dance 645 

301  String  of  cowries 649 

302  Basket  sacrifice  of  the  Dahomans 650 

303  Dahoman  head  worship 650 

304  West  African  dagger 658 

305  Salutation  of  the  Egbas 601 

306  The  attack  on  Abeokuta 665 

307  The  Alake's  court 660 

308  A  JuJu  execution 678 

300  Mumbo  Jumbo 675 

310  Mandingo  quiver  and  arrows 670 

811  Bube  marriage 683 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Paoi. 

812  Congo  bow  and  anows.T. 685 

818  A  Congo  coronation 687 

814  Body  guard  of  the  sheikh  of  Bomu 692 

815  A  Bomu  spear 698 

816  Kanemboo  man  and  woman 694 

817  Kanemboo  fishing  scene 699 

818  Shooas  hunting  buffalo 701 

819  Shooa  women 708 

820  Toarlcks  and  Tibboos 707 

821  Begharmi  lancers 709 

822  Muaga  chief 712 

«28  Abyssinian  heads 716 

824  Mounted  Abyssinian  chief 720 

825  Washing  day 723 

826  King  Theodore  and  the  lions 725 

827  Abyssinian  pleaders  in  court 727 


Paoi. 

828  Dinner  party  in  Abyssinia 780 

829  An  Abyssinian  battlefield 788 

880  Interior  of  an  Abyssinian  house 743 

881  An  Easter  banquet 744 

882  Bufblo  dance  of  the  Oallas 747 

838  Nubian  clay  pipe 748 

884  Nubian  shield  and  sword 749 

885  Aggageers  hunting  the  elephant 758 

886  Hunting  the  hippopotamus 7o5 

887  Bedouin  camp 760 

838  Bedouin  cooking  his  dinner 763 

839  Dance  of  the  Hassaniyeh  Arabs 766 

840  Travelers  and  thomirage 770 

841  Traveling  in  Madagascar. 773 

843  Madagascar  violin 774 


■■\    I 


U 


HI 


CHAPTER  I. 


TE>  KAFFIR,  Oa  ZINOIAN  TBIBRS,  AND  THEIB  PHYSICAL  FECULXABITIES — OBIOIN  OF  THB  KAXS — 
THB0RIB8  AS  TO  TUBIB  FBB8KNCB  IN  SOUTHEBN  AFBICA — THB  CHIBF  TRIBBS  AND  IHXtB 
LOCAUTIBS — ^THB  ZULTTS  AND  IHBIB  APPBARANCB — THBIB  COMFUtXION  AND  IDBA8  OF  BKAOTT 
— POINTS  OF  SIlCILrrTn>B  AND  CONTBAST  BBTWEEN  THB  KAFFIB  AND  THB  NBOBO — MBNTAL 
CHABACTBBI8TI0S  OF  THB  KAFFIB — HIS  WANT  OF  CABB  FOB  THB  FITTUBB,  AND  BBA80NB  FOB 
IT — C0NTB0VBB8IAL  POWBBS  OF  THB  KAFFIB — THB  80CBATI0  MODS  OF  ABOUllBNT — THB 
HOBNB    OF    A    DILBUHA — ^LOVB    OF    A   KAFFIB    FOB    ABQCHBNT — ^HIS    MENTAL    TBAININO    AND 

ITS   CONBBQ17BNCB8 — PABTHIAN    MODE    OF  ABOXnNO PLACABLE  NATTTBE   OF   THE  KAFFIB — HIS 

SENSE  OF  Sb'lF-BBSPECT — ^FONDNBSS  FOB  A  PBACTICAL  JOKE — THB  WOMAN  AND  THE  MELON — 
H08FITALITT  OF  THB  KAFFHUS — THBIB  DOMESTICATED  NATOBB  AND  FONDNESS  FOB  OHILDBEX 
— THBIB  HATBBD  OF  SOLITUDE. 


Over  the  whole  of  the  Southern  portion  of  the  great  Continent  of  Africa  is  spread  a 
remarkable  and  interesting  race  of  mankind.  .  Though  divided  into  numerous  tribes,  and 
differing  in  appearance,  manners,  and  customs,  they  are  evidently  cast  in  the  same  mould, 
and  belong  to  the  same  group  of  the  human  race.  They  are  dark,  but  not  so  black  as  the 
true  negro  of  the  West.  Their  hair  is  crisp,  short,  and  curled,  but  not  so  woolly  as  that 
of  the  negro ;  their  lips,  though  large  when  compared  with  those  of  Europeans,  are  small 
when  compared  to  those  of  the  negro.  The  form  is  finely  modelled,  the  stature  tall,  the 
hmbs  straight,  the  forehead  high,  the  expression  intelligent ;  and,  altogether,  this  group  of 
mankind  affords  as  fine  examples  of  the  human  form  as  can  be  found  anywhere  on  the 
earth. 

To  give  a  name  to  this  large  group  is  net  very  easy.  Popularly,  the  tribes  which 
compose  it  are  known  as  Kaffirs ;  but  that  term  has  now  been  restricted  to  the  tribes  on  the 
south-east  of  the  continent,  between  the  sea  and  the  range  of  the  Draakensberg  Moun- 
tains. Moreover,  the  name  Kaffir  is  a  very  inappropriate  one,  being  simply  the  term 
which  the  Moslem  races  apply  to  all  who  do  not  believe  with  themselves,  and  by  which 
they  designate  black  and  white  men  alike.  Some  ethnologists  have  designated  them  by 
the  general  name  of  Chuanas,  the  word  being  the  root  of  the  well-known  Bechuana, 
Sechuana,  and  similar  names ;  while  others  have  preferred  the  word  Bantu,  and  others 
Ziugian,  which  last  word  is  perhaps  the  best. 

Whatever  may  be  the  title,  it  is  evident  that  they  are  not  aborigines,  but  that  they 

I  have  descended  upon  Southern  Africa  fix)m  some  other  locality — probably  from  more 

northern  parts  of  the  same  continent.      Some  writers  claim  for  the  KafBr  or  Zingian 

I  tribes  an  Asiatic  origin,  and  have  a  theory  that  in  the  course  of  their  migration  they 

I  mixed  with  the  negroes,  and  so  became  possessed  of  the  frizzled  hair,  the  thick  lips,  the 

dark  skin,  and  other  peculiarities  of  the  negro  race. 

Who  might  have  been  the  true  aborigines  of  Southern  Africa  cannot  be  definitely 

stated,  inasmuch  as  even  within  very  recent  times  great  changes  have  taken  place.    At 

I  the  present  time  South  Africa  is  practically  European,  the  white  man,  whether  Dutch  or 

English,  having  dispossessed  the  owners  of  the  soil,  and  either  settled  upon  the  land  or 

I  reduced  the  diark-skioaed  inhabitants  to  the  rank  of  mere  dependants.     Thjse  whom 

VOL.  I.  B 


THE  KAFFIR 


they  displaced  were  thenuelves  interlopers,  having  overcome  and  ejected  the  Hottentot 
tribes,  wno  in  their  turn  seem  but  to  have  suffered  the  same  &te  which  in  the>  time  of 
thcdr  greatness  they  had  brought  upon  others. 

At  the  present  day  the  great  Zingian  group  affords  the  best  type  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Southern  AMca,  and  we  wfll  therefore  begin  with  the  Kaffir  tribes. 

Iv  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  map  of  Afirica,  he  will  see  that  upon  the  south-east 
coast  a  long  range  of  mountains  runs  nearly  purallel  with  the  sea-line,  and  extends  from 

lat.  27'  to  33".  It  is  the  line 
of  the  Draakensbeig  Moun- 
tains, and  along  the  strip  of 
land  which  intervenesbetween 
these  mountains  and  the  sea 
are  found  the  genuine  Kaffir 
tribes.  There  are  other  tribes 
belonging  to  the  same  group 
of  manlond  which  axe  found 
on  the  western  side  pf  the 
Draakensbeig,  and  are  spread 
over  the  entire  country,  from 
Delagoa  Bay  on  the  east  to 
the  Orange  Kiver  on  the  west. 
These  tiibes  are  familiar  to 
readers  of  AMcan  travel  under 
the  names  of  Bechuanas,  Bia- 
yeye,  Namaqua,  Ovampo,  &c., 
But,  by  common  consent,  the' 
name  of  Kafi&r  is  now  re- 
stricted to  those  tribes  which 
inhabit  the  strip  of  country 
above  mentionecL 

Formerly,  a  considerable 
number  of  tribes  inhabited 
this  district,  and  were  suffi- 
ciently distinct  to  be  almost 
reckoned  as  different  nations. 
Now,  however,  these  tribes  are 
practically  reduced  to  five; 
namely,  the  Amatonga  on  the 
north,  followed  southwards  by 
the  Amaswazi,  the  Amazulu,  the  Amaponda,  and  the  Amakosa  Here  it  must  be  remarked 
that  the  prefix  of  "  Ama,"  attached  to  all  the  words,  is  one  of  the  forms  by  which  the 
plural  of  certain  names  is  designated.  Thus,  we  might  speak  of  a  single  Tonga,  Swazi, 
Zulu,  or  Pondi.  Kaffir ;  but  if  we  wish  to  speak  of  more  than  one,  we  form  the  plural  by 
prefixing  "Ama"  to  the  word. 

The  other  tribes,  although  they  for  the  most  part  still  exist  and  retain  the  ancient 
names,  are  practieally  merged  into  those  whose  names  have  been  mentionexL 

Of  all  Uie  true  Kaffir  tribes,  the  Zulu  is  the  chief  type,  and  that  tribe  will  be  first 
described. 

Although  spread  over  a  considerable  range  of  cotmtry,  the  Zulu  tribe  has  its  head- 
quarters rather  to  the  north  of  Natal,  and  there  may  be  found  the  best  specimens  of  this 
splendid  race  of  men. 

Belonging,  as  do  the  Zulu  tribes,  to  the  dark-skinned  portion  of  mankind,  their  skin 
does  not  possess  that  dead,  jetty  black  which  is  characteristic  of  the  Western  negro.  It 
is  a  more  transparent  skin,  the  layer  of  colouring  matter  does  not  seem  to  be  so  thick,  and 
the  ruddy  hue  of  the  blood  is  perceptible  through  the  blaok.    It  is  held  by  the  Kaffirs  to 


BANGl!  OF  THB  KAFHR  TRIBBI. 


TUB  KAFFIR  FBOM  CHILDHOOD  TO  A0£.    {From  photographU)  PortmUs.) 

UarrUd  Man.  Old  CoundUor.  Unmarried  Girl  Old  fToiiwn. 

Toung  Boy.       rntNOtried  Man  or  "Boy."  Yowng  Uarrted  Woman  and  CMU. 


be  the  perfection  of  human  colouring ;  and  a  Zulu,  if  asked  what  he  considers  to  be  the 
finest  complexion,  will  say  that  it  is,  like  his  own,  black,  with  a  little  red 

Some  dark-sldnned  nations  approve  of  a  fair  complexion,  and  in  some  parts  of  the 
world  the  chiefs  are  so  much  fairer  th  a  the  commonalty,  that  they  seem  almost  to  belong 
to  different  races.  The  Kaffir,  however,  holds  precisely  the  opposite  opinion  According 
to  his  views  of  human  beauty,  the  blacker  a  man  is  the  handsomer  he  is  considered,  pro- 
vided that  some  tinge  of  red  be  perceptible.  They  carry  this  notion  so  far,  that  in 
sounding  the  praises  of  their  king,  an  act  at  which  they  are  very  expert,  they  mention,  as 
one  of  his  excellences,  that  he  chooses  to  be  black,  though,  being  so  powerful  a  monarch, 
he  might  have  been  white  if  he  had  liked. 

Europeans  who  have  resided  for  any  length  of  time  among  the  Kaffir  tribes  seem  to 
imbibe  similar  ideas  about  the  superior  beauty  of  the  black  and  red  complexion.  They 
become  used  to  it,  and  perceive  little  varieties  in  individuals,  though  to  an  inexperienced 
eye  the  colour  would  appear  exactly  similar  in  every  person.  When  they  return  to  civilized 
society  they  feel  a  great  contempt  for  the  pale,  lifeless-looking  complexion  of  Europeans, 
and  some  time  elapses  before  they  learn  to  view  a  £Eur  skm  and  light  hair  with  any 

B  2 


4  THE  KAFFIB. 

degree  of  admiratioa  Examples  of  albinos  aie  oooadonally  seen  among  the  Eaffixs,  bat 
tbey  are  not  pleasant-looking  individuals,  and  aie  not  admired  by  their  bloioker  and  more 
fortunate  fdlow-countiymen.  A  dark  olive  is,  however,  tolerably  common,  but  the  real 
hue  of  the  skin  is  that  of  rather  blackish  chocolate.  As  is  the  case  with  the  negto  race, 
the  newly-born  inf!uit  of  a  Kaffir  is  nearly  as  pale  as  that  of  a  European,  the  cuurk  hue 
becoming  developed  by  degreea 

Though  dark  of  hue,  the  Kaffirs  are  as  fastidious  about  their  dusky  complexion  as  any 
European  belle  could  be  of  her  own  fairer  skin ;  and  the  pride  with  HfJj^  a  KfUffir,  even 
though  he  be  a  man  and  a  tried  warrior,  regards  the  shming,  transpttrOat  black  of  his 
iG^in,  hoain  it  something  ludicrous  to  an  inhabitant  of  Europe. 

The  hail  of  the  Kaffir,  whether  it  belong  to  male  or  female,  never  b^Qinmes  long,  but 
envelopes  ^  head  in  a  dose  covering  of  cnsp,  wooUy  curls,  very  sinit||i'nili  ]t|i6  hair  of 
the  true  negro.  The  lips  are  always  large,  and  the  mouth  wide,  and  w^  ^^pii  has  very 
wide  nostrm.  These  peculiarities  me  Ki^r  has  in  common  with  the  tx^jt^y'iixA  it  now 
and  then  happens  that  an  individual  has  these  three  features  so  strongly  marked  that  he 
might  be  mistaken  for  a  negro  at  first  sight 

A  more  careful  view,  however,  would  at  once  detect  the  lofty  and  n^Upectual  fore- 
head, the  prominence  of  the  nose,  and  the  high  cheek-bones,  together  wiSi  a  nameless 
but  decided  cast  of  countenance,  which  marks  them  out  from  all  other  groups  of  the 
dsork-skinned  natives  of  Afrfba.  The  high  cheek-bones  form  a  very  promiitent  feature  in 
the  countenanees  (^  t|^«  Hottentots  and  Bosjesmans,  but  the  Kaffir  cannot  for  a  moment  be 
mistaken  fbt  6ithei'<)ie  cr  the  other,  any  more  than  a  lion  could  be  mistaken  for  a  puma. 

The  ezpredsion  of  the  Kaffir  face,  especiblly  when  young,  is  rather  pleasing ;  and,  as 
a  general  nile,  is  notable  when  in  repose  for  a  slight  plaintiveness,  this  expression  being 
marked  moitt  strongly  in  the  young,  of  both  sexes.  The  dark  eyes  are  lively  and  full  of 
intellect  and  a  kind  of  cheemd  good  humour  pervades  the  features.  In  the  expression 
of  their  faces,  thou^  not  at  all  in  their  features,  the  Kaffir  presents  a  curious  resemblance 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Polynesia,  and  from  the  same  reason.  As  a  people,  they  are  devoid 
of  care. 

The  three  gnjat  causes  of  care  in  more  civilized  lands  have  but  little  influence  on  a 
Kaffir.  The  clothes  which  he  absolutely  needs  are  of  the  most  trifling  description,  and  in 
our  sense  of  the  wo~d  cannot  be  recognised  as  clothing  at  olL  The  slight  hut  which 
enacts  the  part  of  a  house  is  constructed  of  materials  that  can  be  bought  for  about  a 
shilling,  and  to  the  native  cost  nothing  but  the  labour  of  cutting  and  carrying.  His  food, 
which  constitutes  his  only  real  anxiety,  is  obtained  far  more  easily  than  among  civilized 
nations,  for  game-preserving  is  unknown  in  Southern  Africa,  and  any  bird  or  beast 
becomes  the  property  of  any  one  who  chooses  to  take  the  trouble  of  capturing  it.  One 
of  the  nussionaiy  clergy  was  much  struck  by  this  utter  want  of  care,  when  he  was  ex- 
plaining the  Scriptures  to  some  dusky  hearers.  The  advice  "  to  take  no  thought  foMhe 
morrow "  had  not  the  least  effect  on  them.  They  never  had  taken  any  thougUt  for  the 
morrow,  and  never  would  do  so,  and  rather  wondered  that  any  one  could  have  been 
foolish  enough  to  give  them  such  needless  advice. 

There  is  another  cause  for  this  heedless  enjoyment  of  the  present  moment;  namely,  an 
instinctive  fatalism,  arising  from  the  peculiar  nature  of  their  government.  !nie  power  of 
life  and  death  with  which  the  Kaffir  rulers  are  invested  is  exercised  in  so  arbitrary  and 
reckless  a,manner,  that  no  Kaffir  feels  the  least  security  for  his  life.  He  knows  perfectly 
well  that  the  king  may  require  his  life  at  any  moment,  and  he  therefore  never  troubles 
himself  pbout  a  future  which  may  have  no  existence  for  him. 

Of  course  these  traits  of  character  belong  pnly  to  the  Kaffir  in  their  normal  condition ; 
for,  when  these  splendid  savages  have  placed  themselves  imder  the  protection  of  Europeans, 
the  newly-felt  security  of  life  produces  its  natural  results,  and  they  will  display  fore- 
thought which  would  do  no  discredit  to  a  white  maa  A  lad,  for  example,  will  give 
fSuthral  service  for  a  year,  in  order  to  obtain  a  cow  at  the  end  of  that  time.  Had  he  l^en 
engaged  while  under  the  rule  of  his  own  king,  he  would  have  insisted  on  prepayment, 
and  would  have  honourably  fulfilled  his  task  provided  that  the  king  did  not  have 
him  executed. 


THE  HORNS  OF  A  DILEMMA. 


Their  fotalism  is,  in  fact,  owing  to  the  peculiarly  logical  tarn  of  a  KafiBr's  mind,  and 
his  determination  to  follow  an  argument  to  its  conclusion.  He  accepts  the  acknowledged 
foct  tiutt  his  life  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  king's  caprice,  and  draws  therefrom  the  inevittuUe 
conclusion  that  he  can  calculate  on  nothing  beyond  the  present  moment. 

The lofty  and  thoughtful  forehead  of  the  Eafiir  does  i^ot  belie  his  character,  for,  of  all 
savage  races,  the  Kaffir  is  perhaps  the  most  intellectuaL  Tn  acts  he  is  honourable  and 
Btraightforward,  and,  with  one  whom  he  can  trusty  his  words  will  agree  with  his  actions. 
But  he  delights  in  controversy,  and  has  a  n>ecial  faculty  ft>r  the  Socratic  mode  of  ar^- 
ment ;  namdy,  by  asking  a  senes  of  apparently  unimportamt  questions,  gnduaJly  hemmmg 
in  his  adversary,  and  forcing  him  to  pronounce  his  own  sentence  of  condemnation.  If  he 
suspects  another  of  having  committed  a  crime,  and  examines  the  supposed  culprit  before 
a  council,  he  will  not  accuse  him  directily  of  the  crime,  but  will  cross-examine  him  with 
a  skill  worthy  of  any  European  lawyer,  each  question  being  only  capable  of  being 
answered  in  one  manner,  and  so  eliciting  successive  admissions,  each  of  which  finms  a 
step  in  the  argument. 

An  amusing  example  of  this  style  of  argument  is  given  by  Fleming. 

Some  Kaffirs  had  been  detected  in  eating  an  ox,  and  the  owner  brought  them  before  a 
council,  demanding  payment  for  the  ox.  Their  defence  was  that  they  ^d  not  killed  tiie 
animal,  but  had  found  it  dying  from  a  wound  iiiflicted  by  another  ox,  and  so  l\ad  con- 
sidered it  as  fair  tgpoiL  When  weir  defence  had  been  completed,  an  old  Kaffir  began  to 
examine  the  previous  speaker,  and,  as  usual,  comqipaoed  by  a  question  apparently  wide 
of  the  subject 

Q.  "  Does  an  ox  tail  grow  up,  down,  or  sideways  ?" 

A.  "Downwards." 

Q.  "  Do  its  horns  grow  up,  down,  or  sideways  ? " 

A.  "Up." 

Q.  "  If  an  ox  gores  another,-  does  he  not  lower  his  head  and  gore  upwards  ? " 

A.  "Yes." 

Q.  "Could  he  gore  downwards?" 

A.  "No." 

The  wily  interrogator  then  forced  the  unwilling  witness  to  examine  the  wound  which 
he  asserted  to  have  been  made  by  the  horn  of  another  ox,  and  to  admit  that  the  slain 
beast  had  been  stabbed  and  not  gored. 

Mr.  Grout,  the  missionary,  mentions  an  instance  of  the  subtle  turn  of  mind  which 
distinguishes  an  intelligent  Kaffir.  One  of  the  converts  came  to  ask  what  he  was  to  do 
if  he  went  on  a  journey  with  his  peopla  It  must  first  be  understood  that  a  Kaffir  takes 
no  provisions  when  travelling,  knowing  that  he  will  receive  hospitality  on  the  way. 

"What  shall  I  do,  when  I  am  out  on  a  journey  among  the  people,  and  they  offer  such 
food  as  they  have,  perhaps  the  flesh  of  an  animal  which  has  been  slaughtered  in  honour 
of  the  ghosts  of  the  departed  ?  If  I  eat  it,  they  will  say, '  See  there !  he  is  a  believer  in 
om  re^gion — ^he  partakes  with  us  of  the  meat  offered  to  our  gods.'  And  if  I  do  not  eat, 
they  wiU  say, '  See  there  I  he  is  a  believer  in  the  existence  and  power  of  our  gods,  else 
why  does  he  hesitate  to  eat  of  the  meat  which  we  have  slaughtered  to  them  V" 

Argument  is  a  Kaffir's  native  element,  and  he  likes  nothing  better  than  a  complicated 
debate  where  there  is  plenty  of  hair-splitting  on  both  sides.  The  above  instances  show 
I  that  a  Kaffir  can  appreciate  a  dilemma  as  well  as  the  most  accomplished  logicians,  and 
he  is  master  of  that  great  key  of  controversy, — ^namely,  throwing  the  burden  of  proof  on 
the  opponent.  In  tul  Ms  controversy  he  is  scrupulously  polite,  never  interrupting  an 
I  opponent,  and  patiently  awaiting  his  own  turn  to  speak.  And  when  the  case  has  been 
faUy  argued,  and  a  conclusion  arrived  at,  he  alwa3rs  bows  to  the  decision  of  the  presiding 
chief,  and  acquiesces  in  the  judgment,  even  when  a  penalty  is  inflicted  upon  himsell 

Trained  in  such  a  school,  the  old  and  influential  chief,  who  has  owed  his  position  as 
much  to  his  intellect  as  to  his  military  repute,  becomes  a  most  formidable  antagonist  in 
argument,  especially  when  the  question  regards  the  possession  of  land  and  the  boundaries 
to  be  observed.  He  fully  recognises  tiie  celebrated  axiom  that  language  was  given  for 
the  purpose  ef  concealing  the  woughts,  and  has  recourse  to  every  evasive  subtemige  and 


/ 


6  THE  KAFFIR 

sophism  that  bis  9ubtle  brain  can  invent.  He  will  mix  tnith  and  falsehood  with  sncii 
ingenuity  tiiat  it  is  hardly  possible  to  separate  them.  He  will  quietly  "  beg  the  question," 
and  then  proceed  as  composedly  as  if  his  argument  were  a  perfectly  fair  one.  He  will 
attack  or  <Mfend,  as  best  suits  his  own  case,  and  often,  when  he  seems  to  be  yielding  point 
afker  pointy  he  makes  a  sudden  onslaught,  becomes  in  his  turn  the  assailant,  and  marches 
to  victory  over  the  ruins  of  his  opponent's  arguments. 


OLD  COUMCILLOB  AND  WIVEa 


Here  is  a  portrait  of  one  of  the  councillors  attached  to  Goza,  the  well-known  Kaffir 
chief,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more  presently.  And  see  what  a  face  the  man  has — how  his 
broad  forehead  is  wrinkled  with  thought,  and  how  craftUy  his  black  eyes  gleam  from 
under  their  deep  brows.  Half-naked  savage  though  he  be,  the  man  who  will  enter  into 
controversy  with  him  will  find  no  mean  antagonist,  and,  whether  the  object  be  religion  or 
politics,  he  must  beware  lest  he  find  himself  suddenly  defeated  exactly  when  he  felt 
most  sure  of  victory.  The  Maori  of  New  Zealand  is  no  mean  adept  at  argument,  and  in 
many  points  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  KafBr  character.  But,  in  a  contest  of  wits 
between  a  Maori  chief  and  a  Zulu  councillor,  the  latter  would  be  nearly  certain  to  come 
off  the  victor. 

As  a  rule,  the  Kaffir  is  not  of  a  revengeful  character,  nor  is  he  troubled  with  that 
exceeding  tetchiness  which  characterises  some  races  of  mankind.  Not  that  he  is  without 
a  serde  of  dignity.  On  the  contrary,  a  Kaffir  can  be  among  the^  most  dignified  of  man- 
kind when  he  wishes  it,  and  when  there  is  some  object  in  being  so.  But  he  is  so  sure 
of  himself  that,  like  a  true  gentleman,  he  never  troubles  himself  about  asserting  Ms 
dignity. 

He  is  so  sure  that  no  real  breach  of  respect  can  be  wilfully  committed,  that  a  Kaffir 
will  seldom  hesitate  to  play  a  practical  joke  upon  another — a  proceeding  which  would 
be  the  cause  of  instant  bloodshed  among  the  Malays.  And,  provided  that  the  joke  be  a 
clever  one,  no  one  seems  to  enjoy  it  more  than  the  victim. 

One  resident  in  Kaffirland  mentions  several  instances  of  the  tendency  of  the  Kaffirs 
towards  practical  joking.  A  lad  in  his  service  gravely  told  his  fellow-countrymen  that 
all  those  who  came  to  call  on  the  Englishmen  were  bound  by  etiquette  to  kneel  down 
and  kiss  the  ground  at  a  certain  distance  from  the  hou^e.    The  natives,  bom  and  bred  in 


a  gystem  of  et 
the  lad  stood 
while,  the  trie 
who  had  faUen 

Another  an 
from  a  First  oi 
according  to  tl 
A  mischievous 
something  on : 
that  at  least  i 
pumpkin,  and 
her  fright 

TheKafi&r 
stranger,  and  \ 
White  men  an 
and  their  presi 

The  Kaf&r 
great  affection 
in  their  kraals 
by  the  mothe 
civilized  lands 
'alone,  smoking 
part  of  some  s 
and  converse  ^ 
that  school  of 


PRAOHOAL  JOKING.  7 

a  system  of  etiquette  equal  to  that  of  any  court  in  Europe,  unhesitatingly  obeyed,  while 
the  lad  stood  by,  superintending  the  operation,  and  greatly  enjoying  the  jok&  After  a 
while,  the  trick  was  discovered,  and  no  one  appreciated  the  boy's  wit  more  than  tiiose 
who  had  fallen  into  the  snare. 

Another  anecdote,  related  by  the  same  author,  seems  as  if  it  had  been  transplanted 
from  a  First  of  April  scene  in  England.  A  woman  was  bringine  home  a  pumpkm,  and, 
according  to  the  usual  mode  of  carrying  burdens  in  Africa,  was  balancing  it  on  ner  head. 
A  mischievous  boy  ran  hastily  to  her,  and,  with  a  face  of  horror,  exclaimed,  "There's 
something  on  your  head ! "  The  woman,  startled  at  the  sudden  announcement,  thought 
that  at  least  a  snake  had  got  on  her  head,  and  ran  away  screaming.  Down  fdl  the 
pumpkin,  and  the  boy  picked  it  up,  and  ate  it  before  the  woman  recovered  from 
her  fright. 

The  Kaffir  is  essentially  hospitable.  On  a  journey,  any  one  may  go  to  the  kraal  of  a 
stranger,  and  will  certainly  be  fed  and  lodged,  both  according  to  his  rank  ord  position. 
White  men  are  received  in  the  same  hospitable  manner,  and,  in  virtue  of  their  white  skin 
and  their  presumed  knowledge,  they  are  always  ranked  as  chiefs,  and  treated  accordingly. 

The  Kaffirs  are  sin^arly  domestic  people,  and,  semi-nomad  as  they  aie,  cling  with 
great  affection  to  their  simple  huts.  Chiefs  and  warriors  of  known  repute  may  be  seen 
in  their  kraals,  nursing  and  fondling  their  children  with  no  less  affection  than  is  exhibited 
by  the  mothers — ^a  trait  of  character  that  might  advantageously  be  imitated  in  more 
civilized  lands.  Altogether,  he  is  a  social  being.  He  cannot  enaure  living  alone,  eating 
'alone,  smoking  alone,  snuffing  alone,  or  even  cooking  alone,  but  always  contrives  to  form 
part  of  some  assemblage  devoted  to  the  special  purpose.  Day  by  day,  the  men  assemble 
and  converse  with  each  other,  often  treatmg  of  political  affairs,  and  training  themselves  in 
that  school  of  forensic  argument  which  has  already  been  mentioned.         . 


rim 


m 


J 


OHAPTBE  n 


oovan  ov  a  kaivib'b  uib — ^mFANCT — oolottb  or  tbb  rbw-bobit  babit-ths  udioimb-han  akd 
HIS  sinm8'»Kivvm  TAOonrATioif — smouxAB  tbbatiumt  ov  a   child— a  ohils'b  raisT 

OBWAlUWli  '  OPtoblW  SVFBBSTmON — XOTBBB  AND  OBtLD — THB  aXIM-CBADUl— DXBCBIFTION 
OT  A  OakDiJI  BBtOMOOlO  TO  A  CHXBV'b  WIFE — XINDNItSS  OV  PABBMTB  TO  OBIU>BXM  OV  BOTH 
BBXBB — TBB  VtrrUBB  OV  A  KAWm  VAMn.T,  AND  THX  ABBBNCB  OV  ANXZBTY — INrAMTIOIDB 
AUCOBT  UHXNOirN— OBBBMONT  ON  PABBINa  INTO  BOYHOOD-  -DIWBBBNT  THBOBIBB  BBBFECTINO 
ITB  CHABAOTBB  AND  OBIOIN — TCHAKA'B  ATTXMPTBD  ABOLITION  OV  THB  BITS — OmUOVB  IDXA 
OV  THB  XAWIB8,  AND   BBBVHVTION   OV    THB     CBBBMONT — ^A   XAWIB'b   DBRAD   OV   OBBT  HAIB8 

^-nonnnriBB  avtrr  undkrooino   thb   bits — ^nbw  bxcbitits  vob  bboubntb,  and  thbib. 

VALDB  to  THB  UNO — ^THB  OBBBHONY   INOmiBBNT   ON  BOTU  BXZXB. 


Havino  glanced  rapidly  over  the  principal  traits  of  Kaffir  character,  we  will  proceed  to 
trace  his  life  with  somewhat  more  detail 

When  an  infant  is  bom,  it  is,  ac  has  been  abeady  mentioned,  of  a  light  hue,  and  does 
not  gain  the  red-black  of  its  parents  until  after  some  little  time  has  elapsed.  The  same 
phenomenou  takes  place  with  the  negro  of  Western  Africa. 

Almost  as  soon  as  it  is  bom  the  " medicine-man"  is  called,  and  discharges  his  func- 
tions in  a  maimer  very  different  from  "medical  men"  in  our  own  country.  He  does  not 
trouble  himself  in  the  least  about  the  mother,  but  devotes  his  whole  care  to  the  child,  on 
whom  he  performs  an  operation  something  like  that  of  vaccination,  though  not  for  the 
same  object.  He  makes  small  incisions  on  various  parts  of  the  body,  mbs  medicine  into 
them,  and  goes  his  way.  Next  <^y  he  returns,  ti^es  the  imhappy  infant,  deepens  the 
outs,  and  puts  more  medicine  into  them.  The  much-suffering  chud  is  then  washed,  and 
is  dried  by  being  moved  about  in  the  smoke  of  a  wood  fire.  Surviving  this  treatment  by 
some  singular  tenacity  of  Ufe,  the  little  creature  is  then  plentifully  bedaubed  with  red 
paint,  and  the  proud  mother  tekes  her  share  of  the  adornment.  This  paint  is  renewed  as 
nut  as  it  wears  off,  and  is  not  discontinued  until  after  a  lapse  of  several  months. 

"  Once,"  writes  Mr.  Shooter,  "  when  I  saw  this  paint  put  on,  the  mother  had  carefully 
>i,r<(hed  a  chubby  boy,  and  made  him  clean  and  bright.  She  then  took  up  the  fr(^gment 
of  an  earthenware  pot,  which  contained  a  red  fluid,  and,  dipping  her  fingers  into  it, 
proceeded  to  daub  her  son  until  he  became  the  most  grotesque-loolong  object  it  was  e;ver 
my  fortune  to  behold.  What  remained,  being  too  precious  to  Wkste,  was  transferred  to 
hiBt  own  face."  Not  until  all  these  absurd  preliminaries  are  completed,  is  the  child 
allowed  to  take  its  ratural  food ;  and  it  sometimes  happens  that  when  the  "  medicine-man  " 
has  delayed  his  coming,  the  consequences  to  the  poor  little  creature  have  been  extremely 
disastrous. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  few  days,  the  mother  goes  about  her  work  as  usual,  carrying  the 
child  strapped  on  her  back,  and,  in  spite  of  the  load,  she  makeis  little,  if  any,-&fference 
in  the  amount  of  her  daily  tasks.  And,  considering  that  all  the  severe  work  falls  upon 
the  women,  it  is  wonderfal  that  they  should  contrive  to  do  any  work  at  all  under  the 
circomstances.  The  two  principal  tasks  of  the  women  are,  brealung  up  the  ground  with 
a  heavy  and  clumsy  tool,  something  betweoi  a  pickaxe  and  a  mattock,  and  grinding  the 


THE  CRADLE. 


daily  snpplj  of  com  between  two  stones,  and  either  of  these  tasks  would  prove  quite 
enough  for  any  ©"''inary  labourer,  thdugh  the  poor  woman  has  to  perform  both*  »nd 
plenty  of  minor  ti^^:.  besides,  lliat  they  should  have  to  do  all  this  work,  while  kbour- 
uig  under  the  incumbrance  of  a  heavy  and  growing  child  hung  on  the  back,  does  zeally 
seem  very  hard  upon  the  women.  But  they,  having  never  known  any  other  state  of  thingis, 
accept  their  laborious  married  life  as  a  matter  of  course. 

When  the  moUier  carries 
her  infant  to  the  field,  she 
mostly  slings  it  to  her  back 
by  means  of  a  wide  strip 
of  some  soft  skin,  which 
she  passes  round  her  waist 
so  as  to  leave  a  sort  of 
pocket  behind  in  which  the 
child  may  lie.  In  this 
primitive  cradle  the  little 
creature  reposes  in  perfect 
content,  and  not  even  the 
abrupt  movements  to  which 
it  is  necessarily  subjected 
will  disturb  its  slumbers. 

The  wife  of  a  chief  or 
wealthy  man  will  not,  how- 
ever, rest  satisfied  with  the 
mere  strip  of  skin  by  way 
of  a  cradle,  buthas  one  of  an 
elaborate  and  ornamental 
character.  The  illustration 
represents  a  remarkably 
fine  example  of  the  South 
African  cradle,  and  is  drawn 
from  a  specimen  in  my  col- 
lection. 

It  is  nearly  two  feet  in 
length  by  one  in  width,  and 
is  made  of  antelope  skin, 
with  the  hair  still  remain- 
ing. The  first  care  of  the 
maker  has  been  to  con- 
struct a  bag,  narrow  to- 
wards thebottom,gradually 
widening  until  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  opening,  when 
it  again  contracts.  This 
form  very  effectually  pre- 
vents an  active  or  restless 
child  from  falling  out  of  its 
cradle.  The  hairy  side  of 
the  skin  is  turned  inwards, 

so  that  the  little  one  has  a  soft  and  pleasant  cradle  in  which  to  repose.  In  order  to  give 
it  this  shape,  two  "  gores  "  have  been  let  into  the  back  of  the  cradle,  and  are  sewn  with 
that  marvellous  neatness  which  characterises  the  workmanship  of  the  Kafiir  tribes.  Four 
long  strips  of  the  same  skin  are  attached  to  the  opening  of  the  cradle,  and  by  means 
of  them  the  mother  can  bind  her  little  one  securely  on  her  back. 

As  far  as  usefulness  goes,  the  cradle  is  now  complete,  but  the  woman  is  not  satisfied 
unless  ornament  be  added.    Though  her  rank — the  wife  of  a  chie^ — does  not  exonerate 


CRADLE. 


v^ 


10 


THE  KAFFUL 


her  from  laVmr,  ahe  can  still  have  the  satisfaotion  of  showing  her  position  by  her  dress, 
and  exoitinff  envy  among  her  less  fortunate  companions  in  the  field. 

llie  entire  front  of  the  oradle  is  covered  with  beads,  arranged  in  regular  rows.  ■  In 
this  specimen,  two  colours  only  are  used ;  namely,  black  and  white.  The  black  beads  are 
polished  glass,  whUe  the  others  are  of  the  colour  which  are  known  as  "  chalk-white,"  and 
which  is  in  great  favour  with  the  Kaffirs,  on  account  of  the  contrast  which  it  affords  to 
their  duskv  skia  The  two  central  rows  are  black.  The  cradle  weighs  rather  more  than 
two  pounds,  half  of  which  is  certainly  due  to  the  profusion  of  bmids  with  which  it  is 
coverad.  On  the  right  hand  of  the  cradle  a  small  portion  is  drawn  on  an  enlaiged  scale, 
in  order  to  show  the  manner  in  which  the  beads  are  arranged. 

Except  under  peculiar  circumstances,  the  Kaffir  mother  is  a  kind,  and  even  indulgent 
parent  to  he^  duldrea  There  are,  however,  exceptional  instances,  but,  in  these  cases, 
superstition  is  generally  lihe  moving  power.  As  with  many  nations  in  different  parts  of 
the  earth,  altiliough  abundance  of  cmldren  is  desired,  twins  are  not  in  favour ;  and  when 
they  make  their  appearance  one  of  them  is  sacrificed,  in  consequence  of  a  superstitious 
notion  that,  if  both  twins  are  allowed  to  live,  sometliing  unlucky  would  happen  to  the 
parents. 

As  the  children  grow,  a  certain  difference  in  their  treatment  is  perceptible.  In  most 
savage  nations,  the  female  children  are  comparatively  neglected,  and  veiy  ill  treatment 
&]ls  on  them,  while  the  males  are  considered  as  privilM[ea  to  do  pretty  well  what  they 
like  without  rebuke.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case  with  the  Kaflhrs.  The  parents  have 
plenty  of  respect  for  their  sons  as  the  warriors  of  the  next  generation,  but  they  have  also 
respect  for  their  daughters  as  a  source  of  wealth. 

Every  father  is  therefore  glad  to  see  a  new-bom  child,  and  welcomes  it  whatever  may 
be  its  sex — ^the  boys  to  increase  the  power;  of  his  house,  the  girls  to  increase  the  numbw 
of  his  cattle.  He  knows  perfectly  well  that,  when  his  little  girl  ia  grown  up,  he  can 
obtain  at  least  eight  cows  for  her,  and  that,  if  she  happens  to  take  the  fancy  of  a  rich  or 
powerful  man,  he  may  be  fortunate  enough  to  procure  twice  the  number.  And,  as  the 
price  which  is  paid  to  the  father  of  a  girl  depends  very  much  on  her  looks  and  condition, 
she  is  not  allowed  to  be  deteriorated  by  hard  work  or  ill-treatment  These  generally 
come  after  marriage,  and,  as  the  wife  does  not  expect  anything  but  such  treatment,  she 
does  not  dream  of  complaining. 

The  Kaffir  is  free  from  the  chief  anxieties  that  attend  a  laige  family  in  civilized 
countries.  He  knows  nothing  of  the  thousand  artificial  wants  which  cluster  round  a 
civilized  life,  and  need  not  fear  lest  his  offspring  should  not  be  able  to  find  a  subsistence. 
Neither  is  he  troubled  lest  they  should  sink  below  that  rank  in  which  they  were  bom. 
Not  that  there  are  no  distinctions  of  rank  in  Kaffirland.  On  the  contraiy,  there  are  few 
parts  of  the  world  where  the  distinctions  of  rank  are  better  appreciated,  or  more  clearly 
defined.  But,  any  one  may  attain  the  rank  of  chief,  provided  that  he  possesses  th,e 
mental  or  physical  characteristics  that  can  raise  him  above  the  level  of  those  who  sur- 
round him,  and,  as  is  well  known,  some  of  the  most  powerful  monarchs  who  have  exer- 
cised despotic  sway  in  Southern  Africa  have  earned  a  rank  which  they  could  not  have 
inherited,  and  have  created  monarchies  where  the  country  had  formerly  been  ruled  by  a 
number  of  independent  chieftains. 

These  points  may  have  some  influence  upon  the  Kaffir's  conduct  as  a  parent,  but, 
whatever  may  be  the  motives,  the  fact  remains,  that  among  this  fine  race  of  savages  there 
is  no  trace  of  the  wholesale  infanticide  which  is  so  terribly  prevalent  among  othfer 
luitions,  and  which  is  accepted  as  a  social  institution  among  some  that  consider  themselves 
among  the  most  highly  civilized  of  mankind. 

As  is  the  case  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  the  natives  of  South  Africa  undergo  a 
ceremony  of  some  sort,  which  marks  their  transition  fix>m  cluldhood  to  a  more  mature 
ace.  There  has  been  rather  a  sharp  controversy  respecting  the  pecuKar  ceremony  which 
the  Kaffirs  enjoin,  some  saying  that  it  is  identical  wiUi  the  rite  of  circumcision  as  prac- 
tised by  the  Jews,  and  others  that  such  a  custom  does  not  exist  The  fact  is,  that  it  used 
to  be  universal  throughout  Southem  Africa,  until  that  strange  despot  Tchaka,  chose  arbi- 
trarily to  forbid  it  among  the  many  tribes  over  whidi  he  ruled.    Since  his  death,  how- 


BREAD  OF  OBEY  HAIR. 


U 


ever,  the  onstom  haa  been  gradoally  Te-introduced,  as  the  men  of  the  tribes  believed  that 
I  those  who  had  not  undergone  the  rite  were  weaker  than  would  otherwise  have  been  the 
esse,  and  were  more  liable  to  grey  haira 

Now  with  a  Kafi&r  a  hoarpr  head  is  by  no  means  a  crown  of  glory,  but  is  looked  ujKm 
as  a  sign  of  debility.  A  chief  dreads  nothing  so  much  as  the  approach  of  grey  hairs, 
knowing  that  the  various  sub^hiefs,  and  other  ambitious  men  who  are  rising  about  him,  are 
only  too  readv  to  detect  any  sign  of  weakness,  and  to  cgeot  him  fh)m  his  post  Europeaivi 
who  visit  elderly  ohiefe  are  almost  invariably  asked  if  they  have  any  preparation  that 
will  dye  their  grey  hairs  black.  So,  the  dread  of  such  a  calamity  occurring  at  an  early  age 
would  be  quite  sufficient  to  make  a  Kaffir  resort  to  any  custom  which  he  fancied  might 
prevent  it 

After  the  ceremony,  which  is  practised  in  secret,  and  its  details  concealed  with  in- 
viohble  fidelity,  the  youths  are  permitted  three  months  of  unlimited  indulgence ;  doing 
no  work,  and  eating,  sleeping,  smging,  and  dancing,  just  as  they  like.  They  are  then 
permitted  to  bear  arms,  and,  although  still  called  "  boys,"  are  trained  as  soldiers  and 
draughted  into  different  r^ments.  Indeed,  it  is  mostly  fwm  these  regiments  that  the  chief 
•elects  the  warriors  whom  he  sends  on  the  most  daring  expedition&  They  have  nothing 
to  lose  and  everything  to  sain,  and,  if  they  distinguish  themselves,  may  be  allowed  to 
assume  the  "  head-ring,"  me  proud  badge  of  manhood,  and  to  marrv  as  many  wives  as 
they  can  manage  to  pav  for.  A  "boy" — no  matter  what  his  age  might  be — ^would  not 
due  to  assume  the  head-ring  without  the  permission  of  his  chief,  and  there  is  no  surer 
mode  of  gaining  permission  than  by  distinguished  conduct  in  the  field,  whether  in  open 
fight  or  in  steaBiu;  cattle  from  the  enemy. 

The  necessity  for  tmdergoing  some  rite  when  emerging  from  childhood  is  not  restricted 
(o  the  men,  but  is  incumbent  on  thn  girls,  who  are  carried  off  into  seclusion  by  their 
initiatoni^  and  within  a  year  from  their  initiation  are  allowed  to  many. 


a.  civilized 
r  rotmd  a 
lubsistencei 
were  bora 
re  are  few 
>re  clearly 
isesses  tl^e 
)  who  sur- 


I 


"X 


\ 


M  .! 


CHAPTER  III. 


i 


A  KAFTIb'b  Lira,  COHTIW mi)  — APOLlBOMf 0» — BBAUTT  OV  rOBX  VX  TBB  KAFTIBS,  INS  BBABOM 
VOB  IT — ^UVnro  STATUBA— rBaXJAMIN  WBBT  and  TBB  AVOLLO — SH0CLDBB8  OT  THB  XXTFIBS 
— HBPBRD  or  rOOT  OONBIDBllXD  HONOCBABLB — A  KATFIB  MBSBRNOBB  AND  UZ8  HODB  OV 
OABBTINO  A  LRTTBB— -mS  BQITlPltBNT  VOB  THB  JOUSNBT — LIGHT  UABCHINO-OBDBU — BOW 
TBB  ADDBBM  IB  OITBN  TO  BM — CBLBBITT  OF  BIB  TABK,  AND  BMALLNBBB  OF  HIB  PAT — BIB 
TBBT  A1«D  THBIB  NATVBB — THI0KNB8B  OF  THB  BOLB,  AND  ITB  SUPBBIOBITT  OVBB  TBB  BBOB 
— ANBODOTB  OF  A  Blcr  BOT  AND  HIB  FHVBICIAN — FOBH  OF  TBB  FOOT — HBALTBT  BTATB  OF 
A  KAFFIB'B  BODY — ^ANBODOTB  OF  WOtTNDBD  OIBL — BAPIDITT  VITH  WHICH  INJUBIBB  ABB 
BBALBD — YOUNO  WOBBN,  AND  THBIB  BBAUTY  OF  FOBM — PBOTOOBAPHIO  POBTBAITB — ^DIFFI- 
CULTY OF  PBOTOOBAPBINO  A  KAFFIB — THB  LOCALITY,  OBBABR,  NEBT0U8NBB8 — 8H0BT  TSNTOl 
OF  BBADTY— FBATtTBXB  OF  KAFFIB  OQULI — OLD  KAFFIB  WOMBN  AND  THBIB  L00X8. 


I'lil 


When  the  youths  and  maidens  are  in  the  full  bloom  of  youth,  they  afford  as  fine 
specimens  of  humanity  as  can  be  seen  anywhera  Their  limbs  have  never  been  subject 
to  the  distorting  influences  of  clothing,  nor  their  forms  to  the  absurd  compression  which 
was,  untU  recently,  destructive  of  aU  reed  beauty  in  this  and  neighbouring  countrie& 
Each  muscle  and  sinew  has  had  fair  play,  the  lungs  have  breathed  fresh  air,  and  the 
active  habits  have  given  to  the  form  that  rounded  perfection  which  is  never  seen  except 
in  those  who  have  enjoyed  similar  advantages. 

We  all  admire  the  almost  superhuman  majesty  of  the  human  form  as  seen  in  ancient 
sculpture,  but  we  need  only  to  travel  to  Southern  Africa  to  see  similar  forms,  but  breath- 
ing and  moving,  not  motionless  images  of  marble,  but  living  statues  of  bronze.  This 
classic  beauty  of  form  is  not  peculiar  to  Southern  Africa,  but  is  found  in  many  parts  of 
the  world  where  the  inhabitants  lead  a  free,  active,  and  temperate  life. 

My  readers  will  probably  remember  the  well-known  anecdote  of  West  the  painter 
surprising  the  critical  Italians  with  his  remarks.  Bred  in  a  Quaker  family,  he  had  no 
acquaintance  with  ancient  art ;  and  when  he  first  visited  Rome,  he  was  taken  by  a  large 
assembly  of  art-critics  to  see  the  Apollo  Belvedere.  As  soon  as  the  doors  were  thrown 
open,  he  exclaimed  that  the  statue  represented  a  young  Mohawk  warrior,  much  to  the 
indignation  of  the  critics,  who  foolishly  took  his  exclamation  as  derogatory  to  the  statue, 
rather  than  the  highest  and  most  genuine  praise.  The  fact  was,  that  the  models  from 
whom  the  sculptor  had  composed  his  statue,  and  the  young  Mohawk  warriors  so  familiar 
to  West,  had  received  a  similar  physical  education,  and  had  attained  a  similar  physical 
beauty.  "  I  have  seen  them  often,"  said  West,  "  standing  in  the  very  attitude  of  this 
Apollo,  and  pursuing  with  an  intent  eye  the  arrow  which  they  had  just  dischai^ed  from 
the  bow." 

There  is,  indeed,  but  one  fault  that  the  most  captious  critic  could  find  with  the  form 
of  the  K&f&r,  and  that  is,  a  slight  deficiency  in  the  fall  of  the  shoulder.  As  a  race,  the 
Kaffirs  are  slightly  high-shouldered,  though  there  are  many  instances  where  the  slope 
from  the  neck  to  the  arm  is  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  canons  of  classic  art 

These  young  fellows  are  marvellously  swift  of  foot,  speed  reckoning  as  one  of  the 
chief  characteristics  of  a  distinguished  soldier.     They  are  also  possessed  of  enormous 


LETTER  CARRIER 


IS 


endnnnoe.  Ton  may  send  a  Kaffir  for  sixty  or  seventy  miloa  with  a  letter,  and  be  wQl 
prepare  for  the  start  as  quietly  as  if  he  had  only  a  journey  of  some  three  or  four  miles  to 
perionn.      First,  he  outs  a  stiok 

liome  three  feet  in  length,  splits  the 
end,  and  fixes  the  letter  in  the  cleft, 
■0  that  he  may  carry  the  missive 
without  damaging  it  by  the  grease 
with  whioh  his  whole  person  is 
liberally  anointed.  He  tnen  looks 
to  his  supply  of  snuff,  and,  should 

■he  happen  to  run  short  of  that 

I  needful  luxury,  it  will  add  wings 

I  to  his  feet  if  a  little  tobacco  bo 

I  presented  to  him,  which  he  can 

I  make  into  snuff  at  his  first  halt 
Taking  an  assagai  or  two  with 

I  him,  and  perhaps  a  short  stick  with 

la  knob  at  the  end.  called  a  "  kerry," 

I  he  will  start  off  at  a  slinging  sort 

I  of  mixture  between  a  run  and  a  trot, 

land  will  hold  this  pace  almost  with- 

loutceaaation.    As  to  provision  for 

I  the  journey,  he  need  not  trouble 

I  himself  about  it,  for  he  is  sure  to 

I  fall  in  with  some  hut,  or  perhaps  a 

jvillage,  and  is  equally  sure  of  ob- 

Itaining  both  food  and  shelter.    He 

■steers  his  course  almost  as  if  by  in- 

Ituition,  regardless  of  beaten  tracks, 

land   arrives     at    his    destination 

I  with  the  same  mysterious  certainty 

I  that  characterises  the  migration  of 

I  the  swallow. 

It  is  not  so  easy  to  address  a 

I  letter  in  Aftica  as  in  England,  and 

lit  is  equally  difficult  to  give  direc- 
tioos  for  finding  any  particular 
house  or  village.     If  a  chief  should 

I  be  on  a  visit,  and  ask  his  host  to 

I  return  the  call,  he  simply  tells  him 

I  to  go  so  many  days  in  such  a  direc- 

Ition,  and  then  turn  for  half  a  day 
in  another  direction,  and  so  on.    However,  the  Kaffir  is  quite  satisfied  Wxch  such  indi- 
cations, and  is  sure  to  attain  his  point. 

When  the  messenger  has  delivered  his  letter,  he  will  squat  down  on  the  ground,  take 
snuff,  or  smoke — probably  both — and  wait  patiently  foi*  the  answer.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  refreshments  will  be  supplied  to  him,  and,  when  the  answer  is  handed  to  him,  he 
will  return  at  the  same  pace.  Europeans  are  (dways  surprised  when  they  first  see  a 
young  Kaffir  undertake  the  delivery  of  a  letter  at  so  great  a  distance,  and  still  more  at  the 
wonderfully  short  time  in  which  he  will  perform  the  journey.  Nor  are  they  less  sur- 
prised when  they  find  that  he  thinks  himself  very  well  paid  with  a  shilling  for  his 
trouble. 

In  point  of  fact,  the  journey  is  scarcely  troublesome  at  all.  He  has  everjrthing  his 
own  way.  There  is  plenty  of  snuff  in  his  box,  tobacco  wherewith  to  make  more,  the 
prospect  of  seeing  a  number  of  fellow-countrymen  on  the  way,  an**  enjoying  a  conver- 
saticui  with  them,  the  dignity  of  being  a  messenger  from  one  white  chidf  to  another,  and 


>.ji 


^:r/,vJ-^ 


TOmiO  KAFHR  ARMEU. 


Ik 


:1 


14 


THE  KAFFIR 


the  certainty  of  obtuning  a  sum  of  money  which  will  enable  him  to  adorn  himself  wit]i| 
a  splendid  set  of  beads  at  the  next  dance. 

Barefoot  though  he  be,  he  seldom  complains  of  any  hurt.  From  constant  usage  thel 
soles  of  his  feet  are  defended  by  a  thickened  skin  as  insensible  as  the  sole  of  any  bood 
and  combining  equal  toughness  with  perfect  elasticity.  He  will  walk  with  imconcenl 
over  sharp  stones  and  thorns  which  would  lame  a  European  in  the  first  step,  and  has  thel 
great  advantage  of  possessing  a  pair  of  soles  which  never  wear  out,  but  actually  become  I 
stronger  b.^  use.    Mr.  Baines,  the  AMcan  hunter,  narrates  a  rather  ludicro\is  instance  of  the  | 


KAFFIB  POSTMAN. 


insensibility  of  the  KafBt's  foot  Passing  by  some  Kaffir  houses,  he  heard  doleful  oufrl 
cries,  and  found  that  a  young  boy  was  undergoing  a  medical  or  suigical  operation,  which-j 
ever  may  be  the  proper  name.  I 

The  boy  was  suffering  from  some  ailment  for  which  the  medicine-man  prescribed  al 
thorough  kneading  with  a  hot  substance.  The  plan  by  which  the  process  was  carriedj 
out  was  simple  and  ingenious.  A  Kaffir  man  hc^his  own  foot  over  the  fire  until  the  solel 


numerous  woi 
he  said  that  v 
into  a  state  ( 
almost  as  easi 
readers,  that 
whether  it  ht 
difference  inj 
recover  from  i 

The  younj 
the  men,  and 
best  advanta^ 
would  have  si 
in  them  the  s 
some  cases  tl 
however,  the 
model  of  peri 

There  is 
various  ages, ) 
forms  which 
photographed 
artistic,  but  t 


liiiii' 


YOUNG  WOMEN. 


16 


became  quite  hot  The  boy  was  then  held  firmly  on  the  ground,  while  the  man  trampled 
on  him  with  the  heated  foot,  and  kneaded  him  woll  with  this  curious  implement  of 
medicine.  When  that  foot  was  cold,  he  heated  the  other,  and  so  proceeded  till  the  opera- 
tion was  concluded.  The  heat  of  his  sole  was  so  great  that  the  poor  boy  could  scarcely 
endure  the  pain,  and  struggled  hard  to  get  free,  but  the  operator  felt  no  inconvenience 
whatever  from  subjecting  his  foot  to  such  an  ordeaL  The  dreaded  "stick"  of  the 
Orientals  would  lose  its  terrors  to  a  KafQr,  who  would  endure  the  bastinado  with  com- 
parative impunity. 

Among  these  people,  the  foot  assumes  its  proper  form  and  dimensions.  The  toes  are 
not  pinched  together  by  shoes  or  boots,  and  reduced  to  the  helpless  state  too  common 
in  this  country.  The  foot  is,  L  3  that  of  an  ancient  statue,  wide  and  full  across  the 
toes,  each  of  which  has  its  separate  function  just  as  have  the  lingers  of  the  hand,  and 
each  of  which  is  equally  capable  of  performing  that  functioa  Therefore  the  gait  of  a 
Kaffir  is  perfection  itself.  He  has  not  had  his  foot  lifted  behind  and  depressed  in  front  by 
high-heeled  boots,  nor  the  play  of  the  instep  checked  by  leathern  bonds.  The  wonderfm 
arch  of  the  foot—one  of  the  most  astonishing  pieces  of  mechanism  that  the  world  affords 
—can  perform  its  office  unrestrained,  and  every  little  bone,  muscle,  and  tendon  plays  its 
own  part,  and  none  other. 

The  constant  activity  of  the  Kaffirs,  conjoined  to  their  temperate  mode  of  life,  keeps 
them  in  perfect  health,  and  guards  them  against  many  evils  which  befall  the  civilized 
man  {hey  are  free  from  many  of  the  minor  ailments  incident  to  high  civilization,  and 
which,  trifling  as  they  may  be  singly,  detract  greatly  in  the  aggregate  from  the  happiness 
of  life.  Moreover,  their  state  of  health  enables  them  to  survive  injuries  which  would  be 
almost  instantly  fatal  to  any  ordinary  civilized  European. 

That  this  comparative  immunity  is  owing  to  the  mode  of  life  and  not  to  the  colour  of 
the  skin  is  a  well-known  fact,  Europeans  being,  when  in  thorough  good  health,  even  more 
enduring  than  their  dark-skinned  companions.  A  remarkable  instance 'of  this  fact 
occurred  during  the  bloody  struggle  between  the  Dutch  colonists  and  Dingan's  forces 
in  1837.  The  Kafi&rs  treacherously  assaulted  the  unsuspecting  Dutchmen,  and  then 
invaded  their  villages;  spearing  all  the  inhabitants  and  destroying  the  habitations.  Near 
the  Blue  Krantz  river  was  a  heap  of  dead,  among  whom  were  found  two  young  girls,  who 
still  showed  signs  of  life.  One  had  received  nineteen  stabs  with  the  assagai,  and  the 
other  twenty-ona  They  were  removed  from  the  corpses,  and  survived  their  dreadful 
wounds,  reaching  womanhood,  though  both  crippled  for  life. 

On  one  occasion,  while  I  was  conversing  with  Captain  Burton,  and  alluding  to  the 
numerous  wounds  which  he  had  received,  and  the  little  effect  which  they  had  upon  him, 
he  said  that  when  the  human  frame  was  brought,  by  constant  exercise  and  simple  diet, 
into  a  state  of  perfect  health,  mere  flesh  wounds  were  scarcely  noticed,  the  cut  closing 
almost  as  easily  as  if  it  had  been  made  in  india-rubber.  It  may  also  be  familiar  to  my 
readers,  that  when  in  this  country  men  are  carefully  trained  for  any  physical  exertion, 
whether  it  be  pedestrianism,  gymnastics,  rowing,  or  the  prize-ring,  they  receive  with  in- 
difference injuries  which  would  have  prostrated  them  a  few  months  previously,  and 
recover  from  them  with  wonderful  rapidity. 

The  young  Kaffir  women  are  quite  as  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  their  form  as  are 
the  men,  and  the  very  trifling  dress  which  they  wear  serves  to  show  off  their  figures  to  the 
best  advantage.  Some  of  the  young  Kaffir  girls  are,  in  point  of  form,  so  perfect  that  they 
would  have  satisfied  even  the  fastidious  taste  of  the  classical  sculptor.  There  is,  however, 
in  them  the  same  tendency  to  high  shoulders  which  has  already  been  mentioued,  and  in 
some  cases  the  shoulders  are  set  almost  squarely  across  the  body.  In  most  instances, 
however,  the  shoulders  have  the  proper  droop,  while  the  whole  of  the  bust  is  an  absolute 
model  of  perfection — rounded,  firm,  and  yet  lithe  as  the  body  of  a  panther. 

There  is  now  before  me  a  large  collection  of  photographs,  representing  Kaffir  girls  of 
various  ages,  and,  in  spite  of  the  invariable  stiffness  of  photographic  portraits,  they  exhibit 
forms  which  might  serve  as  models  for  any  sculptor.  If  they  could  only  have  been 
photographed  while  engaged  in  their  ordinary  pursuits,  the  result  would  have  been  most 
artistic,  but  the  very  knowledge  that  they  were  not  to  move  hand  or  foot  has  occasioned 


16 


THE  KAFFIR 


them  to  assume  attitudes  quite  at  variance  with  the  graceful  unconsciousness  of  their 
ordinary  gestures. 

Beude  the  stiffness  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  there  are  several  points  which 
make  a  really  good  photographic  portrait  almost  an  impossibility.  In  the  firat  place,  the 
sunlight  is  so  brilliant  diat  the  shadows  become  developed  into  blackpatches,  and  the 
highlights  into  splashes  of  white  without  the  least  secondary  shading,  l^e  photographer 
of  KafiBr  life  cannot  put  his  models  into  a  glass  room  cunningly  fonushed  with  curtains 


j 'better  chance 
of  honour  to  be 


UNMARRIED  OIRIA 


and  tinted  glass.    He  must  take  the  camera  into  the  villages,  photograph  the  inhabitants 
as  they  stand  or  sit  in  the  open  air,  and  make  a  darkened  hut  act  as  a  developing-tent. 

Taking  the  portraits  properly  is  a  matter  of  extreme  difficulty.  The  Kaffirs  vnll  rub 
themselves  with  grease,  and  the  more  they  shine  the  better  they  are  dressed.  Now,  as 
every  photographer  knows,  nothing  is  nioro  perplexing  than  a  rounded  and  polished 
surface  in  the  full  rays  of  the  sunbeams ;  and  if  it  were  only  possible  to  rub  the  grease- 
from  the  dark  bodies,  and  deprive  them  of  their  gloss,  the  photographer  woiUd  have  a 


FEATURES  OF  KAFFIR  GIRLS. 


17 


'better  chance  of  success.  But  the  KafiBr  ladies,  old  and  young  alike,  think  it  a  point 
of  honour  to  be  dressed  in  their  very  best  when  their  portraits  are  taken,  and  will  insist 
upon  bedizening  themselves  exactly  in  the  way  which  is  most  destructive  to  photography. 
They  take  fresh  grease,  and  rub  their  bodies  until  they  shine  like  a  well-polished  boot; 
they  indue  every  necklace,  girdle,  bracelet,  or  other  ornament  that  they  can  muster,  and 
not  until  they  are  satisfied  with  their  personal  appearance  will  they  present  themselves  to 
the  artist. 

Even  when  they  have  done  so,  they  are  restless,  inquisitive,  and  rather  nervous,  and 
in  all  probability  will  move  their  heads  just  as  the  cap  of  the  lens  is  removed,  or  will 
take  fright  and  run  away  altogether.  In  the  case  of  the  two  girls  represented  in  the 
illustration,  the  photographer  has  been  singularly  fortunate.  Both  the  girls  belonged  to 
the  tribe  commanded  by  the  well-known  chief  Goza,  whose  portrait  wUl  be  given  on  a 
j  subsequent  paga  The  girls  are  clad  in  their  ordinary  costume  of  every-day  hfe,  and  in 
I  fact,  when  their  portraits  were  taken,  were  acting  as  housemaids  in  the  house  of  an 
European  settler. 


OLT  WOMEN. 


Unfortunately,  this  singular  beauty  of  form  is  very  transient ;  and  when  a  girl  has 
[attained  to  the  age  at  which  an  English  girl  is  in  her  full  perfection,  the  Kaffir  girl  has 
begun  to  age,  and  her  firm,  lithe,  and  graceful  form  has  become  flabby  and  shapeless.  In 
I  the  series  of  portraits  which  has  been  mentioned,  this  gradual  deterioration  of  form  is 
j  curiously  evident ;  and  in  one  example,  which  represents  a  row  of  girls  sitting  under  the 
[shade  of  a  hut,  young  girls  just  twenty  years  of  age  look  like  women  of  forty. 

The  chief  drawback  to  a  Kaffir  girl's  beauty  lies  in  her  face,  which  is  never  a  beautiful 

lone,  according  to  European  ideas  on  that  subject.    It  is  mostly  a  pleasant,  good-humoured 

face,  but  the  cheek-bones  are  too  high,  the  nose  too  wide,  and  the  lips  very  much  too 

I  large.    The  two  which  have  been  already  represented  are  by  far  the  most  favourable 

I  specimens  of  the  collection,  and  no  one  can  say  that  their  faces  are  in  any  way  equal  to 

VOL.  I.  0 


III 


«'-T1 


*    ^«'  ';i 


18 


THE  KAFFIR 


their  forms.  It  may  be  that  their  short,  crisp,  harsh,  woolly  hair,  so  different  from  the 
silken  tresses  of  European  women,  produce  some  feeling  of  dislike ;  but,  even  if  they  were 
furnished  with  the  finest  and  most  massive  head  of  hair,  they  could  never  be  called 
handsome.  People  certainly  do  get  used  to  their  peculiar  style,  and  sometimes  prefer  the  I 
wild  beauty  of  a  Kaffir  girl  to  the  mol'e  refined,  though  more  insipid,  style  of  the  European 
Still,  few  Englishmen  would  think  themselves  flattered  if  their  faces  were  thought  to 
resemble  the  features  of  a  KafBr  of  the  same  age,  and  the  same  rule  will  apply  to  the| 
women  as  well  as  to  the  men. 

Unfortunately,  the  rapidity  with  which  the  Kaffir  women  deteriorate  renders  then  I 
very  unsightly  objects  at  an  age  in  which  an  European  woman  is  in  her  prime.    Among! 
civilized  nations,  age  often  carries  with  it  a  charming  mixture  of  majesty  and  simplicity, 
which  equally  command  our  reverence  and  our  love.  Among  this  people,  however,  we  find  I 
nothing  in  their  old  age  to  compensate  for  the  lost  beauty  of  youth.    They  do  not  possess! 
that  indefinable  charm  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  old  age  of  civilized  woman,  nor  is 
there  any  vestige  of  that  spiritual  beauty  which  seems  to  underlie  the  outward  form,  and 
to  be  even  more  youthful  than  youth  itself.    Perhaps  one  reason  for  this  distinction  may! 
be  the  uncultivated  state  of  the  mind ;  but,  whatever  may  be  the  cause,  in  youth  the  Kaffir  | 
woman  is  a  sylph,  in  old  age  a  hag. 


SBXSS  AND  OBNA] 
SKm  THR 
KAB088  OB 
— PKOFBSSIO: 
DIMBN8ION8- 
TA8TBFUL  AI 
MODS  OF  PK 
«  TAILS  "- 
— PORTRAIT 
SE-CAUP. 


1  dq 
tot 


Havinq  now 
will  proceed 
I  rate  their  dark  i 

The  materia 
I  country.  In  sot 
In  Southern  Afr 
I  the  dress,  wheth 
I  country  abounds 
I  and  their  kin,  th 
I  which  the  Kaffii 

The  Kaffir  i 
■  process,  and  an 
I  furriers,  with  all 
I  and  stubborn  hi( 
I  will  dry  without 

For  large  ai 
[example,  will  be 
I  very  stiff  indeed 
I  simple  and  expe 
I  such  articles  as 

Supposing  tl 
I  of  his  comrades 
[until  they  have 
I  then  stretch  it  ii 
lit  over  their  kn( 
I  manipulation,    i 
I  the  task,  which 
lit,  but  hand  it  < 
I  necessary,  they 
[needles,  and  tie 
{bundles.    The  \ 


CHAPTER  IV. 


SBXSS  AND  0BNAMBNT8 — DBSB8  OF  TES  MKN — DBR8S  DBPBNDBNT  ON  COUNTBT  FOB  HATEBIAIr— 
8KIN  THR  CHIBF  ABTICIA  OF  DBR8S  IN  SOUTHSBN  AFBICA — FUB-PBODCCINO  ANIMALS — A 
KAB0S8  OB  CLOAK  OF  UBBBKAT  SKIN — ANOTHEB  OF  JACKAL  SKINS — NATIVB  TASTE  IN  DBES8 
— FB0FB8SI0NAL   KAB08S    UAKBB8 — NEBDLB    U8BD    BT    THB   KAFFIB8 — ITS   CLUMSY   SHAPB  AND 

DIMENSIONS — ^ITS    LBATHBB    SHEATH — A    FASHIONABLB     NBEDLB    AND    ITS    BELT    OF    BEADS 

TASTEFUL  ABBANOBMBNT  OF  COLOUB — THBEAD  USRD  BY  KAFFIB8 — SINOULAB  MATBBIAL  AND 
MODE  OF  PBEFABINO  IT — HOW  A  KAFFIB  SBVS — ^A  MAN's  OBDINABY  DBESS — THE  APBON  OB 
"  TAILS  " — SPECIMEN  IN  MY  COLLECTION — BBAS8  BUTTONS — THB  "  ISINBNE  "  AND  "  UMUCHA  " 
— POBTBAIT  OF  QOZA — OBESITY  OF  THB  CHIEFS — FULL  DBB88  AND  UNDBE8S — A  KAFFIB  AIDB- 
DB-CAMP. 


<       % 


Havinq  now  described  tLe  general  appearance  of  the  Kaffirs  from  childhood  to  age,  we 
will  proceed  to  the  costume  which  they  wear,  and  the  ornaments  with  which  they  deco- 
I  rate  their  dark  persons. 

The  materied  of  which  dress  is  made  depends  much  on  the  characteristics  of  the 
I  country.  In  some  parts  of  the  world  linen  is  used,  in  another  silk,  and  in  another  cotton. 
In  Southern  Africa,  however,  and  indeed  throughout  a  very  large  portion  of  the  continent, 
the  dress,  whether  of  men  or  women,  is  composed  of  the  skins  and  furs  of  animals.  The 
country  abounds  in  game,  especially  of  the  antelope  tribe ;  and  the  antelopes,  the  zebras 
and  their  kin,  the  beasts  of  prey,  the  monkey  tribes  and  the  oxen,  afford  a  vast  store  from 
I  which  the  Kaffir  can  take  his  clothing,  and  vary  it  almost  without  bounds. 

The  Kaffir  is  an  admirable  dresser  of  furs.     He  bestows  very  great  pains  on  the 

I  process,  and  arrives  at  a  result  which  cannot  be  surpassed  by  the  best  of  European 

farriers,  with  all  his  means  and  appliances.     Kaffir  furs,  even  those  made  from  the  stiff 

and  stubborn  hide  of  the  ox,  are  as  soft  and  pliable  as  silk ;  and  if  they  be  wetted,  they 

I  will  dry  without  becoming  harsh  and  stiff. 

For  large  and  thick  skins  a  peculiar  process  is  required.    The  skin  of  the  cow,  for 

I  example,  will  become  as  hard  as  a  board  when  dry,  and  even  that  of  the  lion  is  apt  to  be 

very  stiff  indeed  when  dried.     The  process  of  preparing  such  skins  is  almost  absurdly 

simple  and  expeditious,  while  its  efficacy  is  such  that  our  best  fur-dressers  cannot  produce 

I  such  articles  as  the  Kaffirs  do. 

Supposing  that  a  cow-skin  is  to  be  made  into  a  robe,  the  Kaffir  will  ask  two  or  three 
I  of  his  comrades  to  help  him.  They  all  sit  round  the  skin,  and  scrape  it  very  carefully, 
[until  they  have  removed  every  particle  of  fat,  and  have  also  reduced  the  thickness.  They 
I  then  stretch  it  in  every  direction,  pulling  against  each  other  with  all  their  might,  working 
lit  over  their  knees,  and  taking  care  that  not  an  inch  of  it  shall  escape  without  thorough 
I  manipulation.  Of  course  they  talk,  and  sing,  and  smoke,  and  take  snuff  while  performing 
Ithe  task,  which  is  to  them  a  labour  of  lova  Indeed,  if  it  were  not,  they  would  not  perform 
jit,  but  hand  it  over  to  their  wives.  When  they  have  kneaded  it  as  much  as  they  think 
I  necessary,  they  proceed  to  another  operation.  They  take  eight  or  ten  of  their  skewer-like 
■needles,  and  tie  them  together  in  a  bundle,  each  man  being  furnished  with  one  of  these 
I  bundles.    The  points  are  then  placed  perpendicularly  upon  the  skin,  and  the  bundle  made 

02 


im 


-J" 


In 


30 


THE  KAFFIR. 


m 


« '  ■! 


I 


Ilii 


to  revolve  backwards  and  forwards  between  the  hands.  This  process  tears  up  the  fibres 
of  the  skin,  and  adds  to  its  pliancy,  beside  raising  a  sort  of  nap,  which  in  some  of  their 
dresses  is  so  thick  and  fine  as  to  resemble  plush. 

Sometimes,  when  needles  are  scarce,  the  long  straight  thorns  of  the  acacia  are  tied 
together,  and  used  in  a  similar  manner.  Although  not  so  strong,  their  natural  points  are 
quite  as  sharp  as  the  artificial  points  made  of  iron,  and  do  their  work  as  effectually. 
Some  of  my  readers  may  remember  that  the  nap  on  cloth  is  raised  by  a  method  exactly 
similar  in  principle,  the  thorny  seed-vessels  of  the  teasle  thistle  being  fastened  on 
cylinders  and  made  to  revolve  quickly  over  the  surface  of  the  cloth,  so  as  to  raise  a 
"  nap "  which  conceals  the  course  of  the  threads.  These  acacia  thorns  are  used  for  a 
wonderful  variety  of  purposes,  and  are  even  pressed  into  the  service  of  personal  vanity, 
being  used  as  decorations  for  the  hair  on  festive  occasions. 

The  skin  is  now  ready  for  the  ingredient  that  forms  a  succedaneum  for  the  tanpit,  and 
that  does  its  work  in  a  very  short  time. 

As  tho  reader  is  perhaps  aware,  the  acacia  is  one  of  the  commonest  trees  in  Southern 
Africa.  The  sap  of  the  tree  is  of  a  very  astringent  character,  and  communicates  its 
properties  to  the  bark  through  which  it  percolates.  In  consequence,  the  white  inhabitants 
of  Southern  Africa  are  in  the  habit  of  using  the  bark  of  the  acacia  just  as  in  England  we 
use  the  bark  of  the  oak,  and  find  that  it  produces  a  similar  effect  upon  skins  that  are 
soaked  in  a  strong  solution  of  acacia-bark  in  water.  The  native,  however,  does  not  use 
the  bark  for  this  purpose,  neither  does  he  practise  the  long  and  tedious  process  of  tanning 
which  is  in  use  among  ourselves.  The  acacia-tree  supplies  for  him  a  material  which 
answers  all  the  purposes  of  a  tanpit,  and  does  not  require  above  a  fraction  of  the  time 
that  is  employed  in  ordinary  tanning. 

The  acacia-trees  are  constantly  felled  for  all  sorts  of  purposes.  The  hard  wood  is  used 
in  native  architecture,  in  making  the  fence  round  a  kraal,  in  making  wagon  poles,  and 
in  many  similar  modes.  The  root  and  stump  are  left  to  rot  in  the  ground,  and,  thanks  to 
the  peculiar  climate  and  the  attacks  of  insects,  they  soon  rot  away,  and  can  be  crumbled 
with  the  fingers  into  a  reddish  yellow  powder.  This  powder  is  highly  astringent,  and  is 
used  by  the  Kaffirs  for  dressing  their  furs,  and  is  applied  by  assiduous  rubbing  in  with 
the  hand.  Afterwards,  a  little  grease  is  added,  but  not  much,  and  this  is  also  rubbed  in 
very  carefully  with  the  hand. 

A  large  kaross  is  always  worn  with  the  furry  side  im/ards,  and  there  is  a  mode  of 
putting  it  on  which  is  considered  highly  fashionable.  If  the  robe  is  composed  of  several 
skins, — say,  for  example,  those  of  the  jackal  Or  leopard, — the  heads  are  placed  in  a  row 
along  the  upper  margin.  When  the  Kaffir  indues  his  kaross,  he  folds  this  edge  over  so 
as  to  form  a  kind  of  c  pe,  and  puts  it  on  in  such  a  way  that  the  fur-clad  heads  fall  in 
a  row  over  his  shoulders. 

The  rapidity  with  which  a  Kaffir  will  prepare  a  small  skin  is  really  surprising.  One 
of  my  friends  was  travelling  in  Southern  Africa,  and  saw  a  jackal  cantering  along,  looking 
out  for  food.  Presently,  he  came  across  the  scent  of  some  steaks  that  were  being  cooked, 
and  came  straight  towards  the  wagon,  thinking  only  of  food,  and  heedless  of  danger.  One 
of  the  Kaffirs  in  attendance  on  the  wagon  saw  the  animal,  picked  up  a  large  stone,  and 
awaited  his  coming.  As  he  was  nearing  the  fire,  the  Kaffir  flung  the  stone  with  such  a 
good  aim  that  the  animal  was  knocked  over  and  stunned.  The  wagon  started  in  an 
hour  and  a  half  from  that  time,  and  the  Kaffir  who  killed  the  jackal  was  seen  wearing 
vhe  animal's  dressed  skin. 

The  skin  of  this  creature  is  very  much  prized  for  robes  and  similar  purposes,  as  it  is 
thick  and  soft,  and  thu  rich  black  mottlings  along  the  back  give  to  the  robe  a  very 
handsome  appearance. 

I  have  before  me  a  beautiful  example  of  a  kaross  or  cloak,  made  from  the  skino  :)(  the 
Meerkat,  one  of  the  South  African  ichneumons.  It  is  a  pretty  creature,  the  coat  being 
soft  and  full,  and  the  general  colour  a  reddish  tawny,  variegated  in  some  specimens  by 
dark  ro     '^ngs  along  the  back,  and  fading  off  into  grey  along  the  flanks. 

The  'OSS  consists  of  thirty-six  skins,  which  are  sewn  together  as  neatly  as  any 
furrier  couii  sew  them.     The  Meerkat,  being  very  tenacious  of  life,  does  not  succiuub 


'  t 


KAROSS  MAKER. 


91 


easily,  and  accordingly  there  is  scarcely  a  skin  which  has  not  been  pierced  in  one  or 
more  places  by  the  spear,  in  some  instances  leaving  holes  through  which  a  man's  finger 
could  easily  be  passed.  In  one  skin  there  are  five  holes,  two  of  them  of  considerable 
size.  Yet,  when  the  kaross  is  viewed  upon  the  hairy  side,  not  a  sign  of  a  hole  is  visible. 
With  singular  skill,  the  Kaffir  fur-dresser  has  "  let  in "  circular  pieces  of  skin  cut  from 
another  animal,  and  done  it  so  well  that  no  one  would  suspect  that  there  had  been  any 
injuiy  to  the  skin.  The  care  taken  in  choosing  the  colour  is  very  remarkable,  because  the 
fur  of  the  Meerkat  is  extremely  variable  in  colour,  and  it  must  have  been  necessary  to  com- 
pare a  considerable  number  of  skins,  in  order  to  find  one  that  was  of  exactly  the  right  shade. 
The  mantle  in  question  is  wonderfully  light,  so  light,  indeed,  that  no  one  would 
I  think  it  capable  of  imparting  much  warmth  until  he  has  tried  it  I  always  use  it  in 
journeys  in  cold  weather,  finding  that  it  can  be  packed  in  much  less  space  than  an 
ordinary  railway  rug,  that  it  is  lighter  to  carry,  and  is  warmer  and  more  comfortable. 


TBB  UJSEBKAT. 


Although  every  Kaffir  has  some  knowledge  of  skin-dressing  and  tailoring,  there  ai« 
Isome  who  greatly  surpass  their  companions,  and  are  popularly  known  as  "kaross 
[makers."  It  is  easy  to  tell  at  a  glance  whether  a  garment  is  the  work  of  an  ordinary 
lEaffir,  or  of  a  regular  kaross  maker.  The  kaross  which  has  been  noticed  affords  a  good 
jexample  of  both  styles,  which  can  be  distinguished  as  easily  by  the  touch  as  by  the  sight 
When  a  kaross  maker  sets  to  work,  he  takes  the  two  pieces  of  the  fur  which  he  has 
|to  join,  and  places  them  together  with  the  hairy  side  inwards,  and  the  edges  exactly 
latching  each  other.  He  then  repeatedly  passes  his  1  ng  needle  between  the  two  pieces, 
[so  as  to  press  the  hair  downwards,  and  prevent  it  from  being  caught  in  the  thread.  He 
then  bores  a  few  holes  in  a  line  with  each  other,  and  passes  the  sinew-fibre  through  them, 
Icasting  a  single  hitch  over  each  hole,  but  leaving  the  thread  loose.  When  he  has  made 
Itwo  or  three  such  holes,  and  passed  the  thread  through  them,  he  draws  them  tight  in 
jregular  succession,  so  that  he  produces  a  sort  of  lock-stitch,  and  his  work  will  not  become 
loose,  even  though  it  may  be  cut  repeatedly.  Finally,  he  rubs  down  the  seam,  and,  when 
|properly  done,  the  two  edges  lie  as  flat  as  if  they  were  one  single  piece  of  skin. 

In  the  kaross  above  mentioned,  the  original  maker  was  not  one  of  the  professed 
jtailors,  but  thought  that  he  could  do  all  the  plain  sewing  himself  Accordingly,  the 
seams  which  connect  the  various  skins  are  rather  rudely  done,  being  merely  sewn 
over  and  over,  and  are  in  consequence  raised  above  the  level  of  the  skins.  But  the 
rarious  patches  that  were  required  in  order  to  complete  the  garment  in  its  integrity 
needed  much  more  careful  work,  and  this  portion  of  the  work  has  been  therefore  intrusted 
to  one  of  the  professed  kaross  midcers.  The  difference  of  the  seams  is  at  once  apparent, 
those  made  by  the  unskilled  workman  being  raised,  harsh,  and  stiff;  while  those  made  by 


1 

\\ 

1 

af: 

22 


THE  KAFFIR 


the  professional  are  quite  flat,  and  look  exactly  like  the  well-knoTm  lock-stitch  of  our 
sevring-mechines. 

A  sinsularly  handsome  specimen  of  a  kaross  is  now  before  me.  It  is  made  of  the 
skins  of  Uie  grey  jackal,  and,  although  not  so  attractive  to  European  eyes  as  if  it  had 
been  made  from  the  skin  of  the  black-backed  jackal,  is,  in  a  Kaffir  s  estimation,  a  far  more 
valuable  article,  inasmuch  as  the  grey  species  is  much  rarer  than  the  black-backed. 

The  man  who  designed  this  kaross  may  fairly  be  entitled  to  the  name  of  artist  It 
is  five  feet  three  inches  in  depth,  and  very  nearly  six  feet  in  width,  and  therefore  a 
considerable  number  of  skins  nave  been  used  in  making  it  But  the  skins  have  not 
merely  been  squared  and  then  sewn  together,  the  manufacturer  having  in  his  mind  a  vety 
bold  design.  Most  persons  are  aware,  that  in  the  majority  of  animals,  the  jackal  I 
included,  the  skin  is  darkest  along  the  back,  a  very  dark  stripe  runs  along  the  spine,  and 
that  the  fur  fades  into  whitish  grey  upon  the  flanks  and  under  the  belly.  The  kaross 
maker  has  started  with  the  ided  of  forming  the  cloak  on  thd  same  principle,  and  making  it  | 
look  as  if  it  were  composed  of  one  large  skia 

Accordingly,  he  has  selected  the  darkest  skins  for  the  centre  of  the  kaross,  and  I 
arranged  them  so  that  they  fade  away  into  grey  at  the  edges.    This  is  done,  not  by  merely 
putting  the  darker  skins  in  the  middle,  and  the  lighter  towards  the  edges,  but  by  cutting 
the  skins  into  oblong  pieces  of  nearly  the  same  size,  and  sewing  them  together  so  neatly 
that  the  lines  of  junction  &ve  quite  invisible.    All  the  heads  are  set  in  a  row  along  the 
upper  edges,  and,  being  worked  very  flat,  can  be  turned  over,  and  form  a  kind  of  cape,  as  | 
has  already  been  mentioned.    The  lower  edge  of  the  kaross  has  a  veiy  handsome  appear- 
ance, the  grey  colour  of  the  fur  rapidly  deepening  into  black,  which  makes  a  broad  stripe  I 
some  four  inches  in  depth.    This  is  obtained  by  taking  the  skin  of  the  paws,  which  are  | 
very  black,  and  sewing  them  to  the  cape  of  the  mantle. 

Of  course,  a  Kaffir  has  no  knowledge  of  gloves,  but  there  are  seasons  when  he  really  I 
wants  some  covering  for  his  hands.    A  creature  of  the  sun,  he  cannot  endure  cold ;  and  in  | 
weather  when  the  white  men  are  walking  in  their  lightest  clothing  and  exulting  in  the  unac- 
customed coolness,  the  Kaffir  is  wrapped  in  his  thickest  kaross,  cowering  over  the  fire,  I 
ahd  absolutely  paralysed,  both  bodily  and  mentally,  with  the  cold.    He  therefore  makes 
certain  additions  to  his  kaross,  and  so  forms  a  kind  of  shelter  for  the  hands.    About  two  I 
feet  from  the  top  of  the  kaross,  and  on  the  outer  edges,  are  a  pair  of  small  wings  or  pro- 1 
jections,  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  eight  inches  in  width.    When  the  Kaffir  puts  on  the! 
kaross,  he  doubles  the  upper  part  to  form  the  cape,  turns  the  furry  side  within,  grasps  one  I 
of  these  winglets  with  each  hand,  and  then  wraps  it  round  his  shoulders.  The  hands  are 
thus  protected  from  the  cold,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  completely  covered.    The  I 
kaross  descends  as  far  as  the  knees  in  front,  and  is  about  a  foot  longer  at  the  sides  and  at| 
the  back. 

The  whole  edge  of  the  kaross  is  bound  on  the  inside  with  a  narrow  band  of  thin,  but! 
very  strong  membrane,  and  is  thus  rendered  less  liable  to  be  torn.  The  membrane  is  ob-l 
tained  as  follows.  A  skin  of  some  animal,  usually  one  of  the  antelopes,  is  rolled  up  and| 
buried  in  the  ground  until  a  certain  amount  of  putrefaction  takes  place.  It  is  then  re- 
moved, and  the  Kaffir  splits  it  by  introducing  his  knife,  and  then,  with  a  quick  jerk,! 
strips  off  the  membranous  skin.  If  it  does  not  separate  easily,  the  skin  is  replaced  in  the| 
ground,  and  left  for  a  day  or  two  longer. 

This  fine  specimen  was  brought  from  Southern  Africa  by  Mr.  Christie,  who  has  had  it  I 
in  constant  use  as  a  railway  rug  and  for  similar  purposes  for  some  fourteen  years,  and  it  is| 
still  as  serviceable  as  ever. 

I  ought  to  mention  that  both  this  and  my  own  kaross  were  made  by  Bechuanas,  and! 
not  by  Zulus,  the  latter  tribe  always  using  for  their  kaross  a  single  hide  of  an  ox  dressedj 
soft.  The  peculiar  mode  of  ma  lipulating  a  hide  When  dressing  it  is  called  "  braying," 
perhaps  because  it  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  "  braying  "  or  rubbing  of  a  substance  in  I 
a  mortar,  as  distinguished  from  pounding  it  A  handful  of  the  hide  is  taken  in  each  iandl 
and  gathered  up,  so  as  to  form  two  or  three  wrinkles  on  the  fleshy  side.  The  wrinklesl 
are  then  rubbed  on  each  other,  with  a  peculiar  twisting  movement,  which  is  almost  iden'j 
tical  with  that  of  the  gizzard  in  grain-eating  birds. 


THE  NEEDLR 


i8ft 


Of  similar  skins  the  Kaffir  makes  a  kind  of  bag,  in  which  he  puts  his  pipe,  tobacco, 
and  various  other  little  comforts.  This  bag,  which  is  popularly  called  a  knapsack,  de- 
serves more  rightly  the  name  of  havresack,  as  it  is  not  carried  on  the  back,  but  slung  to 
the  side.  It  is  made  of  the  skin  of  some  small  animal,  such  as  a  hare  or  a  hyrax,  and  is 
formed  in  a  very  simple  manner.  When  the  Kaffir  has  killed  the  animal,  he  strips  off  the 
skin  by  making  a  cut,  not  alov.g  the  belly,  as  is  the  usual  fashion,  but  from  one  hind  leg 
to  the  other.  By  dint  of  pushing  and  pulling,  he  contrives  to  strip  off  the  skin,  i  of 
course  turns  it  inside  out  in  so  doing,  niuch  as  is  the  case  when  a  taxidermist  skius  a 
snake  or  frog.  The  skin  is  then  "  brayed  "  in  the  ordinary  fashion,  while  the  furry  side  is 
inwards ;  and  when  this  operation  is  completed,  the  mouth,  ears,  and  eyelids  are  sewn  up, 
and  it  is  then  reversed  so  as  to  bring  the  fur  outwards.  Straps 
are  attached  to  the  two  hind  legs,  so  that  the  wearer  can  sling 
the  bag  over  his  shoulder. 

The  natives  put  these  bags  to  all  kinds  of  uses,  some  of 
them  being  rather  odd  according  to  our  ideas.  It  has  been  men- 
tioned that  the  pipe,  tobacco,  and  other  little  articles  which  a  Kaffir 
has  are  kept  in  the  bag.  If,  perchance,  the  wearer  should  discover 
a  bees'-nest,  he  empties  his  "  knapsack,"  turns  it  inside  out,  shakes 
it  well  in  order  to  got  rid  of  the  scraps  of  tobacco  and  other  debris 
of  a  Kaffir's  pouch,  and  then  proceeds  to  attack  the  bees.  When  he 
has  succeeded  in  reaching  the  honeycombs,  he  removes  them  from 
the  nest,  puts  them  into  the  bag,  and  goes  off  with  his  prize,  regard- 
less of  the  state  in  which  the  interior  of  the  bag  will  be  left. 

The  skill  of  the  Kaffir  in  sewing  fur  is  the  more  notable  when 
ve  take  into  consideration  the  peculiar  needle  and  thread  which 
he  uses. 

The  needle  is  not  in  the  least  like  the  delicate,  slender  articles 
employed  by  European  sempstresses.  In  the  first  place,  it  has  no 
eye ;  and  in  the  second,  it  is  more  like  a  skewer  than  a  needle. 
If  any  of  my  classical  readers  will  recall  to  their  minds  the  "  stylus" 
which  the  ancients  used  instead  of  a  pen,  he  will  have  a  very  good 
idea  of  a  Kaffir's  needle. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  an  ordinary  needle  of 
I  the  Kaffir,  which  now  forms  part  of  my  collection.  It  was  brought 
to  England  by  the  late  Gordon  Gumming.  The  length  of  the 
needle  is  rather  more  than  four  inches,  and  it  tapers  regularly  from 
head  to  point.  The  head  is  ornamented  with  several  deep  circular 
I  ridges,  which  give  a  better  hold  for  the  fingers,  and  enal)le  them 
to  give  it  the  rotatory  movement  by  which  the  skin  is  pierced. 
Some  needles  are,  however,  of  much  greater  size,  and,  like  the 
ancient  stylus  above  mentioned,  could  be  used  very  effectively  in 
lieu  of  daggers. 

As  the  Kaffir  likes  to  carry  his  needle  about  with  him,  he  makes 
a  sheath  or  case  of  leather.  There  is  great  variety  in  those  cases. 
The  simplest  are  merely  made  of  strips  of  hide  rolled  round  the 
needle,  and  sewn  together  at  the  edges. 

The  present  example  is  rather  more  ambitious.  A  flat  strip  of  raw  hide  has  been  cut 
I  into  the  shape  of  a  spear-head,  with  an  inch  of  the  shaft  terminated  by  a  cross-piece. 
The  needle  has  then  been  laid  upon  the  hide,  which  has  been  worked  gradually  round  it, 
so  as  to  cover  the  iron  completely.  The  edges  have  then  been  sewn  together,  and,  while 
the  hide  was  still  wet,  the  seams  have  been  well  hammered  so  as  to  beat  the  stitches  into 
I  the  leather,  and  almost  to  conceal  their  existence.  The  cross-piece  has  been  rolled  and 
sewn  in  a  similar  manner,  so  as  to  form  a  tube.  The  Kaffir  has  then  cut  three  very  fine 
thongs  of  hide,  twisted  them  so  as  to  make  them  look  like  string,  passed  them  through 
the  tube,  and  knotted  them  together.  The  ends  have  been  twisted  into  one  of  those  in- 
genious knots  of  which  the  Kaffirs  are  so  fond,  and  which  much  resemble  those  which 


NEEDLE  AND  SHEATa 


.11  /il 


P^4 


24 


THE  KAFFIR. 


I  ill 

iji. 


are  used  in  our  navj^.    As  a  finishing  touch  to  the  needle-sheath,  it  has  been  allowed  to 
dry,  and  then  plentifully  imbrued  with  grease. 

The  most  ornamental  needle  that  I  have  seen  was  brought  to  England  by  the  late  H. 
Jackson,  Esq.  who  kindly  placed  it  and  the  rest  of  his  valuable  coUection  at  my  disposal 
This  needle  is  represented  in  the  accompanving  illustration,  at  fig.  1. 

The  needle  itself  is  of  the  ordinary  shape,  though  much  lai^ger  than  the  specimen 

which  has  just  been  described ;  and  it  is  upon  the 
sheath  and  its  ornaments  that  the  proud  owner  has 
lavished  his  powers. 

The  sheath  is  made  of  leather,  but  is  modelled 
into  a  curious  pattern,  which  may  be  easily  imitated. 
Boll  up  a  tube  of  paper,  about  the  third  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  At  an  inch  from  the  end,  pinch  it  tightly 
between  the  right  thumb  and  finger,  until  it  is  squeezed 
flat  Still  retaining  the  grasp,  pinch  it  with  the  left 
hand  just  below  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right, 
and  at  right  angles  to  them.  Proceed  in  this  manner 
until  the  whole  of  it  has  been  pinched.  Then,  if  we 
suppose  that  the  tube  is  made  of  raw  hide  thoroughly 
wetted,  that  a  well-oiled  needle  is  placed  in  it,  and 
that  the  leather  is  worked  carefully  upon  the  needle 
so  as  to  make  a  sheath,  ornamented  with  flattened 
projections  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  we  shall  see 
how  the  sheath  is  made. 

The  string  of  beads  by  which  it  is  hung  roijnd 
the  neck  is  put  together*  with  great  taste.  The  palo- 
tinted  beads  are  white  with  rings  of  scarlet,  and  the 
others  are  blue  with  large  spots  of  white,  the  whole 
forming  a  very  artistic  contrast  with  the  skin  of  the 
wearer.  The  best  point  of  this  needle-case  is,  how- 1 
ever,  the  ornament  which  hangs  to  it  just  by  the 
head  of  the  needla  This  is  a  piece  of  rhinoceros  nom, 
cut  into  the  shape  of  a  buffalo  hea  !*.  and  part  of  the 
neck — very  much,  indeed,  as  if  it  hid  been  intended 
for  the  handle  of  a  seal.  The  skill  with  which  the  | 
artist — for  he  really  deserves  the  name — has  manipu- 
lated this  stubborn  substance  is  really  admirable  I 
The  sweep  of  the  animal's  horns  is  hit  off  with  a 
boldness  of  line  and  a  freedom  of  execution  that  would 
scarcely  be  expected  from  a  savage.  That  he  should 
make  an  accurate  representation  of  the  animal  was 
likely  enough,  considering  his  familiarity  with  the 
subject,  but  that  he  should  be  able  to  carve  with  his 
assagai-blade  so  artistic  a  design  could  hardly  havej 
been  expected  from  him. 

By  the  side  of  this  needle  hangs  another,  which  1 1 
have  introduced  because  the  sheath,  instead  of  being 
made  of  leather,  is  a  wooden  tube,  closed  at  one  end,  I 
and  guarded  at  both  ends  by  a  thong  of  raw  hide  rolled  round  it 

As  the  Kaffirs  employ  needles  of  this  description,  it  is  evident  that  they  cannot  use  the  I 
same  kind  of  thread  as  ourselves,  since  a  cotton  thread  would  not  make  its  way  through  the  I 
leather,  and  therefore  the  Kaffir  has  recourse  to  the  animal  kingdom  for  his  thread  asl 
well  as  for  his  garments.  The  thread  is  made  of  the  sinews  of  various  animals,  the  bestl 
being  made  of  the  sinews  taken  from  the  neck  of  a  giraffe.  One  of  these  bundles  ofl 
thread  is  now  before  me,  and  a  curious  article  it  is — stiff",  angular,  elastic,  and  with  anl 
invincible  tendency  to  become  entangled  among  the  other  objects  of  the  collection.    Fevl 


KAFFIR  NEEDLES  AND  SHEATHS. 


THE  APRON  OR  "TAILS." 


mi 


<)•% 


Snons  to  whom  it  is  shown  for  the  first  time  will  believe  that  it  is  thread,  ui 
icy  that  I  am  trying  to  take  advantage  of  their  ignorance. 
When  this  strange  thread  is  wanted  for  use,  it  is  steeped  in  hot  water  until  <  »  quite 
doft,  and  is  then  beaten  between  two  smooth  stones.  This  process  causes  it  k  narate 
into  filaments,  which  can  be  obtained  of  almost  any  degree  of  strength  or  fineness.  The 
sinew  thus  furnishes  a  thread  of  astonishing  strength  when  compared  with  its  diameter, 
surpassing  even  the  silk-grass  of  Guiana  in  that  respect. 

When  a  Kaffir  wishes  to  sew,  he  prepares  some  of  this  thread,  squats  on  the  ground, 
takes  his  needle,  and  bores  two  little  holes  in  the  edges  of  the  garment  on  which  he  is 
working.  He  then  pushes  the  thread  through  the  holes  thua  made,  and  makes  two  more 
holes  opposite  each  other.  He  continues  to  draw  the  stitches  tight  as  he  proceeds,  and 
thus  gets  on  with  his  work  at  a  rate  which  would  certainly  not  pay  a  sempstress  in  this 


ABTIOLBS  OF  KAFFIR  COSTUMB. 


•  '^i 


coiftitry,  but  which  is  very  well  suited  to  Africa,  where  time  is  not  of  the  least  value. 
As  he  works  with  wet  siuew  upon  wet  hide,  it  naturally  follows  that,  in  the  process  of 
drying,  the  seams  become  enormously  strengthened,  the  stitches  being  drawn  tightly  by 
the  contraction  of  sinew,  and  the  contraction  of  the  hide  forcing  the  stitches  deeply  into 
its  own  substance,  and  almost  blending  them  together. 

So,  although  the  work  is  done  very  slowly,  one  of  our  sewing-machines  being  equal  to 
a  hundred  Eaftirs,  or  thereabouts,  in  point  of  speed,  it  is  done  with  a  degree  of  efficacy 
that  no  machine  can  ever  approach.  I  have  in  my  collection  very  many  examples  of 
Kaffir  sewing,  and  in  every  instance  the  firmness  and  solidity  of  the  workmanship  are 
admirable.  Their  fur-sewing  is  really  wonderful,  for  they  use  very  close  stitches,  very 
fine  thread,  and  join  the  pieces  so  perfectly  that  the  set  of  the  hairs  is  not  disturbed,  and 
a  number  of  pieces  will  look  and  feel  exactly  as  if  they  were  one  single  skin. 

We  will  begin  an  account  of  Kaffir  dress  with  the  ordinary  costume  of  a  man.  Until 
he  approaches  manhood,  the  Kaffir  does  not  trouble  himself  about  so  superfluous  a  luxury 
as  dress.  He  may  wear  beads  and  ornaments,  but  he  is  not  troubled  with  dress  in  our 
acceptation  of  the  word.    When  he  becomes  a  man,  however,  he  assumes  the  peculiar 


THE  KAFFIR. 


apron  which  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  any  of  the  illustrations  of  Kaffir  men.  This 
garment  is  intended  to  represeat  tlie  tails  of  animals,  and  by  Europeans  is  generally 
called  by  that  name.  Thus,  instead  of  saying  that  a  man  has  put  on  bis  dress  or  his 
apron,  he  is  said  to  have  put  on  his  "  tails." 

It  is  notable,  by  the  way,  that  this  form  of  dress  extends  over  a  considerable  part  of 
AfHca,  and  is  common  to  both  sexes,  though  the  details  are  carried  out  in  a  different 
manner.  The  principle  is  a  belt  round  the  waist,  with  a  number  of  thongs  depending 
from  it,  and  we  find  tnis  characteristic  dress  as  far  northward  as  Egypt.  Indeed,  strings 
or  thongs  form  a  considerable  portion,  not  only  of  a  Kaffir's  dross,  but  of  his  ornaments, 
as  will  be  seen  presently. 

The  apron  of  the  men  is  called  "isinene,"  and  is  conventionally  supposed  to  be  mado 
of  the  tails  of  slain  leopards,  lions,  or  buffaloes,  and  to  be  a  trophy  of  the  wearer's  courage 
as  well  as  a  mark  of  his  taste  in  dress.    Such  a  costume  is  sometimes,  though  very  rarely, 

seen;  there  being  but  few  Kaflirs  who  have 
killed  enough  of  these  ferocious  beasts  to  make 
the  "  isinene  "  of  their  tails.  The  example  which 
is  given  in  the  illustration  was  presented  to  me 
by  Captain  Drayson,  RA.,  who  bought  it,  to- 
gether with  many  other  objects,  after  the  lato 
Kaffir  war.  It  is  marked  1  in  the  illustration. 
It  is  made  of  strips  of  monkey  skin,  each  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  in  width.  These  strips  have 
been  snipped  half  through  on  either  side  alter- 
nately, and  then  twisted  so  as  to  make  furry 
cylinders,  having  the  hair  on  the  outside,  and 
being  fixed  in  that  position  until  dry  and  tole- 
rably stiff.  In  my  specimen  there  are  fourteen 
of  these  strips,  each  being  about  fourteen  inches 
long,  but  those  in  the  middle  exceeding  the 
others  by  an  inch  or  two. 
The  strips  or  "  tails  "  are  gathered  together  above,  and  sewn  firmly  to  a  broad  belt  of 
the  same  material,  which  is  so  covered  with  red  and  white  beads  that  the  leather  cannot 
be  seen.  Across  the  belt  are  two  rows  of  conical  brass  buttons,  exactly  identical  with 
those  that  decorate  the  jacket  of  the  modem  "  page."  These  brass  buttons  seem  to  charm 
a  Kaffir's  heart.  He  cannot  have  too  many  of  them,  and  it  is  his  delight  and  pride  to 
keep  them  burnished  to  the  highest  amount  of  polish  which  brass  will  take.  I  have 
various  specimens  of  dress  or  ornament  formerly  belonging  to  Kaffirs  of  both  sexes,  and 
in  almost  every  instance  where  the  article  has  been  very  carefujly  made,  at  least  one 
brass  button  is  attached  to  it. 

As  long  as  the  Kaffir  stands  or  sits,  the  "  isinene  "  hangs  rather  gracefully,  and  reminds 
the  spectator  of  the  sporran,  or  skin  pouch,  which  forms  part  of  the  Highlander's  dress. 
But  when  he  runs,  especially  when  he  is  rushing  at  full  speed,  the  tails  fly  about  m  all 
directions,  and  have  a  most  ludicrous  effect,  almost  as  if  a  bundle  of  living  eels  or  snakes 
had  been  tied  round  the  man's  waist. 

If  a  Kaffir  should  be  too  lazy  to  take  the  trouble  of  making  so  elaborate  a  set  of 
"tails,"  he  merely  cuts  his  "isinene"  out  of  a  piece  of  skin.  An  example  of  this  kind 
of  apron  is  seen  in  the  above  illustration,  which  represents  a  pair  of  figures,  a  Kaffir 
and  hia  wife,  made  by  the  natives  out  of  leather.  Here  the  male  figure,  on  the  right, 
is  shown  as  wearing  the  isinene,  and  having  besides  a  short  kaross,  or  cloak,  over 
his  shoulders.  These  figures  are  in  my  own  collection,  and  will  be  more  particularly 
described  when  we  come  to  the  dress  of  Kaffir  females. 

Most  of  the  men  wear  a  smaller  duplicate  of  this  apron,  whi(  li  '"nils  behind,  and  cor- 
responds with  the  isinene;  this  second  apron  is  called  the  "umucha, ' ;  id  is  mostly  made 
of  one  piece  of  skin.  Its  use  is  not,  however,  universal,  and  indeed  when  in  his  own 
kraal  or  village,  the  Kaffir  does  not  trouble  himself  about  either  isinene  or  umucha,  and 
considers  himself  quite  sufficiently  clothed  with  a  necklace  and  a  snuff-box. 


DOLLS. 


ii  U 


PORTRAIT  OF  OOZA.  IT 

The  accompanying  illuBtration  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  appearance  presented  by  a 
Kaffir  of  rank  in  his  ordinary  dress.  It  is  a  portrait  of  Ooza,  the  well-known  Zulu  chief, 
whose  name  came  prominently  forward  during  the  visit  of  Prince  Alfred  to  the  Cape.  He 
is  one  of  the  most  powerful  chiefs  of  the  Zulu  tribe,  and  can  at  any  moment  summon 
into  the  field  his  five  or  six  thousand  trained  and  armed  warriors.  Yet  in  ordinary  life 
he  '1  not  to  bo  distinguished  from  tho  meanest  of  his  subjects  by  any  distinction  of  dress. 
An  experienced  eye  would,  however,  detect  his  rank  at  a  single  glance,  even  though  he 
were  not  even  clad  in  his  "  tails."    Ue  is  fat,  and  none  but  chiefs  are  fat  in  Kaffirland. 


"  V///  mi 


mummmim 
""///A  f////iwim\itt 


^  -.Vt-, 


'miiiiiiiiMiiinill 


.flilllllllUf 


iniHiniH^iii  jfuif 

pHIIHllir^r-tlfiK 

mimmiil  iMmm 

^fniimmknttM  '     'HfM  lilti",,,.,.,.' 


Nnniiiriiiiaii 

J?HiiH!iri)i 


n'[h}\f\\MV' 


f^  i 


OOZA.  THE  KA.FFIR  CHIEF,  IN  ORDINART  UNDRESS. 


In  fact,  none  but  chiefs  have  the  opportunity,  because  the  inferior  men  are  forced  to 
such  constantly  active  employment,  live  on  such  irregular  nourishment,  that  they  have 
no  opportunity  of  accumulating  fat. 

But  a  chief  has  nothing  whatever  to  do,  except  to  give  his  orders,  and  if  those  orders 
are  within  human  capacity  they  will  be  executed.  Tchaka  once  ordered  his  warriors  to 
catch  a  lion  with  their  unarmed  hands,  and  they  did  it,  losing,  of  course,  many  of  their 
number  in  the  exploit    The  chief  can  eat  beef  and  porridge  all  day  long  if  he  likes,  and 


ft 


28 


THE  KAFFIR. 


he  mostly  does  like.  Also,  he  can  drink  aa  much  beer  as  he  chooses,  and  always  has  a 
large  vessel  at  hand  full  of  that  beverage.  Pauda,  the  king  of  the  Zulu  tribes,  was 
notable  for  being  so  fat  that  he  could  hardly  waddle ;  but,  as  the  reader  will  soon  be 
pi'esented  with  a  portrait  of  this  doubly  great  monarch,  nothing  more  need  be  said 
about  him. 

As  to  Goza,  he  is  a  wealthy  man,  possessing  vast  herds  of  cattle,  besides  a  great 
number  of  wives,  who,  as  far  as  can  be  judged  by  their  portraits,  are  not  beautiful 
according  to  European  ideas  of  beauty,  but  are  each  representatives  of  a  considerable 
number  of  cow&  He  wields  undisputed  sway  over  many  thousands  of  subjects,  and 
takes  tribute  from  them.  Yet  he  dresses  on  ordinary  occasions  like  one  of  his  own 
subjects,  and  his  house  is  just  one  of  the  ordinary  huts  of  which  a  village  is  composed. 
When  he  wishes  to  appear  officially,  he  alters  his  style  of  dress,  and  makes  really  a 
splendid  appearance  in  all  the  pomp  of  barbaric  magnificence.  Also,  when  he  mixes 
with  civilization,  he  likes  to  be  civilized  in  dress,  and  makes  his  appearance  dressed  as  an 
Englishman,  in  a  silk  hat,  a  scarlet  coat,  and  jackboots,  and  attended  in  his  rides  by  an 
aide-de-camp,  dressed  in  a  whit«-plumed  cocked  hat,  and  nothing  else. 

A  portrait  of  Goza  in  his  full  wardress  will  be  given  in  the  chapter  that  treats  of 
Kaffir  warfare. 


\f 


r  ^ 


'.J 


CHAPTER  V. 


I  OBNAUKNTS  WOItN    BY    h.AtfVm    VXN — ^BBADS,  BUTTONS,   AND    STRINGS — FASHIONABLB   COLOUBS  OF 
BEADS — OOOD     TA8TB     OF    THB    KAFFIBB — CAPBIOBB    OF   FASHION — OOZA's   YOUNO    WABBIOBS^ 

CITBIOUS   BEAD    OBNAMENT A   BEMI-NECKLACB — A    BEAD   BBACELET,    AND    HODS    OF  CONSTBrO- 

TION — A  CHEAP  NECKLACE — TWO  BEHABKABLE  NECKLACES— OBNAHBNTS  HADE  OF  LEATHBBIf 
THONGS — OX-TAILS  USED  /.9  OBNAHENTB,  AND  INDICATIONS  OF  THB  WEALTH  OF  THEIR  OWNEB 
— THB    SKVLL    USED    FOB   A   SIMILAR    PUBPOSE — A   YOL^O    KAFFIB  IN   FULL   DRESS — CURIOUS 

DECORATIONS    OF   THE  HEAD THB  ISSIKOKO,  OR  HEAD-RING KAFFIR  CHIVALRY — PICTUREBQUB 

ASPECT  OF  THB  KAFFIB-r-THE  EYE  AND  THE  NOSTRIL — THB  KAFFIR  PERFUUB,  AND  ITS 
TENACITY — CLEANLY  HABITS  OF  THB  KAFFIR — CONDITIONS  ALTER  CIRCUH8TANCE8 — ANOTHBB 
UETHOD    OF    DRESSING     SKINS — THE    BLANKET    AND    THE    XAB08S — ABULETB,    ANKLETS,    AND 

BBACELET8 A   SIMPLE    GRASS  BBACELET IVOBY   ARMLETS,    AND    METHOD    OF  CONSTRUCTION 

BEAD  ARMLETS — METALLIC  ARMLETS AN  ANCIENT    ROYAL  ARMLET  OF  BRASS IBON  ABHLETS 

A  NEW  METAL — ITS  ADOPTION  BY  THB  CHIEFS — SINGULAR  SUPERSTITION,  AND  ABANDONMENT  OF 
THB  M^TAL — DEATH   OF   THB   DISCOTBRBB. 

As  to  the  ornaments  which  a  Kaffir  man  wears,  they  may  be  summed  up  in  three  words — 

beads,  buttons,  and  strings,  all  three  being  often  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  one 

I  ornament.    All  the  beads  come  from  Europe,  and  there  is  as  much  fashion  in  them  as  in 

I  jewellery  among  civilized  nations.     The  Kaffirs  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  beads  that 

I  do  not  form  a  good  contrast  with  the  dark  skin  of  the  wearer,  so  that  beads  which  would 

be  thought  valuable,  even  in  England,  would  be  utterly  contemned  by  the  poorest  Kaffir. 

park  blue,  for  example,  are  extremely  unfashionable,  while  light  azure  blue  is  in  great 

favour.    Those  beads  which  contain  white  and  red  are  the  most  valued ;  and  if  it  were 

possible  to  make  beads  which  should  have  the  dazzling  whiteness  of  snow,  or  the  fiery 

hue  of  the  scarlet  verbena,  almost  any  price  might  be  obtained  for  them  in  Kaffirland. 

The  tapriciousness  of  fashion  is  quite  as  great  among  the  Kaffirs  as  among  Europeans, 
land  the  bead-trade  is,  therefore,  very  precarious,  beads  which  would  have  been  purchased 
I  at  a  very  high  price  one  year  being  scarcely  worth  their  freight  in  the  next.  Still,  there 
lis  one  rule  which  may  always  guide  those  who  take  beads  as  a  medium  of  barter  among 
[savages.  The  beads  should  always  contrast  boldly  with  the  colour  of  the  skin.  Now, 
I  the  average  colour  of  a  Kaffir  is  a  very  dark  chocolate ;  and  if  the  intended  trader  among . 
Ithese  tribes  wishes  to  make  a  successful  speculation,  he  cannot  do  better  than  have  a  lay 
Ifigure  painted  of  a  Kaffir's  colour,  and  try  the  effect  of  the  beads  upon  the  image.  Beads 
Icannot  be  too  brilliant  for  a  savage,  and  almost  any  small  articles  which  will  take  a  high 
Ipolish  and  flash  well  in  the  sunshine  will  find  a  market. 

Having  procured  his  beads,  either  by  exchange  of  goods  or  by  labour,  the  Kaffir 
Iproceeds  to  adorn  himself  with  them.  In  a  photograph  before  me,  representing  a  group 
of  young  warriors  belonging  to  Goza's  army,  three  of  the  men  have  round  their  necks 
strings  of  beads  which  must  weigh  several  pounds,  while  another  has  a  broad  belt  of 
eads  passing  over  the  shoulder  just  like  the  sash  of  a  light  infantry  officer.  Tlie 
ordinary  mode  of  wearing  them  is  in  strings  round  the  neck,  but  a  Kaffir  of  ingenuity 
ievises  various  other  fashions.    If  he  has  some  very  large  and  very  white  beads,  he  will 


80 


THE  KAFFIR 


■  i 


It:  A 


tie  them  round  his  forehead,  just  over  his  eyebrows,  allowing  some  of  them  to  dangle 
oyer  his  nose,  and  others  on  either  side  of  the  e^es.  In  the  illustration  on  page  33, 
fig.  1,  is  shown  a  sash  somewhat  similar  to  that  which  has  just  been  mentioned,  though  it 
is  not  made  wholly  of  beads.  Its  groundwork  is  a  vast  number  of  small  strings  laid' side 
by  side,  and  bound  at  intervals  by  bands  of  different  coloured  beads,  those  towards  the 
ends  being  white,  and  the  others  scarlet,  pink,  or  green.  Its  length  is  about  eight  feet  A 
small  portion  is  given  on  an  enlarged  scale,  to  show  the  mode  of  structure.  •  The  other 
articles  belong  to  female  costume,  and  will  be  described  presently. 


KAFFia  0RNA1IBMT8. 


The  group  of  ornaments  in  the  accompanying  illustration  ia  very  interesting,  and  is 
taken  from  specimens  kindly  lent  me  by  the  lato  H.  Jackson,  Esq.  The  round  article  with 
dark  centre  is  the  first  which  we  will  notice.  In  form  it  resembles  a  hollow  cone,  or 
rather  a  Malay's  hat,  and  is  made  of  leather,  ingeniously  moulded  and  sewn  while  wet, 
and  then  kept  in  its  shape  until  dry.  The  whol'^  of  the  interior  is  so  thickly  covered  with 
beads  that  the  leather  is  quite  concealed.  The  beads  in  the  centre  are  red,  and  the  others 
are  white.  This  ornament  is  worn  on  the  breast,  and  to  all  appearance  must  be  a  very 
awkward  article  of  decoration.  If  the  oittaide  had  been  covered  with  beads,  it  is  easy 
to  understand  that  it  would  have  rested  very  comfortably  on  the  breast  with  its  bead- 
covered  apex  projecting  like  a  huge  sugar-loaf  button.  But,  as  the  peak  has  to  rest  on 
the  breas^  the  ornament  must  sway  about  in  a  most  uncomfortable  manner. 


The  ornamen 
among  the  Kaffir 
neuk,  so  that  non 
work  of  this  se 
Some  of  them  ar 
are  reversed.  A 
formed  of  a  sort 
the  action  of  th( 
effect 

A  bracelet,  ah 
strung  on  threads 
construction  to  th 
technically  as  a 
coloured,  and  are 
they  are  twisted  t 

Some  of  the 
figure.  They  are 
are  tolerably  polii 
value  is  that  they 
Still,  there  are  ni 
have  even  so  simp 
land,  and  are  not 
ment  of  some  kii 
obtain  beads  they 
for  them. ' 

One  of  these 
consists  merely  of 
ing.  A  hole  is  bo 
80  that  they  tit  < 
showing  the  strin< 
lie  that,  although  t 
over  the  head,  it 
necklaces  which  ( 
have  been  selectet 
first  made  a  neckh 
metal.  No.  1  repi 
and  teeth.  First, 
leathern  thongs,  a 
rather  a  small  size 

When  he  has 
length,  he  has  plac 
size,  and  being  wh 
inch  and  a  half  oi 
These  are  the  cani 
varying  from  three 
each,  and  all  the 
black  beads,  then 
exhausted,  and  the 

The  necklace  1 
made  by  the  same 
former  ornament  1: 
teeth  of  the  slaug 
wear  the  skins,  an 
pose  that  a  Kaffir, 
was  fired  with  a  d( 
of  course,  possess  ^ 


NECKLACES. 


31 


y 


The  ornament  at  the  bottom  o'  the  illustration  is  a  8erai>neclclace,  much  in  request 
ftmong  the  KafKrs.  A  string  is  fastened  to  each  ipper  corner  and  then  tied  behind  the 
neck,  so  that  none  of  the  beads  are  wasted  upon  a  back  view  of  the  person.  The  ground- 
work of  this  semi-necklace  is  white,  and  the  marks  upon  it  are  differently  coloured. 
Some  of  them  are  red  in  the  interior  and  edged  with  yeUow,  while  in  others  these  colours 
are  reversed.  A  narrow  line  of  scarlet  beads  runs  along  the  lower  edge.  The  necklace  is 
formed  of  a  sort  of  network,  of  which  the  meshes  are  beads,  so  that  as  it  is  moved  by 
the  action  of  the  body,  the  light  shines  through  the  interstices,  aud  has  a  very  pretty 
effect. 

A  bracelet,  also  made  of  beads,  is  shown  in  the  same  illustration  at  fig.  2.  Tlie  beads  are 
strung  on  threads,  and  then  twisted  together  so  as  to  form  a  loose  rope,  very  similar  in 
construction  to  the  rope  ring  used  so  much  by  sailors,  and  known 
technically  as  a  "  grummet"     The  strings  of  beads  are  variously 
coloured,  and  are  arranged  with  considerable  taste,  so  that  when 
they  are  twisted  together  the  general  effect  is  very  good. 

Some  of  the  commoner  beads  are  shown  in  the  accompanying 
figura  They  are  of  that  kind  which  are  called  "  chalk- white,"  and 
are  tolerably  polished.  They  are  oblong  in  shape,  and  their  only 
value  is  that  they  contrast  well  with  the  dark  skin  of  the  wearer. 
Still,  there  are  many  young  men  who  would  be  only  too  glad  to 
have  even  so  simple  a  set  of  beads,  for  beads  are  money  in  Kaffir- 
land,  and  are  not  to  be  obtained  without  labour.  However,  orna- 
ment of  some  kind  the  young  men  will  have,  and  if  they  caimot 
obtain  beads  they  will  wear  some  other  ornament  as  a  succedaneum 
for  them. ' 

One  of  these  very  simple  necklaces  is  in  my  collection.  It 
consists  merely  of  nuts,  which  the  wearer  could  have  for  the  pick- 
ing. A  hole  is  bored  through  each  nut,  just  above  the  smaller  end, 
so  that  they  tit  closely  together,  and  stand  boldly  out,  without 
showing  the  string  on  which  they  are  threaded.  So  closely  do  they 
lie  that,  although  the  necklace  is  only  just  large  enough  to  be  passed 
over  the  head,  it  contains  more  than  a  hundred  nuts.  The  two 
necklaces  which  are  represented  in  the  illustration  on  page  32, 
have  been  selected  because  they  show  how  the  native  artist  has 
first  made  a  necklace  of  beads  and  teeth,  and  has  then  imitated  ib  in 
metal.  No.  1  represents  a  bracelet  that  is  entirely  made  of  beads 
and  teeth.  First,  the  maker  has  prepared  six  or  seven  very  fine 
leathern  thongs,  and  haa  strung  upon  them  black  glass  beads  of 
rather  a  small  size. 

When  he  has  formed  rows  of  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
length,  he  has  placed  in  each  string  a  single  bead  of  a  much  larger 
size,  and  being  white  in  colour,  spotted  with  bright  blue.  Another 
inch  and  a  half  of  black  beads  follow,  and  then  come  the  teeth. 
These  are  the  canine  teeth  of  the  leopard  and  other  felidse,  and  are  arranged  in  groups 
varying  from  three  to  five  in  number.  A  tolerably  large  hole  is  bored  through  the  base  of 
each,  and  all  the  strings  are  passed  through  them.  The  maker  then  goes  on  with  the 
I  black  beads,  then  with  the  white,  then  with  the  teeth,  and  so  on,  until  his  materials  are 
I  exhausted,  and  the  necklace  finished. 

The  necklace  No.  2  is  of  a  far  more  ambitious  character,  and,  whether  or  not  it  has  been 
I  made  by  the  same  artificer,  it  shows  that  the  same  principle  has  been  carried  out.  The 
former  ornament  belonged  to  a  man  who  had  been  skilful  as  a  hunter,  and  who  wore  the 
teeth  of  the  slaughtered  leopards  as  trophies  of  his  valour  and  success.  He  would  also 
wear  the  skins,  and  lose  no  opportunity  of  showing  what  he  had  done.  But  we  will  sup- 
I  pose  that  a  Kaffir,  who  has  some  notion  of  working  in  metal,  saw  the  bracelet,  and  that  he 
was  fired  with  a  desire  to  possess  one  of  a  similar  character.  Leopards'  teeth  he  could  not, 
of  course,  possess  without  killing  the  animal  for  himself,  because  no  one  who  has  achieved 


B£AD3. 


liiii 


82 


THE  KAFFIR. 


such  a  feat  would  sell  to  another  the  trophies  of  his  own  prowess.  So  he  has  tried  to 
imitate  the  coveted  ornament  as  well  as  he  could ;  and  though  he  might  not  possess  either 
the  skill  or  the  courage  of  the  hunter,  he  could,  at  all  events,  make  a  necklace  which 
would  resemble  in  shape  that  of  his  companion,  be  very  much  more  showy,  and  possess  a 
considerable  intrinsic  value. 

So  he  set  up  his  forge,  and,  in  a  manner  which  will  be  described  in  a  future  page, 
made  his  own  bronze,  brass,  or  bell-metal,  and  cast  a  number  of  little  cylinders.  These 
he  beat  into  shape  with  his  primitive  hammer,  and  formed  them  into  very  tolerable 
imitations  of  leopards'  teeth.  Being  now  furnished  with  the  material  for  his  necklace, 
he  began  to  put  it  together.  Firstly,  he  strung  rows  of  chalk-white  beads,  and  then 
a  brass  tooth.  Next  to  the  tooth  comes  a  laige  transparent  glass  bead,  of  ruby-red, 
decorated  with  white  spots.  Then  comes  a  tooth,  then  more  beads,  and  so  on,  until  the 
ornament  has  been  completed.    In  order  to  give  the  necklace  an  air  of  reality,  he  cut 


NECKL/LCES-BEADS  A..D  TEETH. 


a  piece  of  bone  so  as  to  look  like  a  very  large  tooth,  and  strung  it  in  the  centre  of  | 
the  ornament,  so  as  to  fall  on  his  chest. 

This  is  really  a  handsome  piece  of  workmanship,  and  when  in  use  must  have  a  very  I 
excellent  effect.    The  colours  are  selected  with  remarkable  taste,  as  nothing  can  look 
better  on  a  dark  skin  than  white  and  ruby.    Moreover,  the  metal  teeth  are  burnished  so 
as  to  glisten  brilliantly  in  the  sun,  and  will  dazzle  the  eye  at  the  distance  of  some  feet  | 
Both  these  necklaces  are  drawn  from  specimens  in  the  collection  of  Colonel  Lane  Fox. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  good  taste  in  colour,  if  not  in   material,   seems  to  be  I 
inherent  in  the  race,  despite  the  very  small  amount  of  clothes  which  either  sex  wears. 
When  they  become  partially  civilized,  especially  if  they  owe  any  allegiance  to  missionaries, 
they  assume  some  portion  of  ordinary  European  costume.    The  men,  whose  wardrobe  is 
generally  limited  to  a  shirt  and  trousers,  have  little  scope  for  taste  in  dress;  but  the 


ORNAMENTS. 


33 


women  always  contrive  to  develop  this  faculty.  Whether  in  the  gay  colours  of  the 
gowns  which  they  wear,  or  whether  in  the  more  sober  hue  of  the  handkerchief  which  they 
invariably  tie  round  their  heads,  they  always  manage  to  hit  upon  a  combination  of 
colours  which  harmonize  with  their  complexions. 

Perhaps  it  is  fortunate  that  such  should  be  the  case,  for  the  assumption  of  European 
costume  is,  artistically  speaking,  anything  but  an  improvement  in  the  appearance  of  a 
Kaffir,  or,  indeed,  of  any  wearer  of  a  dark  skin ;  and  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that  the  better 
the  clothes,  the  worse  do  they  look.  A  young  Kaffir,  wearing  nothing  but  his  few  tufts  of 
fur,  moves  with  a  free  and  upright  gait,  and  looks  like  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  But  tae 
moment  that  he  puts  on  the 
costume  adopted  in  civilized 
Europe,  he  loses  every  vestige 
of  dignity,  and  even  his  very 
gait  is  altered  for  the  worse. 

The  metropolitan  reader 
can  easily  witness  such  a 
metamorphosis  by  visiting  the 
Hamm^m,  or  any  similar  esta- 
blishment, where  dark-skinned 
attendants  are  employed.  "While 
engaged  in  their  ordinary  voca- 
tion, clad  with  nothing  but  a 
cloth  round  their  loins,  they 
look  just  like  ancient  statues 
endued  with  life,  and  it  is  im- 
possible to  avoid  admiring  the 
graceful  dignity  of  their  ges- 
tures, as  they  move  silently 
about  the  room.  But  when 
any  of  them  leave  the  room, 
and  put  on  the  ordinary  dress, 
the  change  is  complete  and 
disappointing,  and  it  is  hardly 
possible  to  believe  the  identity 
of  such  apparently  different  in- 
dividuals. In  the  time  long 
passed  away,  when  Scotland 
was  still  contesting  with  Eng- 
land, the  statesmen  of  the  latter 
country  showed  no  small  know- 
ledge of  human  nature  when 
they  forbade  the  use  of  the 
Highland  dress,  and  forced  the 
Highlanders  to  abandon  the 
picturesque     costume    which 

seems  to   harmonize   so  weU  • 

with  the  wild  hills  of  their 
native  land.     A  Highlander  in 

his  kilt  and  tartan  was  not  the  same  man  when  in  the  costume  of  the  Lowlander,  and  it 
was  mipossible  for  him  to  feel  the  same  pride  in  himself  as  when  he  wore  the  garb  of  the 
mountaineer  and  the  colours  of  his  clan. 

Many  of  the  young  men  who  cannot  afford  beads  make  bracelets,  necklaces,  armlets, 
and  anklets  from  the  skins  of  animals.  After  cutting  the  skin  into  strips,  they  twist  the 
strips  spirally,  so  as  to  convert  them  into  hollow  ropes,  having  all  the  hair  on  the  outside. 
When  made  of  prettily-coloured  skins,  these  curious  ornaments  have  a  very  good,  though 
barbaric  effect    By  cutting  the  strips  spirally,  almost  any  length  caa  be  obtained :  and 

vor,.  r.  n 


KAFFU  OBNAHBNm 


'5/        '' 


4^1 


f.. 


1    '^,/.f*s 


84 


THE  KAFFIR 


/ 


the  consequence  is,  that  the  young  men  sometimes  appear  with  their  hodies,  legs,  and 
arms  covered  with  these  furry  ropes. 

Another  kind  of  ornament  of  which  the  Kaffir  is  very  fond  is  the  tufted  tail  of  an  ox. 
A  man  of  consequence  will  sometimes  wear  a  considerable  number  of  these  tails.  Some 
he  will  form  into  an  apron,  and  others  will  be  disposed  about  his  person  in  the  quaintest 

{)ossible  style.  He  will  tie  one  under  each  knee,  so  as  to  bring  it  on  the  shin-bone.  Others 
le  will  fix  to  leathern  loops,  and  hang  them  loosely  on  his  arms,  like  the  curious  bracelet 
worn  by  Jung  Bahadoor  when  in  England.  Some  he  will  divide  into  a  multitude  of  strips, 
and  sew  them  together  so  as  to  make  fringed  belts,  which  he  will  tie  round  his  waist,  or 
with  which  he  will  encircle  the  upper  arms.  Others,  again,  will  be  attached  to  his  ankles, 
and  a  man  thus  d'^corated  is  contemplated  enviously  by  those  not  so  fortunate. 

The  very  fact  of  possessing  such  ornaments  shows  that  the  wearer  nmst  be  a  rich  man, 
and  have  slaughtered  his  own  cattle.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  obtain  cow-tails  in  any  other 
method ;  for  the  owner  of  a  slain  cow  is  sure  to  keep  the  tail  for  himself,  and  will  not  give 
so  valuable  an  ornament  to  another.  For  the  same  reason,  when  the  cow  has  been  eaten 
up,  its  owner  fastens  the  skull  on  the  outside  of  his  hut.  'Every  one  who  passes  within 
sight  can  then  see  that  a  rich  man  lives  in  that  dwelling.  Even  when  the  tails  are  sold 
to  Europeans,  an  absurdly  high  price  is  asked  for  them.  Oile  of  these  arm-tufts  is  now 
before  me.  The  skin  has  been  stripped  from  the  tail,  leaving  a  thong  of  eighteen  inches 
in  length  above  the  tuft  of  hair.  This  thong  has  then  been  cut  into  three  strips  of  half  an 
inch  in  width,  and  the  strips  have  been  rolled  up  spirally,  as  already  described.  As  the 
slit  is  carried  to  the  very  end  of  the  tail,  the  tuft  is  spread  open,  and  therefore  looks  twice 
as  large  as  would  have  been  the  case  had  it  been  left  untouched.  Each  of  these  tufts 
representing  a  cow,  it  is  evident  that  the  possession  of  them  shows  that  the  owner  must 
be  wealthy  enough,  not*  only  to  possess  cows,  but  to  have  so  many  that  he  could  afi'ord  to 
slaughter  them. 

The  illustmtion  on  j-age  35  represents  a  Kaffir  who  is  hoth  young  and  rich,  and 
who  has  put  on  his  dress  of  ceremony  for  the  purpose  of  paying  a  visit.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances, u  Kaffir  will  exercise  the  greatest  care  in  selecting  ornaments,  and  occupy 
houi-s  in  putting  them  on  to  the  best  advantage.  Among  the  furs  used  by  the  Kaffir  for 
this  purpose  is  that  of  the  Angora  goat,  its  long  soft  hair  working  up  admirably  into 
fi'inges  and  similar  ornaments. 

Feathers  of  different  birds  are  worked  into  the  head-dress,  and  the  rarer  the  bird  and 
the  more  brilliant  the  colour  the  better  is  the  wearer  pleased.  One  decoration  which  is 
sometimes  worn  on  the  head  is  a  globular  tuft,  several  inches  in  diameter,  formed  from  the 
feathers  of  a  species  of  roller.  The  lovely  plumage  of  the  bird,  with  its  changeful  hues  of 
green  and  blue,  is  exactly  adapted  for  the  purpose:  and  in  some  cases  two  of  these  tufts 
will  be  worn,  one  on  the  forehead  and  the  oth^r  on  the  back  of  the  head.  Eagles'  feathers 
are  much  used  among  the  Kaffirs,  as,  in  spite  of  their  comparatively  plain  colouring,  their 
firm  and  graceful  shape  enables  the  wearer  to  form  them  into  very  elegant  head-dresses. 
Ostrich  feathers  are  also  used  for  the  purpose,  as  are  the  richly-coloured  plumes  of  the 
lory ;  but  the  great  ambition  of  a  Kaffir  beau  is  to  procure  some  feathers  of  the  peacock, 
of  which  he  is  amazingly  vaiu. 

On  such  occasions  the  Kaffir  will  wear  much  more  dress  than  usual ;  and,  in  addition 
to  the  quantity  of  beads  which  he  contrives  to  dispose  upon  his  person,  he  ties  so  many 
tufts  and  tails  vound  his  waist  that  he  may  almost  be  said  to  wear  a  kilt.  He  will  carry 
his  shield  and  bundle  of  spears  with  him,  but  will  not  take  the  latter  weapons  into  the 
host's  house,  either  exchanging  them  for  imitative  spears  of  wood  or  taking  a  simple 
knobbed  stick.  Some  sort  of  a  weapon  he  must  have  in  his  hand,  or  he  would  feel  himself 
quite  out  of  his  element. 

When  the  "boy"  has  at  last  obtained  the  chief's  permission  to  enter  the  honoured 
class  of  "  men,"  he  prepares  himself  with  much  ceremony  for  the  change  of  costume  which 
indicates  his  rank.  The  change  does  not  consist  so  much  in  addition  as  in  subtraction,  and 
is  confined  to  the  head.  All  unmarried  men  wear  the  whole  of  their  hair,  and  sometimes 
indulge  their  vanity  in  dressing  it  in  various  modes ;  such  as  drawing  it  out  to  its  fullest 
extent,  and  stiffening  it  with  grease  and  shining  powders,  so  that  it  looks  something  like 


DECORATIONS  OF  THE  HEAD. 


36 


the  wigs  which  bishops  used  to  wear,  but  which  have  been  judiciously  abandoned.  If 
particular  pains  are  taken  with  the  hair,  and  it  happens  to  be  rather  longer  than  usual, 
the  effect  is  very  remarkable.  I  have  a  photographic  portrait  of  a  young  Zulu  warriop, 
\vhose  hair  is  so  bushy  and  frizzled  that  it  might  be  taken  for  that  of  a  Figian ;  and  as 
in  his  endeavours  to  preserve  himself  in  a  perfectly  motionless  attitude,  he  has  clenched 
bis  teeth  tightly  and  opened  his  eyes  very  wide,  he  looks  exactly  as  if  all  his  hair  were 
standing  on  end  with  astonishment.  ' 

Proud,  however,  as  he  may  be,  as  a  "boy,"  of  his  hair,  he  is  still  prouder  when  he  has 
the  permission  of  his  chief  to  cut  it  off,  and  at  once  repairs  to  a  friend  who  will  act  a» 
hairdresser.  The  friend  in  ques- 
tion takes  his  best  assagai,  puts 
a  tine  edge  upon  it,  furnishes 
himself  with  a  supply  of  gum, 
sinews,  charcoal-powder,  and 
oil,  and  addresses  himself  to  his 
task.  His  first  care  is  to  make 
an  oval  ring  of  tho  sinews,  about 
half  an  inch  in  thickness,  and 
then  to  fit  it  on  the  head.  The 
hair  is  then  firmly  woven  into 
it,  and  fixed  with  the  gum  and 
charcoal,  until  the  hair  and  ring 
seem  ad  if  they  were  one  sub- 
stanca  Oil  or  grease  is  next  libe- 
rally applied,  until  the  circlet 
shines  like  a  patent  leather  boot, 
and  the  ring  is  then  complete. 
The  officiating  friend  next  takes 
his  assagai,  and  shaves  the 
whole  of  the  head,  outside  and 
inside  the  ring,  so  as  to  leave 
it  the  sole  decoration  of  his 
bald  head. 

The  ring,  or  "  issikoko,"  is 
useful  for  several  purposes.  It 
answers  admirably  to  hold 
feathers  firmly,  when  the  cour- 
tier decorates  his  head  for  cere- 
mony, or  the  soldier  for  war. 
It  serves  also  more  peaceful 
uses,  being  the  usual  place 
where  the  snuff-spoon  is  worn. 

This  mode  of  dressing  the 
hair  has  its  inconvenience,  for 
the  ring  continually  needs  to 
be  repaired  and  kept  in  order. 
As  to  the  "  issikoko  itself,"  it  is 
too  hard  to  be  easily  damaged ; 
but  as  the  hair  grows  it  is  raised 
above  the  head,  and,  when  neglected  for  some  time,  will  rise  to  a  height  of  two  inches  or 
so.  Moreover,  the  shaven  parts  of  the  head  soon  regain  their  covering,  and  need  a^^ain 
to  be  submitted  to  the  primitive  razor.  No  man  would  venture  to  appear  before  his 
chief  with  the  head  unshaven,  or  with  the  ring  standing  above  it ;  for  if  he  did  so,  his 
life  would  probably  answer  for  his  want  of  respect 

The  reverence  with  which  a  Kaffir  regards  the  "  issikoko  "  is  equal  to  that  which  an 
Oriental  entertains  for  his  beard.   Mr.  Moffatt  mentions  a  curious  illustration  of  this  fwA. 

S2 


TOUNO  KAFFIR  IN  FULL  DRESS. 


I. 


*!  . 


< 


86 


THE  KAFFIR 


A  warrior  of  rank,  an  "  Induna,"  or  petty  chief,  was  brought  before  the  king,  the  dreaded 
Moselekate,  charged  with  an  ofl'ence  the  punishment  of  which  was  death.  He  was  con- 
ducted to  the  king,  deprived  of  his  spear  and  shield.  "  He  bowed  his  fine  elastic  figure, 
and  kneeled  before  the  ju(^ge.  The  case  was  investigated  silently,  which  gave  solenniity 
to  the  scene.  Not  a  whisper  was  heard  among  the  listening  audience,  and  the  voices  of 
the  council  were  only  audible  to  each  other  and  to  the  nearest  spectators.  The  prisoner, 
though  on  his  knees,  had  something  digniticd  and  noble  in  his  mien.  Not  a  muscle  of  his 
countenance  moved,  but  a  bright  black  eye  indicated  a  feeling  of  intense  interest,  which 
the  swerving  balance  between  life  and  death  only  could  produce.  The  case  required  little 
investigation;  the  charges  wore  clearly  substantiated,  and  the  culprit  pleaded  guilty. 
But,  alas  1  he  knew  that  it  was  at  a  bar  where  none  ever  heard  the  heart-reviving  sound 
of  pardon,  even  for  offences  small  compared  with  his.  A  pause  ensued,  during  which  the 
silence  of  death  pervaded  the  assembly. 

"  At  length  the  monarch  spoke,  and,  addressing  the  prisoner,  said :  '  You  are  a  dead 
man ;  but  I  shall  do  to-day  what  I  never  did  before.  I  spare  your  life,  for  the  sake  of  my 
friend  and  father,'  pointing  to  where  I  stood.  '  I  know  that  his  heart  weeps  at  the  shed- 
ding of  blood ;  for  liis  sako  I  spare  your  life.  He  has  travelled  from  a  far  country  to  see 
me,  and  he  has  made  my  heart  white ;  but  he  tells  me  that  to  take  away  life  is  an  awful 
thing,  and  never  can  bo  undone  again.  Ho  has  pleaded  with  me  not  to  go  to  war,  nor  to 
destroy  life.  T  wish  hiift,  when  he  returns  to  his  own  home  again,  to  return  with  a  heart 
pa  white  as  he  has  made  mina  I  spare  you  for  his  sake ;  for  I  love  him,  and  he  has 
saved  the  lives  of  my  people.  But,'  continued  the  king, '  you  must  be  degraded  for  life ; 
you  must  no  more  associate  with  the  nobles  of  the  land,  nor  enter  the  towns  of  the  princes 
of  the  people,  nor  ever  again  minglo  in  the  dance  of  the  mighty.  Go  to  the  poor  of  the 
field,  and  let  your  companions  be  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert.' 

"  The  sentence  passed,  the  pardoned  man  was  expected  to  bow  in  grateful  adoration  to 
him  whom  he  was  wont  to  look  upon  and  exalt  in  songs  applicable  only  to\One,  to  whom 
belongs  universal  sway  and  the  destinies  of  man.  But  no  I  Holding  his  hands  clasped  on 
his  bosom,  h^  replied :  '  0  king,  atflict  not  my  heart !  I  have  incited  thy  displeasure :  let 
me  be  slain  like  the  warrior.  I  cannot  live  with  the  poor.'  And,  raising  his  hand  to  the 
ring  he  wore  on  his  brow,  he  continued :  '  How  can  I  live  among  the  dogs  of  the  king, 
and  disgrace  these  badges  of  honour  which  I  won  among  the  spears  and  shields  of  the 
mighty?    No ;  I  cannot  live !    Let  me  die,  0  Pezoolu !' 

"  His  request  was  granted,  and  his  hands  tied  erect  over  his  head.  Now  my  exertions 
to  save  his  life  were  vain.  He  disdained  the  boon  on  the  conditions  offered,  preferring  to 
die  with  the  honours  he  had  won  at  the  point  of  the  spear — honours  which  even  the  act 
which  condemned  him  did  not  tarnish — to  exile  and  poverty  among  the  children  of  the 
desert  He  was  led  forth,  a  man  walking  on  each  side.  My  eye  followed  him  until  he 
reached  the  top  of  a  high  precipice,  over  which  he  was  precipitated  into  the  deep  part  of 
the  river  beneath,  where  the  crocodiles,  accustomed  to  such  meals,  were  yawning  to  devour 
hin  ere  he  could  reach  the  bottom." 

The  word  "  issikoko,"  by  which  the  KafBr  denominates  the  head-ring,  is  scarcely  to  be 
pronounced,  not  by  European  lips,  but  by  European  palates ;  for  each  letter  k  is  preceded, 
or  rather  accompanied,  by  a  curious  clucking  sound,  produced  by  the  back  of  the  tonpue 
and  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  There  are  three  of  these  "  clicks,"  as  they  are  called,  and  thiy 
will  be  more  particularly  described  when  we  come  to  the  subject  of  Kaffir  language. 

Under  nearly  all  circumstances  a  Kaffir  presents  a  singularly  picturesque  figure — 
except,  perhaps,  when  squatting  on  the  ground  with  his  knees  up  to  his  chin — and  nothing 
can  be  more  grateful  to  an  artistic  eye  than  the  aspect  of  a  niimber  of  these  splendid 
savages  in  the  full  panoply  of  all  their  barbaric  magnificence.  Their  proud  and  noble 
port,  their  dusky  bodies  set  off  with  beads  and  other  brilliant  ornaments,  and  the  uncom- 
mon grace  and  agility  which  they  display  when  going  through  the  fierce  mimicry  of  a 
fight  which  constitutes  their  war  dances,  are  a  delight  to  the  eye  of  an  artist. 

Utafortunately,  his  nose  is  affected  in  a  different  manner.  The  Kaffirs  of  all  ages  and 
both  sexes  will  persist  in  copiously  anointing  themselves  with  grease.  Almost  any  sort 
of  grease  would  soon  become  rancid  in  that  country ;  but^  as  the  Kaffirs  are  not  at  all 


^M 


it  } 


h: 


I       M»       k   T 


-'!!  V 


'I 


';..    i 


U 


THE  KAFFIB  PERFUME. 


particular  about  the  sort  of  crease  which  they  use,  provided  that  it  is  grease,  they  exhale 
a  very  powerful  aud  very  disagreeable  odour.  Kaffirs  are  charming  savages,  but  it  is 
always  as  well  to  keep  to  the  windward  of  them,  at  all  events  until  the  nostrils  have 
become  accustomed  to  their  odour.  Tliis  peculiar  scent  is  as  adhesive  as  it  is  powerful, 
and,  even  after  a  Kaffir  has  laid  aside  his  dress,  any  article  of  it  will  be  nearly  as  strongly 
scented  as  the  owner. 

Some  time  ago,  while  I  was  looking  over  a  very  fine  collection  of  savage  implements 
and  dress,  some  articles  of  apparel  were  exhibited  labelled  with  tickets  that  could  not 
possibly  have  belonged  to  them.  The  owner  said  that  he  suspected  them  to  be  African, 
and  asked  my  opinion,  which  was  unhesitatingly  given,  the  odour  having  betrayed  theii 
real  country  as  soon  as  they  were  brought  within  range  of  scent. 

A  few  years  ago,  I  assisted  in  opening  a  series  of  boxes  and  barrels  full  of  objects 
from  Kaffirland.  We  took  the  precaution  of  opening  the  cases  in  the  garden,  and,  even 
in  the  open  air,  the  task  of  emptying  them  was  almost  too  much  for  our  unaccustomed 
senses.  All  the  objects  were  genuine  specimens,  not  merely  made  for  sale,  as  is  so  often 
the  case,  but  purchased  from  the  wearers,  and  carefully  put  away.  The  owner  of  the  col- 
lection was  rather  humorous  on  the  subject,  congratulating  us  on  our  preparation  for  a 
visit  to  Kaffirland,  and  telling  us  that,  if  either  of  us  wished  to  form  a  good  idea  of  the 
atmos'phere  which  prevailed  in  a  Kaffir  hut  with  plenty  of  companv,  all  we  had  to  do 
was  to  get  into  the  empty  cask,  sit  at  the  bottom  of  it,  and  put  the  lid  on. 

Several  of  the  articles  of  clothing  were  transferred  to  my  collection,  but  for  some  time 
•Vhey  could  not  be  introduced  into  the  room.  Even  after  repeated  washings,  and  hanging 
out  in  the  garden,  and  drenching  with  deodorizing  fluid,  they  retained  so  much  of  their 
peculiar  scent  that  they  were  subjpcted  to  another  course,  which  proved  more  successful, 
— namely,  a  thorough  washing,  then  drying,  then  exposure  to  a  strong  heat,  and  then 
drying  in  the  open  air. 

This  extremely  powerful  odour  is  a  considerable  drawback  to  an  European  hunter  when 
accompanied  by  Kaffir  assistants.  They  are  invaluable  as  trackers,  their  eyes  seem  to 
possess  telesccfpic  powers,  their  ears  are  open  to  sounds  which  their  white  companion  is 
quite  incapable  of  perceiving,  and  their  olfactory  nerves  are  sensitive  to  any  odour  except 
that  which  themselves  so  powerfully  exhale.  But  the  wild  animals  are  even  more  sen- 
sitive to  odours  than  their  dusky  pursuers,  and  it  is  popularly  said  that  an  elephant  to 
leeward  can  smell  a  Kaffir  at  the  distance  of  a  mila  All  are  alike  in  this  respect,  the 
king  and  his  meanest  subject  being  imbrued  with  the  same  unctuous  substance ;  and  the 
only  difference  is,  that  the  king  can  afford  more  grease,  and  is  therefore  likely  to  be  more 
odoriferous,  than  his  subject 

Yet  the  Kaffir  is  by  no  means  an  uncleanly  person,  and  in  many  points  is  so  par- 
ticularly clean  that  he  looks  down  with  contempt  upon  an  European  as  an  ill-bred  man. 
The  very  liberal  anointing  of  the  person  with  grease  is  a  custom  which  would  be  simply 
abominable  in  our  climate,  and  with  our  mode  of  dress,  but  which  is  almost  a  necessity  in 
a  climate  like  that  of  Southern  Africa,  where  the  natives  expose  nearly  the  whole  of  their 
bodies  to  the  burning  sunbeams.  Even  in  the  more  northern  parts  of  this  continent  the 
custom  prevails,  and  Englishmen  who  have  resided  there  for  a  series  of  years  have  found 
their  health  much  improved  by  following  the  example  of  the  natives.  In  England,  for 
example,  nothing  could  be  more  absurd  than  to  complete  the  morning's  toilet  by  putting 
on  the  head  a  laige  lump  of  butter,  but  in  Abyssinia  no  native  of  fashion  thinks  hiiuself 
fully  dressed  untU  he  has  thus  put  the  finishing  touch  to  his  costume. 

Setting  aside  the  different  effects  of  the  sun  upon  a  black  skin  and  a  white  one,  as  long 
as  European  residents  in  Southern  Africa  are  able  to  wear  their  cool  and  light  garments, 
so  long  can  they  dispense  with  grease.  But,  if  they  were  suddenly  deprived  of  their 
linen  or  cotton  garments,  and  obliged  to  clothe  themselves  after  the  fashion  of  the  Kaffirs, 
it  is  likely  that,  before  many  weeks  had  elapsed,  they  would  be  only  too  glad  to  resort  to 
a  custom  which  has  been  taught  to  the  natives  by  the  experience  of  centuries.  Had  not 
the  practice  of  greasing  the  body  been  productive  of  gooa,  their  strong  common  sense 
would  long  ago  have  induced  the  Kaffirs  to  dispense  with  it. 

In  this,  as  in  all  other  matters,  we  must  not  judge  others  by  supposing  them  to  be 


THE  KAFFIR 


89 


under  similar  conditions  with  ourselves.  Our  only  hope  of  arriving  at  a  true  and  unbiassed 
judgment  is  by  mentally  placing  ourselves  in  the  same  conditions  as  those  of  whom  we 
are  treating,  and  forming  our  conclusions  accordingly.  The  knowledge  of  this  simple 
principle  is  the  key  to  the  singular  success  enjoyed  by  some  schoolmasters,  while  others, 
who  may  far  surpass  them  in  mere  scholarship,  have  failed  to  earn  for  themselves  either 
the  respect  or  the  love  of  their  pupils. 

Men,  as  well  as  women,  generally  possess  cloaks  made  of  the  skins  of  animals,  and 
called  karosses.  Almost  any  animal  will  serve  for  the  purpose  of  the  kaross-maker,  who 
has  a  method  of  rendering  perfectly  supple  the  most  stiff  and  stubborn  of  hides.  The 
process  of  preparing  the  hide  is  very  simple.  The  skin  is  fastened  to  the  ground  by  a 
vast  number  of  pegs  round  its  edges,  so  as  to  prevent  it  from  shrinking  unequally,  the 
hairy  side  being  next  to  the  ground.  A  leopai-d-skin  thus  pegged  to  the  ground  may  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration  of  a  Katfir  hut. 

The  artist,  however,  has  committed  a  slight  error  in  the  sketch,  having  drawn  the 
skin  as  If  the  hairy  side  were  upwards.  The  Kaffir  always  pegs  a  skin  with  the  hairy 
side  downwards,  partly  because  the  still  wet  hide  would  adhere  to  the  ground,  and  partly 
because  he  wishes  to  be  able  to  manipulate  the  skin  before  it  is  dry.  Tlds  plan  of 
pegging  down  the  skin  is  spread  over  the  whole  world ;  and  whether  in  Europe,  Africa, 
Asia,  America,  or  Australia,  the  first  process  of  hide-dressing  is  almost  exactly  the  same. 
The  subsequent  processes  vary  greatly  in  different  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  even  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  same  country,  as  we  shall  see  in  subsequent  pages. 

The  frontier  Kaffirs,  and  indeed  all  those  who  can  have  communication  with  Europeans, 
have  learned  th6  value  of  blankets,  and  will  mostly  wear  a  good  blanket  in  preference  to 
the  bdst  kaross.  Bat  to  the  older  warriors,  or  in  those  places  to  which  European  traders 
do  not  penetrate,  the  skin  kaross  still  retains  its  vclue.  The  ox  is  the  animal  that  most 
generally  supplies  the  kaross-maker.  with  skin,  because  it  is  so  large  that  the  native  need 
not  take  much  trouble  in  sewing.  Still,  even  the  smaller  animals  are  in  great  request  for 
the  purpose,  and  the  karosses  made  from  them  are,  to  European  eyes,  far  handsomer  than 
those  made  from  single  skins. 

Of  course,  the  most  valued  by  the  natives  are  those  which  are  made  from  the  skins  of 
the  predaceous  animals,  a  kaross  made  of  lion-skin  being  scarcely  ever  seen  except  on  the 
person  of  sable  royalty.    The  leopard-skin  is  highly  valued,  and  the  fortunate  and  valiant 
slayer  of  several  leopards  is  sure  to  make  their  skins  into  a 
kaross  and  their  tails  into  an  apron,  both  garments  being  too 
precious  to  be  worn  except  on  occasions  of  ceremony. 

As  to  the  various  adornments  of  feathers,  strange  head- 
aresses,  and  other  decorations  with  which  the  Kaffir  soldier 
loves  to  bedeck  himself,  we  shall  find  them  described  in  the 
chapter  relating  to  Kaffir  warfare. 

There  is,  however,  one  class  of  ornaments  that  must  be 
briefly  mentioned;  namely,  the  rings  of  different  material 
which  the  Kaffirs  place  on  their  wrists,  arms,  and  ankles. 
These  are  sometimes  made  of  ivory,  often  of  metal,  some- 
times of  hide,  sometimes  of  beads,  and  sometimes  of  grass. 
This  last-mentioned  bracelet  is  perhaps  the  simplest  of  them 
all,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  illustration, 
wKich  is  taken  from  a  specimen  in  my  collection. 

It  is  mide  of  the  yellow  stems  of  some  species  of  grass, 
plaited  together  with  singular  ingenuity,  so  as  to  form  a 
bold  and  regular  pattern,  the  lines  of  grass  stems  sweeping 
regularly  side  by  side  along  the  centre,  crossing  and  recrossing 
each  other  in  their  course,  and  forming  a  narrow  plaited 
pattern  along  each  edge.  More  than  fifty  stems  are  used  in  making  this  simple  orna- 
ment, so  that  the  skill  of  the  manipulator  is  strongly  tested. 

Men  who  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  kill  an  elephant,  and  rich  enough  to  be  able 
to  use  part  of  the  tusks  for  their  own  purposes,  generally  cut  off  a  foot  or  so  from  the 


GR^S  BRACELET. 


'!li 
•1:^ 


r^ 


J!  ; 


.m  :  M 


40 


IVORY  ARMLETS. 


'r 


bofle  of  each  tusk  for  tho  piirpose  of  making  armlets,  at  once  trophies  of  their  valour  ana 
proofs  of  their  wealth. 

The  reader  is  perhaps  aware  that  tho  tusk  of  an  elephant,  though  hard  and  solid  at 
the  point,  is  soft  at  the  base,  and  has  only  a  mere  shell  of  hard  ivory,  the  interior  being 
fiUed  with  the  soft  vascular  substance  by  which  the  tusk  is  continually  lengthened  and 
enlarged.  Indeed,  the  true  ivory  is  only  found  in  that  portion  of  tho  tusk  which  projects 
from  the  head ;  the  remainder,  which  is  deeply  imbedded  iu  the  skull,  being  made  of  soft 
substance  enclosed  in  a  shell  of  ivory. 

It  is  easy  enough,  therefore,  for  the  Kaffir  hunter  to  cut  off  a  portion  of  the  base  of 
the  tusk,  and  to  remove  tho  soft  vascular  substance  which  .fills  it,  leaving  a  tube  of  ivory, 
very  thin  and  irregular  at  the  extreme  base,  and  becoming  thicker  towards  the  point 
His  next  business  is,  to  cut  this  tube  into  several  pieces,  so  as  to  make  rings  of  ivory, 
some  two  or  three  inches  in  width,  and  differing  much  in  the  thickness  of  material 
Those  which  are  made  from  the  base  of  tho  tusk,  and  which  have  therefore  a  large 
diameter  and  no  great  thickness,  are  carefully  polished,  and  placed  on  the  arm  above  the 
elbow,  while  those  of  smaller  diameter  and  thicker  substance  are  merely  slipped  over  the 
hand  and  worn  as  bracelets.  There  is  now  before  rce  a  ])hotographic  portrait  of  a  sou 
of  the  celebrated  chief  Macomo,  who  is  wearing  two  of  these  ivory  rings,  one  on  the 
left  arm  and  the  other  on  the  wrist.  A  necklace,  composed  of  leopard's  teeth  and 
claws,  aids  in  attesting  his  skill  as  a  hunter,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  apparel  the  less  said 
the  better. 

A  pair  of  these  armlets  are  shown 
g  in  the  illustration.     They  are  sketched 

from  specimens  in  the  collection  of 
Colonel  Lane  Fox.  The  first  of  them 
is  very  simple.  It  consists  merely  of  a 
piece,  some  two  inches  in  width,  cut 
from  the  base  of  an  elephant's  tusk, 
and  moderately  polished.  There  is  no 
attempt  at  ornament  about  it. 

The  second  specimen  is  an  example 
of  much  more  elaborate  constiuction. 
It  is  cut  from  the  more  solid  portion 
of  the  tusk,  and  weighs  very  much 
more  than  its  companion  armlet.  In- 
stead of  being  of  uniform  thickness 
throughout,  it  is  shaped  something  like 
a  quoit,  or  rather  like  a  pair  of  quoits,  with  their  flat  sides  placed  together.  The  hole 
through  which  the  arm  passes  is  nicely  rounded,  and  very  smoothly  polished,  the  hitter 
circumstance  being  probably  due  to  the  friction  of  the  wearer's  arm.  It  is  ornamented  by 
a  double  row  of  holes  made  around  the  aperture.  The  ivory  is  polished  by  means  of  a 
wet  cord  held  at  both  ends,  and  drawn  briskly  backwards  and  forwards. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  illustration  on  page  30,  he  will  see  that  by  the  side  of 
the  conical  breast  ornament  which  has  already  been  described,  there  is  a  bracelet  of 
bf  iiJs.  This  is  made  of  several  stiings  of  beads,  white  predominating,  and  red  taking  the 
next  place.  The  bead-strings  are  first  laid  side  by  side,  and  then  twisted  spirally  into  f- 
loose  kind  of  rope,  a  plan  which  brings  out  their  colours  very  effectively. 

Metal  is  sometimes  used  for  the  same  purpose,  but  not  so  frequently  as  the  materials 
which  have  been  mentioned.  Mr.  Grout  mentions  a  curious  specimen  of  one  of  these 
ornaments,  which  was  made  of  brass.  "  I  have  a  rare  antique  of  this  kind  before  me,  a 
royal  armlet  of  early  days,  of  the  Zulu  country.  It  is  said  to  have  been  made  in  the  time 
of  Senzangakona,  and  to  lv;ve  descended  from  him  to  Tchaka,  thence  to  Dingan,  thence 
to  Umpande  (Panda),  who  gave  it  to  one  of  his  chief  captains,  who,  obliged  to  leave 
Zululand  by  Kechwayo's  uprising,  brought  it  with  him  and  sold  it  to  me.  It  is  made  of 
brass,  weighs  about  two  pounds,  and  bears  a  good  many  maiks  of  the  smith's  attempt  at 
the  curious  and  the  clever." 


IVOBT  ABHLETS. 


Brass  and  iron 
I  beavy  ornaments  ai 

Some  years  ago, 
I A  shining  metallic 
I  smelted  like  iron,  a 
I  which  was  more  gl 
I  their  iron  ornament 
I  spread  through  the 
Ibuted  to  witchcraft, 
I  of  discovering  the  o 
I  men,  who  will  be  fu 
I  After  making  a 
[cause  of  the  disease 
I  of  the  past.  In  co 
I  metal  was  put  to  d( 
Iking  issued  an  edict 


THE  KAFFIR 


41 


Brass  and  iron  wire  is  frequently  used  for  the  manufacture  of  armlets,  and  tolerably 
I  heavy  ornaments  aio  sonictimos  found  of  the  latter  metal. 

Some  years  a^o,  a  curious  circumstance  occurred  with  regard  to  these  metallic  armletg. 
h  sliiniuj?  metallic  powder  was  one  day  discovered,  and  was  found  capable  of  being 
Binelted  like  iron,  and  made  into  ornaments.  The  chiefs  were  so  pleased  with  this  metal, 
Lhich  was  more  glittering  than  iron,  that  they  reserved  it  for  themselves,  and  gave  away 
their  iron  ornaments  to  Iheir  followers.  Some  little  time  afterwards,  a  contagious  disease 
spread  through  the  country,  and  several  chiers  died.  Of  course  the  calamity  was  ottri- 
buted  to  witchcraft,  as  is  every  death  or  illness  among  the  Kaffir  chiefs,  and  the  business 
of  discovering  the  offender  was  entrusted,  as  usual,  to  the  witch-doctors,  a  strange  class  of 
men,  who  will  be  fully  described  in  a  future  page. 

After  making  a  number  of  ineffectual  guesses,  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
cause  of  the  disease  lay  in  the  new-fangled  metal,  which  had  auperseded  the  good  old  iron 
of  the  past.  In  consequence  of  this  verdict,  the  unfortunate  man  who  discc/ered  the 
metal  was  put  to  death  as  an  accessory,  the  chiefs  resumed  their  iron  ornaments,  nnd  the 
king  issued  an  edict  forbidding  the  use  of  the  metal  which  had  done  so  much  harm. 


,'"^. 


•         M 


i'^  > 


4fh 


t 


CHAPTER  VI. 


FEMININE  DUESS  AND  ORNAMENTS. 


1  ■.;>■' 
i  f-  lla 


WEEN  OBBSS  18  PIBST   WOllN — PAINT    AND     OIL — THB    FIB8T   OAIIMENT,   AND   ITS   IMPOBT — APROMl 

OP    KAFFIB     OIBLS VABIOVS    MATGBIALS    OF    WHICH    TUB    APRONS    ABE    MADB BEADS    AND  I 

LEATHBB CHANGE   OF   DBBSS    ON   BETBOTHAL — DRESS   OP   A   HARRIED  WOMAN — THE   BED   TOP- 1 

KNOT,    AND   ESTIMATION   IN    WHICH   IT    IS   HELD JEALOUSY    AND    ITS    RESULTS — AN   KLABOBATll 

DBESS OBUINARY    APBON   OF   A    MABBIED   WOMAN — BEAD    APBON    OF  A  CHIEf's   WIFE — CURIOUS  I 

BRACELETS    OF    METAL — THEIR   APPARENT   INCONVENIENCE BRACELETS    MADE    OF   ANTELOPf'sl 

HOOF — COSTUMES     USED     IN     DANCES QUANTITY    OF     BEADS   USED   IN   THE    DBEBS A   STBANOll 

HEAD-DRESS— BELTS     AND    SEMI-BELTS   OF   KAFFIB  WOMEN — ^NECKLACES — GOOD    INTEBEST   AW) I 

BAD     SECURITY IMITATION      OF      EUROPEAN     FASHION SUB8TITUTB     FOR     HANDKERCHIEFS— I 

ANECDOTE    OF    A  WEDDING   DANCE — KAFFIR    OALLANTBY — A    SINQULAB  DBOOBATION — KAFFIB  | 
OASTANBTS — ^BABBINOS  OF   VARIOUS  KINDS. 


As  in  the  last  chapter  the  dress  and  ornaments  of  the  Kaffir  men  were  described,  tlie| 
subject  of  this  chapter  will  be  the  costume  and  decoration  of  the  women. 

Both  in  material  and  general  shape,  there  is  considerable  resemblance  between  thel 
garments  of  the  tw«)  sexes,  but  those  of  the  females  have  a  certain  character  about  themi 
which  cannot  be  misunderstood.  We  will  begin  with  the  dress,  and  then  proceed  to  tlie| 
ornaments. 

As  is  the  case  with  the  boys,  the  Kaffir  girls  do  not  trouble  themselves  about  anyl 
clothes  at  all  during  the  first  few  years  of  their  life,  but  run  about  without  any  garmentsl 
except  a  coat  of  oil,  a  patch  of  paint,  and  perhaps  a  necklace,  if  the  parents  be  rich  enouglil 
to  afford  such  a  luxury.  Even  the  paint  is  beyond  the  means  of  many  parents,  but  thel 
oil  is  a  necessity,  and  a  child  of  either  sex  is  considered  to  be  respectably  dressed  and  to| 
do  credit  to  its  parents  when  its  body  shines  with  a  polish  like  that  of  patent  leather. 

When  a  girl  is  approaching  the  age  when  she  is  expected  to  be  exchangeable  for  cows,! 
she  indues  her  first  and  only  garment,  which  she  retains  in  its  primitive  shape  and  nearljl 
its  primitive  dimensions  until  she  has  found  a  suitor  who  can  pay  the  price  required  byl 
her  parents.  This  garment  is  an  apron,  and  is  made  of  various  materials,  according  to  tlie| 
means  of  the  weai*er. 

The  simplest  and  most  common  type  of  apron  is  a  fringe  of  narrow  leathern  strips,! 
each  strip  being  about  the  sixth  of  an  inch  wide,  and  five  or  six  inches  in  length.  Al 
great  number  of  these  strips  are  fastened  to  a  leathern  thong,  so  that  they  fonn  a  kind  o(l 
flexible  apron,  some  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  width.  Generally,  eight  or  ten  of  the  strips! 
at  each  side  are  double  the  length  of  the  others.  Examples  of  these  aprons  may  be  seen! 
on  referring  to  the  figures  of  the  two  Kaffir  girls  on  pnge  16,  and,  as  their  general  make  isl 
sufficiently  indicated,  nothing  more  need  be  said  about  them.  I  have,  however,  several! 
specimens  of  aprons  which  were  worn  by  the  daughters  of  wealthy  men,  and  othersj 
were  lent  to  me  by  Mr.  H.  Jackson.  From  them  I  have  made  a  selection,  which  wiUl 
illustrate  well  the  modes  of  forming  this  dress  which  were  in  fashion  some  fev| 
years  ago.  , 


THE  KAFFIR 


43 


The  apron  at  the  bottom  of  the  illustration  ia  that  which  is  most  generally  used.  It 
lis  made  of  very  delicate  thongs  twisted  together  in  rope  fashion,  and  having  the  ends  un- 
Iravelled  so  as  to  make  a  thick  fringe,  and,  as  has  already  been  observed,  the  thongs  at  each 
lend  are  twice  as  long  as  those  which  occupy  the  centre.  A  broad  belt  of  beads  is  placed 
jalong  the  upper  edge  of  the  apron,  and  festoons  of  beads  hang  below  the  belt.  The 
Icolours  are  rather  brilliant,  being  red,  yellow,  and  white,  and  nearly  all  the  thongs  have 
lone  large  white  bead  just  above  the  knob,  which  prevents  them  from  unravelling  too 


Mi 


DRESS  AND  ORNAMENTS. 


nuch.  The  band  by  which  it  is  suspended  is  also  covered  with  beads,  and  it  is  fastened 
by  means  of  a  loop  at  one  end,  and  a  large  brass  button  at  the  other.  These  aprons  are 
Sxed  in  their  position  by  two  strings,  one  of  which  passes  round  the  waist,  and  the  other 
'  elow  the  hips. 

Another  apron  is  seen  at  the  side  of  the  illustration,  fig.  1.  This  is  a  very  elaborate  affair, 
land  is  made  on  a  totally  different  principle.  It  is  wholly  made  of  beads,  the  threads 
phich  hold  them  together  being  scarcely  visible.    In  order  to  show  the  intrenious  manner 


■I  -f 


% 


f. 


i-a 


44 


APRON  OF  A  OHlEJj  b  WIFE. 


in  which  the  heads  are  strung  together,  a  portion  of  the  apron  is  given  separately.  TliJ 
colours  of  these  beads  are  black  and  white,  in  alternate  stripes,  and  the  two  ends  are  tl 
trifle  larger  than  the  middle  of  the  dress.  The  belt  by  which  it  is  suspended  is  made  irotgl 
large  round  beads,  arranged  in  rows  of  white,  blue,  and  red,  and  the  two  ends  are  fastened! 
to  the  apron  by  the  inevitable  brass  button  which  has  been  so  frequently  mentioned. 

In  the  same  collection  is  a  still  smaller  apron,  intended  for  a  younger  girl  This  u| 
made  after  the  same  principle,  but  the  beads  are  arranged  in  a  bold  zigzag  pattern  ofl 
black,  scarlet,  and  white,  relieved  by  the  glitter  of  highly-polished  brass  buttons.  This| 
apron  may  be  seen  on  the  illustration  at  page  33,  iig.  4,  and  a  small  portion  of  it  is  giveii| 
on  an  enlarged  scale,  so  as  to  show  the  arrangement  of  the  beads. 

When  the  Kaffir  girl  is  formally  betrothed  she  alters  her  dress,  and,  beside  the  smaUl 
aprQn,  indues  a  piece  of  soft  hide,  which  reaches  to  her  knees,  or  a  little  below  them,  andl 
this  she  wears  until  she  is  married,  when  she  assumes  the  singularly  ungraceful  attire  ofl 
the  matron.  Among  the-  Zulu  tribes,  she  sliavea  nearly  the  whole  of  her  head  on  thel 
crown,  leaving  only  a  little  tuft  of  hair.  This  is  gathered  together  with  grease,  red  paint,! 
and  similar  substances,  and  stands  erect  from  the  crown  of  her  head.  The  young  wife  it| 
then  quite  in  the  fashioa  It  is  evidently  the  feminine  substitute  for  the  "issikoko  "  woti)| 
by  the  mea 

So  fond  are  the  married  women  of  this  rather  absurd  decoration,  that  it  formed  thel 
subject  of  a  curious  trial  that  took  place  some  years  ago.  Noie,  the  youngest  wife  of  al 
native  named  Nongue,  became  suddenly  disfigured ;  and,  among  other  misfortunes,  lost! 
the  little  tuft  of  reddened  hair.  Poison  was  immediately  suspected,  and  one  of  the  eldetl 
wives  was  suspected  as  the  culprit.  She  was  accordingly  brought  up  before  the  counciJ 
and  a  fair  trial  of  five  hours'  duration  was  accorded  to  her.  The  investigation  clearlyl 
proved  that  she  had  in  her  possession  certain  poisons,  and  that  she  had  administered  8ome| 
deleterious  substance  to  the  young  wife,  of  whom  she  had  become  jealous. 

The  force  of  evidence  was  so  great  thatl 
she  confessed  her  crime,  and  stated  that  shel 
intended  to  make  Noie's  hair  tuft  fall  off,  inl 
order  that  the  husband  might  be  disgustedl 
with  the  appearance  of  his  new  wife,  andl 
return  to  his  old  allegiance  to  herself.  Shel 
vas  condemned  to  death,  that  being  thel 
punishment  for  all  poisoners,  and  was  ledl 
away  to  instant  execution — a  fate  for  whicJ 
she  seemed  peifectly  prepared,  and  whicl 
ehe  met  with  remarkable  unconcern,  biddini 
farewell  to  the  spectators  as  she  passdj 
them. 

The  curious  respect  paid  by  the  natival 
to  this  ornament  is  the  more  remarkablej 
because  its  size  is  so  very  small.    Even 
fore  shaving  the  head,  the  short,  crisp  haiil 
forms  a  very  scanty  covering ;  and  whep  ill 
is  all  removed  except  this  little  tuft,  th«f 
remainder  would  hardly  cover  the  head  of  i 
child's  sixpenny  doll. 

In  the  accompanying  illustration  is  sho? 
a  remarkably  elaborate  apron  belonging  tol 
a  chief's  wife,  drawn  from  a  specimen  in  Mr.  Jackson's  collection.  It  is  made  of  leather! 
dressed  and  softened  in  the  usual  manner,  but  is  furnished  with  a  pocket  and  a  needlej 
In  order  to  show  this  pocket,  I  have  brought  it  round  to  the  front  of  the  apron,  though  in 
actual  wear  it  falls  behind  it.  In  the  pocket  were  still  a  few  beads  and  a  brass  buttonl 
Thread  is  also  kept  in  it.  On  the  inside  of  the  apron  is  suspended  one  of  the  skewer-likJ 
needles  which  has  been  already  described,  BO  that  the  weaier  is  furnished  with  all  appli^ 
ances  needful  for  a  Kaffir  sempstress. 


APRON  OF  A  CHIEFS  WIFB. 


THE  KAFFIR. 


45 


But  the  chief  gloiy  of  the  apron  is  its  ornament  of  beads,  which  has  a  very  bold 
|ffect  against  the  dark  mahogany  hair  of  the  apron  itself.  This  ornament  is  made  in  the 
brm  of  a  triangular  flap,  quite  distinct  from  the  apron  itself,  and  fastened  to  it  only  by 
he  lower  edge  and  the  pointed  tip.  The  beads  are  arranged  in  a  series  of  diamond 
Latterns,  the  outer  edge  of  each  diamond  being  made  of  white  beads,  and  the  others  of 
pifferent  colours,  red  predominating. 

On  the  illustration  at  page  25,  flgs.  2  and  3,  and  next  to  the  men  s  "  tailf<,"  already 
[escribed,  are  seen  two  good  examples  of  the  women's  aprons,  both  drawn  from  speci- 
Jiens  in  my  collection.  Fig.  3  is  the  thong-apron  of  the  women.  It  is  made  of  an  in- 
fnity  of  leather  thongs,  fastened  together  in  a  way  rather  diflerent  from  that  which  has 
en  mentioned.  Instead  of  having  the  iipper  ends  fixed  along  the  belt  so  as  to  form  a 
inge,  they  are  woven  together  into  a  tolerably  thick  bunch,  some  four  inches  in  width, 
ad  wider  below  than  above.  In  many  cases  these  thongs  are  ornamented  by  little 
craps  of  iron,  brass,  tin,  or  other  metal,  wrapped  round  them ;  and  in  some  instances 
ads  are  threaded  on  the  thongs. 

This  apron  would  not  belong  to  a  woman  of  any  high  rank,  for  it  has  no  ornament 
If  any  kind  (except  a  thorough  saturation  with  highly-perfumed  grease),  and  is  made  of 
liateri'.  within  the  reach  of  every  one.  Any  odd  slips  of  hide  thrown  away  in  the 
Iroceso.  v..  Kaffir  tailoring  can  be  cut  into  the  narrow  thongs  used  for  the  purpose,  and 
lo  very  great  skill  is  needed  in  its  construction ;  for,  though  strongly  made,  it  is  the 
}ork  of  a  rather  clumsy  hand. 

Such  is  not  the  case  with  the  remarkable  apron  shown  at  fig.  2  of  the  same  illus- 

ition.    This  specimen  is  made  in  a  rather  unusual  manner.     The  basis  of  the  apron  is 

j  piece  of  the  same  leather  which  is  usually  employed  for  such  purposes  ;  but  instead  of 

[eing  soft  and  flexible,  it  ^'^"^  quite  hard  and  stiff,  and  cannot  be  bent  without  danger  of 

acking.    The  beads  are  -    "^^  firmly  on  the  leather,  and  are  arranged  in  parallel  lines, 

Jlternately  white  and  lila(       .'.v  black  beads  being  pressed  into  the  service  by  the  maker, 

Ipparently  for  want  of  tl.  ■»:    ■?  a  proper  colour.     Even  the  belt  by  which  it  is  supported 

covered  profusely  with  beads ;  so  that,  altogether,  this  is  a  remarkably  good  specimen 

:  the  apron  belonging  to  a  Kaffir  woman  of  rank. 

The  object  represented  at  fig.  4  is  a  head-dress,  which  will  be  described  when  we 
ome  to  Kattir  warfare. 

A.  general  idea  of  a  Kaffir  woman's  dress  may  be  gained  by  reference  to  the  illustration 
It  page  26,  representing  a  Kaffir  and  his  wife.  He  is  shown  as  wearing  the  apron  and  a 
liort  kaross ;  while  she  wears  a  larger  mantle,  and  the  thong-apron  which  has  just  been 
lescribed.  She  is  also  carrying  the  sleeping-mat ;  he,  of  course,  not  condescending  to 
arry  anything.  Her  ankles  are  bound  with  the  skin  ropes  which  have  been  already 
[escribed ;  and  a  chain  or  two  of  beads  complete  her  costume. 

Young  wives  have  usually  another  ornament  on  which  they  pride  themselves.    This 

1  a  piece  of  skin,  generally  that  of  an  antelope,  about  eighteen  inches  wide,  and  a  yard  or 

Iven  more  in  length.    This  is  tied  across  the  upper  part  of  the  chest,  so  as  to  allow  the 

[nd  to  fall  as  low  as  the  knees,  and  is  often  very  gaily  decorated.    Down  the  centre  of 

skin  a  strip  about  six  inches  in  width  is  deprived  of  hair,  and  on  this  denuded  portion 

he  wearer  fastens  all  the  beads  and  buttons  that  can  be  spared  from  other  parts  of  her 

\mi  costume.    In  one  costume  of  a  young  Zulu  wife,  the  bottom  of  this  strip  is  covered 

irith  steveral  rows  of  brass  buttons,  polished  very  highly,  and  glittering  in  the  sunbeams. 

This  article  of  dress,  however,  is  disappearing  among  the  frontier  Kaffirs,  who  substi- 

iite  European  stuffs  for  the  skin  garments  which  they  formerly  wore,  and  which  are 

ertainly  n.oro  becoming  to  them.    The  same  may  be  said  of  many  other  articles  of  ' 

blothing,  which,  as  well  as  the  manners  and  customs,  have  undergone  so  complete  a  modi- 

pcation  by  intercourse  with  Europeans,  that  the  Kaffir  of  the  piesent  day  is  scarcely  to  be 

ecognised  as  the  same  being  as  the  Kaffir  of  fifty  years  ago.     As  to  the  Hottentots,  of 

rhom  we  shall  soon  treat,  they  are  now  a  different  people  from  the  race  described  by 

I  Vaillant  and  earlier  travellers. 

Married  women  are  also  fond  of  wearing  bracelets,  or  rather  gauntlets,  of  polished 
aetal;  sometimes  made  of  a  single  piece,  sometimes  of  successive  rings,  and  sometimes  of 


jUiHf   i«'i  rw^ 

ft.r^i  m 

5V* 

4 

'h 

J  ? 


)'.! 


46 


BRACELETS. 


metal  wonnd  spirally  from  the  wrist  upwards.    Some  of  these  ornaments  are  so  hea^ 
and  cumbrous,  that  they  must  greatly  interfere  with  the  movements  of  the  wrist;  hutiil 
this  country,  as  in  others,  personal  inconvenience  is  little  regarded  when  decorations  i 
in  the  case. 

In  the  accompanying  illustration  are  shown  some  bracelets  of  a  very  peculiar  fa! 
dr%wn  from  specimens  in  my  own  collection.  They  belonged  to  one  of  the  wives  of  Goa(| 
and  were  taken  from  her  wrists  by  the  purchaser.  They  are  made  in  a  very  ingenioml 
manner  from  the  hoofs  of  the  tiny  African  antelope,  the  Bluebok,  and  are  formed  in  thil 
following  manner : — ^The  leg  of  the  antelope  having  been  cut  off,  the  skin  was  cut  lon^ 
tiidinally  on  either  side  as  far  as  the  hoof,  which  was  then  separated  from  the  bonj 
leaving  the  sharp,  horny  hoofs  adhering  to  the  skin.  As  the  skin  was  cut  so  as  to  leanl 
a  flat  thong  attached  to  each  side  of  the  hoof,  it  was  easy  enough  to  form  the  bracelet  ialt| 
the  shape  which  is  seen  in  the  illustration. 


BRACELEI& 


One  remarkable  point  about  these  bracelets  is  their  very  small  size,  which  shows  thl 
diminutiven&^s  of  the  Kaffir  hand ;  although  the  owner  of  these  bracelets  was  a  mairiedj 
woman,  and  therefore  accustomed  to  tasks  which  would  not  be  very  light  even  for  ait| 
English  labourer.  Both  the  bracelets  are  shown,  and  by  the  side  of  them  is  another  m 
from  ordinary  string,  such  as  is  used  for  tying  parcels  in  England.  What  could  havel 
induced  a  wife  of  so  powerful  a  chief  as  Goza  to  wear  so  paltry  an  ornament  I  cannotl 
conceive,  except  that  perhaps  she  may  have  purchased  it  from  one  of  the  witch-doctonji 
who  has  performed  some  ceremony  over  it,  and  sold  it  as  a  chann.  Kaffirs  have  the  mostl 
profound  faith  in  charms,  and  will  wear  anything,  no  matter  how  common-place  it  majl 
be,  if  they  even  fancy  that  it  may  possess  magic  powers.  I 

If  the  reader  wUl  refer  to  the  illustration  on  page  30,  fig.  1,  he  will  see  a  circulaij 
ornament,  made  of  beads.  This  is  one  of  the  most  cherished  decorations  of  a  Kaffir  girll 
and  it  is  one  which  cannot  be  afforded  by  any  one  who  is  not  in  affluent  circumstances.  I 

It  is  made  in  a  very  ingenious  manner,  so  as  to  preserve  its  shape,  although  it  has  tol 
be  worn  round  the  waist,  and  consequently  to  be  forced  over  the  shoulders.  The  centrel 
of  this  handsome  belt  is  made  of  leather,  sewn  firmly  together  so  as  to  form  a  cylindricall 
circle,  and  plentifully  imbrued  with  grease  to  render  it  elastic.  Upon  this  structure  thel 
beads  are  fastened,  in  regular  spiral  rows,  so  that  the  belt  may  be  pulled  about  and  alteredl 
in  shape  without  disturbing  the  arrangement  of  the  beads.  The  projector  of  this  belt  hasi 
contrived  to  arrange  the  beads  in  such  a  manner  as  to  present  alternate  zigzags  of  blue! 
and  yellow,  the  effect  of  which  on  the  dark  chocolate  skin  would  be  very  telling.  I 

This  belt  may  be  seen  round  the  waist  of  the  young  girl  in  the  accompanying  illustra-S 
tion.  The  damsel  in  question  is  supposed  to  be  arrayed  for  a  dance,  and,  in  such  a  case,  she! 
would  put  on  every  article  of  finery  that  she  possessed.    Her  woolly  hair  is  omamentedl 


ition  on  page  48.    It  is 


THE  KAFFIR. 


47 


ly  a  quantity  of  porcupine  quills,  the  alternate  black  and  white  of  which  have  a  very  good 
ffect.  Porcupine  quills  are,  however,  not  very  easily  obtained.  Hunting  the  porcupine 
I  a  tMk  that  belongs  to  the  other  sex,  and  is  quite  out  of  the  way  of  the  womea 

The  animal  is  not  a  pleasant  antagonist ;  and  if  bis  burrow  be  stopped;  and  he  be 
nally  driven  to  bay,  he  gives  his  pursuer  no  small  trouble,  having  a  nasty  habit  of 
•ecting  all  his  quills,  and  then  suddenly  backing  in  the  direction  where  he  is  least 
tpected.    A  Kaffir's  naked  legs  have  no  chance  against  the  porcupine's  quills,  and  when 
^verai  porcupines  are  simultane- 
sly  attacked  by  a  group  of  Kaffirs, 
te  scene  is  exceedingly  ludicrous, 
be  Kaffirs  leaping  about  as  if  be- 
fitched,  but,  in  reality,  springing 
Ito  the  air  to  avoid  the  sudden 
shes  of  the  porcupines. 

Unless,  therefore,  the  parent  or 

itnirer  of  a  young  woman  should 

appen  to  present  her  with  quills, 

[e  is  forced  to  put  up  with  some 

Iher  ornament.    One  rather  com- 

kon  decoration  is  by  fastening  into 

^e  hair  a  number  of  the  long, 

light  thorns  of  the  uiimosa,  and 

defending  her  head  from  imagi- 

jary  assaults  as  effectually  as  her 

Lore  fortunate  sister.    The  energy 

Ihich  these  girls  display  in  the 

ftace  is  extraordinary,  and  it  need 

I  so,  when  some  of  them  will  wear 

[early  fifty  pounds'  weight  of  beads, 

acelets,  anklets,  belts,  and  other 

hiaments.    However,  the   know- 

dge  of  their  magnificence  is  suffi- 

|ent  to  sustain  them,  and  they  will 

I  through  the  most  violent  exer- 

|onswhen  displaying  their  activity 

1  the  dance. 

As  to  the  belt  which  has  just 
m  mentioned,  I  was  anxious  to 
bow  whether  it  could  be  worn  by 
pr  own  countrywomea  So,  after 
king  the  precaution  of  washing  it 
fry  thoroughly  with  a  hard  brush, 
ap,  and  soda,  I  tried  it  on  a  young 
dy,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that 
passed  into  its  place  without 
Hch  trouble,  though  its  progress. 

of  course,  impeded  by  dress,' 
fiereas  the  naked  and  well-oiled 

dy  of  the  Kaffir  girl  allows  the  belt  to  slip  over  the  arms  and  shoulders  at  once. 

There  is  another  remarkable  ornament  of  the  young  Kaffir  women,  which  I  call  the 

ni-belt    It  13  flat,  generally  made  of  strings  and  thongs,  and  ornamented  at  intervals 

ilh  beads   arranged   in  cross-bands.     One  of  these  semi-belts  is  shown  in  the  illus- 

Wion  on  page  48.    It  is  made  of  strings,  and  is  about  two  inches  and  a  half  in  breadth 

m  widest  part.    The  beads  that  ornament  it  are  white  and  red.    At  each  end  is  a  loop, 

'n)ugh  which  a  string  is  passed,  so  that  the  wearer  can  fasten  it  round  her  body.    Now 

I  belt  is  only  long  enough  to  go  half  round  the  body,  and  the  mode  of  wearing  it  is 


GIRL  IN  DANCING  CREBE 


48 


BELTS. 


Bi- 


ratbQT  remarkable.  Instead  of  placing  the  whole  of  the  belt  in  front,  as  naturally  migltl 
be  supposed,  the  wearer  passes  it  round  one  side  of  the  body,  so  that  one  end  is  m  fronJ 
and  the  other  behind.  Strange  as  is  this  mode  of  wearing  it,  the  custom  is  universal,  anJ 
in  evpry  group  of  girls  or  young  women  several  are  sure  to  be  wearing  a  semi-belt  roundl 
the  body.  Another  of  these  belts  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  83,  fig.  3.  Thiil 
is  not  so  elaborate  an  article,  and  has  only  a  few  bands  of  beads,  instead  of  beiigl 
nearly  covered  with  them. 


AFRICAN  rORUUriME. 


As  for  the  necklaces  worn  by  the  Kaffir  women,  they  are  generally  nothing  more  tliaii| 
strings  of  beads,  and  require  no  particular  notice.    There  is  one,  however,  which  is 
different  from  the  ordinary  necklaces,  that  I  have  had  it  engraved.    It  may  be  seen  iil 
the  illustration  at  page  43,  fig.  3,  next  to  the  handsome  bead-apron  which  has  alreadjj 
been  described. 

As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  it  is  formed  entirely  of  beads,  and  ill 
ornamented  with  six  triangular  appendages,  also  made  of  beads.  The  general  colour  dl 
the  beads  is  white,  but  the  interior  of  the  triangular  appendages  is  cobalt  blue ;  while  tbel 


SEMI-BELT. 


larger  beads  that  are  placed  singly  upon  the  necklace  are  of  ruby  glass.  "When  tlijl 
remarkable  necklace  is  placed  round  the  neck,  the  trianj^ular  flaps  fall  regulariy  on  the! 
breast  and  shoulders,  and,  when  contrasted  with  the  dark  skin  of  the  wearer,  have  asl 
admirable  effect  I 

^  Lately,  two  articles  of  dress,  or  rather  of  ornament,  have  been  imported  from  Europsl 
into  Afhca,  and  have  met  with  great  success  among  the  chocolate-coloured  belles  o(| 


TRADING. 


49 


KafHrlancL  Enterpriaing  tndfiM  in  Sontbem  Africa  do  not  set  np  permanent  shops  as 
we  do  in  England,  but  stock  a  wagon  with  all  sorts  of  miscellaneous  goods,  and  under- 
take journeys  into  the  interior,  where  they  barter  their  stock  for  elephants'  tusks  and  teeth, 
boms,  skins,  ostrich  feathers,  and  similar  commodities.  They  have  a  most  miscellaneous 
assortment  of  goods,  and  act  very  much  in  the  same  manner  as  those  wandering  traders 
among  ourselves  who  are  popularly  called  "  Cheap  Johns,"  the  chief  distinction  being  that 
their  stock  is  by  no  means  cheap,  but  is  sold  at  about  1,000  per  cent,  profit  on  the 
original  outlay. 

This  seems  rather  an  excessive  percentage ;  but  it  must  be  nmembered  that  the  old 
adage  of  high  interest  and  bad  security  holds  good  in  this  as  in  other  speculations.  War 
may  break  out,  the  trader  be  speared,  his  waAon  robbed,  and  his  oxen  confiscated  The 
dreaded  murrain  may  cany  ofiT  his  cattle,  or  tney  may  be  starv^  for  want  of  food,  slowly 
killed  by  thirst,  or  drowned  by  a  sudden  rush  of  water,  which  mty  almost  instantaneously 
convert  a  dry  gully  into  a  raging  torrent  that  sweeps  everything  before  it  Fashions  may 
change,  and  his  whole  stock  be  valueless;  or  i^~  "prophet"  may  take  it  into  his  head 
to  proclaim  that  the  sound  of  his  wagoi  iota.,  'events  rain  from  faF  ,^  Moreover, 
he  is  unmercifully  fleeced  by  the  different  cniefe  t...  jugh  whose  territories  ue  passes,  and 
who  exact  an  extortionate  toll  before  they  wUl  aUow  him  to  pass  to  the  next  chief,  who  will 
serve  him  in  much  the  same  manner.  Altogether,  if  the  joum^  is  a  snccessftil  one,  the 
trader  vrill  make  about  fifty  or  sixty  per  cent  clear  profit;  bnt^  as  the  joum^  is  often 
an  utter  failure,  this  is  really  no  very  exorbitant  rate  of  interest  mi  his  outlay. 

The  trader  will,  above  all  things,  take  plenty  of  tobacco^Udi  being  the  key  to  the 
heart  of  a  Kaffir,  old  or  young,  man  or  womaiL  He  will  take  guns  and  ammunition  for 
the  men ;  also  spirits  of  the  roughest  and  coarsest  kind,  a  better  and  purer  article  being 
quite  > wasted  on  his  sable  customers.  Beads,  of  course,  he  carries,  as  well  as  buttons, 
hhuikets,  and  other  luxuries;  also  he  will  have  the  great  iron  hoe-blades  with  which 
the  women  till  the  ground,  which  he  can  sell  for  one-sixth  of  the  price  and  which  are 
twice  the  quality  of  the  native-made  hoe. 

One  of  these  bold  wagon-owners  bethought  himself  of  buying  a  few  gross  of  brass 
curtain-rings  of  the  largest  size,  and  was  gratified  by  finding  that  they  were  eagerly  bought 
up  wherever  he  went  The  natives  saw  at  once  that  the  brass  rings  were  better  bracelets 
than  could  be  made  by  themselves,  and  they  accordingly  lavished  their  savage  treasures 
in  order  to  buy  them. 

One  of  the  oddest  examples  of  the  vicissitude  of  African  trade  occurred  some  few 
years  ago.  An  English  vessel  arrived  at  the  port,  a  large  part  of  her  cargo  consisting 
of  stout  iron  wire,  nearly  the  whole  of  which  was  bought  by  the  natives,  and  straightway 
vanished,  no  one  knowing  what  had  become  of  it 

The  mystery  was  soon  solved.  Suddenly  the  Kaffir  belles  appeared  in  new  and 
fitshionable  costuma  Some  of  them  had  been  to  the  towns  inhabited  by  Europeans,  and 
had  seen  certain  "  cages"  hung  outside  the  drapers'  shops.  They  inquired  the  use  of  these 
singiilar  objects,  and  were  told  that  they  were  the  fashionable  attire  of  European  ladies. 
They  straightway  burned  to  possess  similar  costumes,  and  when  the  vessel  amved  with 
its  cargo  of  wire  they  bought  it  up,  and  took  it  home  for  the  purpose  of  imitating  the 
white  ladies.  Of  course  they  had  not  the  least  idea  that  any  other  article  of  apparel  was 
necessary,  and  so  they  wore  none,  but  walked  about  the  streets  quite  proud  of  their 
bshionable  appearance. 

As  the  dancers  are  encumbered  with  such  an  amount  of  decoration,  and  as  they  exert 
themselves  most  violently,  a  very  natural  result  follows.  The  climate  is  very  hot,  and  the 
exercise  makes  the  dancer  hotter,  so  that  the  abundant  grease  trickles  over  the  face  and 
body,  and  inconveniences  the  performer,  who  is  ceriainly  not  fastidious  in  her  notions. 
As  to  handkerchiefs,  or  anything  approaching  to  the  idea  of  such  articles,  she  is  in  perfect 
ignorance,  her  whole  outfit  consisting  of  the  little  apron  above  mentioned,  and  an  un- 
limited supply  of  beads.  But  she  is  not  unprovided  for  emergencies,  and  carries  with  her 
an  instrument  very  like  the  "  strigil "  of  the  ancients,  and  used  for  much  the  same  purpose. 
Sometimes  it  is  made  of  bone,  sometimes  of  wood,  sometimes  of  ivory,  and  sometimes  of 
metal  It  varies  much  in  shape,  but  is  generally  hollowed  slightly,  like  a  caipenter's 
TOI^L  8 


50 


THE  KAFFIB 


OOUBD  SNUFF-BOX     BONE  SNUFF-BOX     SCRAFEB. 


gouge,  and  has  its  edges  made  about  as  sharp  as  those  of  an  oYdinary  paper-knife.    In 
fiEict,  it  very  much  resembles  a  magnified  marrow-spoon.  ^ 

One  of  these  articles  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration.  It  is  made  of  ivoiy, 
and  is  about  nine  inches  in  length.  Being  formed  of  a  valuable  material,  it  is  decorated 
with  several  conical  brass  buttons,  which  are  supposed  to  add  to  its  beauty,  though  they 

must  certainly  detract  from  its  e^- 
ciency.  Another  specimen  of  a  com- 
moner sort  is  given  in  the  centre  of 
the  illiistration  on  page  33.  The 
material  of  this  strigil  is  iron,  and  it 
is  attached  to  a  plain  leather  strap. 

Sometimes  a  rather  unexpected 
article  is  substituted  for  the  strigil,  aa 
may  be  seen  from  the  following  anec- 
dote related  by  Mr.  6.  H.  Mason.  He 
went  to  see  the  wedding  of  a  Kaffii 
chief,  who  was  about  to  marry  his 
fourteenth  wife,  and  found  the  bride- 
f^room  seated  in  the  midst  of  the  vil- 
lage, encircled  by  a  row  of  armed 
warriors,  and  beyond  them  by  a  row 
of  women  with  children. 

"  Scarcely  had  we  taken  our  station 
near  the  Umdodie  (husband),  when  a 
low  shrill  chant  came  floating  on  the 
breeze  from  the  bottom  of  a  lovely 
vale  hard  by;  where  I  descried  a  long 
train  of  damsels  slowly  wending  their  way  among  bright  green  patches  of  Indian  corn 
and  masses  of  flowering  shrubs,  studded  with  giant  cactus,  and  the  huge  flowering  aloe, 
As  the  procession  neare(i  the  huts,  they  quickened  their  pace  and  raised  their  voices  to 
the  highest  pitch,  until  they  arrived  at  the  said  cattle-kraal,  where  they  stood  motionless 
and  silent. 

"  A  messenger  from  the  Umdodie  then  bade  them  enter  the  kraal,  an  order  that  they  I 
instantly  obeyed,  by  twos,  the  youngest  leading  the  way,  closely  followed  by  the  rest,  and 
terminated  by  a  host  of  marriageable  young  ladies  (Intombies),  clustering  thick  around  | 
the  bride — a  fat,  good-natured  girl,  wrapped  round  and  round  with  black  glazed  calico, 
and  decked  from  head  to  foot  with  flowers,  beads,  and  feathers.    Once  within  the  kraal,  I 
the  ladies  formed  two  lines,  with  the  bride  in  the  centre,  and  struck  up  a  lively  air; 
whereupon  the  whole  body  of  armed  Kaflirs  rushed  from  all  parts  of  the  kraal,  beating 
their  shields  and  uttering  demon  yells  as  they  charged  headlong  at  the  smiling  girls,  who 
joined  with  the  stalwart  warriors  in  cutting  capers  and  singing  lustily,  until  the  whole 
kraal  was  one  confused  mass  of  demons,  roaring  out  hoarse  war-songs  and  shrill  love- 1 
ditties. 

"  After  an  hour,  dancing  ceased,  and  joila  (Kaffir  beer)  was  served  round,  while  the  I 
lovely  bride  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  ring  alone,  stared  at  by  all,  and  staring  in  turh  at  | 
all,  until  she  brought  her  eyes  to  bear  on  her  admiring  lord.  Then,  advancing  leisurely, 
she  danced  before  him,  amid  shouts  of  the  bystanders,  singing  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  and  I 
brandishing  a  huge  carving-knife,  with  which  she  scraped  big  drops  of  perspiration  from  | 
her  heated  head,  produced  by  the  unusually  violent  exercise  she  was  performing." 

It  appears,  from  the  same  observant  writer,  that  whatever  the  amount  of  ^inery  may  be  I 
which  a  Kaflir  girl  wears,  it  is  considered  only  consistent  with  ordinary  gpJlantry  that  it 
should  be  admired.  While  he  was  building  a  house,  assisted  by  a  numbe  *  of  Kaifirs,  he  I 
found  that  his  men  never  allowed  the  dusky  maidens  to  pass  within  sight  t/ithout  saluting  I 
them,  or  standing  quite  motionless,  full  in  their  path,  so  that  each  might  ^nutually  inspect] 
the  other. 

"  Thus  it  frequently  happened  that  troops  of  girls  came  in  from  the  XafiBr  kraals  with  I 


DANCING. 


61 


maize,  thatch,  milk,  eggs,  wild  fruit,  sugar-cane,  potatoes,  &c.  &c.  for  sale ;  and  no  sooner 
did  their  shrill  song  reach  the  ears  of  our  servants,  than  they  rushed  from  their  work,  just 
as  they  were,  some  besmeared  with  mud,  others  spattered  with  whitewash,  and  the  rest 
armed  with  spades,  pickaxes,  buckets,  brick-moulds,  or  whatever  else  chanced  to  be  in 
their  hands  at  the  moment." 

There  is  a  curious  kind  of  ornament  much  in  vogue  among  the  Kaffir  women,  namely, 
a  series  of  raised  scars  upon  the  wrists,  and  extending  partially  up  the  arms.  These  scars 
are  made  in  childhood,  and  the  wounds  are  filled  with  some  substance  that  causes  them 
to  be  raised  above  the  level  of  the  skin.  They  fancy  that  these  scars  are  useful  as  well  aa 
ornamental,  and  consider  them  in  the  light  of 
amulets.  Other  portions  of  the  limbs  are  some- 
times decorated  with  these  scars ;  and  in  one  or  two 
cases,  not  only  the  limbs,  but  the  whole  body,  has 
been  nearly  covered  with  them  The  material  with 
which  the  wounds  are  filled  is  supposed  to  be  the 
ashes  of  a  snake. 

During  their  dances,  the  Kaffirs  of  hoth  sexes 
like  to  make  as  much  noise  as  possible,  and  aid 
their  voices  by  certain  mechanical  contrivances. 
One  of  the  most  simple  is  that  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustration,  and  is  made  of  a 
number  of  dry  seeds.  In  shape  these  seeds  are 
angular,  and  much  resemble  the  common  Brazi!- 
nut  in  form.  The  shell  of  the  seed  is  very  thin 
and  hard,  and  the  kernel  shrinks  within  it  so  as 
to  raV'tle  about  with  every  movement  In  some 
cases  the  kernel  is  removed,  and  the  rattling  sound 
is  produced  entirely  by  the  hard  shells  striking 
against  each  other.  When  a  number  of  these  seeds 
are  strung  together,  and  hung  upon  the  legs  or 
arms,  they  make  quite  a  loud  rattling  sound,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  movements  of  the  dancers,  and 
are,  in  fact,  the  Kaffir  substitutes  for  castanets. 

In  some  parts  of  Central  Africa,  a  curious  imitation  of  these  natural  castanets  is 
made.  It  consists  of  a  thin  shell  of  iron,  exactly  resembling  in  form  that  of  the  nut, 
and  having  a  little  iron  ball  within,  which  takes  the  place  of  the  shrivelled  kernel. 

Ear-rings  are  worn  in  Kaffirland  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  are 
equally  fashionable  in  both  sexes.  The  eara  are  pierced  at  a  very  early  age,  and 
the  aperture  enlai^ged  by  having  a  graduated  series  of  bits  of  wood  thrust  through 
them,  until  they  are  large  enough  to  hold  a  snuff-box,  an  ivory  knob,  or  similar 
ornament. 

One  of  these  earring  snuff-boxes  may  be  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  43,  fig.  6.  It 
is  made  of  a  piece  of  reed,  some  three  inches  in  length,  closed  at  one  end ;  and  having  a 
stopper  thrust  into  the  other.  The  original  colour  of  the  reed  is  bright  yellow,  with  a  high 
natural  polish,  but  the  Kaffir  is  not  satisfied  with  having  it  in  its  natural  state,  and  orna- 
ments it  with  various  patterns  ii^  black.  These  are  produced  by  charring  the  wood  with 
a  hot  iron,  and  the  neatness  and  truth  of  the  work  is  very  astonishing,  when  the  rudeness 
of  the  tool^  is  taken  into  consideratioi^  In  the  present  specimen,  the  pattern  is  alternate 
diamonds  of  black  and  yellow.  This  mode  of  decorating  their  ornaments  and  utensils  is 
very  common  among  the  Kaffirs,  ^nd  we  shall  see  more  of  it  as  we  proceed. 

Snuff-boxes  are  not,  however,  the  only  ornaments  which  a  Kaffir  will  wear  in  ilie 
ears,  for  there  is  scarpely  anythins;  which  is  tolerably  showy  and  which  can  be  fastened 
to  the  ear  that  will  not  be  worn  there. 


DANCING  BEi;r. 


)  t  ^ 
m 


■  1^ 


12 


CHAPTER  VIL 


CHUtF  CHARAOTBUSncS  OT  XAFnS  AKCHITKC'TUHK — PRSTALKNOK  OF  THS  CIB0I7LAS  VOKU — 
INABILITY  OF  TEK  KAFtm  TO  DRAW  A  BTUAIOHT  LINE — OKNRBAL  FORM  OF  THK  KAPFIb's  HOT 
— THB  INORBDULITY  OF  lONOBANCK — MKTHOD  OF  UOVSB-BVILOINO — PBKCAVTION  AOAIM8T 
INUNDATION — FRMALR  ABCHITRCTS  —  MODB  OF  PLANNINO  A  HUT — KAFFIR  OSTENTATION — 
FBAOILITY   OF  THE  HUT— ANBCDOTR  OF  WARFaRR — TUB  ENRAOBD  ELEPHANT,  AND  A  OOliSBTIO 

TBAQBDT — HOW    THB    ROOF    IS    SUPPORTED BMOKB    AND    SOOT — THE    HURDLE    DOOB — HOW  IT 

n  MADE — SCREENS  FOR  KBBFINO  OFF  THE  WIND-  -DEC0BATI0N8  OF  DINOAN's  H0U8K — AVERAQB 
FUBNITURK  OF  THB  KAFFIB  HUT — THE  XBAAL,  ITS  FLAN  AND  PRINCIPLES  OF  CONSTRUCTION 
— KNOWLEDGE  OF  FORTIFICATION— CHIEF  OBJECT  OF  THB  KRAAL — TWO  MODES  OF  MAKINO 
THB  FBNCE — THE  ABATTU  AND  THE  CHBVAUX  DE  FBI8E — SIZE  OF  THE  KRAAL — THB  KINO's 
MIUTABy  KRAAL  OR  OABBISON  TOWN — VISIT  TO  ONE  OF  PANDa's  KRAALS — THB  BARBH,  ITS 
INSIATBl  AND  ITS   OUABBtANS. 


The  architecture  of  these  tribes  is  very  simple,  and,  although  slightly  variable  in  different 
localities,  is  marked  throughout  by  similar  characteristics. 

On  looking  at  any  specimen  of  Kaffir  architecture,  the  spectator  is  at  once  struck 
with  one  peculiarity,  namely,  that  all  his  buildings  are  circular.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact  that  the  Kaffir  does  not  seem  to  be  capable  of  marking  out  a  straight  line,  and 
whether  he  builds  a  hut,  or  erects  a  fence,  he  takes  the  circle  as  his  guide.  A  Kaffir's 
attempts  to  erect  a  square  enclosure,  or  even  to  build  a  fence  in  a  straight  line,  are 
ludicrous  failures.  Wi(h  Europeans  the  case  is  different  A  settler  who  desires  to  b.uild 
a  fence  wherein  to  enclose  his  garden,  or  a  stockade  within  which  his  house  and 
property  can  remain  in  safety,  invariably  builds  on  the  rectilinear  principle,  and  makes 
the  fence  in  the  form  of  a  square.  He  would  feel  himself  quite  fettered  if  he 
were  forced  to  build  a  circular  enclosure,  whereas  the  Kaffir  would  be  as  much  at  a 
loss  if  he  were  obliged  to  build  a  square  edifice.  Indeed,  though  the  European  could, 
at  the  cost  of  some  trouble,  build  a  circular  house,  and  would  make  his  circle  true, 
the  kaffir  would  utterly  fail  in  attempting  to  make  a  building  of  a  square  or  an 
oblong  form. 

One  of  my  friends,  who  has  travelled  much  among  the  Kaffir  tribes,  and  gone  among 
villages  whose  inhabitants  had  never  seen  an  European  building,  told  me  that  it  was 
hardly  possible  to  make  the  natives  cdmprehend  the  structure  of  an  European  hous& 
The  very  shape  of  it  puzzled  them,  and  the  gable  ends  and  the  ridged  roof  seemed  so 
strange  to  them  as  to  be  scarcely  credible.  As  to  the  various  stories  in  a  house, 
several  rooms  on  a  stor}',  and  staircases  which  led  from  one  to  the  other,  they  flatly 
declined  to  believe  that  anything  of  the  kind  could  exist,  and  thought  that  their  guest 
was  trying  to  amuse  himself  at  the  expense  of  their  credulity.  They  did  believe  in  the 
possibility  of  St  Paid's  caUi,edra^,  on  account  of  its  domed  roof,  but  they  could  not  be 
induced  to  believe  in  its  size. 

They  defended  their  position  by  argument,  not  merely  contenting  themselves  with 
assertions.    Their  chief  argume;^  was  de^iyed  frpm  the  impossibility  of  such  a  building 


AFHRS  AT  HOME.  M 

siutaining  Its  own  weight   The  only  building  materials  of  which  they  had  any  experience 
were  the  posts  and  sticks  of  which  their  own  houses  were  made,  and  the  reeds  wherewith 


THE  KAFFIRS  AT  HOMB. 


they  were  thatched.  Sometiines  a  very  luxurious  house-owner  would  plaster  the  interior 
Vith  mud,  producing  that  peculiar  style  of  architecture  which  is  popularly  called 
"  wattle-and-daub."    They  could  not  comprehend  in  the  least  that  stone  could  be  used 


1^, 


'i'  , 

)  I  ' 

i  i 


,     5    "> 


64 


THE  KAFFIR 


m'    I 


in  buildinfi;  dwelling-houses ;  and  the  whole  system  of  cutting  stone  into  rectangular 
pieces,  and  tho  use  of  bricks,  was  equally  beyond  their  comprehension.  Mortur  uIbo 
was  an  inexplicablo  mystery,  so  that  on  tho  whole  ^hey  decided  on  discrediting  the  talcs 
told  thcni  by  tho  white  man. 

A  Kaffir  houso  looks  just  like  an  exaggerated  bee>hive.  It  is  of  precisely  the  same 
shape,  is  made  of  nearly  the  same  materials,  and  has  a  little  arched  door,  iust  like 
the  entrance  of  a  bee-hive,  through  which  a  man  can  barely  creep  on  his  hands 
and  knees. 

The  structure  of  these  h  its  is  very  simple.  A  circle  is  drawn  of  some  fourteen  feet 
in  diameter,  and  around  it  are  struck  a  number  of  long,  flexible  sticks.  These  sticks  are 
then  bent  over  at  the  top  and  tied  together,  so  as  to  form  a  frame'York  very  like  a 
common  wire  mousetrap.  A  roed  thatching  is  then  laid  over  the  sticks,  and  secured  in 
its  placo  by  parallel  lashings.  Tliese  lashings  are  made  of  "monkey-ropes,"  or  the 
creepers  that  extend  their  interminable  length  firom  tree  to  tree,  and  are  found  of  every 

size,  from  a  cable  to  a  packthread. 
They  twist  themselves  into  so 
rope-like  a  shape,  that  many  peiw 
sons  have  lefused  to  believe  that 
ther  have  not  been  artificially 
made.  The  rows  of  lashing  are 
about  eighteen  inches  apart  In 
shape,  the  hut  is  exactly  like  the 
-well-known  snow  house  of  tU 
Esquimaux. 

As,  during  the  wet  season, 
the  lain  pours  down  in  torrents, 
the  huts  would  be  swamped  for 
several  months  but  for  the  pre- 
caution, which  the  natives  take, 
of  digging  round  each  hut  a 
trench  of  some  eighteen  inches 
or  two  feet  in  depth,  and  tho 
same  in  breadth.  This  trench  is 
about  six  inches  from  the  wall  of 
the  hut,  and  serves  to  keep  the 
floor  dry.  The  reader  may  re« 
member  that  all  European  soldiers 
are  taught  to  dig  a  trench  round 
each  hut  While  they  are  under  oanvafl,  the  neglect  of  this  precaution  being  sure  to  cause 
both  great  inconvenience  and  unhealthiness. 

The  woman  generally  marks  the  outline  of  her  hut  in  a  very  simple  manner.  She 
takes  ^  number  of  flexible  sticks,  and  ties  them  together  firmly  with  leathern  thongs,  or 
the  rough  and  ready  string  which  the  Kaffirs  make  from  rushes  by  tearing  them  into 
strips  and  rolling  them  on  the  leg  with  the  palm  of  the  hand.  Three  or  even  four  sticks 
are  usually  joined  together,  in  order  to  attain  sufiicient  length.  She  then  pushes  one  erid 
deeply  into  the  ground,  bends  the  other  end  over  so  as  to  make  an  arch,  and  pushes  that 
into  the  ground  also.  This  arch  becomes  the  key  to  the  whole  building,  settling  its 
height  and  width.  Another  arch  is  set  in  the  ground  at  right  angles  to  the  former,  and 
the  two  are  lashed  together  at  the  top  where  they  cross,  so  that  a  rough  kind  of  skeleton 
of  the  hut  is  made  in  a  very  short  time. 

On  the  roof  of  the  hut  may  sometimes  be  seen  the  skulls  of  oxen.  Tliis  ornament  is 
highly  characteristic  of  tlie  Kaffir.  The  high  value  which  he  sets  on  his  cows  is  not 
surpassed  by  the  love  of  the  most  confirmed  miser  for  his  gold.  But  there  is  another 
trait  of  the  Kaffir  mind,  which  is  even  stronger  than  avarice,  and  that  is  ostentation, 
to  which  his  cattle  become  of  secondary  consideration.  Unwilling  as  he  is  to  kill 
any  of  the  cattle  which  constitute  his  wealth,  and  which  he  values  scarcely  less  than 


BXTEBIOB  OF  KAITIB  SOT. 


KAFFIB  HUTS. 


65 


hig  own  life,  he  will,  on  certain  occasions,  slaughter  one,  and  fpyrs  a  feast  to  his  neiah- 
bnurs,  who  are  suro  to  praiso  him  in  terms  suitable  to  the  mognitlcenoe — 1.«.  the  quantity 

of  the  banquet.    He  is  nearly  certain  to  be  addressed  as  Father,  and  perhaps  some 

of  the  more  enthusiastic,  when  excited  by  beef,  beer,  and  snuff,  may  actually  hail  him 
as  Chie£ 

The  slaughter  of  an  ox  is  therefore  a  great  event  in  the  life  of  a  Kaffir,  and  is  sure  to 
act  OS  a  step  towardn  higher  rank.  Lest  the  memory  of  such  an  event  should  fude  away 
as  soon  as  the  banquet  has  been  ended,  the  proud  donor  takes  the  skull  of  the  slaughtered 
ox  and  places  it  on  the  roof  of  his  hut,  where  it  remains  as  a  sign  that  the  owner  of  the 
dwelling  is  a  man  of  property,  and  has  been  able  to  spare  one  of  his  oxen  to  servo  as  a 
feast  for  his  friends. 

The  building  being  now  finished,  the  opening  which  serves  as  a  door  is  cut  on  one 
side,  its  edgea  guarded  with  plaited  twigs,  and  the  KalBr  desires  no  better  house.  Though 
it  has  no  window,  no  chimney,  and  no  door  that  deserves  the  name,  he  would  not 
exchange  it  for  a  palace,  and  many  instances  have  been  known  where  Kaffirs  who  have 
been  taken  to  European  cities,  have  travelled  much,  and  been  tolerably  educated,  have 
fluDg  off  their  civilized  garments,  re-assumed  the  akin-dress  of  their  nation,  and  gone  off 
to  Uve  in  huts  instead  of  houses. 

The  whole  structure  is  necessarily  very  firagile,  and  the  walls  carnot  endure  much 
violenca  A  curious  example  of  their  fragility  occurred  some  time  ^j),  when  one  chief 
made  a  raid  upon  the  village  of  another.  A  number  of  men  had  taken  refuge  in  a  out, 
from  which  it  was  not  easy  to  drive  them.  Aasc^gais  were  hurled  through  the  side?  of 
the  hut,  and  did  much  damage  to  the  inmatea.  ^nie  iurvivors  tried  to  pave  the'nselves 
by  climbing  up  the  framework  of  the'  hut  and  dinging  to  the  roof,  but  the  slight  sructure 
could  not  support  their  bodies,  and  by  yielding  to  their  freight  betrayed  them  to  the 
vatchfol  enemies  without 

The  illustration  on  page  66  represents  the  interior  of  to  eiceptionally  h'rre  hut, 
being,  in  fact,  the  principal  residence  of  a  chie£  Very  feir  huts  have  more  nUii  four 
supporting  posts.  On  the  lefb  may  be  seen  two  of  the  large  store-baskets,  in  w  ;ich  milk 
is  kept  and  made  into  "  amasi,"  while  just  beyond  the  first  hasket  is  a  sleeping  mat  rolled 
up  and  resting  against  the  wall  Some  large  earthenware  pots,  such  as  are  used  in 
cookery,  are  seen  at  the  farther  end  of  the  hut,  and  a  calabash  rests  against  one  of  the 
posts.  To  the  roof  are  hung  bunches  of  maize,  according  to  the  curious  Kaffir  custom, 
which  seems  to  ignore  the  fact  that  Everything  on  the  roof  of  a  hut  is  soon  Slackened 
with  soot,  owing  to  the  smoke  front  the  fire.  Whether  large  or  small,  all  the  houses  are 
made  on  exactly  the  same  principle,  and  except  for  their  superior  size,  and  the  ox  skulls 
which  decorate  them,  the  houses  occupied  by  chiefs  have  nothing  to  distinguish  them 
from  those  which  are  inhabited  by  their  dependents. 

Against  brute  foes  the  hut  is  sometimes  as  frail  a  protection.  On  one  occasion  an 
elephant  was  attracted  by  a  quantity  of  millet,  which  was  stored  within  a  fence.  He 
pushed  his  way  through  the  useless  barrier,  and  began  feeding  -  t  the  millet.  There 
was  a  fire  in  one  of  the  huts,  and  the  elephant,  instead  of  bein^.  .^^r  red  by  it,  became' 
angry,  knocked  the  house  to  pieces,  and  walked  over  the  ruins,  tramplmg  to  death 
a  woman  who  was  lying  asleep.  Her  husband  nearly  shared  the  same  fate,  but 
managed  to  roll  out  of  the  way,  audi  then  to  escape  by  creepir^f^  between  the  legs  of  the 
angry  elephant. 

The  roof  of  the  hut  is  not  wholly  dependent  for  supifoi;,  on  the  flexible  sticks  which 
form  its  walls,  but  is  held  up  by  a  post  or  two,  on  the  top  of  which  is  laid  a  cross-beam. 
This  arrangement  also  permits  the  owner  of  the  hut  to  hang  to  the  beam  and  posts 
sundry  articles  which  he  does  not  wish  to  be  injured  by  being  thrown  on  the  ground, 
such  as  gourds,  baskets,  assagai-shafts,  spoons,  and  other  implements. 

Ranged  carelessly  round  the  hut  are  the  mde  earthenware  pots,  in  which  the  Kaffir 
keeps  his  beer,  his  milk,  and  present  stores  of  grain.  The  floor  of  the  hut  is  always 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  is  generally  as  hard  as  stone,  being  made  of  well  kneaded 
clay  laid  very  smoothly,  and  beaten  until  it  is  quite  hard.  The  best  clay  for  this  purpose 
is  obtained  from  the  nests  of  the  white  ant,  which  are  beaten  to  pieces,  then  pounded, 


^ 

1 

^ 

i 

i 

M 

11 

K^£^i 


66 


THE  KAEEIR 


and  then  mixed  very  carefully  with  water.  In  a  well-regulated  hut,  the  women  are  very 
careful  of  their  floor,  and  rub  it  daily  with  flat  stones,  until  it  is  not  only  smooth,  but 
even  polished. 

Just  within  the  entrance  is  the  primitive  fireplace.  This,  like  almost  everything 
which  the  Kaflir  makes,  is  circular  in  form,  and  is  made  usually  of  mud ;  its  only 
object  is  to  confine  the  embers  within  a  limited  space. 

Cooking  is  not  always  carried  on  in  the  oi-dinary  house,  nor  is  the  fire  kept  con- 
stantly alight    In  a  permanent  kiaal  there  are  cooking  huts  erected  for  that  one 


tSTBBIOB  OF  KAFF  ":  HUT. 


special  purpose,  and  not  used  for  any  other.  They  mav  be  called  demi-huts,  as  their 
only  object  is  to  guard  the  fire  from  the  effect  of  wind.  They  are  circular,  like  •all 
ordinary  huts,  but  their  walls  are  only  four  feet  or  so  in  height,  and  are  carefully  daubed 
with  a  mixture  of  clay  and  cow-dung,  so  as  to  form  a  most  efficient  protection  against 
the  wind. 

The  smoke  from  the  fire  is  allowed  to  escape  as  it  can.  Some  of  it  contrives  to  force 
its  way  between  the  interstices  of  the  thatch,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustra- 
tion on  page  54  Some  of  it  circles  around  tlie  walls  and  pours  through  the  door-way, 
but  the  greater  part  of  it  settles,  in  the  form  of  soot,  upon  the  interior  of  the  hut, 
blackening  everything  within  it.  When  the  Kaffirs  wish  to  season  the  wood  of  their 
assagai-shafts  or  knobkerries,  they  stick  it  into  the  roof  of  the  house,  just  above  the 
fireplace,  exactly  as  bacon  is  cured  in  the  smoke. 

A  cttiious  reference  to  tins  custom  is  made  in  a  song  composed  in  honour  cf  Fande, 


King  of  the  Zul 
other  chiefs  at  tb( 


Reference  is  here 

At  night,  the  < 
and  looking  much 
England.  With 
that  the  Kaffir  al 
at  his  work,  the  n 
these  doors  is 
with  that  which  i 
the  shepherds  in  t 

The  Kaffir  beg 
some  straight  and 
sticks,  and  driving 
ground  at  regular 
each  other.  The3< 
as  the  supports  or 
the  door.  He  thei 
tityof  pliant  sticks 
of  our  basket-makt 
tkeD|i  in  and  out  < 
stakes,  beating  th 
tinually  to  make  t1 
together.  When  tl 
plated,  the  upright 
off  to  the  proper 
can  then  be  fitted  I 
the  reader  has  any 
with  military  affai 
member  that  gabio 
stakes  are  placed  ir 

In  order  to  kee] 
screens,  which  are  ] 
and  rushes  such  as 
be  shifted  with  eve 

Some  of  the  pei 
least  a  month  in  th 
namely,  the  domed 
fireplace  exactly  in 
decorating  their  pei 
posts  thiclfly  encr 
smoke,  but  a  quick 
J)ingan's  huts,  whi 
built,  and  support! 
beads. 

The  huts  are,  ft 
inflammable,  and  i 
the  whole  of  them 
built  that  the  incoi 
are  burned.  More 
simple  in  material, 


DOOIUMAEINO. 


«f 


King  of  the  Zulu  tribes.    When  Dingan  muTdered  his  predecessor  Tchaka,  he  ]d]l64 
other  chiefs  at  the  same  time,  but  was  persuaded  to  leave  Panda  alive —  ^ 

"Of  the  Btoek  of  Ndabitza,  nmrod  of  brua, 
Survivor  alone  of  all  other  rods ; 
Othera  they  broke,  but  left  tki$  in  the  not, 
Thinkiag  to  bnra  it  some  nun j  odd  day. " 

Reference  is  here  made  to  the  custom  of  leaving  sticks  and  shafts  in  the  sooty  too£ 

At  night,  the  entrance  of  the  hut  is  closed  by  a  simple  door  made  of  wicker  work, 
and  looking  much  like  the  closely-woven  sheep-hurdles  which  are  used  in  some  parts  of 
England.  With  the  exception 
that  the  Kaffir  alwa3r8  sits  down 
at  his  work,  the  mode  of  making 
these  doors  is  ahr  st  identical 
with  that  whioh  is  tjaployed  by 
the  shepherds  in  this  country. 

The  Kaffir  begins  by  choosing 
some  straight  and  tolerably  stout 
sticks,  and  driving  them  into  the 
ground  at  regular  distances  from 
each  other.  These  are  intended 
as  the  supports  or  framework  of 
the  door.  He  then  takes  a  quan- 
tity of  pliant  sticks,  like  the  osiers 
of  our  basket-makers,  and  weaves 
thenii  in  and  out  of  the  upright 
stakes,  beating  them  down  con- 
tinually to  make  them  lie  closely 
together.  When  the  door  is  com- 
pleted, the  upright  sticks  are  cut 
off  to  the  proper  length,  and  it 
can  then  be  fitted  to  the  hut  If 
the  reader  has  any  acquaintance 
with  military  affairs,  he  may  re- 
member that  gabions  are  made  in  precisely  the  same  manner,  except  that  the  upright 
stakes  are  placed  in  a  circle,  and  not  in  a  straight  line. 

In  order  to  keep  the  wind  from  blowing  too  freely  into  their  huts,  the  Kaffirs  make 
screens,  which  are  placed  so  as  to  shelter  the  entrance.  These  screens  are  made  of  sticks 
and  rushes  such  as  the  door  is  made  of,  only  of  lighter  materials,  and  their  position  can 
be  shifted  with  every  change  of  wind. 

Some  of  the  permanent  houses  are  built  with  a  great  amount  of  care,  and  occupy  at 
least  a  month  in  their  construction.  In  most  of  them  the  interior  view  is  much  the  same, 
namely,  the  domed  roof,  supported  by  four  posts  placed  in  the  form  of  a  square,  with  the 
fireplace  exactly  in  the  centre.  Thd  natives  will  often  expend  much  time  and  trouble  in 
decorating  their  permanent  mansions,  and  Mr.  Christie  tells  me  that  he  has  seen  the  very 
posts  thicKly  encrusted  with  beads.  Of  course  they  soon  become  blackened  by  the 
smoke,  but  a  quick  rub  with  the  palm  of  the  hand  brings  out  the  colours  anew.  One  of 
JDingan's  huts,  which  was  visited  by  Eetief,  the  Dutch  colonist,  was  most  beautifully 
built,  and  supported  by  twenty-two  pillars,  each  of  which  was  entirely  covered  with 
beads. 

The  huts  are,  from  the  nature  of  the  material  of  which  they  are  made,  exceedingly 
inflammable,  and  it  sometimes  happens  that  if  one  of  the  houses  of  a  village  take  fire, 
the  whole  of  them  are  consumed  in  a  very  short  time.  Fortunately,  they  are  so  easily 
built  that  the  inconvenience  is  not  nearly  so  great  as  is  the  case  when  European  houses 
are  burned.  Moreover,  the  furniture  which  they  contain  is  so  limited  in  quantity  and  so 
simple  in  material,  thot  it  can  be  replaced  without  much  difficulty.    A  mat  or  two,  a  few 


UAKINO  DOOR  OF  BUT. 


60 


THE  KAFFIB. 


f^ 


baskets,  a  pillow,  a  milking  pail,  one  or  two  rude  earthenware  ^ts,  and  a  bundle  of 
assagais,  constitute  an  amount  of  property  which  is  not  to  be  found  in  every  hut 

The  huts  of  the  Kaffirs  are  generally  gathered  together  into  little  groups,  which  ate 
popularly  called  "  kraals."  This  is  not  a  2ulu  or  a  Hottentot  word,  and  is  probably  a 
corruption  of  the  word  "  corral." 

There  are  two  modes  of  forming  a  kraal,  and  the  particular  mode  is  determined  by  the 
locality.  The  Kaffir  tribes  generaUy  like  to  place  their  kraal  on  the  side  of  a  hill  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  bush,  in  order  that  they  may  obtain  plenty  of  building  material  They  are, 
however,  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  fortification  to  clear  a  large  space 
around  their  dwellings,  so  that,  in  case  they  should  be  attacked,  the  enemy  cannot  conceal 
his  movements  from  the  defenders. 

The  first  care  of  a  Kaffir  is  to  protect  his  beloved  cows,  and  for  that  purpose  a  circular 
space  is  enclosed  with  a  high  fence,  made  very  strongly.  The  fence  is  about  six  or  seven 
feet  in  height,  and  is  made  in  a  simple  and  very  efiTective  manner. 

The  fence  which  surrounds  the  cattle  and  the  huts  is  mostly  made  in  one  of  two 
modes— at  all  events,  in  the  more  southern  part  of  the  country,  where  timber  is  exceed- 
ingly plentiful  The  tribes  on  the  north  of  Kaffirland,  who  live  where  timber  is  com- 
paratively scarce,  build  their  walls  of  large  stones  piled  on  one  another,  without  any 
mortar,  or  even  mud,  to  fill  up  the  interstices.  The  southern  tribes  use  nothing  but  wood, 
and  form  the  walls  by  two  different  methodai. 

That  which  is  commonly  employed  is  very  simple.  A  number  of  trees  are  felled,  and 
their  trunks  severed  s  few  feet  below  the  spot  whence  the  branches  spring.  A  great 
number  of  these  tree-tops  are  tiien  arranged  in  a  circle,  the  severed  ends  of  the  stems  being 
inwards,  and  the  branches  pointing  outwards.  In  fact,  the  fence  is  exactly  that  species  oi 
rapid  and  effective  fortification  called,  in  military  language,  an  "  abattis."  If  the  branches 
of  a  tree  are  very  large,  they  can  be  laid  singly  on  the  groimd,  just  as  if  they  were  the 
entire  heads  of  trees. 

In  some  cases,  where  the  kraal  is  more  carefully  built,  the  fence  is  formed  of  stent 
poles,  which  are  driven  into  the  ground  in  a  double  row,  some  three  feet  apart,  and  are 
then  lashed  together  in  such  a  way  that  their  tops  cross  each  other.  In  consequence  of 
this  arrangement,  the  fence  stands  very  firmly  on  its  broad  basis,  while  the  crossing  and 
projecting  tops  of  the  poles  form  a  ehevaxuo  defriae  as  effectual  as  any  that  is  made  by  the 
European  soldier.  If  the  enemy  try  to  climb  the  fence,  they  can  be  wounded  by  spears 
thrust  at  them  from  the  interior;  and  if  they  succeed  in  reaching  the  top,  the  sharp  tips 
of  the  poles  are  ready  to  embarrass  them. 

The  entrance  to  this  enclosure  is  just  wide  enough  to  allow  a  cow  to  pass ;  and  in 
some  places,  where  the  neighbourhood  is  insecure,  it  is  so  narrow  that  there  hardly  seems 
to  be  space  enough  for  the  cattle  to  pass  in  and  out.  Each  night  it  is  carefully  closed 
with  poles  and  sticks,  which  are  kept  just  within  the  entrance,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  hand 
when  wanted. 

Opposite  to  the  entrance,  and  at  the  further  extremity,  a  small  enclosure,  also  with 
circular  walls,  is  built.  In  this  pen  the  larger  calves  are  kept,  the  younger  being 
inmates  of  the  huts  together  with  the  human  inhabitants.  By  the  side  of  this  enclosure  a 
little  gap  ia  left  in  the  fence,  just  large  enough  for  a  man  to  squeeze  himself  through,  and 
not  large  enough  to  allow  even  a  calf  to  pass.  This  little  aperture  is  the  chief's  private 
door,  and  intended  for  the  purpose  of  saving  time,  as  otherwise,  if  the  chief  wei«  inspecting 
his  cattle,  and  wished  to  go  to  his  own  hut,  he  would  be  obliged  to  walk  all  round  the 
fence.    The  Zulu  name  for  the  space  within  this  fence  is  "  isi-baya." 

Around  the  isi-baya  are  set  the  huts  which  constitute  the  kraal.  Their  number  is 
exceedingly  variable,  but  the  general  average  is  from  ten  to  fourteen.  Those  which  are 
placed  at  either  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  isi-baya  are  devoted  to  the  servants,  while  that 
which  is  exactly  opposite  to  it  is  the  habitation  of  the  chief  man. 

There  are  mostly  a  great  many  kraals  belonging  to  one  tribe,  and  it  often  happens  that 
several  neighbouring  kraals  are  all  tenanted  by  the  members  of  one  family  and  their 
dependents  For  example,  when  the  son  of  a  chief  attains  sufficient  consequence  to  pos- 
sess several  wives  and  a  herd  of  cattle,  he  finds  that  the  paternal  kraal  is  not  laige  enough 


KRAAL, 


59 


to  afford  to  each  wife  the  separate  hut  to  which  she  is  entitled ;  so  he  migrates  with  his 
family  to  a  short  distance,  and  there  builds  a  kraal  for  himself,  sometimes  so  close  to  that 
of  his  father  that  he  connects  them  by  means  of  a  short  fenced  passage. 

The  chief  hut  may  easily  be  known,  not  only  by  its  position,  but  by  its  larger  dimen- 
sions.   Somo  of  the  other  huts  are  occupied  by  married  men,  some  by  his  wives,  some  by 


liU 


"n 
'^4 


i 


KAFFIR  KBAAIi. 


I  his  servants ;  while  at  least  one  hut  is  reserved  for  the  Use  of  the  unmarried  men,  or 
'  boys,"  as  tliey  are  called. 

This  is  all  that  is  needed  to  complete  a  kraal,  i.e.  the  circular  isi-baya,  and  the  huts 
I  round  it.  But,  in  situations  where  plenty  of  wood  can  be  found,  the  Kaffir  architect  erects 
R  second  fence,  which  encloses  all  the  huts,  as  well  as  the  isi-baya,  and  has  its  entrance  in 
exactly  the  same  position,  i.e.  opposite  to  the  chief's  hut.  The  distant  view  of  one  of  these 
doubly-fenced  kraals,  when  it  happens  to  be  situated  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  is  extremel/ 
curious,  and  would  scarcely  give  a  stranger  an  idea  of  a  Village. 


'■ 

J  ' 

l^^B^ 

%l^ 

mk 

-" 

— Q 

^^^^Sjj^ 

4 

'  J^^Bt 

1^ 

'  ^  ^ 

■K 

«,' 

■t     hi. 

UK.; 

<' 

•  hU 

\  ^Hk 

* 

r' 

\  ^^H^ 

•?? 

'■  I 

^^Ht^ 

\ 

'■Hr 

T) 

'  ^^HRr/ 

■t 

■H|t> 

i 

f^ 

'  ^Hk. 

,4 

i 

:^ 


60  THEKAITIB. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  dentral  portion  of  the  kraal  is  given  to  the  isi-bajra,  and  tint 
the  Kaftirs  devote  all  their  energies  towards  preserving  their  cows,  while  they  seem  to 
look  with  comparative  indifference  on  the  risk  of  exposing  themselves  or  their  fragile  hoti 
to  the  inroads  of  the  enemy.  J 

As  has  already  been  stated,  the  size  of  the  kraal  varies  with  the  wealth  and  rank  of  jb 
chief  man,  and,  owing  to  its  mode  of  construction,  can  be  gradually  enlarged  as  he  rises  to 
higher  dignities  and  the  possession  of  more  cattle.  In  shape,  however,  and  the  principle 
of  construction,  kraals  are  alike,  that  of  the  king  himself  and  the  newly-made  kraal  o(| 
a  younger  son  being  exactly  the  same  in  these  respects. 

The  king's  kraals,  however,  are  of  enormous  dimensions,  and  are  several  in  numbet  I 
Panda,  for  example,  has  one  kraal,  the  central  enclosure,  of  which  is  nearly  a  mile  in 
diameter.  This  enclosure  is  supposed  to  be  filled  with  the  monarch's  cows,  and  is  con. 
sequently  called  by  the  name  of  isi-baya.  Practically,  however,  the  cattle  are  kept  in 
'  smaller  enclosures,  arranged  along  the  sides  of  the  isi-baya,  where  they  can  be  watched  by 
those  who  have  the  charge  of  them,  and  whose  huts  are  placed  convenientiy  for  that 
purpose.  The  vast  central  enclosure  is  used  almost  exclusively  as  a  parade-ground,  where  | 
the  king  can  review  his  troops,  and  where  they  are  taught  to  go  through  the  siniple 
manoeuvres  of  Kaffir  warfare.  Here,  also,  he  may  be  seen  in  council,  the  isi-baya  beuij 
able  to  accommodate  an  unlimited  number  of  siutors. 

Around  the  isi-baya  are  arranged  the  huts  of  the  warriors  and  their  families,  and  an 
placed  in  four  or  even  five-fold  ranks;  so  that  the  kraal  almost  rises  to  the  dignity  of  ai 
town,  having  several  thousand  inhabitants,  and  presenting  a  singularly  imposing  appearance 
when  viewed  at  a  distance.  At  the  upper  portion  of  the  kraal,  and  at  the  further  end 
from  l^e  principal  entrance,  are  the  huts  specially  erected  for  the  king,  surrounded 
by  the  other  huts  containing  his  harem.  The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  kraal  is  separated 
from  the  remainder  by  lofty  and  strong  fences,  and  its  doors  axe  kept  by  sentinels  espe- 
cially set  aside  for  this  purpose.  In  some  cases,  the  warriors  to  whom  this  important 
duty  is  confided  are  not  permitted  to  wear  clothes  of  any  kind,  and  are  compelled  to  pass 
the  whole  of  the  time,  day  a:^d  night,  when  on  guard,  without  even  a  kaross  to  covet 
them.  This  rule  lies  rather  heavily  upon  them  in  the  winter  nights,  when  the  cold  is 
often  severe,  and  the  wind  sweeps  chillily  around  the  fence  of  the  isi-baya. 

However,  the  young  ladies  will  sometimes  contrive  to  evade  the  vigilance  of  tk 
senteiea,  when  their  attention  is  otherwise  engaged,  as  is  amusingly  shown  in  a  few 
remarks  by  Mr.  Angas.    He  had  gone  by  Panda's  invitation  to  see  him  at  one  of  his  I 
great  kraals : — "  Last  night  we  slept  at  the  new  military  kraal,  or  garrison  town,  of  Inda- 
bakauraW,  whither  the  king  had  sent  word  by  message  that  he  would  be  waiting  to  I 
'  receive  ni.    The  Inkosikasi,  or  queen,  of  the  kntal  sent  us  a  small  quantity  of  thick  milk  I 
and  a  jar  of  millet,  and  soon  afterwurds  made  her  appearance,  holding  two  of  the  king's  I 
children  by  the  biuid,  for  whom  she  requested  a  present  of  beads.    The  children  were  I 
remarkably  pretty,  nipely  oUed,  and  tastefully  decorated  with  girdles  of  blue  and  scarlet  I 
beads.  I 

"  The  old  lady,  on  the  contrary,  was  so  alamungly  stout,  that  it  seemed  almost  impos-l 
sible  for  her  to  walk ;  and  that  it  required  some  considerable  time  lor  her  to  regain  tliel 
harem  at  the  upper  end  of  the  kraal  was  made  manifest  by  some  fifty  of  the  king's  girlsl 
effecting  their  escape  from  the  rear  of  the  seraglio,  and  sallying  down  the  slope  to  Btarej 
at  us  as  we  rode  away  from  the  kraaL  The  agility  of  the  young  ladies,  as  they  sprargl 
from  rock  to  rock,  convinced  us  that  they  would  be  all  quietly  sitting  in  the  haiem,  asl 
though  notiiing  had  happened,  long  before  the  Inkosikasi  gained  her  dwelling." 

At  that  time  Panda  had  thirteen  of  these  great  military  kraals,  each  serving  as  thel 
military  capital  of  a  district,  and  he  had  just  completed  a  fourteenth..  He  takes  up  hisi 
residence  in  these  kraals  successively,  and  finds  in  each  evei^thing  that  he  can  possibi;! 
want — each  being,  indeed,  almost  identical  in  every  respect  with  all  the  others.  Asal 
general  rule,  each  of  these  military  kraals  forms  the  residence  of  a  single  regiment ;  whilel 
the  king  has  many  others,  which  are  devoted  to  more  peaceful  objects. 

It  has  been  already  mentioned  that  the  women  live  in  a  portion  separated  from  ttiel 
rest  of  the  kraal,  and  it  may  almost  be  said  that  they  reside  in  a  small  supplementarjl 


THE  HABEM  AND  ITS  GUABDIANa 


61 


liaal,  which  oommnnicates  by  gates  with  tlie  chief  edifice.    As  the  gates  are  strongly 

ln^ned  at  nighty  it  is  necessary  that  the  sentinels  should  enter  the  sacred  precincts  of  the 

haiem,  for  the  piirpose  of  closing  them  at  night,  and  opening  them  in  the  morning,    {"or 

this  purpose,  certain  individuals  of  the  sentinels  are  told  off,  and  to  them  alone  is  Uie 

delicate  duty  confided.    The  Kaffir  despot  does  not  employ  for  this  purpose  the  unfortunate 

individuals  who  guard  the  harems  in  Turkey,  Persia,  and  even  in  Western  Africa.    But 

the  king  takes  care  to  select  men  who  are  particularly  ill-favoured ;  and  if  any  of  them 

should  happen  to  be  deformed,  he  is  sure  to  be  chosen  as  a  janitor.   Mr.  Shooter's  servant, 

I  when  talking  with  his  master  on  the  subject,  mentioned  several  individuals  who  would 

make  excellent  janitors.     One  of  them  had  a  club-foot,  another  had  a  very  protuberant 

chest,  while  the  third  had  bad  eyes^  and  was  altogether  so  ugly  that  he  would  never 

sncce«d  in  procuring  a  wife.    The  matrimonial  adventures  of  this  man  will  be  narrated 

j  in  a  foture  page.    His  uniform  failures  in  procuring  a  legitimate  wife  were  exceedingly 

I  ladidotts  and  mortifying,  and  quite  justified  the  opinion  expressed  by  his  companion. 


re    .  y^ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THB  m-BAYA  AND  ITS  FBIVILEOES— imXINa  COWS — THE  CT7BI0US  MILK  PAIL — MODB  OF  VAKUn 
rr — A  HILKmO  BCENK,  AKD  the  VABIOUS  PEBSONAGES  EUPLOYED  in  IT~PBECAVTI0N8  TAXn  I 
WITH  A  BESTIVB  COW — KAPFIB  COW  WHISTLES — CHIEFS  AMD  THSIB  CATTLE — HANAGEUXRtJ 
OF  THB  HBBDS  AND  CATTLE  "  LIFTINO  " — A  COW  THB  UNIT  OF  XAFFIB  CCBBENCT — A  KAFFn'lj 
WEALTH,  AND  THB  USES  TO  WHICH  IT  IS  PUT — A  KAFFIR  ROB  ROY — ADVENTURES  Oil 
DUTULU,  HIS  EXPLOITS,  HIS  ESCAPES,  AND  HIS  DEATH — ODD  METHOD  OF  ORNAMENTINO  COVll 
— LB  VAILLANT's  account  OF  THB  METHODS  EMPLOYED  IN  DECOBATINO  THE  CATTLE — BOvl 
OBSTINATB  COWS  ABB  FORCED  TO  GIVE  THBIB  MILK — ^A  XAFFIB  HOMESTXAD — ^VABIOUS  Xm\ 
OF  OATTLS — ^HOW  MILK  IS  PBBPABED — "  AMASI,"  OB  THICKENED  MILK — OTHBS  U8KS  TOtl 
OATTLB — THB   SADDLE   AND   PACK  OXEN — ^HOW  THEY  ABB  LADEN  AND   OIBTaED. 


married  "man,"  th< 


The  isi-baya  is  quite  a  sacred  spot  to  a  Kaffir,  and  in  many  tribes  the  women  are  sol 
strictly  prohibited  from  entering  it,  that  if  even  the  favourite  wife  were  discovered! 
within  its  precincts  she  would  have  but  a  very  poor  chance  of  her  life. 

During  the  day-time  the  herd  are  out  at  pasture,  watched  by  "  boys  "  appointed  i»| 
this  important  office,  but  when  night  approaches,  or  if  there  is  any  indication  of  dangetj 
from  enemies,  the  cows  are  driven  into  the  isi-baya,  and  the  entrances  firmly  barred. 

It  is  mostly  in  this  enclosure  that  the  cattle  are  milked,  this  operation  being  alwajil 
entrusted  to  the  men.  Indeed,  as  is  weU  observed  by  Mr.  Shooter,  milking  his  cows  iil 
the  only  work  that  a  Kaffir  really  likes.  About  ten  in  the  morning  the  cattle  are  takeii| 
into  the  isi-baya,  and  the  Kaffir  proceeds  to  milk  them.  He  takes  with  him  his  milk- 
an  article  very  unlike  that  which  is  in  use  in  Europe.  It  is  carved  out  of  a  solid  piece  ( 
wood,  and  has  a  comparatively  small  opening.  The  specimen  from  which  the  fig 
on  page  63  is  drawn  was  brought  to  England  by  Mr.  Shooter,  and  is  now  before  nia| 
It  is  rather  more  than  seventeen  inches  in  length,  and  is  four  inches  wide  at  the  top,  i 
six  inches  near  the  bottom.  Ta  interior  measurement  it  is  only  fourteen  inches  deep,s 
that  three  inches  of  solid  wood  are  left  at  the  bottom.  Its  capacity  is  not  very  great,  i 
the  Kaffir  cow  does  not  give  nearly  as  much  milk  as  the  cows  of  an  English  farmyard 
Towards  the  top  are  two  projecting  ears,  which  enable  the  milker  to  hold  it  firmly  1 
tween  the  knees. 

In  hollowing  out  the  interior  of  the  pail,  the  Kaffir  employs  a  rather  ingenious  devici 
Instead  of  holding  it  between  his  knees,  as  he  does  when  shaping  and  ornamenting 
exterior,  he  digs  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  buries  the  pail  as  far  as  the  two  projecti 
ears.  He  then  has  both  his  hands  at  liberty,  and  'can  use  more  force  than  if  he  wei 
obliged  to  trust  to  the  comparatively  slight  hold  afforded  by  the  knees.  Of  course  he  i 
down  while  at  work,  for  a  Kaffir,  like  all  other  savages,  has  the  very  strongest  objection  t 
needless  labour,  and  will  never  stand  when  he  has  an  opportunity  of  sitting. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  pail  is  not  capable  of  holding  much  more  than  the  quantity 
which  a  good  cow  ought  to  yield,  and  when  the   Kaffir  has  done  with  one  cow, 
potirs  the  milk  into  a  l^e  receptacle,  and  then  goes  off  with  his  empty  pail  to  auotluj 
cow  for  a  &esh  supply. 


A  ICILKINO  SCENR 


68 


The  scene  that  presents  itself  in  the  isi-baya  is  a  veiy  singular  one,  and  strikes  oddly 
qpon  European  ears,  as  well  as  eyes. 

In  the  first  place,  the  figure  of  the  milker  is  calculated  to  present  an  aspect  equally 
strange  and  ludicrous.    Perfectly  naked,  with  the  exertion  of  the  smallest  imaginable 
apology  for  a  garment,  adorned  with  strings  of  beads  that  contrast  boldly  wiUi  his  red- 
tdack  skin,  and  with  his  head 
devoid  of  hair,  except  the  oval  ring 
which  denotes  his  position  as  a 
married  "  man,"  the  Kaffir  sits  on 
the  ground,  his  knees  on  a  level 
with  his  chin,  and  the  queer  look- 
ing milk-pail  grasped  between 
them. 

Then  we  have  the  spectacle 
of  the  calf  trying  to  eject  the 
milker,  and  being  continually 
kept  away  from  her  mother  by  a 
young  boy  armed  with  a  stick. 
And,  in  cases  where  the  cow  is 
vicious,  a  third  individual  is  em- 
ployed, who  holds  the  cow  by  her 
horns  with  one  hand,  and  grasps 
her  nostrils  firmly  with  the  other. 
is  soon  as  the  supply  of  milk 
ceases,  the  calf  is  allowed  to  ap- 
proach its  mother  and  suck  for  a 
short  time,  after  :7hich  it  is  driven 
away,  and  the  man  resumes  his 
place.  Cattle  are  milked  twice 
m  the  day,,  the  second  time  being 
at  sunset,  when  they  are  brought 
home  for  the  night. 

Generally,  however,  a  cow  will 
stand  still  to  be  milked,  as  is  the 
case  with  our  own  cattle,  and  in 
that  case  no  precaution  is  needed, 
except  that  of  putting  through 
the  nose  a  stick  of  some  eighteen 
inches  in  length.    The  cattle  know 

by  experience  that  if  this  is  grasped  and  twisted  it  gives  great  pain,  and  so  they  prefer  to 
remain  quiet.    The  hole  in  the  nose  is  made  at  a  very  early  age. 

So  much  for  the  strangeness  of  the  sight,  which  is  very  unlike  a  corresponding  scene 
in  an  English  farmyard.  The  Kaffir  is  never  silent  while  milkipg  his  cows,  but  thinks  it 
necessary  to  utter  a  series  of  the  oddest  sounds  that  ever  greeted  mortal  ears.  Even  in 
England  there  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  universal  cow-language,  in  which  every  dairy-maid 
and  farmyard  labourer  ia  versed,  and  which  is  not  easily  learned  by  an  uninitiate.  But 
the  Kaffir,  who  is  naturally  an  adept  at  shouting  and  yelling,  encourages  the  cow  by  all 
the  varied  screams  at  his  command,  mixed  with  loud  whistles  and  tender  words  of  ad- 
miration. One  consequence  of  this  curious  proceeding  is,  that  the  cows  have  always  been 
so  accustomed  to  associate  these  sounds  with  the  process  of  being  milked,  that  when  an 
Englishman  buys  cows  he  is  obliged  to  have  a  Kaffir  to  milk  them,  no  white  man  being 
able  to  pibduce  those  cries,  screams,  and  whistles  to  which  they  have  always  been 
accustomed. 

In  driving  the  cattle,  and  in  calling  them  from  a  distance,  the  Kaffir  makes  great  use 
of  whistling,  an  art  in  which  he  excels.  With  his  lips  alone  he  can  produce  the  most 
extraordinaiy  sounds,  and  by  the  aid  of  his  fingers  he  can  whistle  so  loudly  as  to  half 


t  UlLEINO-PATL.     2.  VKMtl-WrtrU     8.  BERR-8TIUIKB& 
4.  WATBB-PjrK    6.  WOMAN'S  BASKET. 


I  ■>;j  --1 


>       'St 
=5- 

n 


u 


THE  KAFFIR 


^W 


% 


deafen  any  one  who  may  be  near.  Sometimes,  however,  he  has  reconrse  to  art,  and 
makes  whistles  of  great  efficacy,  though  of  simple  construction.  Two  of  these  whisUas 
are  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustratioa  They  are  made  of  bone,  or  ivory,  and  an 
used  by  being  held  to  the  lover  Up,  and  sounded  exactly  as  we  blow  a  key  when  we 
wish  to  ascertain  whether  it  is  dear. 

The  chiefs  who  possess  many  oxen  are  veiy  fastidious  about  them,  and  have  an  odd 
fismcy  of  assembling  them  in  herds,  in  which  eveiy  animal  is  of  the  same  colour.  The 
oxen  also  undergo  a  sort  of  training,  as  was  remarked  by  Betief,  who  was  killed  in  battle 
with  Dingan,  the  Zulu  king.  He  paid  a  visit  to  that  treacherous  despot,  and  was  ente^ 
tained  by  dnoM^  ia  which  the  cattle  bad  been  trained  to  assist,  "in  one  dance,"  be 
says,  "  IM  faople  were  intermixed  with  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  oxen,  all  without 
homs»  ud  w  one  colour.  They  have  loi^  strips  of  skin  han^ng  pendent  from  the  fore- 
head,  dieeks,  ahonlders,  and  under  tlie  throat ;  these  strips  being  cut  from  the  hide  when 
the  aaimals  an  oalvet,  These  oxen  are  divided  into  two  and  three  among  the  whole 
army,  which  thra  danoe  in  companiefl»  each  with  its  attendant  oxen.  In  tMi  way  tbv^ 
all  in  torn  appvMoh  the  king,  the  oxen  turning  off  into  a  kraal,  and  then  manoeuvring  b  ^ 
line  from  the  kiqK  It  is  surprising  that  the  oxen  should  be  so  well  trained ;  for,  M- 
withstanding  all  t£e  startling  and  Telling  which  acconipany  the  dance,  they  nevci.  more 
faster  than  »  slow  walking  pac& 

"  Dingan  showed  me,  as  he  said,  his  smallest  herd  of  oxen,  all  alike,  d  with  white 
backs.    He  allowed  two  of  my  people  to  count  them,  and  the  enumeration  amounted  to 

two  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-four.  I  an 
informed  that  his  herds  of  red  and  black  oxen  cod- 
sist  of  three  to  four  thousand  each."  I  may  hen 
mention  casually,  that  the  same  fashion  of  keeping 
animals  of  similar  colours  in  separate  herds  is  in 
force  in  South  America,  among  the  owners  of  the 
vast  heida  of  horses  which  thrive  so  well  in  that 
country. 

The  Kaffirs  manage  their  cattle  with  wonderfiil 
skill,  and  the  animals  perfectly  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  the  cries  with  which  tney  are  assailed  Con. 
sequently,  it  is  almost  as  diffictdt  for  an  Englishman 
to  drive  his  cows  as  to  milk  them,  and  assistance  has 
to  be  sought  from  the  natives.  This  noisy  method  of 
cattle-driving  is  the  source  of  much  difficulty  to  the 
soldiers,  when  they  have  been  sent  to  recover  cattle 
stolen  by  those  inveterate  thieves,  the  Kaffir  tribes 
who  look  upon  the  cattle  of  the  white  man  as  their 
legitimate  prize,  and  aro  constantly  on  the  look-ont 
for  them.  Indeed,  they  enact  at  the  present  day 
that  extinct  phase  of  Scottish  life  when  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Highlands  stole  the  cattle  of  the 
Lowlanders,  and  eumiemistically  described  the  ope- 
ration as  "lifting;  themselves  not  being  by  aaj 
means  thieves,  but  "gentlemen  drovers,"  veiy  punc- 
tilious in  point  of  honour,  and  thinking  themselTes 
as  good  gentlemen  as  any  in  the  land. 

The  cow  constitutes  now,  in  fact,  the  wealth  of  the 
Kaffir,  just  as  was  the  case  in  the  early  patriarchal 
days.  Among  those  tribes  which  are  not  brought  into  connexion  with  the  white  man, 
mouey  is  of  no  value,  and  aU  wealth  is  measured  by  cows.  One  of  the  great  inland 
chiefs,  when  asking  about  the  Queen  of  England,  was  naturally  desirous  of  hearing 
how  many  cattle  she  possessed,  and  on  hearing  that  many  of  her  subjects  had  moie 
cows  than  herself,  conceived  a  very  mean  opinion  of  her  power.  He  counted  his 
cattle  by  the  thousand,  and  if  any  inferior  chief  had  dared  to  rival  him  in  his  wealth. 


KATFIR  WHISTLES. 


A  KAFFIR  ROB  ROY. 


65 


that  chief  would  very  Boon  be  incapacitated  from  possessing  anything  at  all,  while  his 
cattle  would  swell  tliu  number  of  the  royal  herds.  His  idea  was,  that  even  if  her  prede- 
cessor had  bequeathed  so  poor  a  throne  to  her,  she  ought  to  assert  her  dignity  by  seizing 
that  wealth  which  she  had  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  inherit. 

Die  cow  is  the  unit  of  money.  The  cost  of  anything  that  is  peculiarly  valuable  is 
reckoned  by  the  number  of  cows  that  it  would  fetch  if  sold,  and  even  the  women  are  reckoned 
by  this  staudai'd,  eight  cows  equalling  one  woman,  just  as  twelve  pence  equal  one  shilling. 
Most  of  the  wars  which  devastate  Southern  Africa  are  caused  entirely  by  the  desire  of 
one  man  to  seize  the  herds  that  belong  to  another,  and  when  the  white  man  is  engaged  in 
Afiican  warfare,  he  is  perforc3  obliged  to  wage  it  on  the  same  principle. 

During  the  late  Kaffir  war,  the  reports  of  the  newspapers  had  a  singularly  unimposing 
appearance.  The  burden  of  their  song  was  invariably  cows.  General  Blank  had  ad- 
vanced so  far  into  the  enemy's  country,  and  driven  off  five  thousand  head  of  cattle.  Or 
perhaps  the  case  was  reversed  ;  the  position  of  the  European  troops  had  been  suddenly 
surprised,  and  several  thousand  cattle  stolen.  In  fact,  it  seemed  to  be  a  war  solely  about 
cattle,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  that  was  necessarily  the  case.  The  cattle  formed  not 
only  the  wealth  of  the  enemy,  but  his  resources,  so  that  there  was  no  better  way  of 
bringing  him  to  terms  than  by  cutting  off  his  commissariat,  and  preventing  the  rebellious 
chiefs  from  maintaming  their  armed  forces.  Wo  had  no  wish  to  kill  the  Kaffirs  them- 
selves, but  merely  that  they  should  be  taught  not  to  meddle  with  us,  and  there  was  no 
better  way  of  doing  so  than  by  touching  them  on  their  tenderest  point. 

The  greatest  ambition  of  a  Kaffir  is  to  possess  cattle,  inasmuch  as  their  owner  can 

i  command  every  luxury  which  a  savage  millionaire  desires.     He  can  eat  beef  and  drink 

sour  milk  every  day  ;  he  can  buy  as  many  wives  as  he  likes,  at  the  current  price  of  eight 

I  to  fourteen  cows  each,  according  to  the  fluctuation  of  the  market ;  he  can  make  all  kinds 

of  vseful  articles  out  of  the   hides ;  he  can  lubricate  himself  with  fat  to  his  heart's 

'  content,  and  he  can  decorate  his  sable  person  with  the  flowing  tails.    "With  plenty  of 

I  cattle,  he  can  set  himself  up  as  a  great  man ;  and,  the  more  cattle  he  has,  the  greater  man 

he  becomes.     Instead  of  being  a  mere  "  boy,"  living  with  a  number  of  other  "  boys  "  in 

one  hut,  he  becomes  a  "  man,"  shaves  his  head,  assumes  the  proud  badge  of  manhood, 

and  has  a  hut  to  himself     As  his  cattle  increase,  he  adds  more  wives  to  his  stock,  builds 

separate  huts  for  them,  has  a  kraal  of  his  own,  becomes  the  "  umnumzana,"  or  great  man 

—a  term  about  equivalent  to  the  familiar  "  Burra  Sahib  "  of  Indian  life — and  may  expe  jt 

I  to  be  addressed  by  strange  boys  as  "  inkosi,"  or  chief. 

Should  his  cattle  prosper,  he  gathers  round  him  the  young  men  who  are  still  poor, 
land  who  are  attracted  by  his  wealth,  and  tho  hope  of  eating  beef  at  his  cost.  He 
assigns  huts  to  them  within  his  kraal,  and  thus  possesses  an  armed  guard  who  will  take 
care  of  his  cherished  cattle.  Indeed,  such  a  precaution  is  absr)lutely  necessary.  In  Africa,  as 
I  well  as  in  Europe,  wealth  creates  envy,  and  a  man  who  has  succeeded  in  gathering  it  knows 
I  fall  well  that  there  are  plenty  who  will  do  their  best  to  take  it  away.  Sometimes  a  more 
I  powerful  man  will  openly  assault  his  kraal,  but  stratagem  is  more  frequently  employed 
I  than  open  violence,  and  there  are  in  every  tribe  certain  old  and  crafty  cattle-stealers, 
I  who  have  survived  the  varied  dangers  of  such  a  life,  and  who  know  every  ruse  that  can 
I  be  employed. 

Tliere  is  a  story  of  one  of  these  men,  named  Dutulu,  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
Ikind  of  Kaffir  Kob  Eoy.  He  always  employed  a  mixture  of  artifice  and  force.  He  used 
Ito  set  off  for  the  kraal  which  he  intended  to  rob,  and,  in  the  dead  of  night,  contrived  to 
Iplace  some  of  his  assistants  by  the  entrance  of  the  huts.  Another  assistant  then  quietly 
liemoved  the  cattle  from  tho  isi-baya,  while  he  directed  the  operations.  Dutulu  then 
Icaused  an  alarm  to  be  made,  and  as  the  inmates  crept  out  to* see  what  was  the  matter, 
Ithey  were  speai-ed  by  the  sentinels  at  the  entrance.  Not  one  was  spared.  The  men 
|were  killed  lest  they  should  resist,  and  the  women  lest  they  should  give  the  alarm. 

Even  when  he  had  carried  off  the  cattle,  his  anxieties  were  not  at  an  end,  for  cattle 

motbe  moved  very  fast,  and  they  are  not  easily  concealed.    But  Dutulu  was  a  man  not 

I  be  baffled,  and  he  almost  invariably  succeeded  in  reaching  home  with  his  spoil.    Ho 

^ever,  in  the  first  instance,  allowed  the  cattle  to  be  driven  in  the  direction  which  he 

VOL.  L  » 


lpll 

■  > 

,  's 

i  i\k 

\- 

66 


THE  KAFFTR. 


11. 


intended  to  taka     He  used  t6  have  them  driven  repeatedly  ov^r  the  same  spot,  so  as  to 
mix  the  tracks  and  bewilder  the  men  who  were  sure  to  follow.    More  than  onue  he  buttled 

Eursuit  by  taking  his  stolen  herd  back  again,  and  keeping  it  in  the  immediate  neighbour, 
ood  of  the  desolated  kraal,  calculating  rightly  that  the  pursuers  would  follow  him  in  th« 
direction  of  his  own  home.     > 

The  man's  cunning  and  audacity  were  boundless.  On  one  occasion,  his  own  kraal  vti 
attacked,  but  Dutulu  was  far  too  clever  to  fall  into  the  trap  which  he  had  so  often  net 
for  others.  Instead  of  crawling  out  of  his  hut  and  getting  himself  speared,  he  rolled  up 
his  leather  mantle,  and  pushed  it  through  the  door.  As  he  had  anticipated,  it  was  mis- 
taken in  the  semi-darkness  for  a  rrr^jn,  and  was  instantly  pierced  with  a  spear.  While  the 
weapon  was  still  entangled  in  the  kaross,  Dutulu  darted  from  his  hut,  sprang  to  the 
entrance  of  his  isi-baya  fully  armed,  and  drove  off  the  outwitted  assailants. 

Even  in  his  old  age  his  audacity  did  not  desert  him,  and  he  actually  determined  on 
stealing  a  herd  of  cattle  jn  the  daytime.  No  ono  dared  join  him,  but  he  determined  oq 
carrying  out  his  desperate  intention  single-handed.  He  succeeded  in  driving  the  herd  to 
some  distance,  but  was  discovered,  pursued,  and  surrounded  by  the  enemy.  Although  one 
against  many,  he  fought  his  foes  bravely,  and,  although  severely  wounded,  succeeded  in 
escaping  into  the  bush,  where  they  dared  not  follow  him. 

Undeterred  by  this  adventure,  he  had  no  sooner  recovered  than  he  planned  another 
cattle-stealing  expedition.  His  chief  dissuaded  him  from  the  undertaking,  urging  that  he 
had  quite  enough  cattle,  that  he  had  been  seriously  wounded,  and  that  he  was  beconnng 
too  old.  The  ruling  passion  was,  however,  too  strong  to  be  resistea,  and  Dutulu  attacked 
a  kraal  on  his  old  plan,  letting  the  cattle  be  drWen  in  one  direction,  killing  as  many 
enemies  as  he  could,  and  then  running  off  on  the  opposite  side  to  that  which  had 
been  taken  by  the  cattle,  so  as  to  decoy  his  pursuers  in  a  wrong  direction.  However,  his 
advanced  years,  and  perhaps  his  recent  wounds,  had  impaired  bis  speed,  and  as  there  vns 
no  bush  at  hand,  he  dashed  into  a  morass,  and  crouched  beneath  the  water.  His  enemies 
dared  not  follow  bias,  but  suiTouuded  the  spot,  and  hurled  their  assagais  at  him. 

They  did  him  no  harm,  because  he  protected  his  head  with  his  shield,  but  he  could 
not  endure  the  loig  immersion.   So,  finding  that  his  strength  was  failing,  he  suddenly  left  | 
the  morass,  and  ( lashed  at  his  enemies,  hoping  that  he  might  force  his  way  through  them. 
He  did  succeed  i  a  killing  ?  ^veral  of  them,  and  in  passing  their  line,  but  he  could  not  run 
fast  enough  to  escape,  and  was  overtaken  and  killed. 

So,  knowing  that  men  of  a  similar  character  are  hankering  after  his  herd,  their  duslty  I 
owner  is  only  too  glad  to  have  a  number  of  young  men  who  will  guard  his  cattle  from  | 
such  cunning  enemies. 

The  love  that  a  Kaffir  has  for  his  cattle  induces  him  to  ornament  them  in  various  I 
ways,  some  of  which  must  entail  no  little  suffering  upon  them.  To  this,  however,  he  is 
quite  indifferent,  often  causing  frightful  tortures  to  the  animals  which  he  loves,  not  from 
the  least  desire  of  hurting  them,  but  from  the  utter  unconcern  as  to  inflicting  pain  which 
is  characteristic  of  the  savage,  in  whatever  part  of  the  earth  he  may  be.  He  trims  tlio 
ears  of  the  oows  into  all  kinds  of  odd  shapes,  one  of  the  favourite  patterns  being  that  of  a 
leaf  with  deeply  serrated  edges.  He  gathers  up  bunches  of  the  skin,  generally  upon  tlie 
head,  ties  string  tightly  round  them,  and  so  forms  a  series  of  projecting  knots  of  various 
sizes  and  shapes.  He  cuts  strips  of  hide  from  various  parts  of  the  body,  especially  tie 
head  and  face,  and  lets  them  hang  down  as  lappets.  He  cuts  the  dewlap  and  makes 
fringes  of  it,  and  all  without  the  least  notion  that  he  is  causing  the  poor  animal  to  suffer  | 
tortures. 

But,  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  he  lavishes  his  powers  on  the  horns.  Among  us  the  I 
horn  does  not  seem  capable  of  much  modification,  but  a  Kaffir,  skilful  in  his  art,  can  never 
be  content  to  leave  the  horns  as  they  are.  He  will  cause  one  horn  to  project  forward  aud 
another  backward,  and  he  will  train  one  to  grow  upright,  and  the  other  pointing  to  the 
ground.  Some^^imes  he  observes  a  kind  of  symmetry,  and  has  both  horns  bent  with  their 
points  nearly  touching  the  shoulders,  or  trains  them  so  that  their  tips  itkeet  above,  and 
they  form  an  arch  over  their  head.  Now  and  then  an  ox  is  seen  in  which  a  most  singular 
effect  has  been  produced.    As  the  horns  of  the  young  ox  sprout  they  are  trained  over  tlie 


KAFFIR  CATTLE. 


67 


forehead  until  the  points  meet.  They  are  then  manipulated  so  as  to  naive  them  coalesce, 
and  so  shoot  upward  from  the  middle  of  the  forehead,  lilce  tho  horn  of  the  tabled 
unicorn. 

Le  Vaillant  mentions  this  curious  mode  of  decomting  tho  cattle,  and  carefully  describes 
the  process  by  which  it  is  performed.  "  I  had  not  yet  taken  a  near  view  of  the  horned 
cattle  which  they  brought  with  them,  because  at  break  of  day  they  strayed  to  the  thickets 
and  pastures,  and  were  not  brought  back  by  their  keepers  until  tlm  evening.  One  day, 
however,  having  repaired  to  their  kreal  very  early,  I  wns  much  surprised  when  I  first 
beheld  one  of  these  animals.  I  scarcely  knew  them  to  be  oxen  and  cows,  not  only  on 
account  of  their  being  much  smaller  than  ours,  since  I  observed  in  them  the  same  form 
and  the  same  fundamental  character,  in  which  I  could  not  be  deceived,  but  on  account 
of  the  multiplicity  of  their  horns,  and  the  variety  of  their  different  twistings.  They  had 
a  great  resemblance  to  those  marine  productions  known  by  naturalists  under  the  name  of 
stag's  horns.  « 


i'v    i< 


r' 


KAFFIR  CATTLE.    TRAININO  THE  HORNS. 


"  Being  at  this  iime  persuaded  that  these  concretions,  of  which  I  had  no  idea,  were  a 
Ipeouliar  present  of  nature,  I  considered  the  Kaffir  oxen  as  a  variety  of  the  species,  but  I 
|\ras  undeceived  by  my  guide,  who  informed  nie  that  tliis  singularity  was  only  the  effect 
lof  their  invention  and  taste ;  and  that,  by  means  of  a  process  with  which  they  were  well 
[acquainted,  they  could  not  only  multiply  tliese  horns,  but  also  give  them  any  form  that 
Itheir  imaginations  might  suggest.  Having  offered  to  exhibit  their  skill  in  my  presence, 
lif  I  had  any  desire  of  learning  their  method,  it  appeared  to  me  so  new  and  uncommon, 
■that  I  was  willing  to  secure  an  opportunity,  and  for  several  days  I  attended  a  regular 
|cQurse  of  lessons  on  this  subject. 

"They  take  the  animal  at  as  tender  an  age  as  possible,  and  when  the  horns  begin  to 
jappear  they  make  a  small  vertical  incision  in  them  with  a  saw,  or  any  other  instrument 
■that  may  be  substitutec'  for  it,  and  divide  them  into  two  parts.  This  division  makes  the 
liionis,  yet  tender,  separate  of  themselves,  so  that  iu  time  the  animal  has  four  very  distinct 
lones. 

P2 


Til 


"■'  h\ 


t  ■ 


:m 


i> 


cs 


THE  KAFFIR. 


"  If  tlioy  wisli  to  Imvo  six,  or  ovon  more,  similar  notches  mnde  with  the  saw  prothice  as 
many  as  may  bo  required.  But  if  they  are  tli-siiouH  of  forcinj^  one  of  tliese  division."  t 
tlio  whole  liorii  to  form,  for  example,  a  complete  circle,  tliey  cut  awiiy  from  t'..^' 
u-kidi  munt  nut  he  hurt,  a  small  part  of  its  thickness,  and  this  amputation,  often  re  ■, '' 
and  with  much  patience,  makes  the  horn  heiid  in  a  conirary  direction,  and,  the  ,  ., 
luectin,;^  the  root,  it  exhibits  tlin  appearance  of  a  periect  circli;.  As  it  is  certain  that  ituisKn 
always  causes  a  jj;reater  or  less  degree  of  bending',  it  may  be  readily  conceived  that  every 
variation  that  caprice  can  ima<,'ino  may  be  i)rodnced  by  this  simphf  method. 

"  In  short,  one  must  be  born  a  Kattir,  and  have  liis  taste  and  patience,  1o  suhniit  to  that 
minute  care  and  unwearied  attention  required  for  this  operation,  which  in  Katlir-hiiid  ciin 
only  bo  useless,  but  in  other  climates  would  be  hurtful.  For  the  horn,  thus  (li.sti;juri(l, 
woidd  b'!C(»mo  weak,  whereas,  when  preserved  stioiiy  and  cntiie,  it  keeps  at  a  di-stunce  ili^ 
famished  boars  and  wolves  of  Europe."  Tiio  reader  must  remember  that  the  words  rtltr 
to  France,  and  that  the  date  of  ^  VaillanUs  travels  was  1780-85. 

The  same  traveller  mentions  an  in,<,'eniou3  method  employed  by  the  Kaffrs  Mlirn  a  cow 
is  bad-toinpereil,  aixl  will  not  give  her  milk  freely.  A  lojie  is  tied  to  one  of  the  hind  Ictt, 
and  a  m  v:i  hauls  the  foot  olf  the  <;round  by  means  of  the  rope.  The  cow  cannot  run  awny  on 
account  of  the  mm  who  is  holdinj^  her  no.so,  and  the  pain  caused  by  tlu;  violent  drii^'j^ino 
of  her  foot  backwanls,  to;,'ether  with  the  constrained  attitude  of  standing  on  three  le^s, 
soon  subdues  thij  mo  it  rcffractory  animal. 

Bi^fore  proccodiiiii;  to  another  chapter,  it  will  be  well  to  explain  the  illustrntion  on 
p.  53,  called  "The  Kallirs  at  Homo." 

The  sp'ictator  is  supposed  to  bo  just  iiisido  the  outer  enclosure,  and  nearly  opposite 
to  the  isi-biya,  in  which  .some  cattle  aro  seen.     In  the  centre  of  the  jdate  a  milkiny  scone  I 
is  shown.    The  cow,  bcinj,'  a  res'ivo  one,  is  being  held  by  the  "  man,"  by  means  of  a  stick 
passed  through  its  nostrils,  ami  by  means  of  the  contrast  between  the  man  and  the  I 
anirail  tlio  small  size  of  the  latter  is  well  shown.    A  Kallir  ox  averages  only  four  hundred 
pounds  in  weight.     Beneath  the  cow  is  seen  the  milker,  holding  between  his  knees  tlie  I 
curiously-shaped  milk-pail.     On  the  right  hand  is  seen  another  Kaffir  emptying  a  pailful 
of  milk  into  one  of  the  baskets  which  are  used  as  stores  for  this  article.     The  reader  will 
notice  that  the  orifice  of  the  basket  is  very  small,  and  so  would  cause  a  considerable 
auxount  of  milk  to  be  spilt,  if  it  wore  poured  from  the  wide  mouth  of  the  pail.    The 
Kaffii"  has  no  funnel,  so  ho  extemporizes  one  by  holding  Ids  hands  over  the  mouth  of  the 
pail,  and  placing  the  thuuibs  so  as  to  cause  the  milk  to  flow  in  a  narrow  stream  belwetn 
them. 

A  woman  is  seen  in  the  foreground,  going  out  to  labour  in  the4ields,  with  her  child 
slung  at  her  back,  an  I  her  heavy  hoa  on  her  shoulder.    In  order  to  show  the  ordinary  size 
of  the  huts  a  young  Kilfir  is  shown  standing  near  one  of  them,  while  a  "man  "  is  seated 
against  it,  and  enga'^i3d  alteraately-in  his  \>\.[)Q  and  conversation.     Three  shield-sticks  are 
seen  in  the  fence  of  the  isi-baya,  and  the  strip  of  skin  suspended  to  the  pole  shows  that 
the  chief  man  of  the  kraal  is  in  residence.     In  front  are  several  of  the  oddly-shaped  Cape 
sheep,  with  their  long  legs  and  thick  tails,  in  which  the  whole  fat  of  the  body  seems  to 
concentrate  itself.     Two  of  the  characteristic  trees  of  the  countrj'  are  shown,  namely,  an  I 
euphorbia  standing  within  the  fence,  and  an  acacia  in  the  background.   Tl)is  last- mentioned  I 
tree  is  sometimes  called  Kameel-dorn,  or  Camel-thorn,  because  the  giraffe,  which  tiiel 
Dutch  colonists  xoill  call  a  camel,  feeds  upon  its  leaves.     In  the  distance  are  two  of  those] 
table-topp(>d  mountains  which  are  so  characteristic  of  Southern  Africa. 

The  Kaffir  uses  his  cattle  for  various  purposes.  Wlienever  he  can  afford  such  a  luxiin'J 
which  is  very  seldom,  he  feasts  upon  its  flesh,  and  contrives  to  consume  a  quantity  tliati 
seems  almost  too  much  for  human  digestion  to  undertake.  But  the  chief  diet  is  the] 
milk  of  the  cows,  generally  mixed  with  meal,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  porridge. 

The  milk  is  never  eaten  in  its  fresh  state,  the  Kaffirs  thinking  it  to  be  very  indi-l 
gestible.  Indeed,  they  Iwk  upon  fresh  milk  much  as  a  beer-drinker  looks  n|K)n  sweet-l 
wort,  and  have  an  o(jn.al  objection  to  drinking  the  liquid  in  its  crude  state.  When  a  cowl 
has  been  milkiMl,  the  Kaffir  empties  the  pail  into  a  large  store-basket,  such  as  is  seen  nnl 
the  right-hand  of  the  engraving,  "  Kaffirs  at  Home,"  page  53.  This  basket  already  coutainsi 


TvIDINa  OXKN. 


60 


ir.ilk  ill  tlin  snrouil  stn;^o,  nnd  U  novcr  rnnipletoly  eniptioil.  Soon  aftor  the  milk  lias  W^n 
Tiliiccfl  in  tlio  basket,  ii  sort  of  llrmcntiitioii  takes  plaee,  ami  in  ii  short  time  the  whole  ut 
♦lie  liqui'l  in  cotiveited  into  a  soiui-solid  mass,  mitl  ii  watery  tluiil  s(»iiiitiiiii;^  likij  \v]u  y. 
The  latter  is  ilruwii  oil',  and  us'.mI  as  a  drink,  or  ^iven  to  the  children  ;  and  the  remainder 
is  a  thick,  clotted  substanco,  about  tho  consistency  of  I)evonHhiro  cream. 

This  is  called  "  aiiiasi,"  and  la  tlie  atatt'  of  life  to  a  Katlir.  Europeans  who  liavo  livi^l  in 
Kiulirdand  fjencrally  dislike  amasi  oxceedinyly  at  lirst,  but  soon  come  to  prefer  it  to  mill: 
ill  iiiiV  otlusr  form.  Somo  persons  liavo  compared  tlio  amasi  to  curds  ufti'r  tho  whey  h;  5 
ken  drawn  off;  but  this  is  not  a  fair  comparison.  The  niiiasi  is  not  in  himps  or  in  eiud, 
Imt  ft  thick,  creamy  mass,  more  like  our  clotted  cream  than  any  other  siibstiniee.  It  has  a 
(iljrfhtly  acid  flavour.  Children,  whether  black  or  whitOj  arc  alwaya  very  fond  of  amasi, 
and  there  can  bo  no  better  food  for  them. 


RETURN  OP  A  WAR  PARTY. 


Should  tlio  Kaffir  be  obliged  to  use  a  new  vessel  for  the  purpose  of  making  this  clotted 
milk,  he  always  takes  some  amasi  ready  prepared,  and  phace.s  it  in  the  V(!ssel  together  with 
tiie  froah  milk,  where  it  acts  like  yeast  iu  liquid  fermentation,  and  soon  reduces  the 
lutire  mass  to  its  own  consistency. 

The  oxen  are  a!sp  used  for  riding  purposes,  and  as  heasts  of  l)uvden.  Europeans 
employ  them  largely  as  draught  oxen,  and  use  a  great  number  to  draw  a  single  wiigon ; 
but  the  wagon  is  an  European  invention,  and  therefore  without  tlie  scope  of  the  presiut 
work. 

Tlie  native  contrives  to  ride  the  oxen  without  the  use  of  a  saddle,  halancing  himscli 
ingeniously  on  the  sharp'.y-ridgcd  back,  and  guiding  his  horned  steed  by  nieau3  of  a 


i- 


m^, 


^Jfe* 


p?{ 


vVl 


'-•£. 


■I 


70 


THE  KAFFIE. 


I'lu' 


if 


stick  through  its  nostrils,  with  a  cord  tied  to  each  end  of  it.  He  is  not  at  all  a  graceful 
rider,  but  jogs  along  with  his  arms  extended,  snd  his  elbows  jerking  up  and  down  with 
every  movement  of  the  beast.  Still,  the  ox  answers  his  purpose ;  and,  as  it  never  goes 
beyond  a  walking  pace,  no  great  harm  is  done  by  a  fall. 

Since  the  introduction  of  horses,  the  Kaffirs  have  taken  a  great  liking  to  them,  and 
have  proved  themselves  capable  of  being  good  horsemen,  after  their  fashion.  This  fashion 
is,  always  to  ride  at  full  gallop ;  for  they  can  see  no  object  in  mounting  a  swift  animal  if 
its  speed  is  not  to  be  brought  into  operation.  It  is  a  very  picturesque  sight  when  a  party 
of  mounted  Kaffirs  come  dashing  along,  their  horses  at  full  speed,  their  shields  and  spears 
in  their  hands,  and  their  karosses  flying  behind  them  as  they  ride.  When  they  have 
occasion  to  stop,  they  pull  up  suddenly,  and  are  off'  their  horses  in  a  moment. 

However  the  Kaffir  may  be  satisfied  with  the  bare  back  of  the  ox,  the  European  cannot 
manage  to  retain  his  seat  In  the  first  place,  the  sharp  spine  of  the  ox  does  not  form  a 
very  pleasant  seat ;  and  in  the  next  place,  its  skin  is  so  loose  that  it  is  impossible  for  the 
rider  to  retain  his  place  by  any  grasp  of  the  legs.  A  few  cloths  or  hides  are  therefore 
placed  on  the  animal's  back,  and  a  long  "  reim,"  or  leathern  rope,  is  passed  several  times 
lound  its  body,  being  drawn  tightly  by  a  couple  of  men,  one  at  each  side.  By  this 
operation  the  skin  is  braced  up  tight,  and  a  saddle  can  be  fixed  nearly  as  firmly  as  on  a 
horse.  Even  under  these  circumstances,  the  movements  of  the  ox  are  very  unpleasant  to 
an  European  equestrian,  and,  although  not  so  fatiguing  as  those  of  a  camel,  require  a 
tolerable  course  of  practice  before  they  become  agreeable. 

This  custom  of  tightly  girthing  is  not  confined  to  those  animals  which  are  used  for  the 
saddle,  but  is  also  practised  on  those  that  are  used  as  pack-oxen ;  the  loose  skin  rendering 
the  packages  liable  to  slip  off  the  animal's  back.  The  whole  process  of  girthing  the  ox  is 
a  very  curious  one.  A  sturdy  Kaffir  stands  at  each  sidt,  while  another  holds  the  ox  firmly 
by  a  stick  passed  through  its  nostrils.  The  skins  or  cloths  are  then  laid  on  the  back  of 
the  ox,  and  the  long  lope  thrown  over  them.  One  man  retains  his  hold  of  one  end,  while 
the  other  passes  the  rope  round  the  animal's  body.  Each  man  takes  firm  hold  of  the  rope, 
puts  one  foot  against  the  ox's  side,  by  way  of  a  fulcrum,  and  then  hauls  away  with  the 
full  force  of  his  body.  Holding  his  own  part  of  the  rope  tightly  with  one  hand,  the  second 
Kaffir  dexterously  throws  the  end  under  the  animal  to  his  comrade,  who  catches  it,  and 
passes  it  over  the  back,  when  it  is  seized  as  before.  Another  hauling-match  now  takes 
place,  and  the  process  goes  ou  until  the  cord  is  exhausted,  and  the  diameter  of  the  o.x 
notably  diminished. 

In  spite  of  the  enormous  pressure  to  which  it  is  subject,  the  beast  seems  to  care  little 
about  it,  and  walks  away  as  if  unconcerned.  If  the  journey  is  a  long  one,  the  ropes  are 
generally  tightened  once  or  twice,  the  native  drivers  seeming  to  take  a  strange  pleasure  in 
the  operation. 

In  the  illustration  on  page  69  is  shown  the  manner  in  which  the  Kaffir  employs 
the  ox  for  riding  and  pack  purposes.  A  chief  is  returring  with  his  triumphant  soldiers 
from  a  successful  expedition  against  an  enemy's  kraal,  which  they  have  "  eaten  up,"  as 
their  saying  is. 

In  the  foreground  is  seen  the  chief,  fat  and  pursy,  dressed  in  the  full  paraphernalia  of  | 
war,  and  seated  on  an  ox.  A  hornless  ox  is  generally  chosen  for  the  saddle,  in  order  t» 
avoid  the  danger  of  the  rider  falling  forward  and  wounding  himself;  but  sometimes  the 
Kaffir  qualifies  an  ox  for  saddle  purposes  by  forcing  the  horns  to  grow  downwaids,  and  in 
many  instances  contrives  to  make  the  horns  flap  about  quite  loosely,  as  if  they  were  only 
suspended  by  thongs  from  the  animal's  head.  The  soldiers  are  seen  in  charge  of  other  I 
oxen,  laden  with  the  spoils  of  the  captured  kraal,  to  which  they  have  set  fire  ;  and  in  the 
middle  distance,  a  couple  of  men  are  reloading  a  refiractory  ox,  and  drawing  the  rope 
tightly  round  it,  to  prevent  it  from  shakii^g  off  its  load  a  second  time. 


UUi 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MARRIAGE. 


POtTOAUT  PBACTISBD  AMONO  THB  KAFFIRS — OOZA  AND  HIS  'WIVES — KTTMBRB  OF  A  KINO's  HABBM 
— TCHAKA,  THE  BACHELOR  KINO— THE  KINO  AND  US  SVCCBSSOBS — ^A  BABBAB0V8  CUSTOM — 
QlVUSBS   AND    EFFECTS    OF    POLYOAHT   AMONO   THE    KAi'FIBS — DOMESTIC    LIFE   AND   ITS   CUSTOMS 

— THE    VABIED    DUTIES    OF    A   WIFE ANECDOTE     OF     A     KAFFIB    HUSBAND JEALOUSY   AND    ITS 

EFFECTS — A     FAVOCBITE     "WIFE     MUBDEBED     BT     HBB    COMPANIONS — MINOB    QUABBELS,    AND 

8UMMABY   JUSTICE — THE     FIRST    WIFE   AND     HEB     PBIVILEOEB — MINUTE     CODE     OF   LAWS ^THE 

LAW   OF   INHEBITANCE    AND    PBIMOGENITUBE ^THE     MA8TEB8HIP     OF   THE   KBAAL PBOTECTION 

TO   THE    ORPHAN — QUARDIANS,    THEIR  DUTIES    AND     PBIVILEOEB PBELIHINABIE8   TO   MABBIAOB 

— KAFWB  COURTSHIP — THE   BBIDEOBOOM  ON   AFPBOVAL AN  UNWILLING    CELIBATE — A  KAFFIB 

LOVE   TALE — UZINTO   AMD   HBB   AOVBNTCBBS — BEWABD   OF  PEBSEVEBANCE. 


Contrary  to  general  opinion,  marriage  is  quite  as  important  a  matter  among  the  Kaffirs 
as  with  ourselves,  and  even  though  the  men  who  can  afford  it  do  not  content  themselves 
I  with  one  wife,  there  is  as  much  ceremony  in  the  last  marriage  as  in  the  first. 

As  to  the  number  of  wives,  no  law  on  that  subject  is  found  in  the  minute,  though 

I  necessarily  traditional,  code  of  laws,  by  which  the  Kafhrs  regulate  their  domestic  polity. 

A  man  may  take  just  as  many  wives. as  he  can  afford,  and  the  richer  a  man  is,  the  more 

wives  he  has  as  a  general  rule.    An  ordinary  man  has  generally  to  be  content  with  one, 

while  those  of  higher  rank  have  the  number  of  wives  dependent  on  their  wealth  and 

I  position.    Goza,  for  example,  whose  portrait  is  given  in  page  27,  and  who  is  a  powerful 

chief,  has  a  dozen  or  two  of  wives.     There  is  now  before  me  a  photograph  representing 

I  a  whole  row  of  his  wives,  all  sitting  on  their  heels,  in  the  attitude  adopted  by  Kaffir 

[women,  and  all  looking  rather  surprised  at  the  photographer's  operations.    In  our  sense 

■of  the  word,  none  of  them  have  the  least  pretence  to  beauty,  whatever  may  have  been 

Ithe  case  when  they  were  young  girls,  but  it  is  evident  that  their  joint  husband  was 

[satisfied  with  their  charms,  or  they  would  not  retain  a  position  in  his  household. 

As  to  the  king,  the  number  of  his  wives  is  illimitable.  Parents  come  humbly  before 
Ihim,  and  offer  their  daughters  to  him,  only  too  proud  if  he  will  accept  them,  and  asking 
|no  payment  Ibr  them.  The  reverence  for  authority  must  be  veiy  strong  in  a  Kaffir's 
it,  if  it  can  induce  him  to  forego  any  kind  of  payment  whatever,  especially  as  that 
layment  is  in  cattla  The  king  has  perhaps  twenty  or  thirty  large  kraals  in  different  parts 
[of  the  country,  and  in  each  of  them  he  has  a  considerable  number  of  wives,  so  that  he  is 
ilways  at  home  whenever  he  changes  his  residence  from  one  kraal  to  another.  In  fact,  he 
bever  knows,  within  fifty  or  so,  how  many  wives  he  has,  nor  would  he  know  all  his  wives 
h  sight,  and  in  consequence  he  is  obliged  to  keep  a  most  jealous  watch  over  his  honsfr- 
pold,  lest  a  neglected  wife  should  escape  and  take  a  husband,  who,  although  plebeian, 
ffould  be  her  own  choice. 

In  consequence  of  thi?  feeling,  none  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  royal  harem  ever  Ifeave 
Jiieir  house  without  a  ptrong  guard  at  hand,  besides  a  number  of  spies,  who  conceal 
Jiemselves  in  unsuspected  places,  and  who  would  report  to  the  king  the  slightest,  indio^ 


m  ■■ 


72 


THE  KAFFIR 


m 


i<  .., 


:i 


13 


cretion  on  the  part  of  any  of  hia  wives.  It  is  not  even  safe  for  a  Kaffir  to  speak  to  one 
of  these  closely-guarded  beauties,  for,  even  if  no  guards  are  openly  in  sight,  a  spy  is  sure 
to  be  concealed  at  no  great  distance,  and  tlio  consequence  of  such  an  indiscretion  woulj 
be,  that  the  woman  would  certainly  lose  her  life,  and  the  man  probably  be  a  fellow 
sufferer. 

That  able  and  saaguinary  chief  Tchaka  farmed  an  exception  to  the  ordinary  rule.  He 
would  accept  as  many  dark  maidens  as  miglit  bo  offered  to  him,  but  he  would  not  raise 
one  of  them  to  the  rank  of  wife.  The  reason  for  this  line  of  conduct  was  his  horror  of 
seeing  a  successor  to  his  throne.  A  Kaftir  of  rank  always  seems  to  think  that  he  himself 
is  exempt  from  the  ordinary  lot  of  liunmnity,  and  will  never  speak  of  the  possibility 
of  his  own  death,  nor  allow  any  one  else  to  do  so.  In  a  dependent,  such  a  piece  of  bad 
breeding  would  be  looked  upon  as  an  overt  act  of  treachery,  and  the  thoughtless  delin- 
quent  would  instantly  lose  the  power  of  repeating  the  offence  by  forfeiting  his  life.  Even 
in  an  European,  the  offence  would  be  a  very  grave  one,  and  would  jar  gratingly  on  tlie 
feelings  of  all  who  heard  the  ill-omened  words. 

This  disinclination  to  speak  of  death  sometimes  shows  itself  very  curiously.  On  one 
occasion,  an  Englishman  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  Panda,  after  the  contradiction  of  a  repoit 
of  that  monarch's  death.  After  the  preliminary  greetings,  he  expressed  his  plea^ne  at 
seeing  the  chief  so  well,  especially  after  the  repoit  of  his  death.  The  word  "death" 
seemed  to  strike  the  king  and  all  the  court  ]ii<e  an  electric  shock,  and  an  ominous  silence 
reigned  around.  At  last  Panda  recovered  himself,  and,  with  a  voice  that  betrayed  liis 
emotion,  said  that  such  subjects  were  never  spoken  of,  and  then  adroitly  changed  tbe 
conversation. 

Now,  the  idea  of  a  successor  implies  the  death  of  the  present  occupant  of  the  throne, 
and  therefore  Tchaka  refused  to  marry  any  wives,  from  whom  his  successor  might  be 
born.  More  than  that,  if  any  of  the  inmates  of  his  harem  showed  signs  that  the  popu- 
lation was  likely  to  be  increased,  thcjy  w(ire  sure  to  be  arrested  on  some  trivial  pretence, 
dragged  out  of  their  homes,  and  summarily  executed. 

\Ve  may  feel  disposed  to  wonder  thai-  stieh  a  heartless  monster  could  by  any  means 
have  found  any  inmates  of  his  harem,  ihit  wo  nuist  remember  that  of  all  men  a  Kaffir 
chief  is  the  most  despotic,  having  alwolute  ])owcr  over  any  of  his  subjects,  and  his  orders 
being  obeyed  with  an  instantaneous  obedicMioe,  no  matter  how  revolting  they  might  be, 
Parents  would  kill  their  chUdreu  and  children  their  parents  at  his  command ;  and  so 
strange  a  hold  has  obedience  to  tiio  king  upon  the  mind  of  a  Kaffir,  that  men  have  been 
known  to  thank  him  and  utter  his  praises  while  being  beaten  to  death  by  his  orders. 

Therefore  the  parents  of  these  ill-fated  girls  hud  no  option  in  the  matter.  If  lie 
wanted  them  he  would  take  them,  prol.Mibly  murdering  their  parents,  and  adding  theii 
cattle  to  his  own  vast  herds.  By  voluntarily  ofl'ering  them  they  might  possibly  gain  his  good 
graces,  and  there  might  be  a  chance  that  they  would  escape  the  fate  that  had  befallen  so 
many  of  their  predecessors  in  the  royal  favour.  These  strange  effects  of  despotism  are  by 
no  means  confined  to  Southern  Africa,  but  are  found  among  more  civilized  people  than  tlie 
Kaffirs.  We  all  remember  tho  opening  story  of  the  "  Arabian  Nights,"  which  furnishes 
the  thread  on  which  all  the  stoiies  are  strung.     How  a  kin"  found  that  his  wife  v/as 


unworthy  of  her  position,  and  how  ho  immediately  rushed  to  the  conclusion  that  sucli 
unworthiness  was  not  the  fault  of  an  individual,  but  a  quality  inherent  in  the  sex.  How 
he  reduced  his  principle  to  practice  by  marrying  a  new  wife  every  evening,  and  cutting 
off  her  head  next  morning,  until  his  purpose  was  arrested  by  the  ingenious  narrator  of 
the  tales,  who  originated  the  practice  now  prevalent  in  periodicals,  namely,  always  leav- 
ing off  unexpectedly  in  an  interesting  part  of  the  story. 

This  extraordinary  proceeding  on  the  part  of  an  Oriental  monarch  is  told  with  a  per- 
fect absence  of  comment,  and  neither  tho  narrator  nor  the  hearer  displays  any  signs  that 
such  a  line  of  conduct  was  strange,  or  oven  culpable.  The  subjects  who  were  called 
upon  to  supply  such  a  succession  of  wives  certainly  grumbled,  but  they  continued  to 
supply  then,  and  evidently  had  no  idea  that  their  monarch's  orders  could  be  disobeyed 

The  effect  of  polygamy  among  the  wives  themselves  is  rather  curious.  In  the  fiH 
place,  they  are  accustomed  to  the  idea,  and  have  never  been  led  to  expect  that  they  would 


JEALOUSY. 


73 


hear  sole  rule  in  the  house.  Indeed,  none  of  them  would  entertain  such  an  idea,  because 
Ithe  very  fact  that  a  man  possessed  only  one  wife  would  derogate  from  his  dignity,  and 
(consequently  from  her  own. 

There  is  another  reason  for  the  institution  of  polygamy,  namely,  the  division  of 
llabour.  Like  all  savages,  the  Kaffir  man  never  condescends  to  perform  manual  labour,  aU 
Ireal  work  falling  to  the  lot  of  the  women.  As  to  any  work  that  requires  bodily  exertion, 
jthe  Kaffir  never  dreams  of  undertaking  it.  He  would  not  even  lift  a  basket  of  rice  on 
Ithe  head  of  his  favourite  wife,  but  would  sit  on  the  ground  and  allow  some  woman  to  do 
jit.  One  of  my  friends,  when  rather  new  to  Kaffirland,  happened  to  look  into  a  hut,  and 
jthere  saw  a  stalwart  Kaffir  sitting  and  smoking  his  pipe,  while  the  women  were  hard  at 
Iwork  in  the  sun,  building  huts,  carrying  timber,  and  performing  all  kinds  of  severe 
llabour.  Struck  with  a  natural  indignation  at  such  behaviour,  he  told  the  smoker  to  get 
|np  and  work  like  a  man.  This  idea  was  too  much  even  for  the  native  politeness  of  the 
IKaffir,  who  burst  into  a  laugh  at  so  absurd  a  notion.  "  Women  work,"  said  he,  "  men  sit 
|in  the  house  and  smoke." 

The  whole  cares  of  domestic  life  fall  upon  the  married  woman.  Beside  doing  all  the 
lordinary  work  of  the  house,  inchiding  the  building  of  it,  she  has  to  prepare  all  the  food 
land  keep  the  hungry  men  supplied.  She  cannot  go  to  a  shop  and  buy  bread.  She  has  to 
the  ground,  to  sow  the  grain,  to  watch  it,  to  reap  it,  to  thrash  it,  to  grind  it,  and  to 
Ibake  it.  Her  husband  may  perhaps  condescend  to  bring  home  game  that  he  Has  killed, 
Jthongh  he  will  not  burden  himself  longer  than  he  can  help.  But  the  cooking  falls  to  the 
Iwomaii's  share,  and  she  has  not  only  to  stew  the  meat,  but  to  make  the  pots  in  which  it 
jis  prepared. 

After  a  hard  day's  labour  out  of  doors,  she  cannot  go  home  and  rest,  but  is  obliged  to 
Igrind  the  maize  or  millet,  a  work  of  very  great  labour,  on  account  of  the  primitive  mr.- 
Ichinery  which  is  employed — simply  one  stone  upon  another,  the  upper  stone  being  rocked 
I  backwards  and  forwards  with  a  motion  like  that  of  a  chemist's  pestle.  The  Kaffirs 
I  never  keep  flour  ready  ground,  so  that  this  heavy  task  ha?  to  be  performed  regularly  every 
(day.  When  she  has  ground  the  corn  she  has  either  to  bake  it  into  cakes,  or  boil  it  into 
Iporridge/-  and  then  has  the  gratification  of  soeing  the  men  eat  it.  She  also  has  to  make 
Ithe  beer  which  is  so  popular  among  the  Kaffirs,  bat  has  very  little  chance  of  drinking  the 
Iprodiict  of  her  own  industry. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  work  of  a  Kaffir  wife  is  about  twice  as  hard  as 
I  that  of  an  English  farm  labourer,  and  that  therefore  she  is  rather  glad  than  otherwise 
I  when  her  husband  takes  another  wife,  who  may  divide  her  labours. 

Jloreover,  the  first  wife  has  always  a  sort  of  pre-eminence  over  the  others,  and  retains 
I  it  unless  she  forfeits  the  favour  of  her  husband  by  some  peculiarly  flri^^-iat  act,  in  which 
case  she  is  deposed,  and  another  wife  raised  to  the  vacant  honour.  WJ'cn  such  an  event 
takes  place,  the  husband  selects  any  of  his  wives  that  he  happens  to  liJ;o  best,  without 
any  regard  for  seniority,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  the  youngest  has  the  best  chance 
of  becoming  the  chief  wife,  thus  causing  much  jealousy  among  tlitm.  Did  alJ  the  wives 
live  in  the  same  house  with  their  husband,  the  bickerings  wr.i  ad  be  constant ;  but,  ac- 
cording to  Kaffir  law,  each  wife  has  her  own  hut,  that  belorgmg  to  tiie  principal  wife 
I  being  on  the  right  hand  of  the  chiefs  house. 

Sometimes,  however,  jealousy  wiU  prevail,  in  spite  of  these  preventives,  and  has  been 
I  known  to  lead  to  fatal  results,    One  case  of  poisoning  has  already  been  mentioned  (page 
44),  and  others  occur  more  frequently  than  is  known.     One  such  case  was  a  rather  re- 
markable one.    There  had  been  two  wives,  and  a  third  was  afterwards  added.   The  other 
two  wives  felt  themselves  injured  by  her  presence,  and  for  a  year  subjected  her  to  con- 
I  tinual  persecution. 

One  day,  when  the  husband  returned  to  his  house,  he  found  her  absent,  and  asked  from 
I  the  others  where  she  was.  They  replied  that  they  did  not  know,  and  that,  when  they 
went  to  fetch  firewood,  according  to  daily  custom,  they  had  left  her  in  the  kraal.  Dis- 
satisfied with  the  answer,  he  pressed  them  more  closely,  and  was  then  told  that  she  had 
gone  off  to  her  father's  house.  At  the  first  dawn  he  set  off  to  the  father's  kraal,  and 
found  that  nothing  had  been  heard  of  her. 


i  •>% 


i    'ihi 


74 


THE  KAFFIR 


His  next  step  was  to  go  to  one  of  the  witch-doctors,  or  prophets,  and  ask  him  vwl 
had  become  of  his  favourite  wife.  The  man  answered  that  the  two  older  wives  liadi 
murdered  her.  He  set  otf  homewards,  but  before  he  reached  his  kraal,  the  dead  body  A 
the  murdered  wife  had  been  discovered  by  a  herd-boy.  The  fact  was,  that  she  had  gonj 
out  with  the  other  two  wives  in  the  morning  to  fetch  firewood,  a  quarrel  had  arisen,  and 
they  had  hanged  her  to  a  tree  with  the  bush-rope  used  in  tying  up  the  bundles  of  wood. 


rOUa  OLD  WIVES  BBATINO  a  TOUNO  FAVOUIilTB. 


As  to  minor  assaults  on  a  favourite  wife,  they  are  common  enough.  She  will  M 
l)eaten,  or  have  her  faco  scratched  so  as  to  spoil  her  beauty,  or  the  holes  in  her  ears  will  I 
be  torn  violently  open.  The  assailants  are  sure  to  suffer  in  their  own  turn  for  their  con- 1 
duct,  their  husband  beating  them  most  cruelly  with  the  first  weapon  that  happens  to  I 
come  to  hand.  But,  in  tlie  meantime,  the  work  which  they  have  done  has  been  effected,! 
And  they  have  at  all  events  enjoyed  some  moments  of  savage  vengeance  Fights  often  I 
take  place  among  the  wives,  but  if  the  husband  hears  the  noise  of  the  scuffle  he  80on| 
puts  a  stop  to  it,  by  seizing  a  stick,  and  impartially  belabouring  each  combatant. 

Tlie  position  of  a  first  wife  is  really  one  of  some  consequence.  Although  she  has  been! 
bought  and  paid  for  by  her  husband,  she  is  not  looked  upon  as  so  utter  an  article  of  mer- 
chandize as  her  successors.  "  When  a  man  takes  his  first  wife,"  says  Mr.  Shooter,  "  all  I 
the  cows  ha  possesses  are  regarded  as  her  property.  She  uses  the  milk  for  the  support  of 
her  family,  and,  after  the  birth  of  her  first  son,  they  are  called  his  cattle.  Theoretically, 
the  husband  can  neither  sell  nor  dispose  of  them  without  his  wife's  consent.  If  he  wish 
to  take  a  second  wife,  and  require  any  of  these  cattle  for  the  purpose,  he  must  obtain,  bei  | 
concurrence. 


THE  LAW  OF  INHERITANCE. 


T5 


"When  I  asked  a  native  how  this  was  to  be  procured,  he  said  by  flattery  and  coax- 

or  if  that  did  not  succeed,  by  bothering  hex  until  she  yielded,  and  told  him  not  to  do 

I'to-morrow,  i.e.  for  the  future.     Sometimes  she  becomes  angry,  and  tells  him  to  take  all, 

lor  they  are  not  hers,  but  his.     If  she  comply  with  her  husband's  polygamous  desires, 

nd  furnish  cattle  to  purchase  and  indue  a  new  wife,  she  will  be  entitled  to  her  services, 

jd  will  call  her  my  wife.    She  will  also  be  entitled  to  the  cattle  received  for  a  new 

fcife's  eldest  daughter. 

"  The  cattle  assigned  to  the  second  wife  are  subject  to  the  same  rules,  and  so  on,  while 
sh  wives  are  taken.  Any  wife  may  furnish  he  cattle  necessary  to  add  a  new  member  to  the 

em,  and  with  the  same  consequences  as  :  asulted  to  the  first  wife ;  but  it  seems  that  the 
hueen,  as  the  first  is  called,  can  claim  the  right  of  refusal"  It  will  be  seen  from  this  ac- 
ount  of  the  relative  stations  of  the  different  wives,  that  the  position  of  chief  wife  is  one  • 
hat  would  be  much  prized,  and  we  can  therefore  understand  that  the  elevation  of  a  new 
omer  to  that  rank  would  necessarily  create  i  strong  feeling  of  jealousy  in  the  hearts  of 
he  others. 

In  oonsequence  of  the  plurality  of  wives,  he  law  of  inheritance  is  most  complicated. 
borne  persons  may  wonder  that  a  law  whicl.  seems  to  belong  especially  to  civilization 
Ihould  be  found  among  savage  tribes  like  the  iCaffirs.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that 
[tie  Kaffir  is  essentially  a  man  living  under  an  hority,  and  that  his  logical  turn  of  intellect 

I  caused  him  to  frame  a  legal  code  ^vhich  is  singularly  minute  in  all  its  details,  and 
(fhich  enters  not  only  into  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  but  into  those  of  private  life. 

The  law  respecting  the  rank  held  by  the  wives,  and  the  control  which  they  exercise 
ver  property,  is  sufficiently  minute  to  give  promise  that  there  would  also  be  a  law  which 
«('ulated  the  share  held  in  the  property  of  their  respective  children. 

lu  order  to  understand  the  working  of  this  law,  the  reader  must  remember  two  facts 
ipMch  have  been  mentioned:  the  one,  that  the  wives  do  not  live  in  common,  but  that  each 
liaa  her  own  house ;  and  moreover,  that  to  each  house  a  certain  amount  of  cattle  is 
(ttaehed,  in  theory,  if  not  in  practice,  Wlien  the  headman  of  a  kraal  dies,  his  property 
i  divided  among  his  children  by  virtue  of  a  law,  which,  though  unwritten,  is  well  known, 
jiid  is  as  precise  as  any  similar  law  in  England.  If  there  should  be  an  eldest  son,  born 
[u  the  house  of  the  chief  wife,  he  succeeds  at  once  to  his  father's  property,  and  inherits 
Ids  rank.  There  is  a  very  common  Kafiir  song,  which,  though  not  at  all  filial,  is 
lliaracteristic.  It  begins  by  saying,  "  Aly  father  has  died,  and  1  have  all  his  cattle,"  and 
hen  proceeds  to  expatiate  on  the  joys  of  wealth. 

He  does  not  necessarily  inherit  all  the  cattle  in  the  kraal;  because  there  may  be  sons 
lelonging  to  other  houses ;  in  such  cases,  tlio  eldest  son  of  ea;5h  house  would  be  entitled 
)  the  cattle  which  are  recognised  as  the  property  of  that  house.  Still,  he  exercises  a  sort 
If  paternal  authority  over  the  whole,  and  will  often  succeed  in  keeping  all  the  family 
pgether  instead  of  giving  to  each  son  his  share  of  the  cattle,  and  letting  them  separate 
1  different  directions.  Such  i  course  of  proceeding  is  the  best  for  all  parties,  as  the/ 
lossess  a  strength  when  united,  which  they  could  not  hope  to  attain  when  separated. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  owner  of  the  kraal  has  no  son,  and  in  that  case,  the 
bwperty  is  claimed  by  his  father,  brother,  or  nearest  living  relative, — always,  if  possible, 
jiy  a  member  of  the  same  house  as  himself.     It  sometimes  happens  that  no  male  relation 

I  be  found,  and  when  such  a  failure  takes  place,  the  property  goes  to  the  chief,  as  the 
icknowledged  father  of  the  tribe.  As  to  the  women,  they  very  seldom  inherit  anything, 
|)ut  go  with  the  cattle  to  the  different  heirs,  and  form  part  of  their  property.  To  this 
peral  rule  there  are  exceptional  cases,  but  they  are  very  rare. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  every  woman  has  some  one  who  acts  as  her  father, 
jrhether  her  father  be  living  or  not,  and  although  the  compulsory  dependent  state  of  women 
I  not  conducive  to  their  dignity,  it  certainly  protects  them  from  many  evils.    If,  for 

ample ,  a  girl  were  left  an  orphan,  an  event  which  is  of  very  frequent  occurrence  in 
lountries  where  little  value  is  placed  on  human  life,  she  would  be  placed  in  a  very 
linpleasant  position,  for  either  she  would  find  no  husband  at  all,  or  she  would  be  fought 
Iver  by  poor  and  turbulent  men  who  wanted  to  obtain  a  wife  without  paying  for  her. 

Kaffir  law,  however,  provides  for  this  difficvdty  by  making  the  male  relations  heirs 


*=^=«fi 


76 


THE  KAFFIR. 


of  the  property,  and,  consequently,  protectors  of  the  women;  so  that  as  long  as  there  J 
a  single  male  relation  living,  an  orphan  girl  has  a  guardian.  The  law  even  goes  further! 
and  contemplates  a  case  which  sometimes  exists,  namely,  that  all  the  male  relatives  attj 
dead,  or  that  tliey  cannot  be  identified. 

Such  a  case  as  this  may  well  occur  in  the  course  of  a  war,  for  the  enemy  will  some.! 
times  swoop  down  on  a  kraal,  and  if  their  plans  be  well  laid,  will  kill  every  mdiel 
inhabitant.  Even  if  all  are  not  killed,  the  survivors  may  be  obliged  to  flee  ior  theiJ 
lives,  and  thus  it  may  often  happen  that  a  young  girl  finds  herself  comparatively  alnnel 
in  the  world.  In  such  a  case,  she  would  go  to  another  chief  of  her  tribe,  or  even  to  tliel 
king  himself,  and  ask  permission  to  becotiie  one  of  his  dependents,  and  many  instancesl 
have  been  known  where  such  refugees  have  been  received  into  tribes  not  their  own. 

When  a  girl  is  received  as  a  dependent,  she  is  treated  as  a  daughter,  and  if  she  shoulJ 
happen  to  fall  ill,  her  guardian  would  offer  sacrifices  for  her  exactly  as  if  she  were  one| 
of  his  own  daughters.  Should  a  suitor  present  himself,  he  will  have  to  treat  with  i 
guardian  exactly  as  if  he  were  the  father,  and  to  him  will  be  paid  thg  cattle  that  ai?| 
demanded  at  the  wedding.  Mr.  Fynn  mentions  that  the  women  are  very  tenacious  nlioul 
their  relatives,  and  that  in  many  ciises  when  they  could  not  identify  their  real  relations' 
thfty  have  ipadp  arrauLjements  with  strangers  to  declare  relationship  with  tliem.  It  jj^ 
possible  that  tiii'.  leeliug  arises  from  the  notion  that  a  husband  would  have  more  respeclT 
for  a  wife  who  'lad  relations  than  for  one  who  had  none. 

As  an  exf  i  -le  of  the  curious  minuteness  with  which  the  Kafiir  law  goes  into  tliel 
details  of  doi'H'  'io  polity,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  if  a  female  dependent  be  niarrieJ 
and  should  afterwards  be  fortunate  enough  to  discover  her  real  relatives,  they  iiiay  clainij 
the  cattli>  I'  lid  f'  .'  her  by  the  husband.  But  they  must  give  one  of  the  cow.s  to  IkfT 
protector  ai  payment  lor  her  maintenancci  and  the  trouble  taken  in  maixying  lierl 
Moroo .  er,  if  n  i .  ' ;  lo  have  been  sacrificed  on  her  behalf,  these  must  be  restored,  togetlia| 
with  any  othci     '  ic  may  have  been  slaughtered  at  tho  marriage-feast. 

The  fact  that  she  is  paid  for  by  her  husband  conveys  no  idea  of  degradation  to  jl 
Kafiir  woman.     On  the  contrary,  she  looks  upon  the  fact  as  a  proof  of  her  own  wortJ 
and  the  more  cattle  are  paid  for  her,  the  prouder  she  becomes.     Neither  would  tho  Ims-T 
band  like  to  take  a  wife  without  paying  the  proper  sum  for  her,  because  in  the  first  ])L, 
it  would  be  a  tacit  assertion  that  the  wife  was  worthless,  and  in  the  second,  it  would 
an  admission  that  he  could  not  afford  to  pay  the  usual  price.     Moreover,  the  delivery  i 
the  cattle  on  tho  one  side,  and  the  delivery  of  the  girl  on  the  other,  are  considered 
constituting  the  validity  of  the  marriage  contract,  and  are  looked  upon  in  much  the  saiiit! 
light  as  the  giving  of  a  ring  by  the  husband  and  the  giving  away  of  the  bride  hy  lieij 
father  in  our  own  marrlasie  ceremonies. 

What  that  price  may  be  is  exceedingly  variable,  and  depends  much  on  the  beauty  anl 
qualifications  of  the  bride,  and  the  rank  of  her  father.  The  ordinary  price  of  an  unni(ir| 
ried  girl  is  eight  or  ten  cows,  while  twelve  or  fifteen  are  not  unfrequently  paid,  and 
some  cases  the  husband  has  been  obliged  to  give  as  many  as  fifty  before  the  father  wouiJ 
part  with  his  daughter.  Payment  ought  to  be  maue  beforehand  by  rights,  and  the  mai 
cannot  demand  his  wife  until  the  cattle  have  been  transferred.  This  rule  is,  liowevetl 
frequently  relaxed,  and  the  marriage  is  all .  p.d  ^  Ion  a  certain  instalment  has  been  jai^ 
together  with  a  guarantee  that  the  remaiuUvir  shall  be  forthcoming  witlin  a  rcasonablJ 
time. 

All  preliminaries  having  been  settled,  tlM'  next  basiness  is  for  the  intending  bridegrooii| 
to  present  himself  to  his  future  wife.     Then,  although  a  certain  sum  is  demanded  tor  i 
girl,  and  must  be  paid  before  she  becomes  a  wife,  it  does  not  follow  that  she  exercises  nJ 
choice  whatever  in  accepting  or  rejecting  a  suitor,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  follotfiii| 
passages  taken  from  Mr.  Shooter's  valuable  work  on  Kaffirland  : — 

"  When  a  husband  has  been  selected  for  a  girl,  she  may  be  delivered  to  him  witlifliil 
any  previous  notice,  and  Mr.  Fynn  acknowledges  that  in  some  eases  this  is  done  lln 
usually,  he  says,  she  is  informed  of  her  parent's  intention  a  month  or  some  longoi  im 
beforehand,  in  order.  T  imagine,  that  she  may,  if  possible.,  be  persuaded  to  think  favouil 
ably  of  the  man.     liarbarians  as  they  are,  the  Kaffirs  are  aware  that  it  is  better  to  rcasoij 


BRIDEGEOOM  ON  APPEOVAT* 


77 


Iwith  a  woman  than  to  beat  her ;  and  I  anj  inclined  to  think  that  moral  means  are  usually 
lemployed  to  induce  a  girl  to  adopt  her  parent's  choice,  before  physical  arguments  are  re- 
Lorted  to.  Sometimes  very  elaborate  efforts  are  made,  as  I  have  been  told,  to  produce  this 
jiesult. 

"  The  first  step  is  to  speak  well  of  the  man  in  her  presence ;  the  kraal  conspire  to 
ise  him — her  sisters  j>vaise  him — all  the  admirers  of  his  cattle  praise  him — he  was 
luever  so  praised  before.  Unless  she  is  very  resolute,  the  girl  may  now  perhaps  be  pre- 
Ivailed  on  to  see  him,  and  a  messenger  is  dispatched  to  communicate  the  hopeful  fact,  and 
jsumnion  him  to  the  kraal.  Without  loss  of  time  he  prepares  to  show  himself  to  the  best 
jadvantage ;  Ke  goes  down  to  the  river,  and  having  carefully  washed  his  dark  person, 
[comes  up  again  dripping  and  shining  like  a  dusky  Triton ;  but  the  sun  soon  dries  his 
iBkin,  and  now  he  shines  again  with  grease. 


BBIDEGBOOM  ON  APPROVAL. 


"His  dancing  attire  is  put  on,  a  vessel  of  water  serving  for  a  mirror ;  and  thus  clothed 
lin  his  best,  and  carrying  shield  and  assagai,  he  sets  forth,  with  beating  heart  and  gallant 
kep,  to  do  battle  with  the  scornful  belle.  Having  reached  the  kraal  he  is  received  with  a 
lliearty  welcome,  and  squatting  down  in  the  family  'circle'  (which  is  here  somalLing 
iDiore  than  a  ligure  of  speech),  he  avails  the  lady's  appearance.  Presently  she  comes,  and 
bitting  down  near  the  door  stares  f  t  him  in  silence.  Then  having  surveyed  him  suffi- 
jciently  in  his  present  attitude,  she  desires  him  through  her  brother  (for  she  will  not  speak 
Ito  him)  to  stand  up,  and  exhibit  his  proportions.  The  modest  man  is  embarrassed ;  but 
Itlie  mother  encourages  him,  and  while  the  young  ones  laugh  and  jeer,  he  rises  before  the 
I  damsel.    She  now  scrutinizes  him  in  this  position,  and  having  balanced  the  merits  and 


!.''*: 


78 


THE  KAFFIB. 


defects  of  a  fh)nt  view,  desires  him  (through  the  same  medium  as  before)  to  turn  vm\  \ 
aud  favour  her  with  a  different  aspect. 

"  At  length  he  receives  permission  to  squat  again,  when  she  retires  as  route  as  she  I 
came.  The  familv  troop  rush  after  her  impatient  to  learn  her  decision  ;  but  she  declinet 
to  be  hasty — she  has  not  seen  him  walk,  and  perhaps  he  limps.  So,  next  morning,  the 
unfortunate  man  appears  in  the  cattle  fold,  to  exhibit  his  paces  before  a  larger  assembly, 
A  volley  of  praises  is  showered  upon  him  by  the  interested  spectators  ;  and  perhaps  the 
girl  has  come  to  think  as  they  thmk»  and  signifies  her  approval  In  this  case,  arrange, 
ments  are  made  for  the  betrothal." 

This  amusing  ceremony  has  two  meanings— the  first,  that  the  contract  of  marriage  ii 
a  voluntary  act  on  both  sides ;  and  the  second,  that  the  intending  bridegroom  has  as  yet 
no  authority  over  her.  This  last  point  seems  to  be  thought  of  some  importance,  as  it  it  | 
again  brought  forward  when  the  marriage  ceremony  takes  place. 

That  the  girl  has  no  choice  in  a  husband  is  evidently  not  true.    There  are,  of  couTse,  I 
instances  in  Kaffirland,  as  well  as  in  more  civilized  countries,  where  the  parents  have  set 
their  hearts  on  a  particular  alliance,  and  have  disregarded  the  aversion  of  their  daughten, 
forcing  her  by  hard  words  and  other  cruelties  to  consent  to  the  match.    But,  as  a  general  | 
rule,  although  a  girl  must  be  bought  with  a  certain  number  of  cows,  it  does  not  at 
follov  that  every  one  with  the  requisite  means  may  buy  her. 

A  rather  amusing  proc.  to  the  contrary  is  related  by  one  of  our  clergy  who  resided] 
for  a  long  time  among  the  Kaffir  tribes.    There  was  one  "  boy,"  long  past  the  prime  cf 
life,  who  had  distinguished  himself  in  war,  and  procured  a  fair  number  of  cows,  and  yet  | 
could  not  be  ranked  as  a  "  man,"  because  he  was  not  married.    The  fact  was,  he  was  i 
very  ugly  that  he  could  not  find  any  of  the  dusky  beauties  who  would  accept  him,  and  so  I 
he  had  to  remain  a  bachelor  in  spite  of  himself    At  last  the  king  took  compaE^sion  on 
him.  and  authorized  him  to  assume  the  head-ring,  and  take  brevet  rank  among  the  men, 
or  "  ama-doda,"  just  as  among  ourselves  an  elderly  maiden  la'dy  is  addressed  by  courtesy  | 
as  if  she  had  been  married. 

Sometimes  a  suitor's  heart  misgives  him,  and  he  fears  that,  in  spite  of  his  wealth  tn\  I 
the  costly  ornaments  with  which  he  adorns  his  dark  person,  the  lady  may  not  be  pro- 
pitious.  In  this  case  he  generally  goes  to  a  witch-doctor  and  purchases  a  charm,  which 
he  hopes  uill  cause  her  to  relent  The  cliarm  is  sometimes  a  root,  or  a  piece  of  wood, 
bone,  metal,  or  horn,  worn  about  the  person,  but  it  most  usually  takes  the  foim  of  a 
powder.  This  magic  powder  is  given  to  some  trusty  friend,  who  mixes  it  surreptitiously 
in  the  girl's  food,  sprinkles  it  on  her  dress,  or  deposits  it  in  her  snufT-box,  and  shakes  it 
up  with  the  legitimate  contents. 

Not  unfrequently,  when  a  suitor  is  very  much  disliked,  and  has  not  the  good  senfe  to 
withdraw  his  claims,  the  girl  takes  the  matter  into  her  own  hands  by  running  away,  often 
to  another  triba  There  is  always  a  great  excitement  in  these  cases,  and  the  truant  is 
hunted  by  all  her  relations.  One  of  these  flights  took  place  when  a  girl  had  been  promised  | 
to  the  ill-favoured  bachelor  who  has  just  been  mentioned.  He  offered  a  chief  a  con* 
siderable  number  of  cattle  for  one  of  his  wards,  and  paid  the  sum  in  advance,  hoping  so  to  I 
clench  the  bargain.  But  when  the  damsel  found  who  her  husband  was  to  be,  she  flatly  | 
refused  to  marry  so  ugly  a  man. 

Neither  cajolements,  threats,  nor  actual  violence  had  any  effect,  and  at  last  she  vaal 
tied  up  with  ropes  and  handed  over  to  her  purchaser.  He  took  her  to  his  home,  but  in 
a  few  hours  she  contrived  to  make  her  escape,  and  fled  for  refuge  to  the  kraal  of  a 
neighbouring  chief,  where  it  is  to  be  hoped  she  found  a  husband  more  to  her  taste, 
Her  former  possessor  declined  to  demand  her  back  again,  inasmuch  as  she  had  been  paid 
for  and  delivered  honourably,  and  on  the  same  grounds  he  declined  to  return  the  price 
paid  for  her.     So  the  unfortunate  suitor  lost  not  only  his  cattle  but  his  wife. 

This  man  was  heartily  ashamed  of  his  bachelor  condition,  and  always  concealed  it  as  I 
much  as  he  could.     One  day,  an  Englishman  who  did  not  know  his  history  asked  him 
how  many  wives  he  had  ;  and,  although  he  knew  that  the  falsehood  of  his  answer  must 
soon  be  detected,  he  had  not  moral  courage  to  say  that  he  was  a  bachelor,  and  named 
a  considerable  number  of  imaginary  wives. 


UZINTO  AND  HER  ADVENTURES. 


19 


Kow  that  the  English  have  established  themselves  in  Southern  Africa,  it  is  not  at  all 
an  uuusual  circumstance  for  a  persecuted  eirl  to  take  refuge  among  them,  though  in  many 
instances  she  has  to  be  given  up  to  her  relations  when  they  come  to  search  for  her. 

Sometimes  the  young  damsel  not  only  exercises  the  right  of  refusal,  but  contrives  to 
choose  a  husband  for  herself.  In  one  such  instance  a  man  had  fallen  into  poverty,  and 
been  forced  to  become  a  dependent  He  had  two  unmarried  daughters,  and  his  chief 
proposed  to  buy  them.  The  sum  which  he  offered  was  so  small  that  the  father  would  not 
accept  it,  and  there  was  in  consequence  a  violent  quarrel  between  the  chief  and  himself. 
Moreover,  the  girls  themselves  had  not  the  least  inclination  to  become  wives  of  the  chief, 
who  already  had  plenty,  and  they  refused  to  be  purchased,  just  as  their  father  refused  to 
accefA  so  niggardly  a  sum  for  them. 

The  chief  was  very  angry,  went  off  to  Panda,  and  contrived  to  extort  an  order  from 
the  king  that  the  girls  should  become  the  property  of  the  chief  at  the  price  which  he  had 
fixed.  The  girls  were  therefore  taken  to  the  kraal,  but  they  would  not  go  into  any  of  the 
huts,  and  sat  on  the  ground,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  their  new  owner,  who  at  last  had 
them  carried  into  a  hut  by  main  forca 

One  of  the  girls,  named  Uzinto,  contrived  ingeniously  to  slip  unperceived  f^om  the 
hat  at  dead  of  night,  and  escaped  from  the  kraal  by  creeping  through  the  fence,  lest  the 
dogs  should  be  alarmed  if  she  tried  to  open  the  door.  In  spite  of  the  dangers  of  Bight- 
travelling,  she  pushed  on  towards  Natal  as  fast  as  she  could,  naving  nothing  with  her  but 
the  sleeping-mat  which  a  Kaffir  uses  instead  of  a  bed,  and  which  can  be  rolled  up  into 
a  cylinder  and  slung  over  the  shoulders. 

On  her  way  she  met  with  two  adventures,  both  of  which  nearly  fhistrated  her  plan.  At 
the  dawn  of  the  day  ^n  which  she  escaped,  she  met  a  party  of  men,  who  saw  tears  in  her 
lace  and  taxed  her  with  being  a  fugitive.  However,  she  was  so  ready  with  the  answer 
that  she  had  been  taking  snuff  (the  Kaffir  snuif  always  makes  the  eyes  water  profusely), 
that  they  allowed  her  to  proceed  on  her  journey. 

The  next  was  a  more  serious  adventure.  Having  come  to  the  territories  of  the 
Amakoba  tribe,  she  went  into  a  kraal  for  shelter  at  night,  and  the  inhabitants,  who  knew 
jthe  quarrel  between  her  father  and  the  chief,  first  fed  her  hospitably,  and  then  tied  her 
hand  and  foot,  and  sent  off  a  messenger  to  the  chief  from  whom  she  had  escaped.  She 
[contrived,  however,  to  get  out  of  the  kraal,  but  was  captured  again  by  the  women.  She 
as  so  violent  with  them,  and  her  conduct  altogether  so  strange,  that  they  were  afraid  of 
[her,  and  let  her  go  her  own  way.  From  that  time  she  avoided  all  dwellings,  and  only 
ivelled  through  the  bush,  succeeding  in  fording  the  Tugela  river  at  the  end  of  the  fourth 
y,  thus  being  out  of  Panda's  power. 

Her  reason  for  undertaking  this  long  and  perilous  journey  was  two-fold ;  first,  that 

might  escape  from  a  husband  whom  she  did  not  Uke,  and  secondly,  that  she  might 

ibtain  a  husband  whom  she  did.     For  in  the  Natal  district  was  living  a  young  man  with 

hom  she  had  carried  on  some  love-passages,  and  who,  like  herself,  was  a  fugitive  from 

own  land. 

After  some  difficulty,  she  was  received  as  a  dependent  of  a  chief,  and  was  straightway 
iked  in  marriage  by  two  young  men.     She  would  have  nothing  to  say  to  them,  but 
ntrived  to  find  out  her  former  lover.    Then  followed  an  absurd  series  of  scenes,  too 
long  to  be  narrated  in  detail 

First  the  young  man  was  rather  cool  towards  her,  and  so  she  went  off  in  a  huff,  and 
onld  not  speak  to  him.    Then  he  went  after  her,  but  was  only  repulsed  for  his  pains, 
en  they  met  while  t!ie  chief's  corn  was  being  planted,  and  made  up  the  quarrel  but 
ere  espied  by  the  chief,  and  both  soundly  beaten  for  idling  instead  of  working.    Then 
e  fell  Ul,  and  she  went  to  see  him,  but  would  not  speak  a  word.     Then  he  got  well,  and 
hey  had  another  quarrel,  which  was  unexpectedly  terminated  by  TJzitito  insisting  on 
Bing  married.     The  young  man  objected  that  he  did  not  know  how  mciny  cows  the  chief 
ooid  want  for  her,  and  that  he  had  not  enough  to  pay  for  a  wife.     She  was  equal  to  the 
ision,  hov/ever,  fixed  her  own  value  at  ten  cows,  and  ordered  him  to  work  hard  until 
had  earned  them. 
Meanwhile  her  protector  had  made  up  his  mind  to  take  her  for  his  own  wife,  thinking 


4% 


,9 


80 


THE  KAFFIR 


it  a  good  opportunity  to  gain  another  wife  without  paying  for  her.  Uzinto,  iiowcvur,  hi{ 
not  gone  through  so  mutli  to  lose  the  husband  on  whom  she  had  set  her  heart,  oud  (\A 
went  1)  tlie  yi  g  man's  kraal,  appeared  before  the  headman,  and  demaudud  to  be 
/  iustiintly  betrotlied.  He  laturally  feared  the  auger  of  tlie  chief,  and  sent  hor  back  agaij 
to  liis  kraal,  whore,  .vith  tears,  sulking  fits,  anger  fits,  and  threats  of  suicide,  she  Vf.nied 
all  the  inmates  so  completely,  that  they  yielded  the  point  for  the  sake  of  pead  ^A 
quutness,  lu  nted  four  cows  from  the  lover  as  au  iustulmeut  of  the  required  tin,  ond 
so  married  hiu  Lo  him  at  lust. 

There  is  another  instiince,  where  a  girl  fell  ardently  in  love  with  a  young  Twittircliief  I 
as  he  wfis  displaying  his  agility  in  a  dance.     He  did  not  even  know  her,  and  Wfi,  uth'A 
surprise' i  when  she  presented  herself  at  his  kraal,  and  avowed  the  state  of  her  fiffoctions 
He,  however,  did  not  retmii  them,  and  as  the  girl  refused  to  leave  his  kraal,  Ik  ;v8j| 
obliged  to  send  for  her  brother,  wiio  removed  her  by  force.     She  scon  mode  her  wnj  beck 
again,  and  this  time  was  severely  beaten  for  her  j)ertinacity.      The  stripes  had  no 
effect  upon  her;  and  in  loss  than  a  week  she  again  presented  herself.     Fii     ng  (Juj 
his  'lister  was  so  determined,   the  brother  suggested  tnat  the  too-fascinating  chief  had 
bett.r  marry  the  girl,  and  so  f  ud  the  dispute  ;  and  the  re.'^iilt  was  that  at  last  the  lady 
gaine  1  lnH"  point,  the  needful    ows  Mere  duly  paid  to  the  brother,  and  the  mairiage  took 
place 

Even  after  marriage,  there  are  i     ny  instances  where"  the  wife  has  happened  to  possess! 
an  inicUect  f.ir  superior  to  that  ol  her  husbuud,  and  where  she  has  gained  a  thorougli 
ascendency  over  him,  gniding  him  in  .ill  liis  transactions,  whether  of  peace  or  war.    And! 
it  is  only  jus'  to  say  thu     n  these  rare  jist mces  of  feminine  supremacy,  the  husband  1 
submitted  to.   s  wife's  guidance  through  a  conviction  that  it  was  exercised  judiciouslj,  I 
and  not  througli  any  weakness  of  cluudcter  ou  his  own  part,  or  ill-temper  on  hers. 


fIDDINa  OSBniONZIfl- 
WJCODINO  DANOB — K 
—MUTUAL  BBLATIOIi 

—UZINTO  AOAnr — t: 

jnXB — POWKB  OF  Dl 
AUTHOBITT  OF  THE 
OHOOSINO  THEM — TJ 
BIBTH-NAanS — AN  Al 
AND  CONFXBRKD — Vj 
Of  PANDA — THK  AU 
— INFBRIOB  POBITIOl 
TABI0U8  BANKS. 


'fnm  the  marriage-da 
3  the  wealth  of  the  pa 
The  bride,  decked 
I  grand  procession  1 
agai  before  she  star 
kith  red  painty  and  dre 
little  tuft  looks  as  mucl 
wistles.    She  is  escortt 
pany  other  married  wo 
md  friends  make  a  poi 
nmg  his  shield  and 
pe  then  seats  herself,  s 
About  this  period  o 
»y  respecting  certain 
If  the  brid&    The  form 
Irideby  the  bridegroom 
Ire  hung  about  the  bo( 
lie  mother  is  made  in 
laughter's  childhood. 
t  for  the  marriage  feas 
Tiutu  ox  is  ready  for  t 
Another  ox,  called  I 
)  the  giri's  father,  and 
[The  day  having  consi 
poom's  kraal  to  claim  t 
pded  in  a  long  file, 
VOL.  I 


CHAPTEB  X. 


UARUUlQE— Continued. 


flSDINO     OBBBXOmU — PBOOXflnON     OV    THS    BRTDS — TltK    VK^nnffi  — THK     OXKN — TRB 

WKDDINO  OANCT — MUTVAI.   DBPBBCIATIOW   AMD  KNCOURAOBMKNT — Ai  O  THK  BaiDBOROOM 

— MUTUAL  BBLATI0N8  OF  HUSBANDS  AND  WIVBB A  KAFHR    PBTRUOli  iilK    OX    OF  TUB    QIBL 

— UZINTO   AGAIN— THB    OX   OF   THB  BUBPLV8 ITS  lUPORT — VABIKTIK8  OF    W  '  KRIAOB   CBRKMO- 

XIBS — POWER    OF   DIVORCE COUPARISON    OF   THB    KAFFIR   AND    IIOSAIO    LAA^S IBBBBPONBIBLB 

ACTHOBITT   OF  THB   HUSBAND — CURIOUS   CODB   OF   XTIQUBTTX — KilFFIR  NAMES,  AND  MODES   OF 

CHOOSING    THEM — THE     BUTH-NAHB    AND    THB     8URNAMB8 BUFEBSTITIONB    RX8PRCTINO   THE 

DIBTH-NAHB — AN  AHUSINa  BTBATAOBM — THB  BUBNAMBS,  OB  FRAIHB-NAMBB — HOW  EARNED 
AND  CONFBBRBD — VARIOUS  PBAI8B-NAME8  OF  PANDA — A  KAFFIR  BOASTER — BONO  IN  PRAI8B 
or  PANDA — THB  ALLUSIONS  KXPLAINRD — A  HTRANOE  RBBTBICTION,  AND  MODE  OF  EVADING  IT 
—INFERIOR  POSITION  OF  WOMEN — WOMEN  WITH  FmSWOOO— DmXBBNCX  BETWEEN  OIBL8  OF 
VABI0U8  AANKS. 


t        ) 


7nEir  the  marriage-day  is  fixed,  a  ceremonial  takes  place,  differing  in  detail  according 

I  the  wealth  of  the  parties,  but  similar  in  all  the  principal  points. 
The  bride,  decked  in  all  the  beads  and  other  finery  that  she  can  muster,  proceeds 

I  a  grand  procession  to  the  kraal  of  her  future  husband.  Her  head  is  shaved  with  an 
agai  before  she  starts,  the  little  tuft  of  hair  on  the  top  of  her  bare  pate  is  rubbed 
Kfith  red  paint,  and  dressed  with  various  appliances,  until  it  stands  on  end,  and  the  odd 
little  tuft  looks  as  much  as  possible  like  a  red  shaving-brush,  with  very  short,  diverging 
bristles.  She  is  escorted  by  all  her  young  friends,  and  is  accompanied  by  her  mother  and 
uany  other  married  women  of  the  tribe,  all  bedizened  to  the  utmost.    Her  male  relatives 

ad  friends  make  a  point  of  joining  the  procession,  also  dressed  in  their  best,  but  each 

earing  his  shield  and  a  bundle  of  assagais,  so  as  to  guard  the  bride  against  enemies. 

le  then  seats  herself,  surrounded  by  her  companions,  outside  the  kraaL 

About  this  period  of  the  ceremony  there  is  generally  a  considerable  amount  of  by- 

klay  respecting  certain  oxen,  which  have  to  be  given  by  the  bridegroom  and  the  father 

If  the  bride.    The  former  is  called  the  "  Ukutu  "  ox,  which  is  given  to  the  mother  of  the 

frideby  the  bridegroom.    The  word  "  Ukutu  "  literally  signifies  the  leathern  thongs  which 

hung  about  the  bodies  of  chfldren  by  way  of  charms,  and  the  present  of  the  ox  to 

lie  mother  is  made  in  ordt.  to  reimburse  her  for  the  expenditure  in  thongs  during  her 
laughter's  childhood.    The  mother  does  not  keep  the  ox,  but  slaughters  it  and  dresses 

for  the  marriage  feast,  and  by  the  time  that  the  wedding  has  been  fairly  begun,  the 

Tcutu  ox  is  ready  for  the  guests. 
Another  ox,  called  by  the  curious  name  of  "  Umquoliswa,"  is  given  by  the  bridegroom 

)  the  girl's  father,  and  about  this  there  is  much  ceremony,  as  is  narrated  by  Mr.  Shooter. 
[The  day  having  considerably  advanced,  the  male  friends  of  the  bride  go  to  the  bride- 
room's  kraal  to  claim  the  ox  called  Umquoliswa.  In  a  case  which  I  witnessed,  they  pro- 
Keded  in  a  long  file,  with  a  step  difficult  to  describe,  being  a  sort  of  slow  and  measured 

VOL.  L  a      ' 


■I' 


s^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


1.0 


I.I 


^  I2ii   12.2 


111   I 

HI       I 
u 


14.0 


■  2.0 


—  i-^  M. 

^ 

6"     

» 

PholDgraphic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTn,N.Y.  V4SC0 

(716)  •72-4503 


< 


^ 


W^i' 


!    -t^ 


FBOCBSSION  OF  THB  BmDB. 


ijii  i! 

m 


stamping,  an  imitation  of  their  dancing  movement    Wearing  the  dress  and  oniamenli| 
previously  mentioned  as  appropriated  to  occasions  of  festivity,  they  brandished  shieUi 
and  sticks,  the  usual  accompaniment  of  a  wedding-dance ;  while  their  tongues  Yfei 
occupied  with  a  monotonous  and  unsentimental  chant — 

"  '  Give  us  tho  Umquoliswa, 
We  desire  the  Umquoliswfc'  ^ 


THE  WEDDING  DANCE. 


88 


"  In  this  way  they  entered  the  kraal,  and,  tnming  to  the  right,  reached  the  principal 
hat  The  father  of  the  girl  now  called  upon  the  bridegroom,  who  was  inside,  to  come 
forth  and  give  them  the  Umquoliswa.  The  latter  replied  that  he  had  no  ox  to  present  to 
them.  He  was  then  assured  that  the  bride  would  be  taken  home;  but  he  remained 
invisible  until  other  members  of  the  party  had  required  him  to  appear.  Having  left  the 
house,  he  hurried  to  the  gateway,  and  attempted  to  pass  it  His  exit,  however,  was  barred 
by  a  company  of  women  already  in  possession  of  the  entrance,  while  a  smile  on  his  face 
)howed  that  his  efforts  to  escape  were  merely  formal,  and  that  he  was  going  through  tax 
amasing  ceremony. 

"  The  Umquoliswa  was  now  fetched  from  the  herd,  and  given  to  the  bride's  parl^,  who 
were  bivouackmg  under  the  lee  of  a  clump  of  bush.  Her  sisters  affected  to  despise  it  as  a 
paltry  thing,  and  bade  the  owner  produce  a  better.  He  told  them  that  it  was  the  laigest 
and  the  fattest  that  he  could  procure ;  but  they  were  not  satisfied — ^they  would  not  eat  it. 
Presently,  the  father  put  an  end  to  their  noisy  by-play,  and  accepted  the  beast  The  bride 
then  ran  towards  the  kraal,  and  after  a  while  the  dances  commenced." 

The  dances  are  carried  on  with  the  violent  and  idmost  furious,  energy  that  seems  to 
take  possession  of  a  Kaffir's  soul  when  engaged  in  the  dance,  the  arms  flourishing  sticks, 
shields,  and  spears,  while  the  legs  are  performing  marvellous  feats  of  activity.  First  the 
hrid^room  and  his  companions  seat  themselves  in  the  cattle-pen,  and  refresh  themselves 
copiously  with  beer,  whUe  the  party  of  the  bride  dances  before  him.  The  process  is  then 
reversed,  the  bride  sitting  dow^i,  and  her  husband's  party  dancing  before  her.  Songs  on 
both  sides  accompany  the  dance. 

The  girl  is  addressed  by  the  matrons  belonging  to  the  bridegroom's  party,  who  depre- 
ciate her  as  much  as  possible,  telling  her  that  her  husband  has  given  too  many  cows  for 
her«  that  she  will  never  be  able  to  do  a  married  woman's  work,  that,  she  is  rather  plain 
thad  otherwise,  and^that  her  marriage  to  the  bridegroom  is  a  wonderful  instance  of  con- 
descension on  his  part  This  cheerful  address  is  intended  to  prevent  her  from  being  too 
much  elated  by  h^r  translation  &om  the  comparative  nonentity  of  girlhood  to  the  honour^ 
able  post  of  a  Zulu  matron. 

Perfect  equity,  however,  reigns ;  and  when  the  bride's  party  begin  to  dance  and  sing, 
they  make  the  most  of  their  opportunity.  Addressing  the  parents,  they  congratulate  them 
on  the  possession  of  such  a  daughter,  but  rather  condole  with  them  on  the  very  inadequate 
number  of  cows  which  the  bridegroom  has  paid.  They  tell  the  bride  that  she  is  the  most 
lovtly  girl  in  the  tribe,  that  her  conduct  has  been  absolute  perfection,  that  the  husband  is 
quite  unworthy  of  her,  and  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself  for  making  such  a  hard  bargain 
with  lier  father.  Of  course  neither  party  believed  a  word  that  is  said,  but  everything  in 
Kaffirland  must  be  conducted  with  the  strictest  etiquette. 

After  each  dance,  the  leader — usually  the  father — addresses  a  speech  to  the  contracted 
couple;  and,  if  the  bridegroom  be  taking  a  wife  for  the  first  time,  the  quantity  of  good 
advice  that  is  heaped  upon  him  by  the  more  experienced  would  be  very  useful  if  he  were 
likely  to  pay  any  attention  to  it  He  is  told  that  being  a  bachelor,  he  cannot  know  how 
to  manatee  a  wife,  and  is  advised  not  to  make  too  frequent  use  of  the  stick,  by  way  of 
gaining  obsdieuce.  Men,  he  is  told,  can  manage  any  number  of  wives  without  using 
peraonal  violence ;  but  boys  are  apt  to  be  too  hasty  with  their  hands.  The  husband  of 
Uzinto,  whose  adventures  have  already  been  related,  made  a  curious  stipulation  when 
thus  addressed,  and  promised  not  to  beat  her  if  she  did  not  beat  htm.  Considering  the 
exceedingly  energetic  character  of  the  girl,  this  was  rather  a  wise  condition  to  make. 

AH  these  preliminaries  being  settled,  the  bridegroom  seats  himself  on  the  ground 
while  the  bride  dances  before  him.  While  so  doing,  she  takes  the  opportunity  of  calling 
him  by  opprobious  epithets,  kicks  dust  in  his  face,  disarranges  his  elegant  head-dress,  and 
takes  similar  liberties  by  way  of  letting  him  know  that  he  is  not  her  master  yet.  After 
she  is  married  she  will  take  no  such  liberties. 

Then  another  ox  comes  on  the  scene,  the  last,  and  most  important  of  all.  This  is 
called  the  Ox  of  the  Girl,  and  has  to  be  presented  lay  the  bridegroom. 

It  must  here  be  mentioned  that,  although  the  bridegroom  seems  to  De  taxed  rather 
heavily  for  the  privilege  of  possessing  a  wife,  the  tax  is  more  apparent  than  real.    In  the 

o2 


'I' 


fei, 


84 


THE  KAFFIR 


first  place,  he  considers  tbat  all  these  oxen  form  part  of  the  price  which  he  pays  for  the 
wife  in  question,  and  looks  upon  them  much  in  tne  same  light  that  householders  r^aid 
the  various  taxes  that  the  occupier  of  a  house  has  to  pay — ^namely,  a  recognised  addition 
to  the  sum  demanded  for  the  property.  The  Kaffir  husband  considers  hu  wife  as  much 
a  portion  of  his  property  as  his  spear  or  his  kaross,  and  will  sometimes  state  the  point 
very  plainly. 

When  a  missionary  was  trying  to  remonstrate  with  a  Kaffir  for  throwing  all  the  haid 
work  upon  his  wife  and  doing  nothing  at  all  himself,  he  answered  that  she  was  nothing 
more  or  less  than  his  ox,  bounit  and  paid  for,  and  must  expect  to  be  worked  accordinglT. 
His  interlocutor  endeavoured  to  strengthen  his  position  by  mentioning  the  maimer  m 
which  Europeans  treated  their  wives,  but  met  with  little  success  in  his     gument    Ihe 


It*  ■; ' 


vmxnmva  viB,TDamxm.--(St$p«v*es} 


Kaffir^s  reply  was  simple  enough,  and  perfectly  unRr»gwerable.  "  White  men  do  not  buy 
their  wives,  and  the  two  cases  are  not  parallel."  ,£act,  a  Kaffir  husband's  idea  of  a 
wife  does  not  differ  very  far  from  that  of  Petruclui  .chough  the  latter  did  happen  to  be 
an  European — 

"  I  will  be  master  of  what  is  mine  own ; 
She  is  my  goods,  my  chattels,  she  is  my  house. 
My  household  stuff,  my  field,  my  barn, 
My  horse,  my  ox,  my  ass,  my  anything." 

And  the  Kaffir  wife's  idea  of  a  husband  is  practically  that  of  the  tamed  Katherine — 

"Thy  husband  is  thy  lord,  thy  keeper, 
Thy  head,  thy  soTereigu" — 


THE  OX  OP  THE  SUEPLUS. 


86 


thongh  she  could  by  no  maimer  of  means  finish  the  speech  with  troth,  and  say  that  he 
labours  for  her  while  she  abides  at  home  at  ease,  and  ask  no  other  tribute  but  obedience 
and  love.  The  former  portion  of  that  tribute  is  exacted ;  the  latter  is  not  so  rare  as  the 
circumstances  seem  to  denote. 

The  sums  which  a  Kaffir  pays  for  his  wife  he  considers  as  property  invested  by  him- 
self, and  expected  to  return  a  good  interest  in  the  long  run,  and,  as  has  already  been 
mentioned,  there  are  often  circumstances  under  which  he  takes  credit  for  the  amount, 
and  expects  to  be  repaid.  So,  although  a  bridegroom  is  obliged  to  part  with  certain 
cattle  on  the  occasion  of  his  wedding,  ne  keeps  a  very  accurate  mental  account  of  them, 
and  is  sure  to  repay  himself  in  one  way  or  another. 

After  the  Ox  of  the  Girl  has  been  furnished,  it  is  solemnly  slaughtered,  and  this 
constitutes  the  binding  portion  of  the  marriage.  Up  to  that  time  the  father  or  owner  of 
the  girl  might  take  her  back  again,  of  course  returning  the  cattle  that  had  been  paid  for 
her,  as  well  as  those  which  had  been  presented  and  slaughtered.  Our  heroine,  Uzinto, 
a£forded  an  example  of  this  kind.  The  bridegroom  had  a  natural  antipathy  to  the  chief, 
who  had  tried  to  marry  the  lady  by  force,  and  showed  his  feelings  by  sending  the  very 
smallest  and  thinnest  ox  that  could  be  found.  The  chief  remonstrated  at  this  insult,  and 
wanted  to  annul  the  whole  transaction.  In  this  he  might  have  succeeded,  but  for  a 
coridus  coincidence.  The  father  of  the  bride  had  finally  quarrelled  with  his  chief,  and  had 
been  forced  to  follow  the  example  of  his  daughter  and  her  intended  husband,  and  to  take 
refuge  in  Natal.  Just  at  the  wedding  he  unexpectedly  made  his  appearance,  and  found 
himself  suddenly  on  the  way  to  wealth.  His  daughter  was  actually  being  married  to 
a  man  who  had  engaged  to  pay  ten  cows  for  her.  So  he  did  not  trouble  himself  in  the 
least  about  the  size  of  the  ox  that  was  to  be  slaughtered,  but  accepted  the  animal,  and 
actordingly  became  owner  of  the  cows  in  question,  minus  those  which  had  to  be  paid  as 
honorary  gifts  to  the  disappointed  chief  and  the  successful  lover. 

After  the  ceremonies  aro  oyer,  the  husband  takes  his  wife  home,  the  character  of  that 
home  being  dependent  on  his  rank  and  wealth.  But  when  the  coupl&have  fairly  taken 
up  their  abode,  the  father  or  previous  owner  of  the  wife  always  sends  one  ox  to  her 
husband.  This  ox  is  called  the  Ox  of  the  Surplus,  and  represents  several  ideas.  In  the 
first  place  it  is  supposed  to  imply  that  the  girl's  value  very  far  exceeds  that  of  any 
number  of  oxen  which  can  be  giv  >n  for  her,  and  is  intended  to  let  the  bridegroom  know 
that  he  is  not  to  think  too  much  of  himself  Next,  it  is  an  admission  on  the  father's  side 
tiiat  he  is  satisfied  with  the  transaction,  and  that  when  he  dies  he  will  not  avenge  himself 
by  haunting  his  daughter's  household,  and  so  causing  the  husband  to  be  disappointed  in 
his  wishes  for  a  large  family  of  boys  and  girls,  the  first  to  be  warriors  and  extend  the 
power  of  his  house,  and  the  second  to  be  sold  for  many  cows  and  increase  his  wealth. 

So  curiously  elaborate  are  the  customs  of  the  Kaffirs,  that  when  this  Ox  of  the 
Surplus  enters  the  kraal  of  the  husband  it  is  called  by  another  name,  and  is  then  entitled, 
"  The  Ox  that  opens  the  Cattle-fold."  The  theory  of  this  name  is,  that  the  husband  has 
paid  for  his  wife  all  his  oxen,  and  that  in  consequence  the  cattle-fold  is  empty.  But  the 
ox  that  she  brings  with  her  re-opens  the  gate  of  the  fold,  and  is  looked  upon  as  an  earnest 
of  the  herds  that  are  to  be  purchased  with  the  daughters  which  she  may  have  in  the 
course  of  her  married  life.  These  curious  customs  strongly  remind  us  of  the  old  adage 
respecting  the  counting  of  chickens  before  they  are  hatched,  but  the  Kaffir  seems  to 
perform  uiat  premature  calculation  in  more  ways  than  one. 

The  reader  will  understand  that  these  minute  and  complicated  ceremonies  are  not 
always  observed  in  precisely  the  same  manner.  In  many  cases,  especially  when  the 
KafiBrs  have  lived  for  any  length  of  time  under  the  protection  of  white  men,  there  is  veiy 
little,  if  any  ceremony ;  the  chief  rites  being  the  arrangement  with  the  girl's  owner  or 
&ther,  the  delivery  of  the  cattle,  and  the  transfer  of  the  purchased  girl  to  the  kraal  of 
her  husband.  Moreover,  it  is  very  difficult  for  white  men  to  be  present  at  Kaffir  cere- 
monies, and  in  numy  cases  the  Kaffirs  will  pretend  that  there  is  no  ceremony  at  all,  in 
order  to  put  their  interrogators  off  the  track.  The  foregoing  account  is,  however,  a 
tolerably  full  description  of  the  ceremonies  tiiat  are,  or  have  been,  practised  by  the  great 
Zulu  tribe. 


86 


THE  KAFFIR 


I'    I. 


I      ' 


A  marni^  thta  made  is  considered  quite  as  binding  as  any  ceremony  among  onr. 
selves,  and  the  KafiBr  may  not  put  away  his  wife  except  for  causes  that  are  considered 
valid  by  the  councillors  of  the  tribe.  Infidelity  is,  of  course,  punished  by  instant  die* 
missal  of  the  unfaithful  wife,  if  not  by  her  death,  the  latter  fate  invariably  befalling  the 
erring  wife  of  a  chief.  As  for  the  other  culprit,  the  aggrieved  husband  has  him  at  big 
mercy,  and  sometimes  puts  him  to  .death,  but  sometimes  commutes  that  punishment  for  a 
heavy  fina 

Constant  and  systematic  disobedience  is  also  accepted  as  a  valid  cause  of  divorce,  and 
so  is  incorrigible  idlenesa  The  process  of  reasoning  is,  that  the  husband  has  bought  the 
woman  in  order  to  perform  certuu  tasks  for  him.  If  she  refuses  to  perform  them  through 
disobedience,  or  omits  to  perform  them  through  idleness,  it  is  clear  that  he  has  paid 
his  money  for  a  worthless  article,  and  is  therefore  entitled  to  return  her  on  the  hands  of 
tiie  vendor,  and  to  receive  back  a  fair  proportion  of  the  sum  which  he  has  paid.  Some- 
times she  thinks  herself  ill-treated,  and  betakes  herself  to  the  kraal  of  her  father.  In 
this  case,  the  father  can  keep  her  by  paying  back  the  cattle  which  he  has  received  for 
her;  and  if  there  should  be  any  children,  the  husband  retains  them  as  hostages  unt3 
the  cattle  have  been  delivered.  He  then  transfers  them  to  the  mother,  to  whom  they 
lightly  belong. 

Another  valid  cause  of  divorce  is  the  misfortime  of  a  wife  being  childless.  The  husband 
expects  that  she  shall  be  a  fi-uitful  wife,  and  that  his  children  wUl  add  to  his  power  and 
wealth ;  and  if  she  does  not  fulfil  this  expectation,  he  is  entitled  to  a  divorce.  Generally, 
he  sends  the  wife  to  the  kraal  of  her  father,  who  propitiates  the  spirits  of  her  ancestors 
by  the  sacrifice  of  an  ox,  and  begs  them  to  remove  the  cause  of  divorce.  She  then  goes 
back  to  her  husband,  but  if  she  should  still  continue  childless,  she  is  sent  back  to  her 
father,  who  is  bound  to  return  the  cattle  which  he  has  received  for  her.  Sometimes, 
however,  a  modification  of  this  system  is  employed,  and  the  father  gives,  in  addition  to 
the  wife,  one  of  her  unmarried  sisters,  who,  it  is  hoped,  may  better  fulfil  the  wishes  of 
the  husband.  The  father  would  rather  follow  this  plan  than  consent  to  a  divorce,  be- 
cause he  then  retains  the  cattle,  and  to  give  up  a  single  ox  causes  pangs  of  sorrow  in  a 
Kaffir's  breast  Should  the  sister  become  a  fruitful  wife,  one  or  two  of  the  children  are 
transferred  to  the  former  wife,  and  ever  afterwards  considered  as  belonging  to  her  house. 

All  these  details  remind  the  observer  of  similar  details  in  the  Mosaic  law  of  marriage, 
and,  in  point  of  fact,  the  social  condition  of  the  Kaffir  of  the  present  day  is  not  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  Israelite  when  the  Law  was  first  promulgated  through  the  great 
legislator.  Many  of  the  customs  are  identical,  and  in  others  there  is  a  similitude  that  is 
almost  startling.  But,  as  far  as  the  facility  of  divorce  goes,  the  Kaffir  certainly  seems  to 
look  upon  marriage,  even  though  he  may  have  an  unlimited  number  of  wives,  with  more 
reverence  than  did  the  ancient  Israelite,  and  he  woidd  not  think  of  divorcing  a  wife 
through  a  mere  caprice  of  the  moment,  as  was  sanctioned  by  the  traditions  of  the  Jews, 
though  not  by  their  divinely-given  law. 

Still,  though  he  does  not,  as  a  general  rule,  think  himself  justified  in  such  arbitrary 
divorces,  he  considers  himself  gifted  with  an  irresponsible  authority  over  his  wives,  even 
to  the  power  of  life  and  death.  If,  for  example,  a  husband  in  a  fit  of  passion  were  to 
kill  his  wife — a  circumstance  that  has  frequently  occurred — ^no  one  has  any  business  to 
interfere  in  the  matter,  for,  according  to  his  view  of  the  case,  she  is  his  property,  bought, 
and  paid  for,  and  he  has  just  as  much  right  to  kill  her  as  if  she  were  one  of  his  goats  or 
oxen.  Her  father  cannot  proceed  against  the  muiderer,  for 'he  has  no  further  right  in  his 
daughter,  having  sold  her  and  received  the  stipulated  price.  The  man  has,  in  fact,  destroyed 
valuable  property  of  his  own — property  which  might  be  sold  for  cows,  and  which  was 
expected  to  work  for  him,  and  produce  offspring  exchangeable  for  cows.  It  is  thought, 
therefore,  that  if  he  chooses  to  inflict  upon  himself  so  severe  a  loss,  no  one  has  any  more 
right  to  interfere  with  him  than  if  he  were  to  kill  a  number  of  oxen  in  a  fit  of  passion. 

Sometimes,  however,  the  chief  had  been  known  to  take  such  a  matter  in  hand,  and  to 
fine  the  delinquent  in  a  cow  or  two  for  destroying  a  valuable  piece  of  property,  which, 
though  his  own,  formed  a  unit  in  the  strength  of  the  tribe,  and  over  which  he,  as  the 
acknowledged  father  of  the  tribe,  had  a  jurisdiction.    But,  even  in  such  rare  instances, 


BRTOEGROOM  AND  MOTHER-IN-LAW. 


a? 


his  interference,  although  it  would  be  made  ostensibly  for  the  sake  of  justice,  would  in 
leality  be  an  easy  mode*of  addiug  to  his  own  wealth  by  conhscating  the  cattle  which  he 
demanded  as  a  fine  from  the  culprit. 

Between  married  persons  and  their  relatives  a  very  singular  code  of  etiquette  prevails. 
In  the  first  place,  a  man  is  not  allowed  to  marry  any  one  to  whom  he  is  related  by  blood. 
He  may  marry  two  or  more  sisters,  provided  that  they  come  from  a  difiierent  famUy  from 
hif)  own,  but  he  may  not  take  a  vrih  who  descended  from  his  own  immediate  ancestors. 
But,  like  the  ancient  Hebrews,  a  man  may  not  only  marry  the  wife  of  a  deceased  brother, 
bat  considers  himself  bound  to  do  so  in  justice  to  the  woman,  and  to  the  children  of  his 
brother,  who  then  become  to  all  intents  and  purposes  his  own. 

The  peculiar  etiquette  which  has  been  mentioned  lies  in  the  social  conduct  of  those 
vho  are  related  to  each  other  by  marriage  and  not  by  blood.  After  a  man  is  married,  he 
may  not  speak  familiarly  to  his  wife's  mother,  nor  even  look  upon  her  face,  and  this 
curious  custom  is  called  "being  ashamed  of  the  mother-in-law."  If  he  wishes  to  speak 
to  her,  he  must  retire  to  some  distance,  and  carry  on  his  communication  by  shouting; 
which,  as  has  been  truly  said,  is  certainly  no  hardship  to  a  Kaffir.  Or,  if  the  com- 
sranication  be  of  a  nature  that  others  ought  not  to  hear,  the  etiquette  is  thought  to  be 
snfiBciently  observed  provided  that  the  two  parties  stand  at  either  side  of  a  fence  over 
which  they  cannot  see. 

If,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  man  and  his  mother-in-law  happen  to  meet  in  one  of 
the  narrow  paths  that  lead  from  the  kraal  to  the  gardens  and  cultivated  fields,  they 
must  always  pretend  not  to  see 
each  other.  The  woman  generally 
looks  out  for  a  convenient  bush, 
and  crouches  behind  it,  while  the 
man  carefully  holds  his  shield  to 
his  face.  So  far  is  this  peculiar 
etiquette  carried  that  neither  the 
man  nor  his  mother-in-law  is 
allowed  to  mention  the  name  of  the 
other.  This  prohibition  must  in  all 
places  be  exceedingly  awkward, 
but  it  is  more  so  in  Kafflrland, 
where  the  name  which  is  given  to 
each  individual  is  sure  to  denote 
some  mental  or  physical  attribute, 
or  to  be  the  name  of  some  natural 
object  which  is  accepted  as  the 
embodiment  of  that  attribute. 

Supposing,  then,  that  the  name 
of  the  man  signified  a  house,  and 
that  the  name  of  his  mother-in- 
law  signified  a  cow,  it  is  evident 
that  each  must  be  rather  embar- 
rassed in  ordinary  conversation.  Persons  thus  situated  always  substitute  some  other 
word  for  that  which  they  are  forbidden  to  pronounce,  and  that  substitution  is  always 
accepted  by  the  friends.  Curiously  circumlocutory  terms  are  thus  invented,  and  very 
much  resemble  the  euphemisms  which  prevail  both  in  Northern  America  and  Northern 
Europe.  In  such  a  case  as  has  been  mentioned,  the  man  might  always  speak  of  a  cow 
as  "the  homed  one,"  and  the  woman  would  use  the  word  "dwelling"  or  "habitation" 
instead  of  "house."    • 

As,  moreover,  a  man  has  generally  a  considerable  number  of  mothers-in-law,  it  is 
evident  that  this  rule  must  sometimes  be  productive  of  much  inconvenience,  and  cause 
the  memory  to  be  always  on  the  stretch.  How  such  a  man  as  Panda,  who  has  at  least  a 
thousand  mothers-in-law,  contrives  to  carry  on  conversation  at  all,  is  rather  perplexing. 
Perhaps  he  is  considered  to  be  above  tibe  law,  and  that  his  words  are  as  irresponsible 


WAX/^ 


KAFFIR  PASSING  BIS  MOTHEB-IX-LAW. 


THE  KAFFIR 


81'    i 


1%-' 


i4 


'I'-  '■ 


;S^j 


W^' 


•8  his  aotlons.     The  reader  may  perhaps  rememher  that  a  similar  ctistom  prerafli 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  Polynesia 

The  wife,  again,  is  interdicted  from  pronouncing  the  name  of  her  husband,  or  that  of 
any  of  lus  brouiers.  This  seems  as  if  she  would  be  prevented  from  speaking  to  him  in 
fitmiUar  terms,  but  such  is  not  really  the  case.  The  fact  is,  that  every  Kaffir  lias  mote 
tiian  one  name ;  and  the  higher  the  rank,  the  greater  the  nimiber  of  names.  At  birth,  or 
soon  afterwards,  a  name  is  given  to  the  child,  and  this  name  has  always  reference  to  some 
attribute  which  the  child  is  desired  to  possess,  or  to  some  circumstance  which  hu 
occurred  at  the  time. 

For  example,  a  child  is  sometimes  called  by  the  name  of  the  day  on  which  it  is  born, 
juct  as  Bobinson  Crusoe  called  his  servant  Iriday.  If  a  wild  beast,  such  as  a  lion  or 
a  jackal,  were  heard  to  roar  at  the  time  when  the  child  was  bom,  the  circumstance  would 
be  accepted  as  an  omen,  and  the  child  called  by  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  by  a  word 
which  represents  its  cry.  Mr.  Shooter  mentions  some  rather  curious  examples  of  these 
names.  If  ti^e  animal  which  was  heard  at  the  time  of  the  child's  birth  were  the  hyeeita, 
which  is  called  impin  b^r  the  natives,  the  name  of  the  child  might  be  either  U'mpisi,  or 
U-huhu,  the  second  being  an  imitative  sound  representing  the  laugh-like  cry  of  the 
hynna.  A  boy  whose  father  prided  himself  on  the  number  of  his  stud,  which  of 
coursp  would  be  very  much  increased  when  his  son  inherited  them,  called  the  child 
"  Uso-mahasho,"  i  e.  the  father  of  horses.  This  child  became  afterwurds  a  well-known 
chief  in  the  Natal  district  A  girl,  again,  whose  mother  had  been  presented  with  a  new 
hoe  just  before  her  daughter  was  bom.  called  the  girl "  Uno-ntsimbi,"  i  e.  the  daughter  of 
iron.  The  name  of  Panda,  the  king  of  the  Zulu  tribes,  is  in  reality  "  U-mpande,"  a  name 
derived  from  "impande,"  a  kind  of  root. 

These  birth-names  are  known  by  the  title  "igama,"  and  it  is  only  to  them  that  the 
prohibitive  custom  extends.  In  the  case  of  a  chieC  his  igama  may  not  be  spoken  by  any 
belonging  to  his  kraal ;  and  in  the  case  of  a  king,  the  law  extends  to  all  his  subjecta 
Thus,  a  Kaffir  will  not  only  refuse  to  speak  of  Panda  by  his  name,  but  when  he  has 
occasion  to  speak  of  the  root  impande,  he  substitutes  another  word,  and  calls  it  "  ingxabo." 

A  Kaffir  does  not  like  that  a  stranger  should  even  hear  his  igama,  for  he  has  a  hazy 
sort  of  idea  that  the  knowledge  might  be  used  for  some  evil  purpose.  One  of  my  friends, 
who  lived  in  Kaffirland  for  some  years,  and  employed  a  considerable  number  of  the  men, 
never  could  induce  any  of  them  to  tell  him  their  igama,  and  found  that  they  would  always 
prefer  to  be  called  by  some  English  name,  such  as  Tom,  or  Billy.  At  last,  when  he  had 
attained  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  language,  he  could  listen  to  their  conversation,  and  so  find 
out  the  real  names  by  which  they  addressed  each  other.  When  he  had  mastered  these 
names,  he  took  an  opportunity  of  addressing  each  man  by  his  igama,  and  frightened  them 
exceedingly.  On  hearing  the  word  spoken,  thev  started  as  if  they  had  been  strack,  and 
laid  their  hands  on  their  mouths  in  horrified  silence.  The  very  fact  that  the  white  man 
had  been  able  to  gain  the  forbidden  knowledge  affected  them  with  so  strong  an  idea  of 
his  superiorify  that  they  became  very  obedient  servants. 

In  addition  to  the  igama,  the  Kaffir  takes  other  names,  always  in  praise  of  some  action 
that  he  has  performed,  and  it  is  thought  good  manners  to  address  him  by  one  or  more  of 
these  titles.  This  second  name  is  called  the  "isi-bonga,"  a  word  which  is  derived  from 
"uku-bonga,"  to  praise.  In  Western  Africa,  a  chief  takes,  in  addition  to  his  ordinary  name, 
a  whole  series  of  "  strong-names,"  all  allusive  to  some  portion  of  his  history.  Sometimes, 
the  isi-bonga  is  given  to  him  by  others.  For  example,  as  soon  as  a  boy  is  enrolled  among 
the  youths,  his  parents  give  mm  an  isi-bonga ;  and  when  he  assumes  the  head-ring  of 
manhood,  he  always  assumes  another  praise-name.  If  a  man  distinguishes  himself  in 
battle,  his  comrades  greet  him  by  an  isi-bonga,  by  which  he  is  officiaUy  known  until  he 
earns  another.  On  occasions  of  ceremony  he  is  always  addressed  by  one  or  more  of  these 
praise-names ;  and  if  he  be  visited  by  an  inferior,  the  latter  stands  outside\  his  hut,  and 
proclaims  aloud  as  many  of  his  titles  as  he  thinks  suitable  for  the  occasion.  It  is  then 
according  to  etiquette  to  send  a  present  of  snuff,  food,  and  drink  to  the  visitor,  who  again 
visits  the  hut^  and  repommences  his  proclamation,  adding  mo^e  titles  as  an  aokuow- 
ledgment  of  the  chief's  libexalitgr. 


12.  Thigh  qfth»  bull 


^M 


SONG  IN  PBAISE  OF  PANDA.  89 

/■ 

A  king  lias,  of  conne,  an  almost  illimitable  number  of  isi-bongas,  and  xeally  to  learn 
{hem  all  in  order  requires  a  memory  of  no  mean  order.  Two  or  three  of  them  are  therefore 
selected  for  ordinary  use,  the  remainder  being  reserved  for  the  heralds  whose  peculiar  . 
office.it  is  to  recite  the  praises  of  their  monarch.  Panda,  for  example,  is  usually  addressed 
as  "6  Elephant."  This  is  merely  a  symbolical  isi-bonga,  and  is  given  to  the  king  as 
admitting  him  to  be  greatest  among  men  as  the  elephant  is  greatest  among  beasts.  In^ 
one  sense  it  is  true  enoush,  the  elephantine  proportions  of  Panda  quite  justifying  such  an 
alinsion.  This  title  misnt  be  given  to  any  very  great  man,  but  it  is  a  convenient  name 
by  which  the  king  may  oe  called,  and  therefore  by  this  name  he  is  usually  addressed  in 
cooncil  and  on  parade. 

For  example,  Mr.  Shooter  recalls  a  little  incident  which  occurred  during  a  review  by 
Panda.  The  king  turned  to  one  of  the  "  boys,"  and  asked  how  he  would  behave  if  he 
met  a  white  man  in  battle?  Never  was  there  a  more  arrant  coward  than  this  "boy," 
but  boasting  was  safe,  and  springing  to  his  feet  he  spoke  like  a  brave :  "  Yes,  0  Elephant ! 
You  see  me  I  I'll  go  against  the  white  man.  His  gun  is  nothing.  I'll  rush  upon  him 
quickly  before  he  has  time  to  shoot,  or  I'll  stoop  down  to  avoid  the  balL  See  how  I'll  kill 
himl"  and  forthwith  his  stick  did  the  work  of  an  assagai  on  the  body  of  an  ima|[inaiy 
European.  Ducking  to  avoid  a  bullet,  and  then  rushing  in  before  the  enemy  had  time  to 
I  iel6ad,  was  a  very  favourite  device  with  the  Kaf&r  warriors,  and  answered  very  well  at 
I  ^t  But  their  white  foes  soon  learned  to  aim  so  low  that  all  the  ducking  in  the  ^orld 
could  not  elude  the  bullet,  while  the  more  recent  invention  of  revolvers  and  breech- 
I  loaders  has  entirely  discomfited  this  sort  of  tactic. 

In  a  song  in  honour  of  Panda,  a  part  of  which  has  already  been  quoted,  a  great 

I  number  of  isi-bongas  are  introduced.    It  will  be  therefore  better  to  give  the  song  entire, 

and  to  explain  the  various  allusions  in  their  order.    It  must  be  remembered  that  in  his 

earlier  days  Panda,  whose  life  was  originally  spared   by  Dingan,  when  he  murdered 

Tclu^  and  the  rest  of  the  family,  was  afterwards  obliged  to  flee  before  him,  and  very 

I  ingeniously  contrived  to  get  off  safely  across  the  river  by  watohing  his  opportunity  while 

I  the  army  of  Dingan  was  engaged  in  another  directioa    He  then  made  an  alliance  with 

■the  white  men,  brought  a  large  force  against  Dingan,  and  conquered  him,  driving  him  far 

I  beyond  the  boundaries,  and  ending  by  having  himself  proclaimed  as  King  of  the  Zulu 

Itribea    This  fight  took  place  at  the  Makonko,  and  was  witnessed  by  Panda's  wife,  who 

I  came  from  Mankebe.    The  various  praise-names  of  Panda,  or  the  isi-bongas,  are  marked 

by  being  printed  in  italics. 


•'1. 

2. 
8. 
4. 

5. 
6. 
7. 


10. 
11. 

a 


Thou  brother  of  the  Tchakas,  consideraUf  order, 

A  swailow  which  fled  in  the  »ky: 

A  swallow  with  a  whiskered  breast ; 

Whose  cattle  wes  ever  in  so  huddled  a  crowd, 

They  stumble  for  room  when  they  ran. 

Thou  false  adorer  of  the  valour  of  another, 

That  valour  thou  tookest  at  the  battle  of  Ma* 

konko. 
Of  the  stock  of  N'dabazita,  ramrod  ofbrau. 
Survivor  alone  of  all  other  rods  ;  , 

Others  they  broke  and  left  this  in  the  soot, 
Thinking  to  bum  at  some  rainy  cold  day. 
Thigh  of  the  bullock  of  Inkakavini, 


13.  Always  delicious  if  only  'tis  ross^  J, 

14.  It  will  always  be  tasteless  if  bo  '  a 

15.  The  woman  from  Mankebe  is  deiig.  tod ; 

16.  She  has  seen  the  leopards  of  Jama 

17.  Fighting  together  between  the  Makonko. 

18.  He  passed  between  the  Jutuma  and  Ihliza, 

19.  The  Celestial  who  thundered  between  the  Ma* 

konko. 

20.  I  praise  thee,  O  king  I  son  of  Jokwane,  the  son 

of  Undaba, 

21.  The  merciless  opponent  of  every  conspiracy. 

22.  Thou  art  an  elephant,  an  el^hant,  an  elephant. 

23.  All  j^ory  to  thee,  thou  vwHareh  who  art  black." 


The  first  isi-bonga,  in  line  1,  alludes  to  the  ingenuity  with  which  Panda  succeeded  in 

Iciossing  the  river,  so  as  to  escape  out.  of  the  district  where  Dingan  exercised  authority. 

■In  the  second  line,  "  swallow  which  fled  in  the  sky,"  is  another  allusion  to  the  secrecy 

■with  which  he  managed  his  flight,  which  left  no  more  track  than  the  passage  of  a  swallow 

^through  the  air.    Lines  4  and  5  allude  to  the  wealth,  i.e.  the  abundance  of  cattle,  pos- 

ssed  by  Panda.     Line  6  asserts  that  Panda  was  too  humble-minded,  and  thought  more 

lof  the  power  of  Dingan  than  it  deserved ;  while  line  7  offers  as  proof  of  this  assertion 

[that  when  they  came  to  fight  Panda  conquered  Dingan.    Lines  8  to  11  all  relate  to 

custom  of  seasoning  sticks  by  hanging  them  over  the  fireplaces  in  Kaffir  huts. 

14  alludes  to  the  fact  that  meat  is  very  seldom  roasted  by  the  Kafi&rs,  but  is 


90 


THE  KAFFIR 


{'  « 


almost  invariably  boiled,  or  rather  stewed,  in  closed  vessels.  In  line  15  the  "  woman  (ton 
Mankebe  "  is  Panda's  favourite  wife.  In  line  19,  "  The  Celestial "  alludes  to  the  name  of 
the  great  Zulu  tribe  over  which  Panda  reigned ;  the  word  "  Zulu  "  meaning  celestial,  and 
having  much  the  same  import  as  the  same  word  when  employed  by  the  Chinese  to  denote 
their  origin.  Line  21  refers  to  the  attempts  of  Panda's  rivals  to  dethrone  him,  and  the 
ingenious  manner  in  which  he  contrived  to  defeat  their  plans  by  forming  judicious  alli- 
ances, line  22  reiterates  the  chief  isi-bonga  by  which  he  is  orally  addressed,  and  the 
words  "  Monarch  who  art  black  "  have  already  been  explained  at  p.  3,  when  treating  of 
the  appearance  of  the  Kaffir  tribes. 

As  is  the  case  in  many  countries,  when  a  man  has  his  first-bom  son  presented  to  him 
he  takes  as  a  new  isi-bonga  the  name  of  the  son,  with  that  of  "  father"  prefixed  to  it; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  his  father  should  happen  to  be  a  man  of  peculiar  eminence 
he  takes  as  a  praise-name  that  of  his  father,  with  the  word  "  son  "  prefixed.  It  will  be 
seen,  therefore,  that  while  the  original  name,  or  igama,  is  permanent,  though  very  seldom 
mentioned,  his  isi-bonga,  or  praise-name,  is  continually  changing. 

Fortunately,  the  Zulu  language  ia  complex  in  its  structure,  and  its-  purity  is  jealously 
preserved  by  the  continual  councils  which  are  held,  and  the  displays  of  oratory  which 
always  accompany  them.  Otherwise,  this  curious  custom  of  substituting  arbitrarily  one 
word  for  another  might  have  an  extremely  injurious  effect  on  the  language,  as  has  indeed 
been  the  case  in  the  countries  where  a  similar  custom  prevails,  and  in  which  the  Ian- 
gitage  has  changed  so  completely  that  the  natives  who  had  left  their  own  country,  and 
returned  after  a  lapse  of  some  thirty  years,  would  scarcely  be  able  to  make  themselves 
understood,  even  though  they  had  perfectly  retained  the  language  as  it  was  when  they 
last  spoke  it  in  their  own  land. 

There  is  a  curious  regulation  among  the  Kaffirs,  that  a  man  is  not  allowed  to  enter  the 
hut  in  which  either  of  his  son's  wives  may  be.  If  he  wishes  to  enter  he  gives  notice, 
and  she  retires.  But,  when  he  is  in  possession  of  the  hut,  she  is  placed  at  equal  disad- 
vantage, and  cannot  enter  her  own  house  until  he  has  left  it.  This  rule,  however,  is 
seldom  kept  in  all  its  strictness,  and  indeed  such  literal  obedience  is  hardly  possible,  he- 
cause  the  eldest  son  very  seldom  leaves  his  father's  kraal  until  he  has  married  at  least  tve 
wives.  In  consequence  of  the  great  practical  inconvenience  of  this  rule,  the  Kaffirs  have 
contrived  to  evade  it,  although  they  have  not  openly  abandoned  it.  The  father-in-laT 
presents  an  ox  to  his  son's  wife,  and  in  consideration  of  this  liberality,  she  frees  him  from 
the  obligation  of  this  peculiar  and  troublesome  courtesy.  The  native  name  for  this  custom 
is  "  uku-hlonipa." 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident  that  women  hold  a  very  inferior  positioi 
among  the  Kaffirs,  and  are  looked  upon  quite  as  if  they  were  cattle ;  liable,  like  cattle,  to 
be  bought  and  sold.  A  Kafhr  never  dreams  that  he  and  his  wife  are  on  terms  of  the 
least  equality,  or  that  he  does  not  deserve  praise  at  her  hand  for  his  condescension  in 
marrying  her  at  alL  A  man  will  scarcely  condescend  to  notice  the  women  of  his  own 
household.  If  they  go  out  on  their  several  labours,  they  go  their  several  ways.  Sup- 
posing, for  example,  that  a  man  were  to  cut  sticks  for  firing,  or  poles  for  the  support  of  a 
new  house ;  his  wives,  in  going  to  the  same  ^pot,  would  be  careful  to  choose  a  differeiit 

Eath.    When  he  has  cut  the  wood  he  walks  off,  leaving  his  wives  to  perform  the  really 
eavy  labour  of  bringing  it  home,  and  no  man  would*  ever  think  of  assisting  a  woman  in 
80  menial  a  labour. 

There  are  now  before  me  several  photographs  representing  women  carrying  bundles 
of  sticks,  and  it  is  wonderful  what  huge  burdens  these  hard-worked  women  will  cany, 
A  man  will  not  even  lift  the  wood  upon  the  head  of  his  wife,  but  expects  that  one  of  her 
own  sex  will  assist  her.  Sometimes,  when  a  number  of  women  are  returning  from 
wood-cutting,  walking  in  single  file,  as  is  their  custom,  a  "  boy "  will  take  the  head  of 
the  procession.  But  he  will  not  degrade  himself  by  carrying  so  much  as  a  stick,  and 
bears  nothing  but  his  weapons,  and  perhaps  a  small  shield. 

The  unceremonious  manner  in  which  these  hard-worked  women  are  treated  is  little 
less  singular  than  the  cheerful  acquiescence  with  which  they  obey  the  commands  d' 
their  sable  masters.    Once,  when  Captain  Gardiner  was  .visiting  Dingan,  he  was  roused 


RETURNING  FROM  THE  BUSH. 


91 


llong  before  daybreak  by  the  vociferation  of  a  man  who  was  running  through  the  kraal, 

land  shouting  some  command  in  a  most  peremptory  tone.    It  turned  out  that  Dingan  had 

Ignddeiily  taken  into  his  head  to  buihl  a  new  kraal,  and  had  ordered  all  the  women  into 

Ithe  bush  to  ])rocure  reeds  and  branches  for  building  purposes.    In  a  few  minutes  a  vast 

number  of  female  voices  were  heard  uniting  in  a  pleasing  melody,  which  became  louder 

ind  louder  as  the  numbers  of  the  singers  increased  on  their  mustering  ground,  and  then 

radually  died  awav  in  the  distance  as  they  moved  to  the  scene  of  their  labours. 

The  bush  to  which  they  were  sent  was  ten  miles  from  tlie  kraal,  but  .they  went  off 
Ljite  cheerfully,  and  in  the  afternoon,  when  they  returned,  each  bearing  a  huge  bundle 
^f  bushes  on  her  head,  they  were  singing  the  same  song,  though  they  had  walked  so  long 
distance  uud  su  heavily  laden.    The  song  does  not  seem  to  have  possessed  much 


^.-^N 


QIRLS  AND  WOMEN  RETURNINQ  FROM  THE  BUSH. 


friety,  as  it  chiefly  consisted  of  one  line,  "  Akoosiniki,  ingonyama  izeezwi,"  and  a  chorus 
["Haw!  haw!  haw!"  It  was  probably  intended  for  the  same  purpose  as  the  tunes 
payed  by  regimental  bands ;  namely,  to  enable  the  party  to  keep  step  with  each  other. 
Dingan  was  so  tenacious  of  the  superiority  of  his  own  sex  that  he  would  never  allow 
I  wives  to  stand  in  his  presence,  but  made  them  shuffle  about  from  place  to  place  on 
teir  knees. 

In  consequence  of  their  different  habits  of  life,  the  men  and  women  hardly  seem  to 
fclong  to  the  same  race.  The  men,  as  a  rule,  are  exceptionally  fine  specimens  of 
Vanity ;  and,  despite  their  high  cheek-bones,  woolly  hair,  and  thick  lips,  might  serve 
I  models  for  a  sculptor.  Their  stature  is  tall,  their  forms  are  elastic  and  muscular,  and 
leir  step  is  free  and  noble,  as  becomes  the  gait  of  warriors.    In  all  these  respects  they 


i'  -II 


e 


M 


THE  KAFFIB. 


f,Vf,t 


axe  certainly  not  inferior  to  Eniopeans,  and  in  many  are  decidedly  raperior.  lit 
women,  however,  are  rather  stunted  than  otherwise :  their  figures  are  bowea  by  reaaon  of 
the  heavy  weights  which  they  have  to  carry,  and  the^  rapidly  lose  that  wonderful  syn. 
metry  of  form  which  distinguished  them  wnile  still  in  the  bloom  of  youth.  The  tm 
preserve  their  grandeur  of  demeanour  and  their  bold  intellioent  aspect,  even  until  theit 
hair  is  grey  from  age,  while  the  elderly  Kaffir  woman  is  at  best  awlcward  and  unsightly, 
and  the  old  woman  irresistibly  reminds  the  observer  of  an  aged  and  withered  monkey.  ' 

Exceptions  to  the  general  rule  are  sometimes  found.  A  chief  or  wealthy  man, 
fbr  example,  would  take  a  pride  in  fireeing  his  daughters  and  chief  wife  from  the  excep- 
tionally hard  labour  which  faUs  to  the  lot  of  the  sex  in  Kaffirland.  In  the  case  of  tb« 
daughters,  he  is  moved  quite  as  much  by  self-interest  as  by  parental  affection.  A  giri 
fetches  a  price  commensurate  with  her  appearance,  and  the  very  best  price  is  always  to 
be  obtained  for  the  best  article.  The  daugnter  of  a  poor  man,  or  dependant,  is  obliged  to 
work  hard  and  live  hard  ;  and  the  natural  conseouence  is,  that  she  nas  scarcely  any  Rd 
youth,  and  that  her  form  is  spoiled  by  the  heavy  labours  which  are  imposed  upon  her  it 
an  age  when  all  the  bodily  powers  ought  to  be  employed  in  adding  to  the  ph;^sical  eneigj 
of  her  frama  Therefore,  when  such  a  girl  is  old  enough  to  be  married,  she  is  thin,  can- 
Worn,  and  coarse,  and  no  one  will  give  very  much  for  her.  Indeed,  if  she  should  be 
married,  she  ia  peifeoUy  aware  that  her  real  poat  in  the  kraal  of  her  husband  is  little 
more  than  that  of  a  purchased  drudge. 

The  daughter  of  a  wealthv  man,  on  the  contrary,  undertakes  but  little  of  the  leallj 
hard  work  which  fidia  to  the  lot  of  her  sex ;  and  as  she  is  not  only  allowed,  but  encoi. 
nmd,  to  eat  the  most  fattening  food  with  as  much  dispatch  as  possible,  it  natnnl^ 
fofiows  thatk  when  compared  with  the  ordinary  drudge  of  evenr-day  life,  she  is  bv  far  the 
more  prepossessing,  and  her  father  is  sure  to  obtain  a  very  much  higher  price  for  her  tbii 
would  have  been  the  case  if  she  had  been  forced  to  do  hard  labour.  Hius  the  thRe] 
great  requiaites  of  a  Kaffir  girl  are,  that  she  should  be  fat,  strong,  and  have  a  toleial^j 
good-looking  face.  This  last  qualification  is,  however,  subordinate  to  the  other  tva 
That  she  is  £at,  shows  that  she  has  not  been  prematurely  worn  out  by  hard  work;  igjj 
that  she  is  strong,  gives  promise  that  she  will  be  able  to  do  plenty  of  work  i^ler 
marriage,  and  that  the  poxohaaer  will  not  have  xeason  to  tUni  that  he  has  wasted 
money. 


I  m  KxrrtB  iuutab 

— ABTILLRRT — IT 
Of  TBI  ABMT — f 
MATKBIALa  UBBD 

noTH — 8HAPI  or 
nnra  ard  axb- 

nOir— A  XAFFIB 
THI  FOBOB — wmi 
3BAB8 — DimOTLT 
HIAM — ^ASSAOAI 
UHABKABLB  BPB( 
aXBATAOBM,  AMD 

AHD  uopm  ov  vai 


If  there  is  any  one 
for  warfara    The  K 
Until  he  is  old  and 
a  time  of  peace  is  1 
superabundant  ener 
and  a  shield  which 
himself,  and  so  gai 
ho^  to  be  promote 
It  18  true,  that  in  a 
in  the  least  trouble 
life  in  a  time  of  ^ 
breach  of  discipline 
wizard,  and  torturet 
ofthe  chief,  who  wi 
was  not  of  the  sligh 
Knowing,  theref 
war,  and  as  in  pea 
Kaffir  is  all  for  war 
we  should  have  ha( 
case.    Even  under '. 
agreed  in  disliking 
refuge  for  thousands 
from  the  tyranny  c 
made  war,  and  had 
The  younger  wa 
know  him,  have  re 


OHAPTEB  XI. 


WiJU-OifFJWUlVE  WEAPONS. 


I  m  xATFiB  muTABT  insiT,  HOW  omnuATKD,  Aim  HOW  voanmici)— DBBAS  or  tbi  vnKMomm 

— ▲BTIU.RRY — ITS   MOBAL  imCOT  OIT  THB  XAnm— KATITB  MAMB  FOB  CAmTOK — OBOAmSATION 

Of  THB  ABXT WBAPOHB  VtXD  BT  THB   XULV  TBIBB8 — PBDUTITB  FOBMATIOIT  OF  THB  BPBAH— 

MATBBIALa  I78BD  FOB  BFBAB-HXAD8 — tVhV  BPBAB8,  OB  "  AB8AOAIB  "—THB  tULU  AS  A  BLACK- 
SMITH— BHAPI  OF  THB  ABBAOAI  HBAO — THB  KAFFIB's  FBBFBBBMCB  FOB  BOFT  8TBBL — THB  KAFFOI 
imFB  Ain>  AXB — BUBT-BBBIBTINO  PBOPBBTY — THB  XAFFIB  FOBGB  AMD  BBLL0W8— BHBLTIMtt 
IBOir— A  KAFFIB  CHIBF  ABTOMIBHBD — LB  VAILLAMT  IBBTBVOTnrO  THB  HATIVXB  IK  TUB  UBB  OF 
THl  FOBOB — ^wntB-DBAWINO  ANO  WOBKINO  IK  BBAB8 — HOW  THB  XAFFIB  OABTB  AKD  IIOOKLB 
3BABB — ^DIFFIOTLTIBB  »  IBOIT  WOBXIXO — HOW  ▲  XAFFIB  OBTAINS  FIBB — TXMPBB  OF  ABBAOAI- 
EBADS — ABBAOAI  SHAFTS — OVBIOCS  HBTHOD  OF  FABTBOTNO  THB  HBAO  TO  THB  SHAFT — A 
BIHABKABLB  BPBOIMBN  OF  THB  ABBAOAI— HOW  THB  ABRAOAI  IB  THBOWM — A  KAFFIR  OHIBF'b 
■XBATAOBll,  AMD   ▲    OLAISXOAL    yiBAMiBfi— BHH   TWO  XIHOB    09  ABSAOA^ — TBB    XMOB-XXBBY, 

AM)  uopB  OF  vsnra  it.  '' 


Ir  there  is  any  one  trait  which  distinguishes  the  true  Kaffir  race,  it  is  the  innate  genins 
for  warfare.  The  Kaffir  lives  from  his  childhood  to  his  death  in  an  atmosphere  of  war. 
I  Until  he  is  old  and  wealthy,  and  naturally  desires  to  keep  his  possessions  in  tranquillity, 
a  time  of  peace  is  to  him  a  time  of  trouble.  He  has  no  opportunity  of  working  off  his 
superabundant  energy ;  he  has  plenty  of  spears  which  he  caniiot  use  against  an  enemy, 
and  a  shield  which  he  can  only  employ  in  the  dance.  He  has  no  chance  of  distinguishing 
himself,  and  so  gaining  both  rank  and  wealth ;  and  if  he  be  a  young  bachelor,  he  cannot 
ho^  to  be  promoted  to  the  rank  of  "  man,"  and  allowed  to  marry,  for  many  a  long  year. 
It  IS  true,  that  in  a  time  of  war  he  may  be  killed ;  but  that  is  a  reflection  which  does  not 
in  the  least  trouble  a  Kaffir.  For  all  he  knows,  he  stands  in  just  as  ereat  danger  of  his 
life  in  a  time  of  peace.  He  may  unintentionally  offend  the  king ;  he  may  commit  a 
breach  of  discipline  which  would  be  overlooked  in  war-time ;  he  may  be  accused  as  a 
wizard,  and  tortured  to  death ;  he  may  accumulate  a  few  cows,  and  so  excite  the  cupidity 
of  the  chief,  who  will  fine  him  heavily  for  something  which  either  he  did  not  do,  or  which 
was  not  of  the  slightest  importance. 

Knowing,  therefore,  that  a  violent  death  is  quite  as  likely  to  befall  him  in  peace  as  in 
war,  and  as  in  peace  he  has  no  chance  of  gratifying  his  ambitious  feelings,  the  young 
Kaffir  is  all  for  war.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  judicious  counsels  of  the  old  men, 
we  should  have  had  much  more  trouble  with  these  tribes  than  at  present  has  been  the 
case.  Even  under  Panda's  rule,  there  have  been  great  dissensions  Axaaiig  the  army.  All 
agreed  in  disliking  the  rule  of  the  English  in  the  Natal  district,  because  Natal,  formed  a 
refuge  for  thousands  of  Kaffirs,  most  of  them  belonging  to  the  Zulu  tribe,  and  having  fled 
from  the  tyranny  of  Panda ;  while  others  belonged  to  tribes  against  which  Panda  had 
made  war,  and  had  fled  for  protection  to  the  EngUish  flag. 

The  younger  warriors,  fierce,  arrogant,  despising  the  white  man  because  they  do  not 
know  hun,  have  repeatedly  begged  to  be  allowed  to  invade  NataL    They  urge,  in  pur- 


^'}m  1 . 


94 


THE  KAFFIR 


*?\.  i^ 


i-      il 


snance  of  their  request,  that  they  will  conquer  the  country,  restore  to  their  king  all  tie 
fugitives  who  have  run  away  from  him,  and  inflame  their  own  minds,  and  those  of  th^ 
young  and  ignorant,  by  glowing  descriptions  of  the  rich  spoil  which  would  fall  to  the  con- 
querors,  the  herds  of  cattle,  the  tons  of  beads,  the  quantities  of  fire-arms  and  ammunitioo, 
and,  in  fact,  the  unlimited  supply  of  everything  which  a  Kaffir's  heart  can  possibly  desiw, 
The  older  men,  however,  who  have  more  acquaintance  with  the  white  men,  and  a  tolerably 
good  experience  of  the  fact  that  when  a  white  man  fires  his  gun  he  generally  hits  his 
mark,  have  always  dissuaded  their  younger  and  more  impetuous  comrades  from  so  lash 
an  attempt 

Strangely  enough,  the  argument  which  has  proved  most  pojverful  is  really  a  very  weak 
one.  The  Kaffir,  like  other  men,  is  brave  enough  when  he  can  comprehend  his  danger* 
but  he  does  not  at  all  like  to  face  a  peril  which  he  cannot  understand.  Like  all  unknoW 
things,  such  a  peril  is  indeed  terrible  to  a  Kaffir's  mind,  and  this  unknown  peril  ji 
summed  up  in  the  word  cannon,  or  "  By-and-by  " — to  use  the  native  term.  Why  cannon 
are  so  called  will  presently  be  mentioned.  The  Kaffirs  have  heard  that  the  dreadAil 
By-and-by  eats  up  everything — trees,  houses,  stones,  grass ;  and,  as  they  justly  ai^e,  it  ij 
very  likely  to  eat  up  Kaffir  soldiers.  Of  course,  in  defending  a  fort  against  Kaffirs, 
cannon,  loaded  with  grape  and  canister,  would  be  of  terrible  efficacy,  and  they  would  be 
justified  in  declining  to  a''»au!t  any  place  that  was  defended  with  such  dreadful  weapon& 
But  they  do  not  seem  to  be  aware  that  guns  in  a  fort  and  guns  in  the  bush  are  two  veiy 
different  things,  and  that,  if  they  could  decoy  the  artillery  into  the  bush,  the  dreaded 
weapons  would  be  of  scarcely  more  use  than  if  they  were  logs  of  wood.  This  distinctioi 
the  Kaffir  never  seems  to  have  drawn,  and  the  wholesome  dread  of  cannon  has  done  veiy 
much  to  insure  tranquillity  among  the  impetuous  and  self-confident  soldiery  of  Kaifirlani 

The  odd  name  of  "By-and-by"  became  attached  to  the  cannon  in  the  following 
manner: — ^When  the  natives  first  saw  some  pieces  of  artillery  in, the  Natal  district,  they 
asked  what  such  strange  objects  could  be,  and  were  answered  that  they  would  learn 
"  by-and-by."  Further  questions,  added  to  the  firing  of  a  few  shots,  gave  them  such  i 
terror  of  the  "  By-and-by,"  that  they  have  never  liked  to  match  themselves  against  such 
weapons. 

The  Zulu  tribes  are  remarkable  for  being  the  only  people  in  that  part  of  Africa  who 
have  practised  war  in  an  European  sense  of  the  word.  The  other  tribes  are  very  good  at 
hush-figbting,  and  are  exceedingly  crafty  at  taking  an  enemy  unawares,  and  coming  on 
him  before  he  is  prepared  for  them.  Guerilla  warfare  is,  in  fact,  their  only  mode  i\ 
waging  battle,  and,  as  is  necessarily  the  case  in  such  warfare,  more  depends  on  the 
exertion  of  individual  combatants  than  on  the  scientific  combination  of  masses.  But  the 
Zulu  tribe  have,  since  the  time  of  Tchaka,  the  great  inventor  of  military  tactics,  carried 
on  war  in  a  manner  approaching  the  notions  of  civilization. 

Their  men  are  organized  into  regiments,  each  subdivided  into  companies,  and  each 
commanded  by  its  owr\  chief,  or  colonel,  while  the  king,  as  commanding  general,  leads  his 
forces  to  war,  disposes  them  in  battle  array,  and  personally  directs  their  movementi 
They  give  an  enemy  notice  that  they  are  about  to  march  against  him,  and  boldly  meet 
him  in  the  open  field.  There  is  a  military  etiquette  about  them  which  some  of  our  own 
people  have  been  slow  to  understand.  They  once  sent  a  message  to  the  English  torn 
mander  that  they  would  "  come  and  breakfast  with  him."  He  thought  it  was  only  a  j( " 
and  was  very  much  surprised  when  the  Kaffirs,  true  to  their  promise,  came  pouring  hkeaj 
torrent  over  the  hills,  leaving  him  barely  time  to  get  his  men  imder  arms  before  the  dark 
enemies  arrived. 

As,  in  Kaffir  warfare,  much  stress  is  laid  upon  the  weapons,  offensive  and  defensive,! 
with  which  the  troops  are  arm  d,  it  will  be  necesoaiy  to  give  a  description  of  their  weapons! 
before  we  proceed  any  further.  They  are  but  few  and  simple,  and  consist  of  certain! 
spears,  called  "  assagais,"  short  clubs,  called  "  kerries,"  and  shields  made  of  the  hides] 
of  oxen. 

Almost  every  nation  has  its  distinguishing  weapons,  or,  at  all  events,  one  weapon| 
which  is  held  in  greater  estimation  than  any  other,  and  which  is  never  used  so  skilfully  t 
by  itsel£    The  Australian  savage  has  the  boomerang,  a  weapon  which  cannot  be  usedl 


BLACKSMITHS. 


96 


rightly  except  by  an  Australian.  Many  Europeans  can  throw  it  so  as  to  make  it  perform 
gome  trifling  evolution  in  the  air,  but  there  are  none  who  can  really  use  it  as  an  efficient 
weapon  or  instrument  of  hunting. 

The  Dyak  has  his  sumpitan,  and  the  Maconshie  Indian  his  analogous  weapon,  the 
zanbatana,  through  which  are  blown  the  tiny  poisoned  arrows,  a  himdred  of  which  can 
]fi  held  in  the  hand,  and  each  one  of  which  has  death  upon  its  point  The  Ghoorka 
has  his  kookery,  the  heavy  curved  knife,  with  which  he  will  kill  a  tiger  in  fair  fight, 
and  boldly  attack  civilized  soldiers  in  spite  of  their  more  elaborate  arms.  Then  the  Sikh 
has  the  strange  quoit  weapon,  or  chakra,  which  skims  through  the  air  or  ricochets  from 
the  ground,  and  does  frightful  execution  on  the  foe.  The  Esquimaux  have  their 
harpoons,  which  will  serve  either  for  catching  seals  or  assaulting  the  enemy.  The  Poly- 
nesians have  their  terrible  swords  and  gauntlets  armed  with  the  teeth  of  sharks,  each  of 
which  cuts  like  a  lancet,  and  inflicts  a  wound  which,  though  not  dangerous  by  itself, 
becomes  so  when  multiplied  by  the  score  and  inflicted  on  the  most  sensitive  part  of 
the  body. 

Some  of  these  weapons  are  peculiar  in  shape,  and  are  not  used  in  other  countries, 
whereas  some  are  modiflcations  of  implements  of  warfare  spread  over  a  great  part  of  the 
globe,  and  altered  in  shape  and  size  to  suit  the  locality.  Of  such  a  nature  is  the  special 
weapon  of  the  Kaifirs  inhabiting  the  Natal  district,  the  slight-looking  but  most  formidable 
8pear  or  assagai. 

The  spear  is  one  of  the  simplest  of  all  weapons,  the  simplest  of  all  excepting  the 
club.  In  its  primitive  state  the  spear  is  nothing  but  a  stick  of  greater  or  lesser  length, 
sharpened  at  one  end.  The  best  example  of  this  primitive  spear  may  be  found  in 
Borneo,  where  the  weapon  is  made  in  a  few  minutes  by  taking  a  piece  of  bamboo  of 
convsnient  length,  and  cutting  off  one  end  diagonally.  The  next  improvement  in  spear- 
makihg  was  to  put  the  pointed  end  in  the  fire  for  a  few  moments.  This  process  enabled 
the  spear-maker  to  scrape  the  point  more  easily,  while  the  charred  wood  was  rendered 
hard,  and  capable  of  resisting  damp  better  than  if  it  had  been  simply  scraped  to  a  point. 
Spears  of  this  kind  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  primitive  savage  tribe. 

A  further  improvement  now  takes  place.  The  point  is  armed  with  some  material 
harder  than  the  wood,  which  material  may  be  bone,  horn,  stone,  metal,  or  other  similar 
substance.  Some  nations  arm  the  heads  of  their  speara  with  sharp  flakes  of  flint  or 
obsidian.  Some  tip  them  with  the  end  of  a  sharp  horn,  or  even  with  the  claws  of  a 
mammal  or  a  bird — the  kangaroo,  emu,  and  cassowary  being  used  for  this  singular 
purpose.  In  many  parts  of  the  earth,  the  favourite  spears  are  armed  with  the  teeth  of 
sharks,  while  others  are  headed  with  the  tail-spine  of  the  sting-ray,  which  not  only 
penetrates  deeply,  but  breaks  into  the  wound,  and  always  causes  death.  These  additions 
to  the  spears,  together  with  others  formed  of  certain  marine  shells,  are  necessarily  the 
productions  of  tribes  that  inhabit  certain  islands  in  the  warmer  seas. 

The  last  and  greatest  improvement  that  is  made  in  the  manufacture  of  spears  is 
the  abolition  of  all  additions  to  the  head,  and  making  the  head  itself  of  metal  For 
this  purpose  iron  is  generally  used,  partly  because  it  takes  a  sharp  edge,  and  partly 
because  it  can  be  easily  forged  into  any  required  shape. 

The  natives  of  Southern  Africa  are  wonderful  proficients  in  forging  iron,  and  indeed 
a  decided  capability  for  the  blacksmith's  art  seems  to  be  inherent,  in  the  natives  of 
Africa,  from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to  west  None  of  the  tribes  can  do  very  much 
with  the  iron,  but  the  little  which  they  require  is  worked  in  perfection.  As  is  the 
case  with  all  uncivilized  beings,  the  whole  treasures  of  the  ait  are  lavished  on  their 
weapons ;  and  so  if  we  wish  to  see  what  an  African  savage  can  do  with  iron,  we  must 
look  at  his  spears,  knives,  and  arrows — the  latter  indeed  being  but  spears  in  miniature. 

The  heads  of  the  Kaffir's  spears  are  extremely  variable  in  form,  some  being  a  mere 
spike,  but  the  generality  being  blade-shaped.  Very  few  are  barbed,  and  the  ordinary 
shape  is  that  which  is  seen  several  times  in  the  illustration  on  page  97.  Still, 
wherever  the  blade  is  adopted,  it  has  always  one  peculiarity  of  structure,  whether  it  be 
plain  or  barbed.  A  raised  ridge  passes  along  the  centre,  and  the  blade  is  convex  on  one 
side  of  the  ridge,  and  concave  on  the  other.    The  reason  of  this  curious  structure  seems 


m 


THE  EAEFIR 


^: 


to  be  twofold.  In  the  firat  place,  it  is  possible  that  this  stractnie  of  the  blade  acb 
much  as  the  feathers  of  an  arrow,  or  the  spiral  groove  on  the  rifle-balls  invented  by  Dr, 
Croft,  and  which  can  be  used  in  smooth-bore  barrels.  Colonel  Lane  Fox  finds  that  if  i 
thread  be  tied  to  the  point  of  an  assagai,  and  the  weapon  be  thrown  with  great  care,  so 
that  no  revolving  force  is  given  by  the  thrower,  the  thread  is  found  spirally  twisted  round 
the  head  and  shaft  by  the  time  that  the  weapon  has  touched  the  ground. 

That  certainly  seems  to  be  one  reason  for  the  form.  Another  reason  is,  that  a  blade 
thus  shaped  can  be  sharpened  very  easily,  when  it  becomes  blunt.  Nothing  is  needed 
but  to  take  a  flint,  or  even  the  back  of  a  common  knife,  and  scrape  it  along  the  edge,  and, 
if  properly  done,  a  single  such  scrape  will  sharpen  the  weapon  afresL  The  head  is  alwayi 
made  of  soft  iron,  and  so  yields  easily  to  the  sharpening  process.  The  reader  may 
remember  that  the  harpoons  which  we  use  for  whale-huntmg  are  always  made  of  the 
softest  iron ;  were  they  made  of  steel,  the  first  furious  tug  of  the  whale  might  snap 
them,  while,  if  they  were  to  become  blunt,  they  could  not  be  sharpened  without  much 
trouble  and  hard  work  at  the  grindstone. 

Setting  aside  the  two  questions  of  rotatory  motion  and  convenience  of  sharpening,  it  is 
possible  that  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  blade  may  be  owing  to  the  fact  that  such  a 
structure  would  produce  the  greatest  amount  of  strength  with  the  least  amount  of  material 
The  sword-bayonet  of  the  Chassepot  rifle  is  made  on  a  similar  principle.  Whether  the 
Kaffir  is  aware  of  this  principle  and  forges  his  spear-head  in  accordance  with  it,  is  anothei 
point  The  reader,  better  informed  than  the  Kaffir,  may  perhaps  remember  that  the 
identical  principle  is  carried  out  in  the  "  corrugated  "  iron,  now  in  such  general  use  for 
buildings,  roofs,  and  similar  purposes. 

Kaffirs  have  a  great  fondness  for  implements  made  of  soft  iron,  and  prefer  a  knife 
made  of  that  material  to  the  best  blade  that  Sheffield  can  produce.  They  admit  that  foi 
some  purposes  the  steel  blade  is  superior  to  their  own,  but  that  for  ordiuaiy  work  nothing 
can  compare  with  the  soft  iron.  The  steel  blade  breaks,  and  is  useless,  while  the  soft  iron 
only  bends.  Moreover,  when  they  want  to  scoop  out  a  hollow  in  a  piece  of  wood,  such 
as  the  bowl  of  a  spoon,  the  inflexible  steel  blade  would  be  nearly  useless.  But  a  Kaffir 
simply  takes  his  soft  iron  knife,  bends  it  to  the  requisite  curve,  and  thus  can  make,  at  a 
moment's  notice,  a  gouge  with  any  degree  of  curvature.  When  he  has  finished  his  work, 
he  puts  the  blade  on  a  flat  stone,  and  beats  it  straight  again  in  a  few  seconds.  The 
Kaffir  knife  is  not  at  all  like  our  own,  but  is  shaped  just  like  the  head  of  an  assagai.  In 
using  it,  he  grasps  the  handle  just  as  artists  represent  assassins  holding  daggers,  and  not 
as  we  hold  knives.  He  always  cuts  away  from  himself,  as  '.^  shown  on  page  67 ;  and, 
clumsy  as  this  mode  of  using  a  knife  may  appear,  Englishmen  have  often  learned  to 
appreciate  it,  and  to  employ  it  in  preference  to  the  ordinary  European  fashion. 

Unfit  as  would  be  the  tools  made  by  a  Kaffir  when  employed  in  Europe,  those  made  in 
Europe  and  used  in  Southern  Africa  are  still  less  useful  Being  imacquainted  with  this 
fact,  both  travellers  and  settlers  are  apt  to  spend  much  money  in  England  upon  articles 
which  they  afterwards  find  to  be  without  the  least  value — articles  which  an  experienced 
settler  would  not  take  as  a  gift. 

As  a  familiar  example  of  the  difference  between  the  tools  required  in  various  countries, 
the  axe  may  be  mentioned.  It  is  well  known  that,  of  all  the  varieties  of  this  tool,  the 
American  axe  is  the  best,  as  it  has  attained  its  present  superiority  by  dint  of  long 
experience  on  part  of  the  makers  among  the  vast  forests  of  their  country.  Emigrants, 
therefore,  almost  invariably  supply  themselves  with  a  Tew  American  axes,  and  in  most 
cases  they  could  not  do  better.  But  in  Southern  Africa  this  excellent  tool  is  as 
useless  as  would  be  a  razor  in  chipping  stones.  The  peculiar  wood  of  the  mimosa,  a  tree 
which  is  used  so  universally  in  Southern  Africa,  is  sure  to  notch  the  edge  of  the  axe, 
and  in  a  short  time  to  render  it  incapable  of  doing  its  work  ;  whereas  the  South  African 
axe,  which  would  be  a  clumsy  and  slow-working  tool  in  America,  can  cut  down  the 
hardest  mimosa  without  sufi'ering  any  injury. 

There  is  another  reason  why  a  Kaffir  prefers  his  own  iron-work  to  that  of  European 
make.  His  own  manufacture  has  the  property  of  resisting  damp  without  rusting.  If 
an  European  knife  or  steel  tool  of  the  finest  quality  be  left  in  the  open  air  all  night,  and 


KAFFIR  BLACKSMITH. 


97 


jhy  the  side  of  it  a  Kaffir's  assagai,  the  former  will  bo  covered  with  rust,  while  the  latter 
^as  bright  as  ever.  Such  is  the  case  with  those  assagais  which  are  brought  to  England. 
1 1iave  no  trouble  in  keeping  tny  own  specimens  clean,  while  all  the  other  steel  weapons 
must  be  kept  perfectly  dry,  and  require  to  be  continually  looked  over,  and  the  rust  spots 

tjuioved.  * 

It  is  possible  that  this  freedom  from  rust  may  be  obtained  by  a  process  similar  to 
Lliat  which  is  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  geological  hammers,  namely,  that  while 
the  metal  is  hot,  it  is  plunged  into  oil,  and  then  hammered.  The  excellence  of  the  blade 
[s  partially  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  fire  in  which  the  metal  is  smelted,  and  afterwards 
lieated  for  the  forge,  is  made  of  charcoal,  so  as  to  convert  the  iron  into  a  kind  of  steel. 
rhe  celebrated  "  wootz  "  steel  of  India  is  made  by  placing  the  iron  in  small  crucibles 
cether  with  little  twigs  of  certain  trees,  and  then  submitting  the  crucible  to  a  very 
Qtense  heat 

It  is  evident  that,  in  order  to  produce  such  weapons,  the  Kaffir  must  be  a  good  black- 
...  b,  and  it  is  certain  that,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  kind  of  work  which 
[as  to  be  done,  he  can  hardly  be  surpassed  in  his  art.  Certainly,  if  any  English  black- 
Uithwere  given  a  quantity  of  iron  ore,  and  only  had  the  very  primitive  tools  which 
(he  Kaffir  blacksmith  employs,  he  would  be  entirely  vanquished  by  his  dusky  brother 
}f  the  forge. 

Among  the  Kaffirs,  a  blacksmith  is  a  man  of  considerable  importance,  and  is  much 
espected  by  the  tribe.  He  will  not  profane  the  mystery  of  his  craft  by  allowing  un- 
jiitiated  eyes  to  inspect  his  various  processes,  and  therefore  carries  on  his  operations  at 
[ome  distance  from  the  kraal.  His  first  care  is  to  prepare  the  bellows.  The  form  which 
leuses  p  evails  over  a  very  large  portion  of  Africa,  and  is  seen,  with  some  few  modifi- 
ationa,  even  among  the  many  islands  of  Polynesia.  It  consists  of  two  leathern  sacks. 
It  the  upper  end  of  which  is  a  handla  To  the  lower  end  of  each  sack  is  attached 
he  hollow  horns  of  some  animal,  that  of  the  cow  or  the  eland  being  most  commonly 
(scd;  and  when  the  bags  are  alternately  inflated  and  compressed,  the  air  passes  out 
ough  the  two  horns. 

Of  course  the  heat  of  the  fire  would  destroy  the  horns  if  they  were  allowfed  to  come 

II  coatact  with  it,  and  they  are  therefore  inserted,  not  into  the  fire,  but  into  an  earthen- 

}are  tube,  which  communicates  with  the  fire.    The  use  of  valves  is  unknown ;  but  as  the 

m  homs  do  not  open  into  the  fire,  but  into  the  tube,  the  fire  is  not  drawn  into  the 

lelluws  as  would  otherwise  be  the  case.    This  arrangement,  however,  causes  consideralile 

I  of  air,  so  that  the  bellow.s-blower  is  obliged  to  work  much  harder  than  would  be 

|ie  case  if  he  were  provided  with  an  instrument  that  could  conduct  the  blast  directly  to 

1  destination.    The  ancient  Egyptians  used  a  bellows  of  precisely  similar  construction, 

Dicept  that  they  did  not  work  them  entirely  by  hand.    They  stood  with  one  foot  on  each 

[ick,  and  blew  the  fire  by  alternately  pressing  on  them  with  the  feet,  and  raising  them 

'  means  of  a  cord  fastened  to  their  upper  ends. 

When  the  blacksmith  is  about  to  set  to  work,  he  digs  a  hole  in  the  ground,  in  .vhich 

lie  fire  is  placed,  and  then  sinks  the  earthenware  tube  in  a  sloping  direction,  so  that  the 

kwer  end  opens  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  while  the  upper  end  pi  ojects  above  the  level 

If  the  ground.    The  two  horns  are  next  inserted  into  the  upper  end  of  the  earthenware 

libe,  and  the  bellows  are  then  fastened  in  their  places,  so  that  the  sacks  are  conveniently 

nsposed  for  the  hands  of  the  operator,  who  sits  between  them.    A  charcoal  fire  is  then 

p  in  the  hole,  and  is  soon  brought  to  a  powerful  heat  by  means  of  the  bellows.  A  larger 

one  serves  the  purpose  of  an  anvil,  and  a  smaller  stone  does  duty  for  a  hammer.    Some- 

Iraes  the  hammer  is  made  of  a  conical  piece    f  iron,  but  in  most  cases  a  stone  is 

tnsidered  sufficient.     The  rough  work  of  hammering  the  iron  into  shape  is  generally 

jone  by  the  chief  blacksmith's  assistants,  of  whom  he  has  several,  all  of  whom  will  pound 

way  at  the  iron  in  regular  succession.    The  shaping  and  finishing  the  article  is  reserved 

'  the  smith  for  himself.    The  other  tools  are  few  and  simple,  and  consist  of  punches 

|id  rude  pincers  made  of  two  rods  of  iron. 

With  these  instruments  the  Kaffir  smith  can  cast  brass  into  various  ornaments. 
lometimes  he  pours  it  into  a  cylindrical  mould,  so  as  to  make  a  bar  from  which  bracelets 
I  VOL.  I.  a 


'"■Pi 


1(1  THE  KAFFIR. 

and  similar  ornaments  can  be  hammered,  and  sometimes  he  makes  studs  and  knobs  J 
forming  their  shapes  in  clay  moulds.  ' 

In  the  illustration  a  native  forge  is  seen  in  full  operation.  The  chief  smith  is  at  th 
left  of  the  engraving,  seated  at  the  bellows  and  blowing  the  fire,  in  which  is  placed  i 
iron  rod  which  is  going  to  be  forged*  into  an  assagai-head.  The  manner  in  which tl 
horn  tubes  of  the  l^ljows  are  fastened  to  the  ground — a  stick  being  laid  across  each  hoti, 
and  a  heavy  stone  upon  each  stick — is  well  shown.  At  the  right  hand  of  the  smith  is  i 
basket  containing  charcoal,  and  another  is  seen  near  the  assistant.  On  the  opposite  siji 
sits  the  assistant  or  apprentice  blacksmith,  busily  hammering  with  a  conical  stone  at  tin 
spear-head  which  is  being  forged,  and  at  his  side  lie  one  or  two  finished  heads.    Beh 


j^i 


if"  •  M 


i\  ■     ;i| 


KAFFIB  AT  HIS  FOBGE. 


them,  another  smith  is  hard  at  work  with  a  huge  stone  with  which  he  is  crushing  the( 
On  the  right  hand  of  the  illustration  is  seen  the  reed  fence  which  is  erected  in  order  | 
keep  off  the  wind,  and  in  the  middle  distance  is  the  kraal  to  which  the  smiths  belonj 
The  reed  fence  is  supported  by  being  lashed  to  a  mimosa    Some  jars  of  beer  sti 
within  the  shadow  of  the  fence  for  the  occasional  refreshment  of  the  blacksmiths. 

How  the  blacksmith  contrives  to  work  without  burning  his  right  hand  is  rai 
unintelligible.  I  have  handled  the  conical  hammer,  and  find  that  the  hand  is  bioug| 
so  close  to  the  iron  that,  when  it  is  heated  to  a  glowing  redness,  the  effect  upon  i 
fingers  must  be  singularly  unpleasant,  not  to  mention  the  sparks  that  fly  about  so  liberi 
when  heated  iron  is  struck.  Sometimes,  when  a  native  is  making  small  objects,  he  taki 
a  tolerably  large  hammer,  reverses  it,  and  drives  the  small  end  deeply  into  the  grouir 
The  face  of  the  hammer  is  then  uppermost,  and  answers  as  an  anvil,  on  which  he  woij 
with  a  hammer  of  smaller  size. 


BELLOWa 


«9 


Although,  the  bellows  which  a  Katfir  makes  are  sufficiently  powerful  to  enable  him 

)  melt  brass,  and  to  forge  iron  into  various  shapes,  they  do  not  seem  to  give  a  sutiiciently 

krong  and  continuous  blast  to  enable  him  to  weld  iron  together.    Mr.  Mofi'utt  mentions 

icurious  anecdote,  which  illustrates  this  point.    He  was  visiting  Moselekatse,  the  king 

If  the  northern  division  of  the  Zulu  tribes,  and  very  much  frightened  the  savage  monarch 

ly  the  sight  of  the  wagon,  the  wheels  of  which  seemed  to  his  ignorant  mind  to  be 

iidowed  with  motion  by  some  magic  power.    His  greatest  wonder  was,  however,  excited 

■y  the  tire  of  the  wheel,  as  he  could  not  comprehend  how  such  a  piece  of  iron  could 

>made  without  the  junction  of  the  ends  being  visible. 

A  native  who  had  accompanied  Mr.  Moffatt  explained  to  the  king  how  the  mystery 
J  solved.  He  took  the  missionary's  right  hand  in  his  own,  held  it  up  before  the  king, 
ndsaid,  "My  eyes  saw  that  very  hand  cut  those  bars  of  iron,  take  a  piece  off  one  end, 
nd  then  join  them  as  you  see  now."  After  a  careful  inspection,  the  spot  where  the  iron 
been  welded  was  pointed  out.  The  king  then  wanted  to  know  whether  medicine 
teie  given  to  the  iron  in  order  to  endow  it  with  such  wonderful  powers,  but  was  told  that 
lothipg  was  used  except  iire,  a  chisel,  and  a  hammer. 

Yet  Mosdekatse  was  king  of  the  essentially  warlike  Zulus,  a  nation  whi  h  possessed 
|lent7  of  blacksmiths  who  tvere  well  versed  in  their  art,  and  could  forge  the  leaf-shaped 
llades  of  the  assagais  with  such  skill  that  the  best  European  smiths  could  not  produce 
Upona  more  perfectly  suited  for  the  object  which  they  were  intended  to  fulfil. 
[  Le  Vaillaut  narrates  an  amusing  instance  of  the  astonishment  caiised  to  some  Eaf&r 
llacksmiths  by  a  rude  kind  of  bellows  which  he  made  after  the  European  fasliiou. 
liter  paying  a  just  tribute  of  admiration  to  the  admirable  work  pi-oduced  by  the  dusky 
llacksmiths  in  spite  of  their  extremely  rude  and  imperfect  tools,  he  proceeds  to  describe 
\iioTta  ^f  bellows  which  they  used,  which  is  just  that  which  has  been  already  mentioned. 

"I  had  great  difficulty  in  making  them  comprehend  how  much  superior  the  bellows 
[oar  forges  in  Europe  were  to  their  invention;  and  being  persuaded  that  the  little 
key  might  catch  of  my  explanation  would  soon  escape  from  their  memories,  and  would 
JDnsequently  be  of  no  real  advantage  to  them,  I  resolved  to  add  example  to  precept,  and 
J  operate  myself  in  their  presence. 

'Having  despatched  one  of  my  people  to  our  camp  with  orders  to  bring  the  bottoms 
f  two  boxes,  a  piece  of  a  summer  kaross,  a  hoop,  a  few  small  nails,  a  hammer,  a  saw,  and 
her  small  tools  that  I  might  have  occasion  for,  as  soon  as  he  returned  I  formed  in 

;  haste,  and  in  a  very  rude  manner,  a  pair  of  bellows,  which  were  not  more  powerful 
Au  those  generally  used  in  our  kitchens.    Two  pieces  of  hoop  which  I  placed  in  the 

side  served  to  keep  the  skin  always  at  an  equal  distance ;  and  I  did  not  forget  to  make 

ble  in  the  inferior  part,  to  give  a  readier  admittance  to  the  air — a  simple  method  of 
^hich  they  had  no  conception,  and  for  want  of  which  they  were  obliged  to  waste  a  great 
al  of  time  in  filling  the  sheepskiiL 

"  I  had  no  iron  pipe,  but,  as  I  only  meant  to  make  a  model,  I  fixed  to  the  extremity 
fmine  a  toothpick  case,  after  sawing  off  one  of  its  ends.  I  then  placed  my  instrument 
In  the  ground  near  the  fire,  and,  having  fixed  a  forked  stick  in  the  ground,  I  laid  across 
1  a  kind  of  lever,  which  was  fastened  to  a  bit  of  packthread  proceeding  from  the 
|ellow8,  and  to  which  was  fixed  a  piece  of  lead  weighing  seven  or  eight  pounds.  To  form 
idea  of  the  surprise  of  these  Kaffirs  on  this  occasion,  one  must  have  seen  with 
khat  attention  they  beheld  all  my  operations ;  the  uncertainty  in  which  they  were,  and 
peir  anxiety  to  discover  what  would  be  the  event.  They  could  not  resist  their  excla- 
ptions  when  they  saw  me,  by  a  few  easy  motions  and  with  one  hand,  give  their  fire 
pe  greatest  activity  by  the  velocity  with  which  I  made  my  machine  draw  in  and 
jain  force  out  the  air.  Putting  some  pieces  of  iron  into  their  fire,  I  made  them  red 
Bt  in  a  few  minutes,  which  they  undoubtedly  could  not  have  done  in  half  an  hour. 

"This  specimen  of  my  skill  raised  their  astonishment  to  the  highest  pitch.  I  may 
bture  to  say  that  they  were  almost  convulsed  and  thrown  into  a  delirium.  They 
lanced  and  capered  round  the  bellows ;  each  tried  them  in  turn,  and  they  clapped  their 
lands  the  better  to  testify  their  joy.  They  begged  me  to  make  them  a  present  of  this 
t^onderful  machine,  and  seemed  to  await  for  my  answer  with  impatience,  not  imagining, 

h2 


^1 


w 

1...  '1' 


li'^i; 


100 


THE  KAFFIR. 


as  I  judged,  that  I  would  readily  give  up  no  valuable  a  piece  of  furniture.  It 
afford  me  great  pleasure  to  hear,  at  some  future  period,  that  they  have  brought  tliei 
to  perfection,  and  that,  above  all,  they  preserve  a  remembrance  of  that  stranger  wQ 
first  supplied  them  with  the  most  essential  instrument  in  metallurgy." 

As  far  as  can  be  judged  by  the  present  state  of  the  blacksmith's  art  in  KaffirlaDdl 
the  natives  have  not  derived  the  profit  from  Le  Yaillant's  instructions  which  hei 
ingenuously  predicted.     In  all  probability,  the  bellows  in  question  would  be  confiscate 
by  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  who  would  destroy  their  working  powers  in  endeavouring  i 
make  out  their  action.     Moreover,  the  Kaffir  is  eminently  conservative  in  his  notions,  am. 
he  would  rather  prefer  the  old  sheepskin,  which  only  I'cquired  to  be  tied  at  tht  leoi 
and  neck  with  thongs,  to  the  comparatively  elaborate  instrument  of  the  white  travellej 
which  needed  the  use  of  wooden  hoops,  nails,  saw,  hammer,  and  the  other  tools  of  tb 
civilized  woikmaa 

The  Kaffir  smiths  have  long  known  the  art  of  wire-drawing,  though  their  plates  i. 
very  rude,  the  metal  comparatively  soft,  and  the  wire  in  consequence  irregularly  dranl 
Moreover,  they  cannot  make  wire  of  iron,  but  are  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  tliJ 
softer  metals,  such  as  brass  and  copper.  Mr.  Moffatt,  the  African  missionary,  relates  ail 
amusing  anecdote  of  an  interview  with  a  native  metal  worker.  As  a  missionary  ought  tJ 
do,  he  had  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  blacksmith's  art,  and  so  became  on  friendly  termJ 
with  his  dark  brother  of  the  forge ;  and  after  winning  his  heart  by  making  him  a  m 
wire-drawing  plate,  made  of  steel,  and  pierced  for  wires  of  twenty  variations  in  thicknfss 
induced  him  to  exhibit  the  whole  of  his  mystic  process. 

His  first  proceeding  was  to  prepare  four  moulds,  very  simply  made  by  building  a  littlj 
heap  of  dry  sand,  and  pushing  into  it  a  little  stick  about  a  quaiter  of  an  inch  in  diameta 
He  then  built  and.  lighted  a  charcoal  fire,  such  as  has  already  been  described,  and  he  neil 
placed  in  a  kind  of  rude  clay  crucible  some  copper  and  a  little  tin.    A  vigorous  manipgJ 
lation  of  the  bellows  fused  the  copper  and  tin  together,  and  he  then  took  out  the  crucib'J 
with  a  rude  kind  of  tongs  made  of  bark,  and  poured  the  contents  into  the  holes,  thnij 
making  a  number  of  short  brass  rods  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  andthieecj 
four  inches  in  length.    These  rods  were  next  removed  from  the  moulds  and  hammerf 
with  a  stone  until  they  were  reduced  to  half  their  diameter.    During  this  operation,  tin 
rods  were  frequently  heated  in  the  flame  of  burning  grass. 

Next  came  the  important  operation  of  drawing  the  rods  through  the  holes,  so  as tJ 
convert  them  into  wire.  The  end  of  a  rod  was  sharpened  and  forced  through  the  lara 
hole,  a  split  stick  being  used  by  way  of  pincers,  and  the  rod  continually  greased.  Bjj 
repeating  this  process  the  wire  is  passed  through  holes  that  become  regularly  smaller  ia 
diameter,  until  at  last  it  is  scarcely  thicker  than  sewing  thread.  The  wire-plate  is  aboiil 
half  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  brass  thus  made  is  not  equal  in  colour  to  that  in  whiclf 
zinc  is  used  instead  of  tin,  but  as  it  is  capable  of  taking  a  high  polish,  the  native  care 
for  nothing  more.  The  reader  may  perhaps  remember  that  Mr.  Williams,  the  well-know 
missionary,  established  his  reputation  among  the  savages  to  whom  he  was  sent  by  niakiDj| 
an  extemporized  set  of  bellows  out  of  boxes  and  boards,  the  rats  always  eating  evei; 
scrap  of  leather  that  was  exposed. 

The  knowledge  of  forge  work  which  Mr.  Moffatt  possessed  was  gained  by  him  unJd 
very  adverse  circumstances.  A  broken-down  wagon  had  to  be  mended,  and  there  was  ni 
alternative  but  to  turn  blacksmith  and  mend  the  wagon,  or  to  abandon  the  expeditionf 
Finding  that  the  chief  drawback  to  the  powers  of  the  forge  was  the  inefficient  constructioJ 
of  the  native  bellows,  he  set  to  work,  and  contrived  to  make  a  pair  of  bellows  very  similai 
to  those  of  which  Le  Vaillant  gave  so  glowing  a  description.  And,  if  any  proof  vert 
needed  that  the  French  traveller's  aspii-ations  had  not  been  realized,  it  may  be  found 
in  the  fact  that  the  rude  bellows  made  by  the  English  missionaiy  were  as  much  a  mattet 
of  astonishment  to  the  natives  as  those  which  had  been  made  by  I^e  Vaillant  soniij 
sixty  years  before. 

Much  of  the  iron  used  in  Southern  Africa  seems  to  be  of  meteoric  origin,  and  is  founfl 
*»*  several  localities  in  a  wonderfully  pure  state,  so  that  very  little  labour  is  needed  ia 
order  to  make  it  fit  for  the  forge. 


MAKING  FIRE. 


101 


The  Kaffir  blacksmith  never  need  trouble  himself  about  the  means  of  obtaining  a  fire. 
Ihould  he  set  up  his  forge  in  the  vicinity  of  a  kraal,  the  simplest  plan  is  to  send  hia 

distant  for  a  firebrand  from  one  of  the  huts.    But,  if  he  should  prefer,  as  is  often  the 

je,  to  work  at  some  distance  from  the  huts,  he  can  procure  fire  with  perfect  certainty, 
Lir;h  not  without  some  labour. 
He  first  procures  two  sticks,  one  of  them  taken  from  a  soft-wood  tree,  and  the  other 

om  an  acacia,  or  some  other  tree  that  furnishes  a  hard  wood.  Of  course  both  the  sticks 
Lust  be  thoroughly  dry,  a  condition  about  which  there  is  little  difficulty  in  so  hot  a 
timate.    His  next  care  is  to  shape  one  end  oi  the  hard  stick  into  a  point,  and  to  bore  a 

nail  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  soft  stick.  He  now  squats  down  in  the  attitude  shown  in 
^e  engraving,  places  the  pointed  tip  of  the  hard  stick  in  the  hole  of  the  soft  stick,  and, 

dng  the  formdr  between  his  hands,  twirls  it  backwards  and  forwards  with  <  xtremo 
kpidity. 


MAKING  FIRE. 


As  he  goes  on,  the  hole  becomes  enlarged,  and -a  small  quantity  of  very  fine  dust  falls 
hto  it,  being  rubbed  away  by  the  friction.  Presently,  the  dust  is  seen  to  darken  in  colour, 
p  to  become  nearly  black ;  and  presently  a  very  slight  smoke  is  seen  to  rise.  The 
affir  now  redoubles  his  efforts ;  he  aids  the  effect  of  the  revolving  stick  by  his  breath. 
Win  a  few  more  seconds  the  dust  bursts  into  a  flame.  The  exertion  required  in  tliis 
|peration  is  very  severe,  and  by  the  time  that  the  fire  manifests  itself  the  producer  is 
itlied  in  perspiration. 

Usually,  two  men,  at  least,  take  part  in  fire-making,  and,  by  dividing  the  labour,  very 
buch  shorten  the  process.  It  is  evident  that,  if  the  perpendicular  stick  be  thus  worked, 
pe  hands  must  gradually  slide  down  it  until  they  reach  the  point.  The  solitary  Kaffir 
jrould  then  be  obliged  to  stop  the  stick,  shift  his  hands  to  the  top,  and  begin  again,  thus 
sing  much  valuable  time.  But  when  two  Kaffirs  unite  in  fire-making,  one  sits  opposite 
k  other,  and  as  soon  as  he  sees  that  his  comrade's  hands  have  nearly  worked  themselves 
lown  to  the  bottom  of  the  stick,  he  places  his  own  hands  on  the  top,  continues  the  move- 
pent,  and  relieves  his  friend.  Thus,  the  movement  of  the  stick  is  never  checked  for  a 
poment,  and  the  operation  is  consequently  hastened.  Moreover,  considerable  assistance 
8  given  by  the  second  Kaffir  keeping  the  dust  properly  arranged  round  the  point  of  the 
[tick,  and  by  taking  the  part  of  the  bellows,  so  as  to  allow  his  comrade  to  expend  all  his 
tength  in  twirling  the  stick. 

I  have  now  before  me  one  of  the  soft  sticks  in  which  fire  has  been  made.    There  is  a 

[lole  very  much  resembling  in  shape  and  size  the  depressions  in  a  solitaire  board,  except 

at  its  sides  are  black  and  deeply  charred  by  the  fire,  and  in  places  highly  polished  by 

k  friction.     Some  of  my  readers  may  perhaps  remember  that  English  blacksmiths  ani 


102 


THE  KAFFIR 


t.-  ■ 


m'- 


I 
I 

m 


& 


equally  independent  of  lucifer  matches,  flint  and  steel,  and  other  recognised  modest 
fire-raisinff.    They  place  a  small  piece  of  soft  iron  on  the  anvil,  together  Mrith  g 
charcoal  dust,  and  hammer  it  furiously.  The  result  is  that  enough  heat  is  evolved  to  ] 
the  charcoal,  and  so  to  enable  the  blacksmith  to  set  to  work. 

The  illustration  on  page  101  exhibits  the  blacksmith  and  his  two  assistants  eng 
in  making  a  fire.    The  "  man,"  distinguished  by  his  head-ring,  has  been  taking  his  tn 
at  the  fire-stick,  and  has  handed  it  over  to  his  assistant  just  before  the  fire  developed  itie;. 
The  slight  smoke  arising  from  the  stick  shows  that  the  operation  has  been  successful,! 
is  indeed  indicated  by  the  attitudes  of  the  ether  two  men.  « 

We  will  now  see  how  the  native  makes  his  assagai 

With  their  simple  tools  the  native  smiths  contrive  to  make  their  spear-heads  of  i 
an  excellent  temper  that  they  take  a  very  sharp  edge :  so  sharp  indeed,  that  the  as! 
is  used,  not  only  for  cutting  up  meat  and  similar  offices,  but  for  shaving  the  hi 
Also,  it  is  so  pliable,  that  a  good  specimen  can  be  bent  nearly  double  and  beaten  stiai^ 
again,  without  being  heated. 

When  the  Kaffir  smith  has  finished  the  head  of  the  assagai,  it  looks  something  ] . 
the  blade  of  a  table-knife  before  it  is  inserted  into  the  handle,  and  has  a  straight  pn 
jecting  peg,  by  which  it  is  £astened  into  the  wooden  shaft.     This  peg,  or  tang 
cutlers  call  it,  is  always  notched,  so  as  to  make  it  retain  its  hold  the  better. 

Now  comes  the  next  procesa 

The  spear-maker  has  already  by  him  a  number  of  shafts.  These  are  cut  fTo^n 
tree  which  is  popularly  called  "assagai-wood,"  and  on  the  average  are  nearly  five  feeti 
length.  In  diameter  they  are  very  small,  seldom  exceeding  that  of  a  man's  little  fing 
at  the  thick  end,  while  the  other  end  tapers  to  the  diameter  of  an  ordinary  black-I« 
pencil  The  assagai-tree  is  called  scientifically  Ourtisia  Jaginea,  and  is  something 
the  mahogany. 

The  shaft  of  the  assagai  is  seldom,  if  ever,  sufficiently  straight  to  permit  the  weap 
to  be  used  at  once.  It  is  straightened  by  means  of  heating  it  over  the  fire,  and  tha 
scraping,  beating,  and  bending  it  until  the  maker  is  pleased  with  the  result.  Even  afle 
the  weapon  has  been  made  and  in  use,  the  shaft  is  very  apt  to  warp,  and  in  this  case  tbi 
Kaffir  always  rapidly  straightens  the  assagai  before  he  throws  it  In  spite  of  its  brittii 
nature,  it  will  endure  a  considerable  amount  of  bending,  provided  that  the  curve  beiiolj 
too  sharp,  and  that  the  operator  does  not  jerk  the  shaft  as  he  bends  it  Indeed,  if  itvei 
not  for  the  elasticity  of  the  shaft,  the  native  would  not  be  able  to  produce  the  pecu 
quivering  or  vibrating  movement,  to  which  the  weapon  owes  so  much  of  its  efficiency. 

By  means  of  heating  the  "  tang  "  of  the  head  red-hot,  a  hole  is  bored  into  the  thid 
end  of  the  shaft,  and  the  tang  passed  into  it  Were  it  left  without  further  work,  the  spea 
would  be  incomplete,  for  the  head  would  fall  away  from  the  shaft  whenever  the  poinl 
was  held  downwards.  In  order  to  fasten  it  in  its  place,  the  Kaffir  always  makes  used 
one  material,  namely,  raw  hide.  He  cuts  a  narrow  strip  of  hide,  sometimes  retaining  tbi 
hair,  and  binds  it  while  still  wet  upon  the  spear.  As  it  dries,  the  hide  contracts,  and  forr 
a  band  nearly  as  strong  as  if  made  of  iron. 

There  is  no  particular  art  displayed  in  tying  this  band ;  we  never  see  in  that  portia 
of  an  assagai  the  least  trace  of  the  elaborate  and  elegant  patterns  used  by  the  Ne^ 
Zealanders  in  the  manufacture  of  their  weapons.  The  strip  of  hide  is  merely  rolW 
round  the  s^ear  and  the  loose  end  tucked  beneath. a  fold.  Yet  the  Kaffir  is  not  withool 
the  power  of  producing  such  patterns,  and  will  commonly  weave  very  elaborate  i 
elegant  ornaments,  from  the  hair  of  the  elephant's  tail  and  similar  materials.  Thes 
ornamental  lashings  are,  however,  always  placed  on  the  shaft  of  the  weapon,  and 
never  employed  in  fastening  the  head  of  the  assagai  in  its  place. 

In  the  illustration  on  page  10.3  is  drawn  a  group  of  assagais,  in  order  to  sboi 
the  chief  varieties  of  this  weapoa  The  whole  of  them  have  been  drawn  from  specimei 
in  my  own  possession.  The  word  "  assagai "  is  not  a  Kaffir  term,  but,  like  the  populi 
name  of  the  tribe,  like  the  words  kaross,  kraal,  &c.  has  been  borrowed  from  anotlej 
language.  The  Zulu  word  for  the  a.ssagai  is  um-konto,  a  word  which  has  a  curious  tboii 
accidental  resemblance  to  the  Latin  corUvs. 


ASSAGAia 


103 


The  ordinary  fom  is  shown  at  fig.  6.     This  weapon  is  five  feet  seven  inches  in 
otal  length,  and  thb  >!'ide  measures  a  foot  in  length  from  its  junction  with  the  shaft 

ometiraes  the  hlade  . 

„  much  longer  and 
ffider,  as  seen  at  fig.  4 
U  fig.  7  is  shown  a  .. 

Lry  remarkable  spe-  /\^L  it  .1 

Uen  of  the  assagai. 
Intending  to  produce 
lia  extremely  elegant 
,  the  artificer 
tas"^  lavished    much 

ains  on  his  work.  In 
[he  first  place,  he  has 
forged  a  deeply-barbed 
1,  a  form  which  is 
Ut  rarely  seen.  He 
has  then  fastened  it  to 
the  shaft  in  a  rather 
kingular  way.  Instead 
tf  cutting  a  stripof  raw 
hide  and  binding  it 
the  weapon,  he 
lias  taken  the  tail  of 

,  calf,  out  off  a  piece 
khout  four  inches  iu 
length,  drawn  the  skin 
iron  it  so  as  to  form 
itube,  and  slipped  this 
|tabe  over  the  spear. 

sis  the  case  with  the 
hide-lashing,  the  tube 

ontracts  as  it  dries, 

od  forms  a  singularly 
lefiective  mode  of  at- 

iching  the  head  to  the 
khafL    The   hair  has 

en  retained,  and,  in 
|tlie  maker's  opinion,  a 

rery  handsome  weapon 

I  been  produced. 

The  illustration  on 

»ge  104  shows  the 
of  three  of  the 

agais  in  the  larger 
[engraving,  for  the  pur- 

ise  of  showing  the 

anner  in  which  they        ■■      |      \|      ii  |    aJ|«  ^^ 

I  made.  Theyrepre-         f       I      W      i  1    w    ^w       U 

lent  the  chief  varieties         "       '       f       "  f     >r      ▼        V  | 

|of  the  weapon,  and  are  group  of  assagais. 

awn  from  ray  own 
bpecimens.    The  upper 

Kure  represents  the  barbed  assagai  which  has  just  been  described  (fig.  7),  and  shows 
pat  even  in  this  form  of  head  the  characteristic  concavity  and  convexity  are  retained. 
lie  central  figure  represents  an  ordinary  "  throwing  assagai,"  fig.  5 ;  i.e.  one  that  is  used 


/s. 


104 


THE  KAFFIR. 


as  ft  missile,  and  not  as  a  daogcr.  In  somo  casus  the  throwing  assagai  is  shaped  in 
a  more  simple  manner,  the  head  being  notliing  but  a  sharpened  spike  of  iron,  without  any 
pretensions  of  being  formed  into  a  blade.  The  lowermost  figure  represents  the  ordinnry 
•'  stabbing  assagai,"  fig.  4.  This  weapon  can  be  used  ns  a  missile,  but  is  very  seldom  enijjloveil 
except  08  a  manual  weapon.  Its  long,  straight  blade  is  much  used  in  the  more  pcactfn] 
vocations  of  daily  life,  and  a  Kaffir  in  time  of  peace  seldom  uses  it  for  any  worse  imrjKJs* 
than  slaughtering  cattle,  and  cutting  them  up  afterwards.  This  is  the  assagai  that  is 
usually  employed  as  a  knife,  and  with  which  the  ingenious  native  contrives  to  shave 
his  head. 

The  assagai,  in  its  original  form,  is  essentially  a  missile,  and  is  made  expressly  for 
that  purpose,  although  it  serves  several  others.  And,  insignificant  as  it  looks  when 
compared  with  the  ^  irger  and  more  elaborate  spears  of  other  nations,  there  is  no  spent 
or  lance  that  can  sui-pass  it  in  efficacy. 


Scc(i*n  tf 


Sftar  htad 


HEADS  OF  ASSAGAIS. 


The  Kaffir,  when  going  on  a  warlike  or  hunting  expedition,  or  even  when  travelling  to 
any  distance,  takes  with  him  a  bundle,  or  "sheaf,"  of  assagais,  at  least  five  in  nuinber, 
and  sometimes  eight  or  nine.  AVhen  he  assails,  an  enemy,  he  rushes  forward,  springing 
from  side  to  side  in  order  to  disconcert  the  aim  of  his  adversary,  and  hurling  spear  after 
spear  with  such  rapidity  that  two  or  three  are  in  the  air  at  once,  each  having  been  thrown 
from  a  different  direction.  There  is  little  difficulty  in  avoiding  a  single  spear  when  thrown 
from  the  front ;  but  when  the  point  of  one  is  close  to  the  heart,  when  another  is  coming 
to  the  right  side,  and  the  enemy  is  just  hurling  another  on  the  left,  it  is  a  matter  of  no  ] 
small  difficulty  to  escape  one  or  other  of  them.  If  the  assailed  individual  stands  still, 
he  is  sure  to  be  hit,  for  the  Kaffir's  aim  is  absolute  certaiiity  ;  while  if  he  tries  to  escape  | 
a  spear  coming  from  the  left,  he  will  probably  be  hit  by  another  coming  from  the  right. 

Moreover,  the  mode  in  which  the  weapon  is  thrown  serves  to  disconcert  the  enemy, 
and  bewilder  his  gasie.     Just  before  he  throws  the  spear,  the  Kaffir  makes  it  quiver  in  1 
a  very  peculiar  manner.     He  grasps  it  with  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  | 
holding  it  just  above  the  spot  where  it  balances  itself,  and  with  the  head  pointing  up 
his  arm.    The  other  fingers  are  laid  along  the  shaft,  and  are  suddenly  and  firmly  close'i, 
80  as  to  bring  the  balance  spot  of  the  spear  against  the  root  of  the  hand.    This  movement  I 
causes  the  spear  to  vibrate  strongly,  and  is  rapidly  repeated,  until  the  weapon  gives  out  a 
peculiar  humming  or  shivering  noise,  impossible  to  be  described,  and  equally  impossible 
to  be  forgotten  when  once  heard.     It  is   ns  menacing  a  sound  as  the  whirr  of  tlie 
rattlesnake,  and  is  used  by  the  Kaffirs  when  they  wish  to  strike  terror  into  theiil 
opponents. 

When  thrown,  the  assagai  does  not  lose  this  vibrating  movement,  but  seems  even  I 
to  vibrate  stronger  than  before,  the  head  describing  a  large  arc  of  a  circle,  of  which  the 
balance-point  forms  the  centre.    This  vibration  puzzles  the  eye  of  the  adversary,  because 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  tell  the  precise  direction  which  the  weapon  is  taking.    Any  one 
can  calculate  the  flight  of  a  rigid  missile,  such  ns  a  thick  spear  or  arrow,  but  when  the  | 
weapon  is  vibrating  the  eye  is  greatly  bewildered. 


SKIUMISHINQ. 


105 


The  wliolo  look  of  an  assagai  in  the  air  is  very  remarkable,  and  has  never  been 
hroporly  represented.  All  illustrations  have  represented  it  as  quite  straight  and  stiff 
L  its  tliglit,  whereas  it  looks  just  like  a  very  slender  serpent  undulating  itself  grace- 
Vully  through  the  air.  It  seems  instinct  with  life,  and  appears  rather  to  be  seeking  its 
Wn  course  than  to  bo  a  simple  weapon  thrown  by  the  hand  of  a  man.  As  it  Hies  along 
it  continually  gives  out  the  peculiar  shivering  sound  which  has  been  mentioned,  and  this 
further  adds  to  the  delusion  of  its  aspect 

The  illustration  represents  a  group  of  Kaffir  warriors  engaged  in  a  skirmish.  In  the 
present  instance  they  are  exhibiting  their  prowess  in  a  mock  tight,  the  heads  of  the  assagais 
leing  of  wood  instead  of  iron,  and  blunted,  but  still  hard  and  sharp  enough  to  give  a  very 
erere  blow — experto  crede.    In  the  background  are  seen  a  number  of  soldiers  standing 


IV  > 


■i  .v^M 


KAFFIR  WARRIORS  SKIRMISHING. 


Ibehind  their  shields,  so  as  to  exemplify  the  aptness  of  their  title,  the  Matabele,  or  Dia- 
lappearers.  In  the  immediate  foreground  is  a  soldier  in  the  full  uniform  of  his  regiment. 
iHe  has  just  hurled  one  assagai,  and,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  manner  in  which  his  dress 
lis  Hying,  has  leaped  to  his  present  position  with  another  assagai  ready  in  his  hand.  Two 
jsoldiers  are  plucking  out  of  the  ground  the  assagais  thrown  by  their  antagonists,  covering 
Ithemselves  with  their  shields  while  so  doing.  All  these  soldiers  belong  to  the  same 
Iregiment,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  headdress,  which  constitutes  their  distinctive  uniform. 
I  The  skill  displayed  by  the  Kaffirs  in  the  use  of  this  weapon  is  really  surprising. 
iThe  rapidity  with  which  the  assagais  are  snatched  from  the  sheaf,  poised,  quivered,  and 
jliiirled  is  almost  incredible.  We  are  told  that  the  great  mastery  of  the  old  English 
larchors  over  the  powerful  bows  which  they  used,  was  not  so  much  owing  to  the  personal 
Istrength  of  the  archer,  eo  to  the  manner  in  which  he  was  taught  to  "  lay  his  body  in  his 


10« 


THE  KAFFIR 


I:-'    I 


bow,"  and  thus  to  manage  with  ease  a  weapon  that  much  stronger  men  could  not  dnvl 
In  a  similar  manner,  tliu  skill  of  the  Kaffir  in  hurling  the  assagai  is  attributable  not  to 
his  bodily  strength,  but  to  the  constant  habit  of  using  the  weapon.  As  soon  as  a  boy  cat 
fairly  walk  alone,  he  plays  at  spear-throwing— throwing  with  sticks ;  «nd  as  he  grows  n, 
his  father  makes  sham  assaguis  for  him,  with  wooden  instead  of  iron  heads.  Twoo( 
these  mock  weapons  are  in  my  collection,  and  are  shown  at  fig.  8  in  the  illustratisn  oa 
p.  103.  They  exactly  resemble  the  ordinary  assagai,  except  thut  their  heads  are  of  wood; 
and  if  one  of  them  happened  to  hit  a  man,  it  wuuld  inflict  rather  an  unpleasant  wound. ' 

When  the  Katfir  grasps  his  assagai,  he  and  the  weapon  seem  to  become  one  being, 
the  quivering  speur  seeming  instinct  with  life  imparted  to  it  by  its  wielder.  In  hurling 
it,  he  assumes  mtuitively  tlie  most  graceful  of  attitudes,  reminding  the  observer  of  torat 
of  the  ancient  statues,  and  the  weapon  is  thrown  with  such  seeming  ease  thut,  ug  t 
sojourner  among  them  told  me, "  the  man  looks  as  if  he  were  nmde  of  oil."  As  he 
hurls  the  weapon,  he  presses  on  his  foe,  trying  to  drive  him  back,  and  at  the  laoit 
time  to  recover  the  spent  missiles. 

Sometimes,  when  he  has  not  space  to  raise  his  arm,  or  when  he  wants  to  take  hit  foe 
by  surprise,  he  throws  the  assagai  with  a  kind  of  underhand  jerk,  his  arm  hanging 
at  full  length.  An  assagai  thus  delivered  cannot  be  thrown  as  far  as  by  the  ordinary 
method,  but  it  can  be  propelled  with  considerable  foi-ce,  and  frequently  achieves  the  object 
for  which  it  was  intended. 

He  never  throws  the  last  of  the  sheaf,  but  if  he  cannot  succeed  in  picking  up  thow 
that  are  already  thrown,  either  by  himself  or  his  enemy,  he  dashes  forward,  and  as  he 
closes  with  the  foe,  snaps  the  shaft  of  the  assagai  in  the  middle,  throws  away  the  tip, 
and  uses  the  remaining  portion  as  a  dagger. 

The  wood  of  which  the  shaft  is  made,  though  very  elastic,  is  very  brittle,  and  a  novice 
in  the  art  is  sure  to  break  several  of  his  spears  before  he  learns  to  throw  them  pro- 
perly. Unless  they  are  rightly  cast,  as  soon  as  the  blade  reaches  the  ground  the  sbail 
gives  a  kind  of  "  whip  "  forward,  and  snaps  short  just  aboye  the  blade.  One  of  the  great 
wari'ior  chiefs  made  a  singular  use  of  this  property.  Just  before  going  into  action,  he 
made  his  men  cut  the  shafts  of  their  assagais  nearly  across,  just  beyond  the  junction 
of  the  shaft  and  the  head.  The  consequence  of  this  ingenious  ruse  became  evident 
enough  when  the  action  commenced.  If  the  weapon  went  true  to  its  mark,  it  pierced  the 
body  of  the  foe  just  as  effectually  as  if  nothing  had  been  done  to  it ;  while  if  it  missed, 
and  struck  the  ground  or  a  shield,  the  shaft  instantly  snapped,  and  the  weapon  vas 
thereby  rendered  useless  to  the  foe. 

Unknowingly,  the  barbaric  chief  copied  the  example  that  was  set  by  a  Boman  general 
nearly  two  thousand  years  ago.    When  Marius  made  war  against  the  Cimbri,  his  troopi 
carried  the  short  heavy  javelin,  called  the  pilum.    This  weapon  had  a  thick  handle,  to 
the  end  of  which  the  long  blade  was  attached  by  two  iron  rivets,  one  in  front  of  the 
other.    Before  going  to  battle,  he  ordered  the  soldiers  to  remove  the  rivet  farthc^at  from 
the  point,  and  to  supply  its  place  with  a  slight  wooden  peg,  just  strong  enough  to  hold 
the  head  in  its  proper  position  as  long  as  no  force  was  used.    When  the  javelin  was 
hurled,  the  enemy  tned  to  receive  it  on  their  shields ;  and  if  they  succeeded  in  doing  so, 
they  drew  out  the  weapon  and  flung  it  back  at  the  foe.    But  as  soon  as  the  ^action  begaii 
the  Cimbri  found  themselves  in  a  sore  strait.     No  sooner  had  they  caught  the  javelin  in  I 
their  shields,  than  the  slight  wooden  peg  snapped,  and  allowed  the  shaft  to  dangle  from  | 
the  blade.     Not  only  was  the  weapon  useless,  but  it  .became  a  serious  incumbrance.   It 
could  not  be  pulled  out  of  the  shield,  as  it  afforded  no  grasp,  and  the  heavy  shait  I 
dragged  on  the  ground  so  as  to  force  the  soldier  to  throw  (tway  his  shield,  and  to  fight 
without  it 

A  very  singular  modification  of  the  assagai  was  made  by  the  terrible  Tchaka,  a  chief  | 
who  lived  but  for  war,  and  was  a  man  of  wonderful  intellect,  dauntless  courage,  singular 
organizing  power,  and  utterly  devoid  of  compassion.  Eetaining  the  assagai,  he  altered 
its  shape,  and  made  it  a  much  shorter  and  heavier  weapon,  unfit  for  throwing,  and  only 
to  be  used  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter.  After  arming  his  troops  with  this  modified 
weapon,  he  entirely  altered  the  mode  of  warfare. 


:j  (• 


ASSAGAIS. 


107 


His  soldiers  were  furnished  with  a  very  large  shield  and  a  single  assagai.  When 
(W  went  into  action,  they  ran  in  a  compact  body  on  the  enemy,  and  as  soon  as  the  first 
ihower  of  spears  fell,  they  crouched  beneath  their  shields,  allowed  the  weapons  to  expend 
their  force,  and  then  sprang  in  for  a  hand-to-li.jiid  encounter.  Their  courage,  naturally 
jmt,  was  excited  by  promises  of  reward,  and  by  the  certainty  that  not  to  conquer  was  to 
die,  If  a  soldier  was  detected  in  running  away,  he  wuh  instantly  killed  by  the  chief,  and 
the  same  punishment  awaited  any  one  who  rutumed  from  battle  without  his  spear  and 
ihittliL  Owing  to  these  tactics,  he  raised  tho  tribe  of  tho  Amazulu  to  be  the  most  powerful 
in  the  country.  He  absorbed  nearly  sixty  otiir  tribes  into  his  own,  and  extended  his 
dominions  nearly  half  across  the  continent  of  Aliica. 

He  at  last  formed  the  bold  conception  of  sweeping  the  whole  South  African  coast 
with  his  armies,  and  extirpating  the  white  inhabitants.  But,  while  at  the  zenith  of  his 
|pom<r,  he  was  treacherously  killed  by  two  of  his  brothers,  Dingan  and  Umlancane. 
I  The  two  murderers  fought  for  the  kingdom  on  the  following  day,  and  Dingan  ascended  the 
throne  over  the  bodies  of  both  his  brothers.  The  sanguinary  mode  of  government  which 
Tchaka  had  created  was  not  likely  to  be  ameliorated  in  such  hands,  and  the  nume 
of  Dingan  was  dreaded  nearly  as  much  as  that  of  his  brother.  His  successor  and  brother, 
Panda,  continued  to  rule  in  the  same  manner,  though  without  possessing  the  extra- 
ordinary genius  of  the  mighty  founder  of  his  kingdom,  and  found  himself  obliged  tc 
form  an  alliance  with  the  English,  instead  of  venturing  to  make  war  upon  them.  Tchaka's 
invention  of  the  single  stabbing-assagai  answered  very  well  as  long  as  the  Zulus  only 
foiiglit  against  other  tribes  of  the  same  country.  But,  when  they  came  to  encounter 
the  Dutch  Boers,  it  was  found  that  the  stabbing  assagai  was  almost  useless  against 
mounted  enemies,  and  they  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  original  form  of  the  weapon. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  illustration  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  he 
Till  see  two  specimens  of  the  short  stabbing-assagai  with  the  large  blade.  A  fine  example 
of  this  weapon  is  seen  at  fig.  1.  The  reader  wul  see  that  the  blade  is  extremely  wide 
and  leaf- shaped,  and  that  the  other  end,  or  butt  of  the  spear,  is  decorated  with  a  tuft  of 
hairs  taken  from  the  tail  of  a  cow.  Another  example  is  seen  at  fig.  3.  The  maker  has 
bestowed  great  pains  on  this  particular  weapon.  Just  at  the  part  where  the  spear  balances, 
8  piece  of  soft  leather  is  formed  into  a  sort  of  handle,  and  is  finished  off  at  either  end 
with  a  ring  made  of  the  wire-like  hair  of  the  elephant's  tail.  Several  wide  rings  of  the 
um  material  decorate  the  shaft  of  the  weapon,  and  all  of  them  are  like  the  well-known 
"Turk's-head"  knot  of  the  sailors. 

Fig.  6  of  the  same  illustration  shows  another  assagai,  which  has  once  had  a  barbed 
e  like  that  at  fig.  7,  but  which  has  been  so  repeatedly  ground  that  the  original 
siiape  is  scarcely  perceptible.  The  spear  which  is  drawn  at  fig.  13  is  one  of  the  orna- 
mental wooden  weapons  which  a  Kaffir  will  use  when  etiquette  forbids  him  to  carry  a  real 
a33a<;aL  This  particular  spear  is  cut  from  one  piece  of  wood,  and  is  decorated  according 
to  Kaffir  notions  of  beauty,  by  contrasts  of  black  and  white  gained  by  ch,  ^ing  the  wood. 
The  ornamental  work  on  the  shaft  is  thus  blackened,  and  so  is  one  side  of  the  broad 
vooden  blade.  The  spear  shown  at  fig.  9  is  used  in  elephant  hunting,  and  will  be 
described  in  a  future  chapter. 

To  a  Kaffir  the  assagai  is  a  necessary  of  life.  He  never  stirs  without  taking  a  weapon 
|of  some  kind  in  his  hand,  and  that  weapon  is  generally  the  assagai     With  it  he  kills  his 

le,  with  it  he  cuts  up  the  carcase,  with  it  he  strips  off  the  hide,  and  with  it  he  fashions 

dresses  worn  by  the  women  as  well  as  the  men.  The  case  and  rapidity  with  which 
he  performs  these  acts  are  really  astonishing.  When  cutting  up  slaughtered  cattle,  he 
[displays  as  much  knowledge  of  the  various  cuts  as  the  most  experienced  butcher,  and 
icertainly  no  butcher  could  operate  more  rapidly  with  his  knife,  saw,  and  cleaver,  than 

3  the  Kaffir  with  his  simple  assagai. 

For  every  purpose  wherein  a  European  uses  a  knife,  the  Kaffir  uses  his  assagai  With 
[it  he  cuts  the  shafts  for  his  weapons,  and  with  its  sharp  blade  !  i  carves  the  wooden 
clubs,  spoons,  dishes,  and  pillows,  and  the  various  utensils  required  in  his  daily  life. 

When  hurling  his  assagais,  whether  at  an  animal  which  he  is  hunting  or  at  a  foe,  or 
even  when  exhibiting  his  skill  to  a  spectator,  the  Kaffir  becomes  strongly  excited,  and 


i'fil 


108 


THE  KAFFIR 


■ 


seems  almost  beside  himself.  The  sweetest  sound  that  can  greet  a  Kaffir's  ears  is  the 
sound  of  his  weapon  entering  the  object  at  which  it  was  aimed,  and  in  order  to  enjoy 
this  strange  gratification,  he  will  stab  a  slain  animal  over  and  over  again,  foigetful  in  the 
excitement  of  the  moment  that  every  needless  stab  ii\jures  the  hide  which  might  be  so 
useful  to  him.  When  the  chief  summons  his  army,  and  the  warriors  go  through  theit 
extraordiuary  performances  in  his  presence,  they  never  fail  to  expatiate  on  the  gratification 
which  they  shall  derive  from  hearing  their  assagais  strike  into  the  bodies  of  theit 
opponents.  ! 

It  is  rather  a  curious  fact  that  the  true  Kaffir  never  uses  the  bow  and  arrow.  Though 
nearly  surrounded  by  tribes  which  use  this  weapon,  and  though  often  suffering  in  skir- 
mishes from  the  poisoned  arrows  of  the  Bosjesmans,  he  rejects  the  bow  in  warfare,  con- 
sidering  it  to  be  a  weapon  inconsistent  with  the  dignity  of  a  warrior.  He  has  but  two 
weapons,  the  assagai  and  the  club,  and  he  wields  the  second  as  skilfully  as  the  first. 

The  clubs  used  by  the  Kaffir  tribes  are  extremely  variable  in  size,  and  rather  so  b. 
form.    Some  of  them  are  more  than  six  feet  in  length,  while  some  are  only  fourteen  or  l 
fifteen  inches.    But  they  all  agree  in  one  point,  namely,  that  they  are  straight,  or,  at  all 
events,  are  intended  to  be  so ;  and  that  one  end  is  terminated  by  a  knob.    They  are 
popularly  known  as  "  knob-kerries." 

In  order  to  show  the  extreme  difference  of  size  that  is  found  among  them,  several  | 
specimens  are  figured  in  the  illustration  on  page  103.  Three  specimens  are  seen  at  lig, 
10.  That  on  the  right  hand  is  used  as  a  weapon,  and  is  wielded  in  a  very  curious  I 
manner.  Not  only  can  it  be  employed  as  a  weapon  with  which  an  opponent  can  be 
struck,  but  it  is  also  used  as  a  missile,  sometimes  being  flung  straight  at  the  antagonist, 
and  sometimes  thrown  on  the  ground  in  such  a  manner  that  its  elasticity  causes  it  to  re- 
bound and  strike  the  enemy  from  below  instead  of  from  above.  The  Australian  savages  | 
possess  clubs  of  a  similar  shape,  and  also  employ  the  ricochet. 

The  other  two  kerries  are  not  meant  as  weapons.    It  is  contrary  to  etiquette  for  a  | 
Kaffir  to  carry  an  assagai  when  he  enters  the  hut  of  a  superior,  and  he  therefore  ex- 
changes the  weapon  for  the  innocent  kerrie.    And  it  is  also  contrary  to  etiquette  to  use  I 

the  real  assagai  in  dances.  But,  a 
i  n  their  dances  the  various  operations 
of  warfare  and  hunting  are  imitated, 
it  is  necessary  for  the  performers  to 
have  something  that  will  take  the! 
place  of  an  assagai,  and  they  accord- 
ingly provide  themselves  with  knob- J 
kerries  about  the  same  length  as  the  I 
weapons  whose  place  they  supply. 

One  very  common  form  of  the  I 

short  knob-kerrie  is  shown  at  fig.  14 

This  weapon  is  only  twenty  inches 

in  length,  and  can  be  conveniently  I 

carried  in  the  belt.    At  close  quarteis I 

it  can  be  used  as  a  club,  but  it  isl 

more  frequently  employed  as  a  mis- 1 

sile.    The  illustration  represents  a  I 

'Kaffir  lad  in  the  act  of  throwing  the! 

knob-kerrie.     He  has  four  or  five  ot| 

these  missiles  in  his  left  hand,  8 

hurls  them  one  after  the  other  withl 

great  rapidity.     The  animals  wliichl 

he  is  attacking  are  the  rock-rabbits,! 

scientifically  known  under  the  name  of  Hyrax,  and  identical  with  the  "  coney  "  of  tkj 

Scriptures.  I 

The  Kaffir  is  so  trained  from  infancy  to  hurl  his  weapons  that  he  always  prefers  thosel 

which  can  be  thrown.    The  force  and  precision  with  which  the  natives  will  fling  thesel 


THROWING  THR  KEBBIB. 


XILLINQ  GAME. 


109 


short  kerries  is  really  aslonisliinp.  If  Enropenns  were  to  pfo  after  birds,  and  •provide 
themselves  with  knobbed  sticks  instead  of  guns,  they  would  biiug  home  but  very  littlo 
naaie.  Yet  a  Katfir  takes  his  knob-kerries  as  a  mattier  of  course,  when  he  goes  after  the 
bastard,  the  quail,  or  other  birds,  and  seldom  returns  without  success. 

The  general  plan  is  for  two  men  to  hunt  in  concert.  They  walk  some  fifty  yards 
apart,  and  when  they  come  to  any  spot  which  seems  a  likely  place  for  game,  they  reet 
their  kerries  on  their  right  shoulders,  so  as  to  lose  no  time  in  drawing  back  the  hand  when 
they  wish  to  fling  the  weapon.  As  soon  as  a  bird  rises,  they  simultaneously  hurl  their 
kerries  at  it,  one  always  aiming  a  little  above  the  bird,  and  the  other  a  little  below.  If, 
then,  the  bird  catches  sight  of  the  per  club,  and  dives  down  to  avoid  it,  the  lower  club 
takes  effect,  while,  if  it  rises  from  the  lower  kerrie,  it  falls  a  victim  to  the  upper. 

This  plan  is  wonderfully  eflicacious,  as  I  have  proved  by  personal  experience.  One  of 
my  friends  and  myself  determined  to  try  whether  we  could  kill  game  in  the  Kaffir 
fashion.  So  we  cut  some  knobbed  sticks,  and  started  off  in  search  of  snipe.  As  soon  as 
a  snipe  rose,  we  flung  the  stick  at  it,  and  naturally  missed,  as  it  was  qiute  beyond  the 
range  of  any  missile  propelled  by  hand.  However,  marking  the  spot  where  it  alighted, 
ve  started  it  afresh,  and  by  repeating  this  process,  we  got  sufficiently  near  to  bring  it 
within  the  compass  of  our  powers,  and  succeeded  in  knocking  it  down. 

Generally,  the  short,  thick,  heavily-knobbed  kerrie  belongs  rather  to  the  Hottentot 
and  the  Bosjesman  than  to  the  Zulu,  who  prefers  the  longer  weapon,  even  as  a  missila 
Bat  it  is  evident  that  the  former  shape  of  the  weapon  is  the  original  one,  and  that  the 
Kaffir,  who  derived  it  from  its  original  inventor,  the  Hottentot,  has  gradually  lengthened 
the  shaft  and  diminished  the  size  of  the  head. 

The  material  of  which  the  kerrie  is  made  is  mostly  wood,  that  of  the  acacia  being 
iieqaently  used  for  this  purpose.  The  long  knob-kerries  of  the  Zulus  are  generally  cut 
from  the  tree  that  is  emphatically,  though  not  euphoniously,  named  Stink-wood,  on 
account  of  the  unpleasant  odcur  which  it  gives  out  while  being  worked.  As  soon  as  it 
is  dry,  this  odour  goes  off,  and  not  even  the  most  sensitive  nostril  can  be  annoyed  by  it 
The  stink-wood  is  a  species  of  laurel,  and  its  scientific  name  is  Laurus  bullata. 

The  most  valuable,  as  well  as  the  most  durable  knob-kerries  are  those  which  are  cut 
out  of  rhinoceros  horn,  and  a  native  can  hardly  be  induced  to  part  with  a  fine  specimen 
for  any  bribe.  In  the  first  place,  the  very  fact  of  possessing  such  an  article  shows  that 
he  must  be  a  mighty  hunter,  and  have  slain  a  rhinoceros ;  and  in  the  second  place,  its 
great  efficacy,  and  the  enormous  amount  of  labour  expended  in  carving  out  of  the  solid 
horn,  endear  it  so  much  to  him,  that  he  will  not  part  with  it  except  for  something  which 
will  tend  to  raise  him  in  the  eyes  of  his  comrades.  In  England,  a  fine  specimen  of  knob- 
kerrie,  made  from  the  horn  of  the  white  rhinoceros,  has  been  known  to  fetch  as  much 
as  ten  pounds. 

Thus  much  for  the  offensive  weapons  of  the  Zulu  Kaffir.  Towards  the  north,  as  well 
as  to  the  west  of  the  Draakensberg  Mountains,  a  peculiar  battle-axe  is  used,  which  is 
evidently  a  modification  of  the  barbed  spear  which  has  already  been  described ;  but  the 
true  Zulu  uses  no  weapon  except  the  assagai  and  the  kerrie. 


•#1 


CHAPTER   XII. 


WAE—  Continued. 


DEFENSIVE  WEAPONS  AND  MODE  OF  FIGHTINa. 


Istfllwet  and  pliant, 
lastomake  the  black 
the  right  hand  figure 
Imanner  in  which  the 
I  The  handle  of  th 
I  projection  in  the  cen 
Iccntre  of  the  shield, 
I  purposes,  its  chief  u 
I  object  being  to  assist 
Iquired  in  the  Kaffir's 
I  used  as  a  rest,  on  wh 
|in  his  arms,  and  the 


BODY  ABHOTTB  NOT  WORN — THB  KAFFIB's   SHIELD — ITS  SHAFK,  MATKBIAL,  AND  COLOUE — THE  SBWD 

AS   A  TTNIFOBM CUBI0U8   BVSE — HOW  THB    SHIELD  IS    HELD  AND    USED — THE   SHIELD-STICK  Alil 

ITS  0BNAHSNT8 VALVE   OF  THE    SHIELD   AGAINST   SPEABS  AND  ABBOW8 — THB   BLACK  AND  VHITS 

!HHIELD    BEOIMBNTS — DISTBIBUTION     OF     SHIELDS HILITABT    AMBITION    AND     ITS    INCENTIVK8- 

CHIEF   OBJECTS   OF  WABFABE DISCIPLINE  OF  A  KAFFIB  ABMY CBVELTY  OF  TCHAKA  AND  OTHEE 

ZULU  HONABCHS OBSEBVANCE8    BEFORE    A    CAMPAIGN SUPEBSTITIOUS   CEBBMONIES — HOW  TUB 

ABMY  IS  MAINTAINED  IN  THE  FIELD TBACK  OF  AN  ABMY  THBOUGH  AN  ENSMY's  LAND — JEALOISI 

BETWEEN  THE  DIFFEBENT  BEGIMENT8 ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  ABMY NUMBER  OF  BEGIMEKTSASIl 

OABBISON  TOWNS NAMES  OF  THB  DIFFEBENT  REGIMENTS — GOZA  AND  SANDILLI DISTINGVISUINa 

UNIFORMS    OF   THB    BEOIMENT8 — THE    REVIEW    AFTER    A   BATTLE,  AND    ITS    CONSEQUENCES— THE 

SHIELD-BEABER  AND  HIS  PEBILOUS  TASK — THE  BOYAL  ATTENDANTS REWARD  AND  PUNI8HUSNT- 

KAFFIB     HERALDS VARIOUS     TITLES     OP    THB     KINO — PANDa's    BEVIEW    COSTUME — THE    KDIg's 

PBOOBE88     THBOUGH    HIS    COUNTBY — INVENTION    AND    COMPLETION    OF    A    MILITABY    6YSTEM- 

TCHAKA's  policy  COMPABED  'WITH   THAT    OF   THE    FIB8T  NAPOLEON TCIIAKa'b  RISE  AND  7AU- 

AN  UNSUCCESSFUL  EXPEDITION — ^FAMILY  QUARRELS — A   TREACHEROUS   CONSPIBACY — MUBDEB  0!  | 
TCHAKA,  AND  ACCESSION  OF  DINOAN. 


■■■'i^.^ 


■■"'^^^■ 


The  Zulu  tribe  have  but  one  piece  of  defensive  armour,  namely,  the  shield.    The  Kafiirs 
either  are  ignorant  of,  or  despise  bodily  armour  of  any  kind,  not  even  protecting  their 
heads  by  caps  and  helmets,  but  exposing  their  naked  bodies  and  limbs  to  the  weapons  of 
the  foe.    The  shields  are  always  made  of  ox-hide,  and  their  colour  denotes  the  depart- 
ment of  the  army  to  which  the  owner  belongs.    None  but  "  men,"  who  are  entitled  to  | 
wear  the  head-ring,  are  privileged  to  carry  white  shields,  while  the  "  boys  "  on  their  pro- 
motion are  furnished  with  black  shields.    Some  of  them  have  their  black  and  white  I 
shields  spotted  with  red  or  brown,  this  colouring  denoting  the  particular  regimeut  to 
which  they  belong.      It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  shield  constitutes  a  kind  of 
uniform,  and  it  has  more  than  once  happened,  that  when  the  Zulu  warriors  have  got  the 
better  of  their  enemies,  some  of  the  more  crafty  among  the  vanqviished  have  contrived  to  | 
exchange  their  own  shields  for  those  belonging  to  slain  Zulu  warriors,  and  have  thus  con- 
trived  to  pass  themselves  ofif  as  victorious  Amazulu  xintil  they  could  find  an  opportunity  ] 
of  making  their  escape. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  a  shield  in  my  collection.  As  may  bo  seen,  I 
it  is  a  "  man's  "  shield,  the  ground  colour  being  white,  while  the  black  patch  towards  the 
upper  end,  and  the  red  patch  at  the  bottom,  serve  to  indicate  the  regiment  to  which  the 
owner  belonged.  The  double  row  of  black  marks  down  the  centre  of  the  shield  is  an 
addition  which  is  invariably  found  in  these  weapons  of  war,  and  serves  partly  as  an  1 
ornament,  and  partly  as  a  convenient  mode  for  fastening  the  handle.  In  ornamenting  the 
shield  with  these  marks,  the  Kaffir  cuts  a  double  row  of  slits  along  the  shield  while  it  is 


B 


eyes  can  just  look  o^ 
crown  of  his  head. 
it.   This  is  made  of 
which  are  used  for 


If  the  reader  wil 
I  see  three  of  these  si 
1  in  the  shield  whene' 

At  each  side  of 


WAE  SHIELD. 


Ill 


still  wet  and  pliant,  and  then  passes  strips  of  black  hide  in  and  out  through  the  slits,  so 
as  to  make  the  black  of  the  strip  contrast  itself  boldly  with  the  white  of  the  shield.  In 
the  ri^ht  hand  figure  the  inner  surface  of  the  shield  is  represented,  in  order  to  show  the 
manner  in  which  these  strips  are  finished  off. 

The  handle  of  the  Kaffir's  shield  is  quite  unique.  Instead  of  being  a  mere  loop  or 
projection  in  the  centre  of  the  shield,  it  is  combined  with  a  stick  which  runs  along  the 
centre  of  the  shield,  and  is  long  enough  to  project  at  both  ends.  This  stick  serves  several 
purposes,  its  chief  use  being  to  strengthen  the  shield  and  keep  it  stiff,  and  its  second 
object  being  to  assist  the  soldier  in  swinging  it  about  in  the  rapid  manner  which  is  re- 
quired in  the  Kaffir's-  mode  of  fighting  and  dancing.  The  projection  at  the  lower  end  is 
used  as  a  rest,  on  which  the  shield  can  stand  whenever  the  warrior  is  tired  of  carrying  it 
in  bis  arms,  and  the  shield  ought  to  be  just  so  tall  that,  when  the  owner  stands  erect,  his 


f    'I  f 


'.  it'll 


tV: 


VfAXl  SHIELD. 


eyes  can  just  look  over  the  top  of  the  shield,  while  the  end  of  the  stick  reaches  to  the 
crown  of  his  head.  It  will  bo  seen  that  the  upper  end  of  the  stick  has  an  ornament  upon 
it.  This  is  made  of  the  furry  skin  of  some  animal,  which  is  cut  into  strips  just  like  those 
which  are  used  for  the  "tails,"  and  the  strips  wound  upon  the  stick  in  a  drum-like 
I  shape. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  illustration  on  p.  63,  entitled  "  Kaffirs  at  Home,"  he  will 
I  see  three  of  these  shield-sticks  placed  in  the  fence  of  the  cattle-fold,  ready  to  be  inserted 
I  in  the  shield  whenever  they  are  wanted. 

At  each  side  of  the  shield  there  is  a  slight  indentation,  the  object  of  which  is  not  very 


^"-!      ''ft! 


t"     — 

rf-^^f 

' 

§  -?  1 

_.^|  M 

'AM 

|-,.|  1 

[H 

itti 

^H 

J-r^B 

^1 

|l  '■ 

w 

»       E  i 


112 


THE  KAFFIR. 


I 


clear,  unless  it  be  simple  fashion.  It  prevails  to  a  large  extent  throughout  many  parts 
Africa,  in  some  places  being  compamtively  slight,  and  in  others. so  deep  tliat  the  shitlil 
looks  like  a  great  hour-glass.  Although  the  shield  is  simply  made  of  the  hide  of  an  oJ 
and  without  that  elaborate  preparation  with  glue  and  size  whii'h  strengthens  tlJ 
American  Indian's  shield,  the  native  finds  it  quite  sufficient  to  guard  him  against  eithej 
spear  or  club,  while  those  tribes  which  employ  the  bow  find  that  their  weapons  can 
make  but  little  impression  on  troops  which  are  furnished  with  such  potent  defences; 
The  Bosjesmans,  and  all  the  tribes  which  use  poisoned  arrows,  depend  entirely  on  tlie 
virulence  of  the  poison,  and  not  on  the  force  with  which  the  arrow  is  driven,  bo  tliat 
their  puny  bow  and  slender  arrows  are  almost  useless  against  foes  whose  whole  Ibodiej! 
are  covered  by  shields,  from  which  the  arrows  recoil  as  harmlessly  as  if  they  weit 
bucklers  of  iron. 

As  is  the  case  in  more  civilized  communities,  the  shields,  which  constitute  tlie 
uniforms,  are  not  the  private  property  of  the  individual  soldier,  but  are  given  out  by  tlie 
chief.  Moreover,  it  seems  that  the  warlike  chief  Dingan  would  not  grant  shields  to  any 
young  soldier  until  he  had  shown  himself  worthy  of  wearing  the  uniform  of  hia  sove- 
reign.  The  skins  of  all  the  cattle  in  the  garrison  towns  belong  of  right  to  the  king,  and 
are  retained  by  him  for  the  purpose  of  being  made  into  shields,  each  skin  being  supposed 
to  furnish  two  shields — a  large  one,  and  a  small,  or  hunting  shield.  Men  are  constantly 
employed  in  converting  the  hides  into  shields,  which  are  stored  in  houses  devoted  to  tlie 
purpose. 

Captain  Gardiner  gives  an  interesting  account  of  an  application  for  shields  made  lyij 
party  of  young  soldiers,  and  their  reception  by  the  king. 

It  must  be  first  understood  that  Dingan  was  at  the  time  in  his  chief  garrison  town, 
and  that  he  was  accompanied  by  his  two  favourite  Ind6onas,  or  petty  chiefs,  one  of  whom, 
by  name  Tambooza,  was  a  singularly  cross-grained  individual,  whose  chief  delight  was  in 
fault-finding.  After  mentioning  that  a  chief,  named  Georgo,  had  travelled  to  the  king's 
palace,  at  the  head  of  a  large  detachment,  for  the  purpose  of  asking  for  shields,  he  pro- 
ceeds as  follows : — 

"  Their  arrival  at  the  principal  gate  of  the  town  having  been  notified  to  the  king,  an 
order  was  soon  after  sent  for  their  admission,  when  they  all  rushed  up  with  a  shout, 
brandishing  their  sticks  in  a  most  violent  manner,  until  within  a  respectable  distance  of 
the  Issigordlo,  when  they  halted.  Dingan  soon  mounted  his  pedestal  and  showed  him- 
self over  the  fence,  on  which  a  simultaneous  greeting  of  '  Byate ! '  ran  through  the  line 
into  which  they  were  now  formed.  He  soon  disappeared,  and  the  whole  party  then 
seated  themselves  on  the  ground  they  occupied. 

"  Dingan  shortly  after  came  out,  the  two  Indoonas  and  a  number  of  his  great  men 
having  already  arrived,  and  seated  themselves  in  semicircular  order  on  each  side  of  his 
chair,  from  whom  he  was,  however,  removed  to  a  dignified  distance.  Tambooza,  who  is 
the  great  speaker  on  all  these  occasions,  and  the  professed  scolder  whenever  necessity 
requires,  was  now  on  his  legs ;  to  speak  publicly  in  any  other  posture  would,  I  am  con- 
vinced, be  painful  to  a  Zulu ;  nor  is  he  content  with  mere  gesticulation — actual  space  is 
necessary — I  had  almost  said  sufficient  for  a  cricket  ball  to  bound  in,  but  this  would  te 
hyperbole ;  a  run,  however,  he  must  have,  and  I  have  been  surprised  at  the  grace  ai'd 
effect  which  this  novel  accompaniment  to  the  art  of  elocution  has  often  given  to  the  point 
and  matter  of  the  discourse. 

"  In  this  character  Tambooza  is  inimitable,  and  shone  especially  on  the  present  occa- 
sion, having  doubtless  been  instructed  by  the  king,  in  whose  name  he  addressed  GeoijjO 
and  his  party,  to  interlard  his  oration  with  as  many  pungent  reproofs  and  cutting  invec- 
tives as  his  fertile  imagination  could  invent,* or  his  natural  disposition  suggest.  On  a  late 
expedition,  it  appears  that  the  troops  now  harangued  had  not  performed  the  service  ex- 
pected—they had  entered  the  territory  of  Umselekaz,  and,  instead  of  surrounding  and 
Cc'pturing  the  herds  within  their  reach,  had  attended  to  some  pretended  instructions  to 
halt  and  return  ;  some  palliating  circumstances  had  no  doubt  screened  them  from  the 
customary  rigour  on  such  occasions,  and  this  untoward  occurrence  was  now  turned  to  the 
best  advantage.    After  a  long  tirade,  in  which  Tambooza  ironically  described  their  feelle 


i)nset  and  fruitless  effb 
i  though  to  point  a 
ie  right,  and  then  as 
nence,  the  storm  waa 
tirred  he  retired  to  th 
ling  at  many  of  th 
"George's  countenj 
atient  to  reply,  he 


MUSCULAR  ADVOCACY. 


118 


Inset  and  fruitless  effort,  advancing  like  a  Mercury  to  fix  his  dart,  and  gracefully  retiring 

fl  though  to  point  a  fresh  barb  for  the  attack ;  now  slaking  his  wrath  by  a  journey  to 

jjg  right,  and  then  as  abruptly  recoiling  to  the  left,  by  each  detour  increasing  in  vehe- 

nence,  the  storm  was  at  length  at  its  height,  and  in  the  midst  of  tlie  tempest  he  had 

irred  he  retired  to  the  feet  of  his  sovereign,  who,  I  remarked,  could  scarcely  refrain  from 

oiling  at  many  of  the  tatmting  expressions  that  were  used. 

"  Georgo's  countenance  can  better  be  imagined  than  described  at  this  moment.    Im- 

atient  to  reply,  he  now  rose  from  the  centre  of  the  line,  his  person  decorated  with 


V 


MUSCULAR  ADVOCACT. 


\  T( 


|trings  of  pink  beads  worn  over  his  shoulders  like  a  cross  belt,  and  large  brass  rings  on 

iarms  and  throat.     '  Amanka'  (it  is  false),  was  the  first  word  he  uttered.    The  various 

lliivalrous  deeds  of  himself  and  his  men  were  then  set  forth  in  the  most  glowing  colours, 

|nd  a  scene  ensued  which  I  scarcely  know  how  to  describe.     Independent  of  his  own 

mergetic  gesticulations,  his  violent  leaping  and  sententious  running ;  on  the  first  an- 

louncement  of  any  exculpatory  fact  indicating  their  prowess  in  arms,  one  or  more  of  the 

Irincipal  warriors  would  rush  from  the  ranks  to  corroborate  the  statement  by  a  display  of 

puseular  power  in  leaping,  charging,  and  pantomimic  conflict,  which  quite  made  the 

pound  to  lesound  under  their  feet ;  alternately  leaping  and  galloping  (for  it  is  not  running) 

Dtil,  frenzied  by  the  tortuous  motion,  their  nerves  were  sufficiently  strong  for  the  acm^ 

[osture— vaulting  several  feet  in  the  air,  drawing  the  knees  towards  the  clun,  and  at  the 

ae  time  passing  the  hands  between  the  ankles. 

VOL.1.  I 


I: 

,   m 

"'i'-M 

h  ■' 

"TriiMriMHrn 

\ 

'j^^^^^M 

1  .    '■    ■ 

ifp^HH 

1    ■ 

''  *w 

1    ■'    * 

'  »                    '''  ^$ 

f'  ^'.'/'^i^m 

w% 

V  V  -■    '  "5" 

fi  '  i 

iU^' 

;>i>:  'Iri 

114 


THE  KAFFIR 


"  In  this  singular  manner  were  the  charges  advanced  and  rebutted  for  a  considerablj 
time ;  Dingan  acting  behind  the  scenes  as  a  moderator,  and  occasionally  calling  off  Tajj. 
booza  as  an  unruly  bull-dog  from  the  bait.  At  length,  as  though  imperceptibly  dravn 
into  the  argument,  he  concluded  the  business  in  these  words : — '  \Vhen  have  we  heard 
anything  good  of  Georgo  ?  What  has  Georgo  done  )  It  is  a  name  that  is  unknown  to 
us.  I  shall  give  you  no  shields  until  you  have  proved  yourself  worthy  of  them ;  go  am) 
bring  me  some  cattle  from  Umselekaz,  and  then  shields  shall  be  given  you.*  A  burst  o( 
applause  rang  from  all  sides  on  this  unexpected  announcement ;  under  which,  in  good 
taste,  the  despot  made  his  exit,  retiring  into  the  Issogordlo,  while  bowls  of  beer  were 
served  out  to  the  soldiers,  who  with  their  Indoon  were  soon  after  observed  marchiiw 
over  the  hills,  on  their  way  to  collect  the  remainder  of  their  regiment,  for  the  promised 
expedition. 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  there  was  much  ot  state  policy  in  the  whole  of  these 
proceedings,  particularly  as  the  order  for  the  attack  on  Umselekaz  was  shortly  after 
countermandcu,  and  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  days  elapsed  before  the  same  party  re. 
turned,  and  received  their  shields.  At  this  time  I  was  quietly  writing  in  my  hut ;  one 
of  the  shield  houses  adjoined;  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  unceremonious  rush  they 
made.  Not  contented  with  turning  them  all  out,  and  each  selecting  one,  but,  in  order  to 
.prove  them  and  shake  off  the  dust,  they  conmienced  beating  them  on  the  spot  witk 
sticks,  which,  in  connexion  with  this  sudden  incursion,  occasioned  such  an  unusual 
tumult  that  I  thought  a  civil  war  had  commenced." 

Having  now  seen  the  weapons  used  by  the  Kaffir  warriors,  we  will  see  how  they  I 
wage  war. 

When  the  chief  arranges  his  troops  in  order  of  battle,  he  places  the  "  boys "  in 
van,  and  gives  them  the  post  of  honour,  as  well  as  of  danger.  In  this  position  theyharel 
the  opportunity  of  distinguishing  themselves  for  which  they  so  earnestly  long,  and,  as  i| 
general  rule,  display  such  valour  that  it  is  not  very  easy  to  pick  out  those  who  hai^ 
earned  especial  glory.  Behind  them  are  arranged  the  "  men "  with  their  white  shields 
These  have  already  established  their  reputation,  and  do  not  require  further  distinction. 
They  serve  a  double  purpose.  Firstly,  they  act  as  a  reserve  in  case  the  front  ranks  of  the 
"  black-shields  "  shoidd  be  repulsed,  and,  being  men  of  more  mature  age,  oppose  an  ahnoji 
impregnable  front  to  the  enemy,  while  the  "  black-shields"  can  re-form  their  ranks  unda 
cover,  and  then  renew  the  charge. 

The  second  object  is,  that  they  serve  as  a  very  effectual  incitement  to  the  young  men 
to  do  their  duty.  They  know  that  behind  them  is  a  body  of  skilled  warriors,  who  are 
carefully  noting  all  their  deeds,  and  they  are  equally  aware  that  if  they  attempt  to  m\ 
away  they  will  be  instantly  kiUed  by  the  "  white-shields  "  in  their  rear.  As  has  aire 
been  mentioned,  the  dearest  wish  of  a  young  Kaffir's  heart  is  to  become  a  "  white-shield"! 
himself,  and  there  is  no  prouder  day  of  his  life  than  that  in  which  he  bears  for  the  fir* 
time  the  white  war-shield  on  his  arm,  the  "  isikoko  "  on  his  head,  and  falls  into  the  ranis 
with  those  to  whom  he  has  so  long  looked  up  with  admiration  and  envy. 

In  order  to  incite  the  "black-shields"  to  the  most  strenuous  exertions,  their  reward ii 
promised  to  them  beforehand.  Just  before  they  set  out  on  their  expedition,  the  yoUi!j| 
unmarried  girls  of  the  tribe  are  paraded  before  them,  and  they  are  told  that  each  \;h\ 
succeeds  in  distinguishing  himself  before  the  enemy  shall  be  presented  with  one  of  tl 
damsels  for  a  wife  when  he  returns.  So  he  does  not  only  receive  the  barren  permissioil 
to  take  a  wife,  and  thus  to  enrol  himself  among  the  men,  but  the  wife  is  presented  to " 
without  pay,  his  warlike  deeds  being  considered  as  more  than  an  equivalent  f  :r  "he  cow| 
which  he  would  otherwise  have  been  obliged  to  pay  for  her. 

A  curious  custom  prevails  in  the  households  of  the  white-shield  warriors.  When  onel 
o^  '  hem  goes  out  to  war,  his  wife  takes  his  sleeping-mat,  his  pillow,  and  his  spoon,  anil 
hfiiii.  ■  them  upon  the  wall  of  the  hut.  Every  morning  at  early  dawn  she  goes  and  in- 
spc'  them  with  loving  anxiety,  and  looks  to  see  whether  they  cast  a  shadow  or  not.  M 
long  a.T  they  do  so,  she  knows  that  her  husband  is  alive ;  but  if  no  shadow  should  liappen 
to  be  thrown  by  them,  she  feels  certain  that  her  husband  is  dead,  and  laments  his  loss  ai 


MILITARY  DISCIPLINE. 


116 


if  she  had  actually  seen  his  dead  body.     This  curious  custom  irresistibly  remiuds  the 
•    of  certain  tales  in  the  "  Arabian  Nights,"  where  the  life  or  death  of  an  absent 


nerson  is  known  by  some  object  that  belonged  to  him — a  knife,  for  example — which 

dripped  blood  as  soon  as  its  former  owner  was  dead. 

Before  Tcliaka's  invention  of  the  heavy  stabbing-assagai,  there  was  rather  more  noise 
Itlian  execution  in  a  Kaffir  battle,  the  assagais  being  received  harmlessly  on  the  shields, 
I  jnd  no  one  much  the  worse  for  them.   But  his  trained  troops  made  frightful  havoc  among 

the  enemy,  and  the  destruction  was  so  great,  that  the  Zulus  were  said  to  be  not  men,  but 
I  eaters  of  men.  The  king's  place  was  in  the  centre  of  the  line,  and  in  the  rear,  so  that  he 
I  could  see  all  the  proceedings  with  his  own  eyes,  and  could  give  directions,  from  time  to 


A  WIFE'S  ANXIETT. 


Ilime,  to  the  favoured  councillors  who  were  around  him,  and  who  acted  as  aides-de-camp, 
[executing  their  commissions  at  their  swiftest  pace,  and  then  returning  to  take  their  post 
I  by  the  sacred  person  of  their  monarch. 

The  commander  of  each  regiment  and  section  of  a  regiment  was  supposed  to  be  its 
lembodiment,  and  on  him  hung  all  the  blame  if  it  suffered  a  repulse.  Tchaka  made  no 
lallowance  whatever  for  superior  numbers  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  and  his  warriors  knew 
Iwell  that,  whatever  might  be  the  force  opposed  to  them,  they  had  eit|ier  to  conquer  or  to 
[die;  and,  as  it  was  better  to  die  fighting  than  to  perish  ignominiously  as  cowards  after 
Ithe  battle,  they  fought  with  a  frantic  valour  that  was  partly  inherent  in  their  nature,  and 
jwas  partly  the  result  of  the  strict  and  sanguinary  discipline  under  whicli  tliey  fought. 
JAfter  the  battle,  the  various  officers  are  called  out,  and  qiu'stioned  respecting  the  conduct 
lot  the  men  under  their  command.    Reward  and  retribution  ai'e  equally  swift  in  operation. 


ml 

^  vm 

i 

mm 

1  m 

\     jk.uT'  /gm 


"1 

M4 


i-m 


116 


THE  KAFFIR 


,(»■  « . 


an  immediate  advance  in  rank  falling  to  the  lot  of  those  who  had  shown  notable  connge,  I 
while  those  who  have  been  even  suspected  of  cowardice  are  immediately  slain. 

Sometimes  the  slaughter  after  an  expedition  is  terrible,  even  under  the  reign  of  Panda, 
a  very  much  milder  man  than  his  great  predecessor.  Tchaka  has  been  known  to  order  a 
whole  regiment  for  execution ;  and  on  one  occasion  he  killed  all  the  "  white-shielda" 
ordering  the  "  boys  "  to  assume  the  head-ring,  and  take  the  positions  and  shields  of  the 
slain.  Panda,  however,  is  not  such  a  despot  as  Tchaka,  and,  indeed,  does  not  possess  the 
irresponsible  power  of  that  king.  No  one  ever  dared  to  interfere  with  Tchaka,  knowing 
that  to  contradict  him  was  certain  death.  But  when  Panda  has  been  disposed  to  m 
a  number  of  his  subjects  his  councillors  have  interfered,  and  by  their  remonstrances  have  | 
succeeded  in  stopping  the  massacre. 

Sometimes  these  wars  are  carried  on  in  the  most  bloodthirsty  manner,  and  not  only  the  J 
soldiers  in  arms,  but  the  women,  the  old  and  the  young,  fall  victims  to  the  assagais  and 
clubs  of  the  victorious  enemy.    Having  vanquished  the  foe,  they  press  on  towards  the  | 
kraals,  spearing  all  the  inhabitants,  and  carrying  off  all  the  cattle.    Indeed,  the  "  lifting" 
of  cattle  on  a  large  scale  often  constitutes  the  chief  end  of  a  Kaffir  war. 

Before  starting  on  an  expedition  the  soldiers  undeigo  a  series  of  ceremonies,  which  I 
are  supposed  to  strengthen  their  bodies,  improve  their  courage,  and  propitiate  the  spirita 
of  their  forefathers  in  their  favour. 

The  ceremony  begins  with  the  king,  who  tries  to  obtain  some  article  belonging  to  the 
person  of  the  adverse  chief,  such  as  a  scrap  of  any  garment  that  he  has  worn,  a  snuff-box,  | 
the  shaft  of  an  assagai,  or,  indeed,  anything  that  has  belonged  to  him.    A  portion  i 
this  substance  is  scraped  into  certain  mecUcines  prepared  by  the  witch-doctor,  and  tl 
king  either  swallows  the  medicine,  or  cuts  little  gashes  on  different  parts  of  his  body,  ai 
rubs  the  medicine  into  them.    This  proceeding  is  supposed  to  give  dominion  over  the  | 
enemy,  and  is  a  sign  that  he  will  be  "  eaten  up  "  in  the  ensuing  battle. 

So  fearful  are  the  chiefs  that  the  enemy  may  thus  overcome  them,  that  they  use  the  I 
most  minute  precautions  to  prevent  any  articles  belonging  to  themselves  from  falling  into 
the  hands  of  those  who  might  make  a  bad  use  of  them.  When  a  chief  moves  his  quartan,  | 
even  the  floor  of  his  hut  is  carefully  scraped ;  and  Dingan  was  so  very  particular  on  t 
point  that  he  has  been  known  to  bum  down  an  entire  kraal,  after  he  left  it,  in  order  that  | 
no  vestige  of  anything  that  belonged  to  himself  should  fall  into  evil  hands. 

After  the  king,  the  men  take  their  turn  of  duty,  and  a  very  impleasant  duty  it  is.  Ail 
ox  is  always  slain,  and  one  of  its  legs  cut  off;  and  this  extraordinary  ceremony  is  thought  I 
to  be  absolutely  needful  for  a  successful  warfare.  Sometimes  the  limb  is  severed  from  the  I 
unfortunate  animal  while  it  is  still  alive.  On  one  occasion  the  witch-doctor  conceived  I 
the  brilliant  idea  of  cutting  off  the  leg  of  a  living  bull,  and  then  making  the  warrioiseatl 
it  raw,  tearing  the  flesh  from  the  bone  with  their  teeth.  They  won  the  battle,  but  I 
witch-doctor  got  more  credit  for  his  powerful  charms  than  did  the  troops  for  their  couragal 

Of  course  the  animal  cannot  survive  very  long  after  such  treatment;  and  when  it  is  I 
dead,  the  flesh  is  cut  away  with  assagais,  and  a  part  of  it  chopped  into  small  morsels,  in  eacll 
of  which  is  a  portion  of  some  charmed  powder.  The  imcleared  bones  are  thrown  among  I 
the  warriors,  scrambled  for,  and  eaten ;  and  when  this  part  of  the  ceremony  has  been  cott-l 
eluded,  the  remainder  of  the  flesu  is  cooked  and  eaten.  A  curious  process  then  takes  I 
place,  a  kind  of  purification  by  fire,  the  sparks  from  a  burning  brand  being  blown  oval 
them  by  the  witch-doctor.  Next  day  they  are  treated  to  a  dose  which  acts  asil 
violent  emetic ;  and  the  ceremonies  conclude  with  a  purification  by  water,  which  isl 
sprinkled  over  them  by  the  chief  himself.  These  wild  and  savage  ceremonies  hi 
undoubtedly  a  great  infli  ence  over  the  minds  of  the  warriors,  who  fancy  themselvesl 
to  be  under  the  protection  of  their  ancestors,  the  only  deities  which  a  Kaffir  seems  to| 
care  much  about. 

As  to  the  department  of  the  commissariat,  it  varies  much  with  the  caprice  of  thel 
chief.  Tchaka  always  used  to  send  plenty  of  cattle  with  his  armies,  so  that  they  neverl 
need  fear  the  weakening  of  their  forces  by  hunger.  He  also  sent  very  large  supplies  ofl 
grain  and  other  food.  His  successors,  however,  have  not  been  so  generous,  and  force  tl 
troops  to  provide  for  themselves  by  foraging  among  the  enemy. 


THE  ARMY  IN  THE  FIELD. 


117 


Cattle  are  certainly  taken  with  them,  but  Hot  to  be  eaten.  In  case  they  may  be  able 
to  seize  the  cattle  of  the  enemy,  they  find  that  the  animals  can  be  driven  away  much 
more  easily  if  they  are  led  by  others  of  their  own  kind.  The  cattle  that  accompany  an 
expedition  are  therefpre  employed  as  guides.  They  sometimes  serve  a  still  more  important 
purpose.  Clever  as  is  a  Kaffir  in  finding  his  way  under  ordinary  circumstances,  ther-  "wre 
occasions  where  even  his  wonderful  topographical  powers  desert  him. 

If,  for  example,  he  is  in  an  enemy's  district,  and  is  obliged  to  travel  by  night,  he  may 
well  lose  his  way,  if  the  nights  should  happen  to  be  cloudy,  and  neither  moon  nor  stars 
be  visible ;  and,  if  he  has  a  herd  of  the  enemy's  oxen  under  Ms  charge,  he  feels  himself  in 
a  very  awkward  predicament.  He  dares  not  present  himself  at  his  kraal  without  the 
oxen,  or  his  life  would  be  instantly  forfeited ;  and  to  drive  a  herd  of  oxen  to  a  place  whose 

Cition  he  does  not  know  would  be  impossible.  He  therefore  allows  the  oxen  that  he 
brought  with  him  to  go  their  own  way,  and  merely  follows  in  their  track,  knowing 
that  their  instinct  will  surely  guide  them  to  their  homa 

When  the  Kaffir  soldiery  succeed  in  capturing  a  kraal,  their  first  care  is  to  secure  the 
oxen;  and  if  the  inhabitants  should  have  been  prudent  enough  to  remove  their  much- 
loved  cattle,  the  next  search  is  for  maize,  millet,  and  other  kinds  of  com.  It  is  not  a  very 
easy  matter  to  find  the  grain  stores,  because  they  are  dug  in  the  ground,  and,  afjer  being 
filled,  are  covered  over  so  neatly  with  earth,  that  only  the  depositors  know  the  exact  spot. 
The "  isi-baya  "  is  a  favourite  place  for  these  subterranean  stores,  because  the  trampling 
of  the  cattle  soon  obliterates  all  marks  of  digging.  The  isi-baya  is,  therefore,  the  first 
place  to  be  searched ;  and  in  some  cases  the  inhabitants  have  concealed  their  stores  so 
cleverly  that  the  invaders  could  not  discover  them  by  any  other  means  except  digging  up 
the  whole  of  the  enclosure  to  a  considerable  depth.  Now  and  then,  when  the  inhabitants 
[of  a  kr$al  have  received  notice  that  the  enemy  is  expected,  they  remove  the  grain  from 
the  storehouses,  and  hido  it  in  the  bush,  closing  the  granaries  again,  so  as  to  give  the 
[enemy  all  the  trouble  of  digging,  to  no  purpose. 

Panda,  who  refuses  to  send  provisions  with  his  forces,  has  sometimes  caused  them  to 
[suffer  great  hardships  by  his  penurious  conduct.    On  one  occasion  they  discovered  a 

ary  with  plenty  of  com  in  it,  and  were,  so  hungry  that  they  could  not  wait  to  cook  it 
iroperly,  but  ate  it  almost  raw,  at  the  same  time  drinking  large  quantities  of  water.  The 
insequence  was,  that  many  of  them  were  so  ill  that  they  had  to  be  left  behind  when 
le  march  was  resumed;  and  were  detected  and  killed  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  kraal, 
ho  came  back  from  their  hiding-places  in  the  bush  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  enemy 
lOve  away. 

In  one  case.  Panda's  army  was  so  badly  supplied  with  provisions  that  the  soldiers  were 

iged  to  lev}  contributions  even  on  his  own  villages.  In  some  of  these  kraals  the 
omen,  who  expected  what  might  happen,  had  emptied  their  storehouses,  and  hidden 
II  their  food  in  the  bush,  so  that  the  hirngry  soldiers  could  not  even  find  some  com  to 
[rind  into  meal,  nor  clotted  milk  to  mix  with  it.  They  were  so  angry  at  their  disappoint- 
nent  that  they  ransacked  the  cattle-fold,  discovered  and  robbed  the  subterranean  granaries, 
nd,  after  cooking  as  much  food  as  they  wanted,  carried  off  a  quantity  of  com  for  future 
■ations,  and  broke  to  pieces  all  the  cooking- vessels  which  they  had  used.  If  they  could 
ict  thus  in  their  own  country,  their  conduct  in  an  enemyls  land  may  be  easily  con- 
Mured. 

One  reason  for  the  withholding  of  supplies  may  probably  be  due  to  the  mode  of  fighting 

|of  the  Zulu  armies.    They  are  entirely  composed  of  light  infantry,  and  can  be  sent  to 

[Teat  distances  with  a  rapidity  that  an  ordinary  European  soldier  can  scarcely  comprehend. 

phe  fact  is,  they  carry  nothing  except  their  weapons,  and  have  no  heavy  knapsack  nor 

ght  clothing  to  impede  their  movements.    In  fact,  the  clothing  which  they  wear  on  a 

ampaign  is  more  for  ornament  than  for  covering,  and  consists  chiefly  of  feathers  stuck  in 

he  hair.    So  careful  are  the  chiefii  that  their  soldiers  should  not  be  impeded  by  baggage 

pf  any  kind,  that  they  are  not  even  allowed  to  take  a  kaross  with  them,  but  must  sleep 

I  the   open  air    without  any    covering,  just  as  is   the  case  with  the  guardians  of 

p  harem,  who  are  supposed,  by  virtue  of  their  office,  to  be  soldiers  engaged  in  a 

impaign. 


''fi,  l*^#IS!w  '^SS^ 


lift 


THE  KAFFIR. 


i, 


As  to  pay,  as  we  understand  the  word,  neither  chief  nor  soldiers  have  much  idea(j| 
it.  If  the  men  distinguish  tliemsclves,  the  chief  mostly  presents  them  with  beads  a 
blankets,  not  as  pay  to  which  they  have  a  right,  but  as  a  gratuity  for  wJiich  they  awl 
indebted  to  his  generosity.  As  to  the  "  boya,"  they  seldom  have  anything,  being  only! 
on  their  promotion,  and  not  considered  as  enjoying  the  privileges  of  manhood.  Thb) 
custom  is  very  imtating  to  the  "boys,"  some  of  whom  are  more  than  thirty  years  of  anpf 
and  who  consider  themselves  quite  as  effective  members  of  the  army  as  those  who  have 
been  permitted  to  wear  the  head-ring  and  bear  the  white  shield.  Their  dissatisfaction 
with  their  rank  luis,  however,  the  good  effect  of  making  them  desirous  of  becomiujl 
"  ama-doda,"  and  thus  increasing  their  value  in  time  of  action. 

Sometimes  this  distinction  of  rank  breaks  out  in  open  quarrel,  and  on  one  occasion  I 
the  "  men  "  and  the  "  boys  "  came  to  blows  with  each  other,  and  would  have  taken  to  tlieiil 
ppears  if  Panda  and  his  councillors  had  not  personally  quelled  the  tumult.  The  fact  was,[ 
that  Panda  had  organized  an  invasion,  and,  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  it,  the  black-sliieldl 
regiment  begged  to  be  sent  oft'  at  once  to  the  scene  of  battle.  The  white-shields,  liowever, 
suspected  what  was  really  the  case;  namely,  that  the  true  destination  of  the  troops  was 
not  that  which  the  king  had  mentioned,  and  accordingly  sat  silent,  and  took  no  part  iutbej 
general  enthusiasm. 

Thereupon  the  "  boys  "  taunted  the  "  men"  with  cowardice,  and  said  that  they  preferred  I 
their  comfortable  homes  to  the  liardships  of  warfare.  The  "  men"  retorted  that,  as  they  had! 
fought  under  Tchaka  and  Dingan,  as  well  as  Panda,  and  had  earned  their  advancement  I 
under  the  eye  of  chiefs  who  killed  all  who  did  not  fight  bravely,  no  one  could  accu^  t  them) 
of  cowardice ;  whereas  the  "  boys"  were  ignorant  of  warfare,  and  were  talking  noriyensei 
These  remarks  were  too  true  to  be  pleasant,  and  annoyed  the  "  boys"  so  much  that  tlieyl 
grew  insolent,  and  provoked  the  "  men  "  to  take  to  their  sticks.  However,  instead  oil 
yielding,  the  "boys"  only  returned  the  blows,  and  if  Panda  had  not  interfered,  there  would | 
nave  been  a  serious  riot. 

His  conduct  on  this  occasion  shows  the  strange  jealousy  which  possesses  the  mind  ofa| 

Kaffir  king.    The  "  men"  were,  in  this  case,  undoubtedly  right,  and  the  "  boys"  undoubted 

wrong.  Yet  Panda  took  the  part  of  the  latter,  because  he  was  offended  with  the  argument  of  I 

the  "  men,"   They  ought  not  to  have  mentioned  his  predecessors,  Tchoku  and  Dingan,  in bial 

)resence,  as  the  use  of  their  names  implied  a  slight  upon  himseif.    They  might  have  I 

)rided  themselves  as  much  as  they  liked,  or  the  victories  which  they  had  gained  under  I 

lim,  but  they  had  no  business  to  mention   the  warlike  deeds   of  his  predecessoR,! 

;  'erhaps  he  remembered  that  those  predecessors  had  been  murdered  by  their  own  people,| 

and  might  have  an  uneasy  fear  that  his  own  turn  would  come  some  day. 

So  he  showed  his  displeasure  by  sending  oxen  to  the  "  boys  "  as  a  feast,  and  learag 
the  "  men  "  without  any  food.  Of  course,  in  the  end  the  "  men  "  had  to  yield,  and  againstl 
their  judgment  went  on  the  campaign.  During  that  expedition  the  smouldering  tlanie| 
broke  out  several  times,  the  "  boys  "  refusing  to  yield  the  post  of  honoi^r  to  the  "  men," 
whom  they  taunted  with  being  cowards  and  afraid  to  fight.  However,  the  more  pnidentl 
counsels  of  the  "men"  prevailed,  and  harmony  was  at  last  restored,  the  "men"  andttel 
"  boys  "  dividing  into  two  brigades,  and  each  succeeding  in  the  object  for  which  they  sctl 
out,  without  needlessly  exposing  themselves  to  danger  by  attacking  nearly  impregnable  forts,! 

We  will  now  proceed  to  the  soldiers  themselves,  and  see  how  the  wonderful  discipline! 
of  a  Kaffir  army  is  carried  out  in  detail.  First  we  will  examine  the  dress  of  the  soldier.  Of! 
course,  the  chief,  who  is  the  general  in  command,  will  have  the  place  of  honour,  and  wl 
will  therefore  take  the  portrait  of  a  well-known  Zulu  chief  as  he  appears  when  fully! 
equipped  for  war.  If  the  reader  will  refer  to  page  27,  he  will  see  a  portrait  of  Goza  inl 
the  costume  which  he  ordinarily  wears.  The  accompanying  illustration  represents  himl 
in  full  uniform,  and  affords  a  very  favourable  example  of  the  war  dress  of  a  powerful| 
Kaffir  chief. 

He  bears  on  his  left  arm  his  great  white  war-shield,  the  size  denoting  its  object,  and! 
the  colour  pointing  out  the  fact  that  he  is  a  married  man.  The  long,  slender  feather  whichl 
is  fastened  in  his  head-ring  is  that  of  the  South  African  crane,  and  is  a  conventional! 


DBESS  OF  THE  SOLDIER  SH 

•bol  denoting  war.    There  is  in  my  collection  a  very  remarkable  war  head-Hrp^    thnt 

iworn  by  the  celebrated  Zulu  chief,  Sandilli,  who  gave  us  so  much  trouble  dm        'he 

.war,  and  proved  himself  worthy  of  his  rank  as  a  warrior,  and  his  great  reputation  m 

I  orator.    Sandilli  was  further  remarkable  because  he  had  triumphed  over  physical  dis- 

drantages,  which  are  all-important  in  a  Kaffir's  eyes. 


li'      ■       ^1    M 


I    m 


r  .■■  1:1 


■y<:%,knt'. 


:n?4T 


OOZA  IN  FULL  WAR-DRSSS,  ATTENDED  BT  HIS  COUNCILLORS. 


It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  a  deformed  person  is  scarcely  ever  seen  among  the 

Kaffirs,  because  infants  that  show  signs  of  deformity  of  any  kind  are  almost  invariably 

lied  as  soon  as  born.     Sandilli  was  one  of  these  unfortunate  children,  one  of  his  legs 

bing  withered  as  high  as  the  knee,  so  that  he  was  deprived  of  all  that  physical  agility 

Itat  is  so  greatly  valued  by  Kaffirs,  and  which  has  so  great  a  share  in  gainiiiy  promotion. 

fy  some  strange  chance  the  life  of  this  deformed  infant  was  preserved,  and,  under  the  now 

niliar  name  of  Sandilli,  the  child  grew  to  be  a  man,  rose  to  eminence  among  his  own 

ople,  took  rank  as  a  great  chief,  and  became  a  very  thorn  in  the  sides  of  the  English 

ilonists.    After  many  years  of  struggle,  he  at  last  gave  in  his  submission  to  English  rule, 


120 


THE  KATFIR. 


and  might  be  often  tieen  on  horseback,  dashing  about  in  the  headlong  style  which  a  KaQ 
lovea 

The  head-dress  which  he  was  accustomed  to  wear  in  time  of  war  is  represented  in  tin 
illustration  on  page  25,  at  fig.  4.  Inst»!ad  of  wearing  a  single  feather  of  the  crime,  SandiU 
took  the  whole  breast  of  the  bird,  from  which  the  long,  slender  feathers  droop.  The 
has  been  removed  from  the  breast,  bent  and  worked  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  cap,  and  th 
feathers  arranged  so  that  they  shall  all  point  upwards,  leaning  rather  backwards.  XhiJ 
curious  and  valuable  head-dress  was  presented  to  me  by  O.  Ellis,  Esq.,  who  brought 
from  the  Cape  in  1865.  Sandilli  belongs  to  the  sub-tribe  Amagaika,  and  is  remarkable  foj 
his  very  light  colour  and  commanding  stature. 

It  will  be  seen  that  both  Ooza  and  his  councillors  wear  plenty  of  feathers  on  theij 
heads,  and  that  the  cap  of  the  left-hand  warrior  bears  some  resemblance  to  that  which  hai 
just  been  described.  The  whole  person  of  the  chief  is  nearly  covered  with  barbaric  orni 
ments.  His  apron  is  made  of  leopard's  tails,  and  his  knees  and  ankles  are  decorated  vitlj 
tufts  made  of  the  long  flowing  hair  of  the  Angora  goat.  Twisted  strips  of  rare  furs  han] 
from  his  neck  and  chest,  while  his  right  hand  holds  the  long  kuob-kerrie  which  is  so  mucj 
in  use  among  the  Zulu  warriors.    The  portrait  of  Goza  is  taken  from  a  photograph. 

The  councillors  who  stand  behind  him  are  apparelled  with  nearly  as  much  gorgeousne 
as  their  chief,  and  the  oddly-shaped  head-dresses  which  they  wear  denote  the  regiments  t 
which  they  happen  to  belong.    These  men,  like  their  chief,  were  photographed  in  theij 
full  dress. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  soldiers  are  divided  into  two  great  groups! 
namely,  the  married  men  and  the  bachelors,  or,  as  they  are  popularly  called,  the  "menf 
and  the  "  boys."  But  each  of  these  great  groups,  or  divisions,  if  we  may  use  that  word  i 
its  military  sense,  is  composed  of  several  regiments,  varying  from  six  hundred  to 
thousand  or  more  in  strength.  Each  of  these  regiments  inhabits  a  single  military  kra 
or  garrison  town,  and  is  commanded  by  the  head  man  of  that  kraal  Moreover,  tiJ 
raiments  are  subdivided  into  companies,  each  of  which  is  under  the  command  ofaq 
officer  of  lower  grade ;  and  so  thoroughly  is  this  system  carried  out,  that  European  soldied 
feel  almost  startled  when  they  find  that  these  savages  have  organized  a  system  of  anaj| 
management  nearly  identical  with  their  own. 

The  regiments  are  almost  invariably  called  by  the  name  of  some  animal,  and  thJ 
soldiers  are  placed  in  them  according  to  their  physical  characteristics.  Thus,  the  Elephanj 
regiment  consists  of  the  largest  and  strongest  warriors,  and  holds  a  position  like  that  o] 
our  Grenadiers.  Then  the  Lion  regiment  is  composed  of  men  who  have  distinguisha 
themselves  by  special  acts  of  daring ;  while  the  Spring-bok  regiment  would  be  formed  ol 
men  noted  for  their  activity,  for  the  quickness  with  which  they  can  leap  about  whej 
encumbered  with  their  weapons,  and  for  their  speed  of  foot,  and  ability  to  run  great  ( 
tances.    They  correspond  with  our  light  cavalry,  and  are  used  for  the  same  purpose. 

There  are  twenty-six  of  these  regiments  in  the  Zulu  army,  and  they  can  be  as  easily] 
distinguished  by  their  uniform  as  those  of  our  own  army.  The  twenty-sixth  regiment  i 
the  equivalent  of  our  household  troops,  being  the  body-guard  of  the  king,  and  furnishingl 
all  the  sentinels  for  the  harem.  Their  uniform  is  easily  distinguishable,  and  isver 
simple,  being,  in  fact,  an  utter  absence  ot  all  clothing.  Only  the  picked  men  among  tt 
warriors  are  placed  in  this  distinguished  regiment,  and  neither  by  day  nor  night  do  tlieyl 
wear  a  scrap  of  clothing.  This  seems  rather  a  strange  method  of  conferring  an  honour-l 
able  distinction ;  but  entire  nudity  is  quite  as  much  valued  by  a  Kaffir  soldier  as  tlie| 
decoration  of  the  Bath  or  Victoria  Cross  among  ourscJves. 

The  first  regiment  is  called  Omobapankue,  a  word  that  signifies  "  Leopard-catchers,"! 
Some  years  ago,  when  Tchaka  was  king  of  the  Zulus,  a  leo]  i  ird  killed  one  of  his  attendantil 
He  sent  a  detachment  of  the  first  regiment  after  the  aniin.^i,  'id  the  brave  fellows  suc-[ 
ceeded  in  catching  it  alive,  and  bearing  their  struggling  prize  to  the  king.  In  order  top 
reward  them  for  *:heir  courage,  he  gave  the  first  regiment  the  honorary  title  of  "  Leopard-] 
catchers,"  which  title  has  been  ever  since  borne  by  them. 

There  are  three  commissioned  officers — if  such  a  term  may  be  used — in  each  regiment:! 
namely,  the  colonel,  or  '*  Indoona-e'nkolu,"  i.e.  the  Great  Officer ;  the  captain, "  N'genana,"! 


SOLDIERS  IN  FULL  UNIFORM. 


»1 


I  the  lieutenant,  "  N'Rena-obzana."  The  head  man  of  any  kraal  goen  by  the  name  of 
JaonA,  M\d  ho  who  rules  over  one  of  the  {jreat  )<arrison  towns  is  necessarily  a  man  of 
|on»iderable  authority  and  high  rank.  The  king's  councillors  are  mostly  selected  from  the 

nou8  Indoonas.     Below  the  lieutenant,  there  are  subordinate  officers  who  correspond 

BO,*  exactly  to  the  sergeants  and  corporals  of  our  own  aruiies. 

In  order  to  distinguish  the  nuMt  of  the  different  regiments,  a  peculiar  head-dress  is 
jsijined  to  each  regiment.  On  these  head-dresses  the  natives  seem  to  have  exercised  all 
llieir  ini^nuity.  The  wildest  fancy  would  hardly  conceive  the  strange  shapes  that  a 
itfir  soldier  can  make  with  feathers,  and  fur,  and  raw  hide. 


;/■' 


<  A 


'^i'  ii 


1^//'-;^^, 


PANDA'S  SOLDIERS  IN  FULL  UNIFORM. 


Any  kind  of  feather  is  seized  upon  to  do  duty  in  a  Kaffir  soldier's  head-dress,  but  the 
Imost  valued  plumage  is  that  of  a  roller,  whose  glittering  dress  of  blue-green  is  worked 
Jiipinto  large  globular  tufts,  which  are  worn  upon  the  back  of  the  head,  and  on  the  upper 
ll«rt  of  the  forehead.  Such  an  ornament  as  this  is  seldom  if  ever  seen  upon  the  head  of  a 
Iflniple  warrior,  as  it  is  too  valuable  to  be  possessed  by  any  but  a  chief  of  consideration. 
iPanda  is  very  fond  of  wearing  this  beautiful  ornament  on  occasions  of  state,  and  some- 
Itimes  wears  two  at  once,  the  one  on  the  front  of  his  head-ring,  and  the  other  attached  to 
like  crown  of  the  head. 

The  raw  hide  is  stripped  of  its  fur  by  being  rolled  up  and  buried  for  a  day  or  two,  and 
lis  then  cut  and  moulded  into  the  most  fantastic  forms,  reminding  the  observer  of  the 
jstrange  devices  with  which  the  heroes  of  the  Niebelungen  decorated  their  helmets. 
jlndeed,  some  of  these  head-dresses  of  the  Kaffir  warriors  might  easily  be  mistaken  at  a 
llittle  distance  for  the  more  classical  though  not  more  elaborate  helmet  of  the  ancient 
[German  knights.  The  soldiers  which  are  here  represented  belong  to  two  different  regiments 


W' 

it 

gm 

« 

^■' 

f^ 

■: 

■} 

TflspTl 


["    u 


)  .-i 


vi 


**"')] 


1 . 1  i'm 


/   !■ 


;'il 


122 


THE  KAFFIE. 


\ 


of  the  Zulu  army,  and  have  been  selected  as  affording  good  examples  of  the  wild  and  I 
picturesque  uniform  which  is  adopted  by  these  dusky  troops.    In  some  head-dresses  the 
fur  is  retained  on  the  skin,  and  thus  another  effect  is  obtained. 

The  object  of  all  this  savage  decoration  is  twofold:  firstly,  to  distinguish  the 
soldiers  of  the  different  regiments,  and,  secondly,  to  strike  terror  into  the  enemy.  Both 
these  objects  are  very  thoroughly  accomplished,  for  the  uniforms  of  the  twenty-six 
regiments  are  very  dissimilar  to  each  other,  and  all  the  neighbouring  tribes  stand  in  the 
greatest  dread  of  the  Amazulu,  who,  they  say,  are  not  men,  but  eaters  of  men. 
^  Beside  the  regular  regiments,  there  is  always  a  body-guard  of  armed  men,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  attend  the  chief  and  obey  his  orders.  Each  chief  has  his  own  body-guard,  but 
that  of  the  king  is  not  only  remarkable  for  its  numerical  strength,  but  for  the  rank  of  its 
members.  Dingan,  for  example,  Lad  a  body-guard  that  mustered  several  hundred  strono 
and  every  member  of  it  was  a  man  of  rank.  It  was  entirely  composed  of  Indoonas  from  I 
all  parts  of  the  country  under  his  command.  With  the  admirable  organizing  power 
which  distinguishes  the  Kaf&r  chiefs,  he  had  arranged  his  Indoonas  so  methodically,  that 
each  man  had  to  serve  in  the  body-guard  for  a  certain  time,  until  he  was  relieved  by  his 
successor.  This  simple  plan  allowed  the  king  to  exercise  a  personal  supervision  over  the 
ruling  men  of  his  dominions,  and,  on  the  other  side,  the  subordinate  chiefs  were  able  to 
maintain  a  personal  communication  with  their  monarch,  and  to  receive  then*  oiden  I 
directly  from  himself 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that,  after  a  battle,  the  king  calls  his  soldiers  together, 
and  holds  a  review.  One  of  these  assemblages  is  a  most  astonishing  sight,  and  very  few  I 
Europeans  have  been  privileged  to  see  it.  This  review  is  looked  upon  by  the  troops  with 
the  greatest  reverence,  for  few  of  them  know  whether  at  the  close  of  it  they  may  be  raised 
to  a  higher  rank  or  be  lying  dead  in  the  bush.  As  to  the  "  boys,"  especially  those  who 
are  conscious  that  they  have  behaved  well  in  the  fight,  they  look  to  it  with  hope,  as  it 
presents  a  chance  of  their  elevation  to  the  ranks  of  the  "  men,"  and  their  possession  of  | 
the  coveted  white  shield.  Those  who  are  not  so  sure  of  themselves  are  very  nervous 
about  the  review,  and  think  themselves  extremely  fortunate  if  they  rce  not  pointed  out  to 
the  king  as  bad  soldiers,  and  executed  on  the  spot. 

The  review  takes  place  in  the  great  enclosure  of  one  of  the  garrison  towns,  and  the  i 
troops  form  themselves  into  a  large  circle.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  not  even  in  military 
matters  has  the  Kaffir  an  idea  of  forming  in  line,  and  that  the  evolutions,  such  as  they 
are,  are  all  carried  out  in  curved  lines,  which  are  the  abhorrence  of  European  tacticians, 
The  white  and  black  shield  divisions  are  separated  from  each  other  in  each  regimenti 
and  the  whole  army  "  stands  at  ease,"  with  the  shield  resting  on  the  ground,  and  the 
whole  body  covered  by  it  as  high  as  the  lips.  They  stand  motionless  as  statues,  and  in  | 
death-like  silence  await  the  coming  of  their  king. 

After  the  customary  lapse  of  one  hour  or  so,  the  king,  with  his  councillors,  chief  I 
officers,  and  particular  friends,  comes  into  the  circle,  attended  by  his  chair-bearer,  his  | 
shield-bearer,  his  page,  and  a  servant  or  two.     The  shield-bearer  has  an  honourable, 
though  perilous,  service  to  perform.     He  has  to  hold  the  shield  so  as  to  shade  the  royal 
person  from  the  sun,  and  should  he  happen,  through  any  inadvertence,  to  allow  the  king  | 
to  feel  a  single  sunbeam,  he  may  think  himself  fortunate  if  he  escape  with  his  life,  while 
a  severe  punishment  is  the  certain  result. 

The  chair  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  circle,  in  order  for  his  sable  majesty  to  I 
repose  himself  after  the  exertion  of  walking  nearly  two  hundred  yards.    Large  baskets 
full  of  beer  are  placed  near  the  royal  chair,  and  before  he  can  proceed  to  business  the 
king  is  obliged  to  recmit  his  energies  with  beer  and  snuff,  both  of  which  are  handed  to  | 
him  by  his  pages. 

He  next  orders  a  number  of  cattle  to  be  driven  past  him,  and  points  to  certain  animals  I 
which  he  intends  to  be  killed  in  honour  of  his  guests.  As  each  ox  is  pointed  out,  a 
warrior  leaps  forward  with  his  stabbing^assagai,  and  kills  the  animal  with  a  single  blow, 
piercing  it  to  the  heart  with  the  skill  of  a  practised  hand.  Much  as  a  Kaffir  loves  his 
oxen,  the  sight  of  the  dying  animal  always  seems  to  excite  him  to  a  strange  pitch  of 
enthusiasm,  and  the  king  contemplates  with  great  satisfaction  the  dying  oxen  struggling 


THE  EEVIEW. 


123 


,  the  last  panjfs  of  death,  and  the  evolutions  of  the  survivors,  who  snufF  and  snort  at 
Hie  blood  of  their  comrades,  and  then  dash  wildly  away  in  all  directions,  pursued  by  their 
leepers,  and  with  difficulty  guided  to  their  own  enclosures. 

1  The  king  then  rises,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  his  attendants,  walks,  or  rather 
laddies,  round  the  inner  ring  of  warriors  as  fast  as  his  obesity  will  permit  him,  resting 
Lry  now  and  then  on  his  chair,  which  is  carried  after  him  by  his  page,  and  refreshing 
liniself  at  rather  short  intervals  with  beer. 

I  Next  comes  the  most  important  part  of  the  proceedings.  The  chief  officers  of  the 
Lous  regiments  that  have  been  engaged  give  in  their  reports  to  the  king,  who  imme- 
ely  acts  upon  them.    When  a  warrior  has  particularly  distinguished  himself,  the  king 


PANDA'S  BEVIKW. 


Ipoints  to  him,  and  calls  him  by  name.  Evv^ry  man  in  the  army  echoes  the  name  at  the 
pll  pitch  of  his  voice,  and  every  arm  is  pointed  at  the  happy  soldier,  who  sees  his 
pbition  as  fuUy  gratified  as  it  is  possible  to  be.  Almost  beside  hiiiiself  with  exultation 
k  his  good  fortune,  he  leaps  from  the  ranks,  "  and  commences  running,  leaping,  springing 
Jligh  into  the  air,  kicking,  and  flourishing  his  shield,  and  going  through  the  most  surprising 
land  agile  manoeuvres  imaginable ;  now  brandishing  his  weapons,  stabbing,  parrying,  and 
IKtieating ;  and  again  vaulting  into  the  ranks,  light  of  foot  and  rigid  of  muscle,  so  rapidly 

it  the  eye  can  scarcely  follow  his  evolutions." 

Sometimes  six  or  seven  of  these  distinguished  warriors  will  be  dancing  simultaneously 
In  different  parts  of  the  ring,  while  their  companions  encourage  them  with  shouts  and 
lyells  of  applause.  Many  of  the  "  boys  "  are  at  these  reviews  permitted  to  rank  among  the 
I"  men,"  and  sometimes,  when  a  whole  regiment  of  the  black-shields  has  behaved  especially 


!f(5',l 


124 


THE  KAFFIR 


i:i'      m 


well,  the  king  has  ordered  them  all  to  exchange  their  black  for  the  white  shield,  and  i 
assume  the  head-ring  which  marks  their  rank  as  ama-doda,  or  "  men." 

Next  come  the  tenible  scenes  when  the  officers  point  out  those  who  ^ave  disc., 
themselves  in  action.    The  unfortunate  soldiers  are  instantly  dragged  out  of  the  i^n„ 
their  shields  and  spears  takpn  from  them,  and,  at  the  king's  nod,  they  are  at  once  kiUei, 
and  their  bodies  tluown  into  the  bush.    Sometimes  they  are  beaten  to  death  with  knolv 
kernes,  and  sometimes  their  necks  are  twisted  by  the  executioner  laying  one  hand  on  thi 
crown  of  the  head  and  the  other  under  the  chin.    The  wretched  sufferers  never  think  on 
resisting,  nor  even  of  appealing  for  mercy ;  and  to  such  a  pitch  of  obedience  did  Tcha] 
bring  tms  fierce  and  warlike  nation,  that  men  guiltless  of  any  offence  have  been  hm 
to  thank  him  for  their  punishment  while  actually  dying  under  the  strokes  of 
executioners. 

When  the  double  business  of  rewarding  the  brave  soldiers  and  punishing  the  cowardij 
has  been  completed,  the  professional  minstrels  orpraisers  come  forward,  and  recite  f 
various  honorary  titles  of  the  king  in  a  sort  of  recitative,  without  the  least 
between  the  words,  and  in  most  stentorian  voices.  Perhaps  the  term  Heralds  would  not| 
be  very  inappropriate  to  these  men.  The  soldiers  take  up  the  chorus  of  praise,  __, 
repeat  the  titles  of  their  ruler  in  shouts  that  are  quite  deafening  to  an  unaccustomed  eatl 
Each  title  is  assumed  or  given  to  the  king  in  commemoration  of  some  notable  deed,  or  onl 
account  of  some  fancy  that  may  happen  to  flit  through  the  royal  brain  in  a  dream;  and,a3| 
he  is  continually  adding  to  his  titles,  the  professional  reciters  had  need  possess  good! 
memories,  as  the  omission  of  any  of  them  would  be  considered  as  an  insult.  I 

Some  of  Panda's  titles  have  already  been  mentioned,  but  some  of  the  others  are  sol 
curious  that  they  ought  not  to  be  omitted.  For  example,  he  is  called  "  Father  of  men,"! 
i.e.  the  ama-doda,  or  married  warriors;  "He  who  lives  for  ever" — a  corapliinentonhisl 
surviving  the  danger  of  being  killed  by  Dingan ;  "  He  who  is  high  as  the  moimtains'-l 
"  He  who  is  high  as  the  heavens " — ^this  being  evidently  the  invention  of  a  clever  courtier! 
who  wished  to  "  cap  "  the  previous  compliment;  "Elephant's  calf;"  "Great  black  one;" 
"  Bird  that  eats  other  birds" — ^in  allusion  to  his  conquests  in  battle;  "Son  of  acow;"| 
"Noble  elephant,"  and  a  himdredothei  titles,  equally  absurd  in  the  eyes  of  a  Euiopean, 
but  inspiring  great  respect  in  that  of  a  Kaffir. 

When  all  this  tumultuous  scene  is  over,  the  review  closes,  just  as  our  reviews  do,  ^  _ 
a  "march  past"    The  king  sits  in  his  chair,  as  a  general  on  his  horse,  while  the  whole  I 
army  defiles  in  front  of  him,  each  soldier  as  he  passes  bowing  to  the  ground,  and  lowering 
his  shield  and  assagais,  as  we  droop  our  colours  in  the  presence  of  the  sovereiga 

In  order  to  appear  to  the  best  advantage  on  these  occasions,  and  to  impress  the  spec- 
tators with  the  solemnity  of  the  ceremony,  the  king  dresses  himself  with  peculiar  care, 
and  generally  wears  a  different  costume  at  each  review.  The  dress  which  he  usually 
wears  at  his  evening  receptions,  when  his  officers  come  to  report  themselves  and  to  | 
accompany  him  in  his  daily  inspection  of  his  herds,  is  the  usual  apron  or  kilt,  n 
either  of  leopard's  tails  or  monkey's  skin,  a  head-dres.:  composed  of  various  feathers 
•a  round  ball  of  clipped  worstec^  while  his  arms  are  decorated  with  rings  of  brass  I 
and  ivory. 

It  is  easy  to  see  how  this  custom  of  holding  a  review  almost  immediately  after  the 
battle,  and  causing  either  reward  or  punishment  to  come  swiftly  upon  the  soldiers,  must 
have  added  to  the  efficiency  of  the  armies,  especially  when  the  system  was  carried  out  by 
a  man  like  its  originator  Tchaka,  an  astute,  sanguiuiuy,  determined,  and  pitiless  despot 
Under  the  two  successive  reigns  of  Dingan  and  Pancia,  and  especially  under  the  latter, 
the  efficiency  of  the  Zulu  army — the  eaters  of  men — has  notably  diminished,  this  result 
being  probably  owing  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  English  colony  at  Natal,  in  which  the 
Zulu  warriors  can  find  a  refuge  when  they  fear  that  their  lives  are  endangered.  Formerly, 
the  men  had  no  possible  refuge,  so  that  a  Kaffir  was  utterly  in  the  power  of  his  chief! 
and  the  army  was  therefore  more  of  a  machine  than  it  is  at  present. 

Reviews  such  as  have  been  described  are  not  only  held  in  war  time,  but  frequently 
take  place  in  times  of  peace.    It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  king  of  the  Zulu  tribe  has ! 
twenty-six  war-kiaals,  or  garrison  towns,  and  he  generally  contrives  to  visit  each  of  them 


INVENTION  OF  A  MILITARY  SYSTEM. 


126 


the  course  of  the  year.  Each  time  that  he  honours  the  kraal  by  his  presence  the 
Lops  are  turned  out,  and  a  review  is  held,  thougl  not  always  accompanied  by  the  lavish 
|!tribution  of  rewards  and  punishment  which  distinguishes  those  which  are  held  after 

The  vicissitudes  of  Kaffir  warfare  are  really  remarkable  from  a  military  point  of  view. 
ily,  the  only  idea  which  the  Kaffirs  had  of  warfare  was  a  desultory  kind  of 
Qiinishlng,  in  which  each  man  fought  "for  his  own  hand,"  and  did  not  reckon  on 

jiving  any  support  from  his  comrades,  each  of  whom  was  engaged  in  fight  on  his  own 
^unt.  In  fact,  war  was  little  more  than  a  succession  of  duels,  and,  if  a  warrior 
Ceeded  in  killing  the  particular  enemy  to  whom  he  was  opposed,  he  immediately 
Lght  another.     But  the  idea  of  large  bodies  of  men  acting  in  concert,  and  being 

«cted  by  one  mind,  was  one  that  had  not  occurred  to  the  Kaffirs  until  the  time  of 

tchaka.  ,  .       ,  -  . 

J  When  that  monarch  mtroduced  a  system  and  a  discipline  into  warfare,  the  result  was 

It  once  apparent.    Individual  skirmishers  had  no  chance  against  large  bodies  of  men, 

mutually  supporting  each  other,  moving  as  if  actuated  by  one  mind,  and,  under  the 

lidance  of  a  single  leader,  advancing  with  a  swift  but  steady  impetuosity  that  the  undis- 

[ined  soldiers  of  the  enemy  could  not  resist.    Discipline  could  not  be  turned  against 

le  Zulus,  for  Tchaka  left  the  conquered  tribes  no  time  to  organize  themselves  into 

.jies,  even  if  they  had  possessed  leaders  who  were  capable  of  that  task.    His  troops 

wept  over  the  country  like  au  army  of  locusts,  consuming  everything  on  their  way,  and 

(ither  exterminating  the  various  tribes,  or  incorporating  them  in  some  capacity  or  other 

nong  the  Zulus. 

In  truth,  his  great  policy  was  to  extend  the  Zulu  tribe,  and  from  a  mere  tribe  to  raise 
Jiem  ^Jito  a  nation.    His  object  was,  therefore,  not  so  much  to  destroy  as  to  absorb,  and, 
iltbough  he  did  occasionally  extirpate  a  tribe  that  would  not  accept  his  conditions,  it  was 
lot  the  purpose  of  striking  terror  into  others,  and  proving  to  them  the  futility  of  resistance. 
hose  that  had  accepted  his  offers  he  incorporated  with  his  own  army,  and  subjected 
the  same  disciplme,  but  took  care  to  draught  them  off  into  different   regiments, 
)that  they  could  not  combine  in  a  successful  revolt.    The  result  of  this  simple  but  far- 
ting policy  was,  that  in  a  few  years  the  Zulu  tribe,  originally  small,  had,  beside  its 
^  liar  regiments  on  duty,  some  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  men  always  ready  for  any 
idden  expedition,  and  at  the  end  of  five  or  six  years  the  Zulu  king  was  paramount  over 
he  whole  of  Southern  Africa,  the  only  check  upon  him  being  the  European  colonies. 
hese  he  evidently  intended  to  sweep  away,  but  was  murdered  before  he  could  bring  his 
icheme  to  maturity.     Tchaka's  system  was  followed  by  Moselekatze  in  the  north  ot 
affirland,  who  contrived  to  manage  so  well  that  the  bulk  of  his  army  belonged  to 
ichuanan  and  other  tribes,  some  of  whose  customs  he  adopted. 

The  military  system  of  Tchaka  prevailed,  as  must  be  the  case  when  there  is  no 
Ireiy  great  inequality  between  the  opposing  forces,  and  discipline  is  all  on  one  side.  But, 
Ihen  discipline  is  opposed  to  discipline,  and  the  advantage  of  weapons  lies  on  the  side 
pf  the  latter,  the  consequences  arA  disastrous  to  the  former.  Thus  has  it  been  with 
Kaffir  tribes.  The  close  ranks  of  warriors,  armed  with  shield  and  spear,  were 
sistible  when  dpposed  to  men  similarly  armed,  but  without  any  regular  discipline, 
|iut,  when  they  came  to  match  themselves  against  fire-Arms,  they  found  that  their  system 
i  of  little  value. 

The  shield  could  resist  the  assagai  well  enough,  but  againdt  the  bullet  it  was  powerless, 
nd  though  the  stabbing-asaagai  was  a  terrible  weapon  when  the  foe  was  at  close  quarters, 
twas  no  use  against  an  enemy  who  could  deal  destruction  at  the  distance  of  several 
kundred  yards.  Moreover,  the  close  and  compact  ranks,  which  were  so  efficacious  against 
" !  irregular  warriors  of  the  country,  became  an  absolute  element  of  weakness  when  the 
Wdiers  were  exposed  to  heavy  volleys  from  the  distant  enemy.  Therefore,  the  whole 
nurse  of  battle  was  changed  when  the  Zulus  fought  against  the  white  man  and  his  fire- 
arms, and  they  found  themselves  obliged  to  revert  to  the  old  system  of  skirmishing, 
lough  the  skirmishers  fought  under  the  commands  of  the  chief,  instead  of  each  man 
icting  independently,  as  had  formerly  been  the  case. 


;m.ni 


126 


THE  KAFHR 


We  remember  how  similar  changes  have  taken  place  in  our  European  armies  i\t 
the  heavy  columns  that  used  to  be  so  resistless  were  shattered  by  the  fire  of  sinfle'i 
and  how  the  very  massiveuess  of  the  column  rendered  it  a  better  mark  for  the  i 
fire,  and  caused  almost  every  shot  to  take  effect 

Tchaka  was  not  always  successful,  for  he  forgot  that  cunning  is  often  superior  to  foJ 
and  that  the  enemy's  spears  are  not  the  most  dangerous  weapons  in  his  armoury.  ] 
last  expedition  that  Tchaka  organized  was  a  singularly  unsuccessful  one.  He  had  f 
sent  an  army  against  a  tribe  which  had  long  held  out  against  him,  and  which  hat 
advantage  of  a  military  position  so  strong  that  even  the  trained  Zulu  warriors,  who  1 
that  failure  was  death,  could  not  succeed  in  taking  it.  Fortunately  for  Tchaka,  l. 
Europeans  were  at  the  time  in  his  kraal,  and  he  obliged  them  to  fight  on  his  behi 
The  enemy  had,  up  to  that  time,  never  seen  nor  heard  of  fire-arms ;  and  when  theyj 
their  comrades  falling  without  being  visibly  struck,  they  immediately  yielded,  thin! 
that  the  spirits  of  their  forefathers  were  angry  with  them,  and  spat  fire  out  ofl^ 
mouths.  Thi.s,  indeed,  was  the  result  which  hcd  been  anticipated  by  the  bearers  of  t 
fire-arms  in  question,  for  they  thought  that,  if  the  enemy  were  intimidated  by  thesta 
weapons,  great  loss  of  life  would  be  saved  on  both  sides.  The  battle  being  over,  I 
conquered  tribe  were  subsidized  as  tributaries,  according  to  Tch^a's  custom,  and  all  t 
cattle  given  up. 

The  success  of  this  expedition  incited  Tchaka  to  repeat  the  experiment,  and! 
troops  had  hardly  returned  when  he  sent  them  off  against  a  chief  named  Sotshangi 
This  chief  had  a  spy  in  the  camp  of  Tchaka,  and  no  sooner  had  the  army  set  off  thanti 
spy  contrived  to  detach  himself  from  the  troops,  and  went  off  at  full  speed  to  his 
Sotshangana  at  once  sent  out  messengers  to  see  whether  the  spy  had  told  the  truth,  i 
when  he  learned  that  the  Zulu  army  was  really  coming  upon  him,  he  laid  a  trap  ii^ 
which  the  too  confident  enemy  fell  at  once. 

He  withdrew  his  troops  from  his  kraals,  but  left  everything  in  its  ordinary  ■_ 
so  as  to  look  as  if  no  alarm  had  been  taken.     The  Zulu  regiments,  seeing  no  signs  tiJ 
their  presence  was  axpected,  took  possession  of  the  kraal,  feasted  on  its  provisions,  i 
slept  in  fancied  security.     But,  at  the  dead  of  night,  Sotshangana,  accompanied  by( 
spy,  whom  he  had  rewarded  with  the  command  of  a  regiment,  came  on  the  unsuspectii 
Zulus,  fell  upon  them  while  sleeping,  and  cut  one  regiment  nearly  to  pieces.    The  otliel 
rallied,  and  drove  off  their  foes ;  bui.  they  were  in  an  enemy's  country,  where  eveiy  1 
was  against  them. 

Their  wonderful  discipline  availed  them  little.    They  got  no  rest  by  day  or  by  nig 
They  were  continually  harassed  by  attacks,  sometimes  of  outlying  skirmishers,  who  kej 
them  always  on  the  alert,  sometimes  of  large  forces  of  soldiers  who  had  to  be  met  f 
battle  array.    They  could  obtain  no  food,  for  the  whole  country  was  against  them,  andtlj 
weaker  tribes,  whom  they  attacked  in  order  to  procure  provisions,  drove  their  cattle  intoU 
bush,  and  set  fire  to  their  own  corn-fields.     It  is  said  also,  and  with  some  likelihood^ 
truth,  that  the  water  was  poisoned  as  v  11  as  the  food  destroyed ;  and  the  consequew 
was,  that  the  once  victorious  army  was  oi^ligcd  to  retreat  as  it  best  could,  and  the  M 
tered  fragments  at  last  reached  their  own  country,  after  suffering  almost  incredili 
hardships.    It  was  in  this  campaign  that  the  soldiers  were  obliged  to  eat  their  sMelJj 
At  least  twenty  thousand  of  the  Zulu  warriors  perished  in  this  expedition,  three-fourt 
having  died  from  privation,  and  the  others  fallen  by  the  spears  of  the  enemy. 

What  would  have  been  Tchaka's  fury  at  so  terrible  a  defeat  may  well  be  imagined 
but  he  never  lived  to  see  his  conquered  warriors.    It  is  supposed,  and  with  some  shoj 
of  truth,  that  he  had  been  instrumental  in  causing  the  death  of  his  own  motln 
Mnande.    This  word  signifies  "  amiable"  or  "  pleasant,"  in  the  Zulu  tongue,  and  nevJ 
was  a  name  more  misapplied.    She  was  violent,  obstinate,  and  wilful  to  a  degree,  i 
her  son  certainly  inherited  these  traits  of  his  mother's  character,  besides  superadding  a  fel 
of  his  own.     She  was  the  wife  of  the  chief  of  the  Amazulu,  then  a  small  and  insig 
tribe,  who  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  White  Folosi  river,  and  behaved  in  such  a  maiiB^ 
that  she  could  not  be  kept  in  her  husband's  kraal.     It  may  be  imagined  that 
mother  and  son  were  not  likely  to  agree  very  well  together ;  and  when  the  latter  cai 


MUEDER  OF  TCHAKA 


127 


[be  a  man,  he  was  known  to  beat  his  mother  openly,  without  attempting  to  conceal 
3  fact,  but  rather  taking  credit  to  himself  for  it. 

Therefore,  when  she  died,  her  family  had  some  good  grounds  for  believing  that 

Lhaka  had  caused  her  to  be  killed,  and  determined  on  revenge.    Hardly  had  that 

fated  expedition  set  out,  when  two  of  her  sisters  came  to  Dingan  and  Umhlangani, 

brothers  of  Tchaka,  and  openly  accused  him  of  having  murdered  Mnande,  urging 
i  two  brothers  to  kill  him  and  avenge  their  mother's  blood.  They  adroitly  mentioned 
j  absence  of  the  army,  and  the  terror  in  which  every  soldier  held  his  bloodthirsty 
ng,  and  said  that  if,  on  the  return  of  the  army,  Tchaka  was  dead,  the  soldiers  would 
frejoiced  at  the  death  of  the  tyrant,  and  would  be  sure  to  consider  as  their  leaders  the 
^0  men  who  had  freed  them  from  such  a  yoke.  The  two  brothers  briefly  answered,, 
fe  have  spoken  1"  but  the  women  seemed  to  know  that  by  those  words  the  doom  of 

ka  was  settled,  and  withdrew  themselves,  leaving  their  nephews  to  devise  their  own 
_  1  for  the  murder  of  the  king. 

iMs  was  no  easy  business.    They  would  have  tried  poison,  but  Tchaka  was  much  too 

r  to  die  such  a  death,  and,  as  force  was  clearly  useless,  they  had  recourse  to  treachery. 

[ey  corrupted  the  favourite  servant  of  Tchaka,  a  man  named  Bopa,  and  having  armed 

lemselves  with  unshafted  heads  of  assagais,  which  could  be  easily  concealed,  they 

d  to  the  king's  house,  where  he  was  sitting  in  conference  with  several  of  his 

ncillors,  who  were  unarmed,  according  to  Kaffir  etiquette.     The  treacherous  Bopa 

I  his  task  by  rudely  interrupting  the  councillors,  accusing  them  of  telling  falsehoods 
Tthe  king,  and  behaving  with  an  amount  of  insolence  to  which  he  well  knew  they 
|)ald  not  submit.  As  they  rose  in  anger,  and  endeavoured  to  seize  the  man  ^ho  had 
ilted  them,  Dingan  and  Umhlangani  stole  behind  Tchaka,  whose  attention  was 
by  the  extraordinary  scene,  and  stabbed  him  in  the  back.  He  attempted  to 
ape,  but  was  again  stabbed  by  Bopa,  and  fell  dying  to  the  ground,  where  he  was 
tontly  slain.  The  affrighted  councillors  tried  to  fly,  but  were  killed  by  the  same 
apons  that  had  slain  their  master. 

This  dread  scene  was  terminated  by  an  act  partly  resulting  firom  native  ferocity,  and 

dy  from  superstition.    The  two  murderers  opened  the  still  warm  body  of  their  victim, 

1  drank  the  galL    Their  subsequent  quarrel,  and  the  accession  of  Dingan  to  the  throne, 

5  already  been  mentioned.    The  new  king  would  probably  have  been  murdered  by  the 

Idlers  on  their  return,  had  he  not  conciliated  them  by  relaxing  the  strict  laws  of 

pacy  which  Tchaka  had  enforced,  and  by  granting  indulgences  of  various  kinds  to  the 

)ops. 

As  to  the  dead  Mnande,  the  proximate  cause  of  Ichaka's  death,  more  will  be  said  on 
nturepage. 


Bi 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 


HUNTING. 


THB  KAFFIB8  LOVE  FOR  THE  CHASE — THE  GAME  AND  CLIMATE  OF  AFBICA — THE  ANTEtOPEg  oil 
AFIUCA — HUNTINO  THB  KOODOO — USES  OP  THE  H0UN8 — A  RCKNE  ON  TUK  TTMOENIB  ErVMl— THll 
DUIKEB-BOK    AND  ITS  PECULIABITIES — ITS   MODE    OF   ESCAI'E   AND    TKNACIIY  OF   LIFE — SINOiml 

MODE  OF   CONCEALMENT — THE  ELAND,  ITS  FLESH  AND  FAT CimiOUS   BVPBRSTITION  OF  THE  ZIXI I 

WABBIOBS THIOH-TONOUES — MODE  OF  HUNTINO  THE  ELAND THE  GBMSB02 — ITS  INDIFFEBEMCI I 

TO  DBINK DIFFICULTY  OF  HUNTING   IT HOW  THE  OEMSBOK  WIELDS  ITS  HOBNS THEIB  USES  10 1 

MAN MODES    OF    TBAPPINO    AND    DESTBOYINQ    ANTELOPES    WHOLESALE — THB    HOFO,    OB  UfiOll 

PITFALL,    ITS    CONSTBUCTIG./    AND     MODE    OF     EMPLOYMENT — EXCITING    SCENE    AT    THE    HOFO- 1 
PITFALLS   FOB  SINGLE  ANIMALS — THE   STAKE  AND   THE   BIDGE — THE  OIBAFFE  PIXi'ALL — HVNnxol 

THE  ELEPHANT USE  OP  THE  DOGS — BEST  PAET8  OF    THE  ELEPHANT HOW  THE   FOOT  18  COOXll  I 

— VOBACITY   OF   THE    NATIVES — GAME   IN    A    "HIGH"    CONDITION EXTBACTING    THE  TUSKSiXjl 

TEETH CUTTING    UP    AN    ELEPHANT — FLESH,    FAT,    AND     SKIN    OF    THE    BHINOCEBOS — A    BOnHl 

AFBICAN    *'H<GGIS" ASSAILING    A    HEBD    OP    GAME — SLAUGHTER    IN    THE  BAVINB A  HtNmol 

SCENE  IN   KAFilBLAND — THB  "  KLOOF  "  AND  THB    "  BUSH  " FALLS  OP  THE  UM7IMVUBU  BITEB- 

HUNTING    DANCE— CHASE    OF    THB    LION    AND    ITS    SANOUINABY   BBSULTS — DINOAN's    OBSFOTlcl 
UANDATB — HUNTINQ  THB  BUFFALO. 

Excepting  war,  there  is  no  pursuit  which  is  so  engrossing  to  a  Kaffir  as  the  chase;  i 
whether  he  unites  with  a  number  of  his  comrades  in  a  campaign  against  his  game,! 
whether  he  pursues  it  singly,  or  whether  he  entices  it  into  traps,  he  is  wholly  absorbed  in  j 
the  occupation,  and  pursues  it  with  an  enthusiasm  to  which  a  European  is  a  stranger. 

Indeed,  in  many  cases,  and  certainly  in  most  instances,  where  a  Kaffir  is  the  hunter,  t 
chase  becomes  a  mimic  warfare,  which  is  waged  sometimes  against  the  strong,  and  some- 1 
times  against  the  weak ;  which  opposes  itself  equally  to  the  fierce  activity  of  the  lion,  I 
the  resistless  force  of  the  elephant,  the  speed  of  the  antelope,  and  the  wariness  of  tie  1 
zebra.  The  love  of  hunting  is  a  necessity  in  such  a  country,  which  fully  deser/es  the  | 
well-known  title  of  the  "  Happy  Hunting  Grounds."  There  is,  perhaps,  no  country  oi  j 
earth  where  may  be  found  such  a  wonderful  variety  of  game  in  so  small  a  compass,  i 
which  will  serve  to  exercise,  to  the  very  utmost,  every  capacity  for  the  chase  that  I 
mankind  can  possess. 

Southern  Africa  possesses  the  swiftest,  the  largest,  the  heaviest,  the  fiercest,  the  I 
mightiest,  and  the  tallest  beasts  in  the  world.    The  lofty  mountain,  the  reed-clad  dell, 
the  thorny  bush,  the  open  plain,  the  river  bank,  and  the  very  water  itself,  are  filled  with 
their  proper  inhabitants,  simply  on  account  of  the  variety  of  soil,  which  always  pro- 1 
duces  a  corresponding  variety  of  inhabitants.     The  different  kinds  of  herbage  attract  i 
sustain  the  animals  that  are  suited  to  them ;  and  were  they  to  be  extinct,  the  animals  | 
must  follow  in  their  wake. 

The  larger  camivora  are  in  their  turn  attracted  by  the  herbivorous  inhabitants  of 
country,  and  thus  it  happens  that  even  a  very  slight  modification  in  the  vegetation  '. 
altered  the  whole  chaxacter  of  a  district.    Mr.  Moffatt  has  mentioned  a  cuiious  instance  | 
of  this  fact. 


THE  KOODOO. 


129 


He  and  his  companions  were  in  {Treat  jeopardy  on  account  of  a  disappointed  "  rain- 
laker."  Tlie  country  had  originally  been  even  remarkable  for  the  quantity  of  rain  which 
lllin  it,  and  for  its  consequent  I'ertiiity.  The  old  men  said  that  their  forefathers  had  told 
lein  "  of  the  Hoods  of  ancient  times,  the  incessant  showers  which  clothed  the  very  rocks 
fith  verdure,  and  the  giant  trees  and  forests  which  once  studded  the  brows  of  the  Hamhana 
Jls  and  nei^libouring  plains.  They  boasted  of  the  Kuruman  and  other  rivers,  with 
feir  impassable  torrents,  in  which  the  hii)popotanii  played,  while  the  lowing  herds 
hiked  up  to  their  necks  in  grass,  filling  their  viaku/cas  (uulk-sacks)  with  milk,  making 
\m  heart  to  sing  for  joy." 

Tliat  such  tales  were  true  was  proved  by  the  numerous  stumps  of  huge  acacia  trees, 
Jat  showed  where  the  forest  had  stood,  and  by  the  dry  and  parched  ravines,  which  had 
lidently  been  the  beds  of  rivers,  and  clothed  with  vegetation.  For  the  drought  the 
lissionaries  were  held  responsible,  according  to  the  invariable  custom  of  the  rain-makers, 
ho  are  ouly  too  glad  to  find  something  on  which  they  shift  the  blame  when  no  rain 
blows  their  incantations.  It  was  in  vain  that  Mr.  Mofftitt  reminded  them  that  the 
oiijjht  had  been  known  long  before  a  white  man  set  his  foot  on  the  soil.  i..  savage 
Ifrican  is,  as  a  general  rule,  impervious  to  dates,  not  even  having  the  least  idea  of  his 
%  age,  so  this  argument  failed  utterly. 

The  real  reason  was  evidently  that  which  Mr.  Moffatt  detected,  and  which  he  tried  in 
|in  to  impress  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  They  themselves,  or  rather  their 
efathers,  were  responsible  for  the  cessation  of  rain,  and  the  consequent  change  from  a 
bile  land  into  a  desert.  For  the  sake  of  building  their  kraals  and  liouses,  thp>  had  cut 
Iwn  every  tree  that  their  axes  could  fell,  and  those  that  defied  their  rude  tools  they 
ptroyed  bj  fire.  Now  it  is  well  known  that  ti-ees,  especially  when  in  full  foliage,  are 
ty  powerful  agents  in  causing  rain,  inasmuch  as  they  condense  the  moisture  floating  in 
air,  and  cause  it  to  fall  to  the  earth,  instead  of  passing  by  in  suspension.  Every  tree 
k  is  felled  has  some  effect  in  reducing  the  quantity  of  rain ;  and  when  a  forest  is 
felled  with  the  ground,  the  different  amount  of  rainfall  becomes  niaiked  at  once. 

These  tribes  are  inveterate  destroyers  of  timber.  When  they  wish  to  establish  them- 
|ves  in  a  fresh  spot,  and  build  a  new  kraal,  they  always  station  themselves  close  to  the 
est,  or  at  all  events  to  a  large  thicket,  which  in  the  course  of  time  is  levelled  to  the 
kund,  the  wood  having  beeii  all  used  for  building  and  culinary  purposes.  The  tribe 
fen  go  off  to  another  spot,  and  cut  down  more  timber ;  and  it  is  to  this  custom  that  the 
p  droughts  of  Southern  Africa  may  partly  be  attributed. 

The  game  which  inhabited  the  fallen  forests  is  peiforce  obliged  to  move  into  districts 

\m  the  destructive  axe  has  not  been  heard,  and  the  whole  of  those  animals  that  require 

ontinual  supply  of  water  either  die  off  for  the  want  of  it,  or  find  their  way  into  luoi-e 

Joured  regions.    Tliis  is  specially  the  case  with  the  antelopes,  which  form  the  chief  game 

I  this  land.    Southern  Africa  absolutely  teems  with  antelopes,  some  thirty  species  of 

1  are  known  to  inhabit  this  wonderful  country.     They  are  of  all  sizes,  from  tlie  great 

nds  and  koodoos,  which  rival  our  finest  cattle  in  weight  and  stature,  to  the  tiny  species 

lich  inhabit  the  bush,  and  have  bodies  scarcely  larger  than  if  they  were  rabbits.    Some 

I  them  are  solitary,  others  may  be  found  in  small  parties,  others  unite  in  herds  of 

alculable  numbers ;  while  there  are  several  species  that  form  associations,  not  only  with 

|er  species  of  their  own  goup,  but  with  giraffes,  zeoras,  ostriches,  and  other  strange 

npanions.    Each  kind  must  be  hunted  in  some  special  manner ;  and,  as  the  antelopes  are 

herally  the  wariest  as  well  as  the  most  active  of  game,  the  hunter  must  be  thoroughly 

luainted  with  his  business  before  he  can  hope  for  success. 

[One  of  the  antelopes  which  live  in  small  parties  is  the  koodoo,  so  well  known  for  its 
Ignificent  spiral  horns.  To  Europeans  the  koodoo  is  only  interesting  as  being  one  of 
most  splendid  of  the  antelope  tribe,  but  to  the  Kaffir  it  is  almost  as  valuable  an 
jinal  as  the  cow.  The  flesh  of  the  koodoo  is  well-flavoured  and  tender,  two  qualities 
lich  are  exceedingly  rare  among  South  African  antelopes.  The  marrow  taken  from  the 
>bones  is  a  great  luxury  with  the  Kaffirs,  \v  ho  are  so  fond  of  it  that  when  they  kill  a 
JkIoo  they  remove  the  leg-bones,  break  them,  and  eat  the  marrow,  not  only  without 
jking,  hut  while  it  is  still  warm.  Kevolting  as  such  a  practice  may  seem  to  us,  it  has 
TOL.I.  K 


^«; 


I 


:Xl 


'80 


THE  KAFFIR 


t  M 


been  adopted  even  by  English  hunters,  who  have  been  sensible  enough  to  accommodal 
themselves  to  circumstances. 

Then,  its  hide  although  comparatively  thin,  is  singularly  tough,  and,  when  cut  nitu 
narrow  slips  and  properly  manipulated,  is  used  for  a  variety  of  purposes  which  a  thick 
liide  could  not  fulfil.  The  toughness  and  strength  of  these  thoiigs  are  really  wonilcrtiij 
and  the  rapidity  with  which  they  aie  made  scarcely  less  so.  I  have  seen  an  experiencij 
skindi-esser  cut  a  thin  strip  from  a  dried  koodoo  skin,  and  in  less  than  half  a  niinuii 
produce  a  long,  delicate  thong,  about  as  thick  as  ordinary  whipcord,  as  pliant  as  silk,  i 
beautifully  rounded.  I  have  often  thought  that  the  much-vexed  question  of  the  1«3 
leather  for  boot-laces  might  be  easily  solved  by  tho  use  of  koodoo  hide.  Such  thona 
would  be  expensive  in  the  outset,  but  their  lasting  powers  would  render  them  chuiij 
in  the  long  run. 

The  horns  of  the  koodoo  are  greatly  valued  in  this  coxmtry,  and  command  a  hijiJ 
price,  on  account  of  their  great  beauty.  The  Kaffirs,  however,  value  them  even  more  thaj 
we  do.  They  will  allow  the  horns  of  the  eland  to  lie  about  and  perish,  but  those  of  tin 
koodoo  they  carefully  preserve  for  two  special  purposes, — namely,  the  forge  and  til 
smoking  party.  Although  a  Kaffir  blacksmith  will  use  the  horns  of  the  domestic  ox,( 
of  the  eland,  as  tubes  whereby  the  wind  is  conveyed  from  the  bellows  to  the  fire,  heveij 
much  prefers  those  of  the  koodoo,  and,  if  he  should  be  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a  paid 
he  will  lavish  much  pains  on  making  a  handsome  pair  of  bellows. 

He  also  usetf  the  koodoo  horn  in  the  manufacture  of  the  remarkable  water-pipe  ii| 
which  he  smokes  dakka,  or  hemp.    On  a  future  page  will  be  seen  a  figure  of  a  Kaffi 
engaged  in  smoking  a  pipe  made  from  the  koodoo  horu. 

Like  many  other  antelopes,  the  koodoo  is  a  wary  animal,  and  no  small  amount  ( 
pains  must  be  taken  before  the  hunter  can  succeed  in  his  object.  The  koodoo  is  one  i 
the  antelopes  that  requires  water,  aud  is  not  like  to  its  relative,  the  eland,  which  neva] 
cares  to  drink,  and  which  coutrives,  in  some  mysterious  manner,  to  be  the  Iiirses 
tlie  fattest,  and  the  plumpest  of  all  the  antelope  tribe,  though  it  lives  far  from  walf^ 
a:  id  its  principal  food  is  herbage  so  dry  that  it  can  be  rubbed  to  powder  between  I 
hands. 

The  illustration  on  the  next  page  shows  the  kind  of  spot  which  the  koodoo  inl 
and  is  taken  from  a  sketch  by  Captain  Drayson,  RA.,  who  shot  one  of  these  spleniiil| 
antelopes  just  as  it  was  bounding  over  the  spot  where  a  koodoo  is  represented  as  stnicJ 
down  by  an  assagai.  The  scene  is  on  the  Umgenie  river,  and  gives  a  remarkably  gdl 
idea  of  a  South  African  landscape,  as  far  as  such  a  scene  can  be  rendered  iu  the  absi;iitt| 
of  colour. 

Each  of  the  antelopes  has  Its  separate  wiles,  and  puts  in  practice  a  different  metyj 
of  escape  from  an  enemy.  The  pretty  little  Duiker-bok,  for  example,  jumps  about  liail 
aud  there  with  an  erratic  series  of  movements,  remuiding  the  sportsman  of  the  beliavioil 
of  a  flushed  snipe.  Suddenly  it  will  stop,  as  if  tired,  and  lie  down  in  the  grass ;  butwliaj 
the  hunter  comes  to  the  spot,  the  animal  has  vanishi-d.  All  the  previous  movenientswai 
merely  for  the  purpose  of  distracting  the  attention  of  the  hunter,  and  as  soon  as  the  1 
antelope  crouched  down,  it  lowered  its  head  and  crawled  away  on  its  knees  under  co"! 
of  the  herbage.  It  is  owing  to  this  habit  that  the  Dutch  colonists  called  it  the  Duited 
or  Diver. 

This  little  antelope  is  found  in  long  grass,  or  among  stunted  bushes,  and  the  wij| 
Kaffir  is  sure  to  have  his  weapons  ready  whenever  he  passes  by  a  spot  where  he 
expect  to  find  the  Duyker,  or  Impoon,  as  he  calls  it.'    The  creature  is  wonderfully  teal 
cious  of  life,  and,  even  when  mortally  wounded,  it  will  make  its  escape  from  a  huiit8| 
who  does  not  know  its  peculiarities. 

Other  antelopes  that  inhabit  grass  and  bush  land  have  very  ingenious  modes  of  coiJ 
Dealing  themselves.    Even  on  the  bare  plain  they  will  crouch  down  in  such  odd  ati 
tudes  that  all  trace  of  their  ordinary  outline  is  gone,  and  they  contrive  to  arrange  them 
selves  in  snch  a  manner  that  at  a  little  distance  they  much  resemble  a  heap  of  witliere 
grass  and  dead  sticks,  the  former  being  represented  by  their  t'ur,  and  the  latter  by  tbei 


ANTELOPES 


131 


[orns  and  limbs.  An  untrained  eye  would  never  discover  one  of  these  animals,  and 
ovicea  in  African  hunting  can  seldom  distinguish  the  antelope  even  when  it  is  pointed 
ut  to  them. 

^Vhellc;vor  a  practised  hunter  sees  an  antelope  crouching  on  the  ground,  he  may  be 
'kk  that  the  animal  is  perfei'-tly  aware  of  his  presence,  and  is  only  watching  for  an 
ipportunity  to  escape.     If  he  y  ere  to  go  directly  towards  it,  or  even  stop  and  look  at  it 


m 


SSM 


^'f 


\^-^\ 


SCENE  ON  THE  UMGENIE  RIVER-BUNTINQ  THE  KOODOO. 


|ie  antelope  would  know  that  it  was  detected,  and  would  dart  off  while  still  out  of 
Dire.  But  an  experienced  hunter  always  pretends  not  to  have  seen  the  animal,  and  in- 
.  of  approaching  it  in  a  direct  line,  walks  round  and  round  the  spot  where  it  is  lying, 
|way3  coming  nearer  to  his  object,  but  never  taking  any  apparent  notice  of  it. 

The  animal  is  quite  bewildered  by  this  mode  of  action,  and  cannot  make  up  its  mind 

Ihat  to  do.     It  is  not  sure  that  it  ha**  been  detected ;  and  therefore  does  not  like  to  lom 

|e  risk  of  jumping  up  and  openly  betraying  itself,  and  so  it  only  crouches  closer  to  the 

ound  until  its  enemy  is  within  range.    The  pretty  antelope  called  the  Ourebi  is  often 

ken  in  this  manner. 

Some  antelopes  cannot  be  taken  in  this  manner.  They  are  very  wary  animals,  and, 
[lien  they  perceive  an  enemy,  they  immediately  gallop  off,  and  will  go  for  wonderful 
Istances  in  an  almost  straight  line.  One  of  these  animals  is  the  well-known  eland,  an 
Mtelope  which,  in  spite  of  its  enormous  size  and  great  weight,  is  wonderfully  swift  and 
pive ;  and,  although  a  laige  eland  will  be  nearly  six  feet  high  at  the  shoulders,  and  as 
Irgely  built  as  our  oxen,  it  will  dash  over  rough  hilly  places  at  a  pace  that  no  horse  can 
|r  a  time  equal    But  it  cannot  keep  up  this  pace  for  a  very  long  time,  as  it  becomes 


18a 


THE  KAFFIB. 


ilia 


extremely  fat  and  heavy ;  and  if  it  be  continually  hard  pressed,  and  not  allowed  to  slaclta 
its  pace  or  to  halt,  it  becomes  so  exhausted  that  it  -can  be  easily  overtaken.    The  m. 
plan  in  such  cases  is  to  get  in  front  of  the  tired  eland,  make  it  turn  round,  and  so  drive  ii 
into  the  camping  spot.'vrhere  it  can  be  killed,  so  that  the  hunters  save  themselves 
trouble  of  carrying  the  meat  to  camp. 

Eland  hunting  is  always  a  favourite  sport  both  with  natives  and  white  men,  piu 
because  its  flesh  is  singularly  excellent,  and  partly  because  a  persevering  chase  is  aim 
always  rewarded  with  success.  To  the  native,  the  eland  is  of  peculiar  value,  because  H 
furnishes  an  amount  of  meat  which  will  feed  them  plentifully  for  several  days.  Mor» 
over,  the  flesh  is  always  tender,  a  quality  which  does  not  generally  belong  to  Soutj 
African  venison.  The  Zulu  warriors,  however,  do  not  eat  the  flesh  of  the  eland,  beii 
restrained  by  superstitious  motives. 

Usually,  when  an  antelope  is  killed,  its  flesh  must  either  be  eaten  at  once,  before  tin 
animal  heat  has  left  the  body,  or  it  must  be  kept  for  a  day  or  two,  in  order  to  free  it  froi 
its  toughness.  But  the  flesh  of  the  eland  can  be  eaten  even  within  a  few  hours  after  tbi 
animal  has  been  killed.  The  hunters  make  a  rather  curious  preparation  from  the 
the  eland.  They  take  out  separately  the  muscles  of  the  thighs,  and  cure  them  just  as  i 
they  were  tongues.  These  articles  are  called  "  thigh-tongues,"  and  are  useful  on  i 
journey  when  provisions  are  likely  to  be  scarce. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  merits  of  the  eland  in  a  Kaffir's  eyes  is  the  enomoi 
quantity  of  fat  which  it  will  produce  when  in  good  condition.  As  has  already 
mentioned,  fat  is  one  of  the  necessaries  of  life  to  a  Kaffir,  as  well  as  one  of  the  grrab 
luxuries,  and  a  bull  eland  in  good  condition  furnishes  a  supply  that  will  make  a  ~ 
happy  for  a  month.. 

There  is  another  South  African  antelope,  which,  like  the  eland,  runs  in  a  straigl 
course  when  alarmed,  but  which,  unlike  the  eland,  is  capable  of  great  endurance.  Tb-j 
the  splendid  gemsbok,  an  antelope  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  eland,  though  not  i 
massively  buut  This  beautiful  antelope  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  dry  and  parched  plain 
of  Southern  Africa,  and,  like  the  eland,  cares  nothing  for  water,  deriving  all  the  moistiJi 
which  it  needs  from  certain  succulent  roots  of  a  bulbous  nature,  which  lie  hidden  in  I 
soil,  and  which  its  instinct  teaches  it  to  unearth. 

This  ability  to  sustain  life  without  the  aid  of  water  renders  its  chase  a  very 
matter,  and  the  hunters,  both  native  and  European,  are  often  baffled,  not  so  much  bytU 
speed  and  endurance  of  the  animal,  as  by  the  dry  and  thirsty  plains  through  which  i( 
leads  them,  and  in  which  they  can  find  no  water.  Tlie  spoils  of  the  gemsbok  are  then 
fore  much  valued,  and  its  splendid  horns  will  always  command  a  high  price,  even  in  i 
own  country,  while  in  Europe  they  are  sure  of  a  sale. 

The  horns  of  this  antelope  are  about  three  feet  in  length,  and  are  very  slightly  enrvrf 
The  mode  in  which  they  are  placed  on  the  head  is  rather  curious!  They  are  very  neai' 
in  a  line  with  the  forehead,  so  that  when  the  animal  is  at  rest  their  tips  nearly  ton 

the  back.    Horns  thus  set  may  be  thought  to  be  deprived  of  much  of  their  cap 

but  the  gemsbok  has  a  rather  curious  mode  of  managing  these  weapons. 

"When  it  desires  to  charge,  or  to  receive  the  assaults  of  an  enemy,  it  stoops  its  ha 
nearly  to  the  ground,  the  nose  passing  between  the  fore-feet   The  horns  are  then  din 
towards  the  foe,  their  tips  being  some  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  from  the  ground, 
soon  as  the  enemy  comes  within  reach,  the  gemsbok  turns  its  head  strongly  upwards,! 
impales  the  antagonist  on  its  horns,  which  are  so  sharp  that  they  seem  almost  to  hiij 
been  pointed  and  polished  by  artificial  means. 

Dogs  find  the  gemsbok  to  be  one  of  their  worst -antagonists;  for  if  they  succeed  i| 
bringing  it  to  bay,  it  wields  its  horns  with  such  swift  address  that  they  cannot «« 
within  its  reach  without  very  great  danger.  Even  when  the  animal  has  received  j 
mortal  wound,  and  been  lying  on  the  ground  with  only  a  few  minutes  of  life  in  its  bod 
it  has  been  known  to  sweep  its  armed  head  so  fiercely  from  side  to  side  that  it  kill 
several  of  the  dogs  as  they  rushed  in  to  seize  the  fallen  enemy,  wounded  others  seven 
and  kept  a  clear  space  within  range  of  its  horns.  Except  at  certain  seasons  of  the  yei 
when  the  gemsbok  becomes  very  fat,  and  is  in  consequence  in  bad  iiondition  for  a  I 


iiusioa :  some  wei 


HUNTING. 


133 


e,  the  natives  seldom  try  to  pursue  it,  knowing  that  they  are  certain  to  have  a  veiy 
[ag  run,  and  that  the  final  capture  of  the  animal  is  very  uncertain. 

As  to  those  antelopes  which  gather  themselves  together  in  vast  herds,  the  South 
[fricaa  hunter  acts  on  very  did'ereut  principles,  and  uses  stratagem  rather  than  speed  or 

tree. 

One  of  their  most  successful  methods  of  destroying  the  game  wholesale  is  hy  means  of 
le  remarkable  trap  called  the  Hopo.  The  hopo  is,  in  fact,  a  very  large  pitfull,  dug  out 
ith  great  labour,  and  capable  of  holding  a  vast  number  of  animals.  Trunks  of  trees  are 
id  over  it  at  each  end,  and  a  similar  arrangement  is  made  at  the  sides,  so  that  a  kind  of 
eriappiug  edge  is  given  to  it,  and  a  beast  that  has  fallen  into  it  cannot  possibly  escape. 

m  this  pit  two  fences  diverge,  in  a  V-like  form,  the  pit  being  the  apex.    These  fences 

about  a  mile  in  length,  and  their  extremities  are  a  mile,  or  even  more,  apart. 

Many  hundreds  of  hunters  then  turn  out,  and  ingeniously  contrive  to  decoy  or  drive 
le  herd  of  game  into  the  treacherous  space  between  the  fences.  They  then  form  them- 
ves  into  a  cordon  across  the  open  end  of  the  V,  and  advance  slowly,  so  as  to  urge  the 
iiuaU  onwards.  A  miscellaneous  company  of  elands,  hartebeests,  gnoos,  zebras,  and 
lier  animals,  is  thus  driven  nearer  and  nearer  to  destruction.    Towards  the  angle  of  the 

the  fence  is  nurrowed  into  a  kind  of  lane  or  passage,  some  fifty  yards  in  length,  and  is 

le  very  strongly,  so  as  to  prevent  the  affrighted  animals  from  breaking  through. 

When  a  number  of  them  have  fairly  entered  the  passage,  the  hunters  dash  forward, 
ilhn:4  at  the  full  stretch  of  their  powerful  voices,  brandishing  their  shields  and  assagais, 
id  io  terrifying  the  doomed  animals  that  they  dash  blindly  forward,  and  fall  into  the  pit. 
is  useless  for  those  in  front  to  recoil  when  they  ree  their  danger,  as  they  are  pushed 
wards  by  their  comrades,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  pit  is  full  of  dead  and  dying 
iiiails.    Many  of  the  herd  escape  when  the  pit  is  quite  full,  by  passing  over  the  bodies 

their  fallen  companions,  but  enough  are  taken  to  feast  the  whole  tribe  for  a  consider- 
|le  time.  Those  on  the  outskirts  of  the  herd  often  break  wildly  away,  and  try  to  make 
|eir  escape  through  the  cc  don  of  armed  hunters.  Many  of  them  succeed  in  their 
deavours,  but  others  fall  victims  to  the  assagais  which  are  hurled  at  them  upon 


Even  such  large  game  as  the  giraffe,  the  buffalo,  and  the  rhinoceros  have  been  taken 
Jthis  ingenious  and  most  effective  trap.  Dr.  Livingstone  mentions  that  the  small  sub- 
Ibe  called  the  Bakawas  took  from  sixty  to  seventy  head  of  cattle  per  week  in  the 
pious  hopos  which  they  constructed. 

The  animated  scene  which  takes  place  at  one  of  these  htmts  is  well  described  by 
|r.  H.  H.  Methuen,  in  his  "  Life  in  the  Wilderness."  After  mentioning  the  pitfall  and 
!  two  diverging  fences,  between  which  a  herd  of  quaggas  had  been  enclosed,  he  proceeds 
I  follows:  "Noises  thickened  round  me,  and  men  rushed  past,  their  skin  cloaks 
learning  in  the  wind,  till,  from  their  black  nuked  figures  and  wild  gestures,  it  wanted 
I  Martin  to  imagine  a  Pandemonium. 

"  1  pressed  hard  upon  the  flying  animals,  and  galloping  down  "the  lane,  saw  the  pits 

bke-full;  while  several  of  the  quaggas,  noticing  their  danger,  turned  upon  me,  ears  back, 

Id  teeth  showing,  compelling  me  to  retreat  with  equal  celerity  from  them.    Some  natives 

[nding  ia  the  lane  made  the  fugitives  run  the  gauntlet  with  their  assagais.    As  each 

i^'gi  made  a  dash  at  them,  they  pressed  their  backs  into  the  hedge,  and  held  their 

1  ox-hide  shields  in  his  face,  hurling  their  spears  into  his  side  as  he  passed  onward. 
le  managed  to  burst  through  the  hedge  and  escape ;  the  rest  IVU  pierced  with  assagais, 
le  so  many  porcupines.  Men  are  often  killed  in  these  hunts,  when  Luff'aloes  turn  back 
|a  similar  way. 

"It was  some  little  time  before  Bari  and  I  could  find  a  gap  in  the  hedge  and  get  round 

[the  pits,  but  at  length  we  found  one,  and  then  a  scene  exhibited  itself  which  baffles 

cription.    So  full  were  the  pits  that  many  animals  had  rxm  over  the  bodies  of  their 

nrades,  and  got  free.    Never  can  I  forget  that  bloody,  murderous  spectacle ;  a  moaning, 

HggUng  mass  of  quaggas,  huddled  and  jammed  together  in  the  most  inextricable 

fusion ;  some  were  on  their  backs,  with  their  heels  up,  and  others  lying  across  them; 


134 


THE  KAFFIR 


Home  had  taken  a  dive  and  only  displayed  their  tails ;  all  lay  interlocked  like  a  bucb 
full  of  eels. 

"The  sftvaRes,  frantic  with  excitement,  yelled  round  them,  thiusting  tlioir  assat-ai 
with  smiles  of  satisfaction  into  the  upper  ones,  and  leavin<f  them  to.  sutluiato  tlim, 
henenth,  evidently  rejoicing  in  the  agony  of  their  victims.  Moselfli,  the  chiof,  was  thn] 
in  person,  and  after  the  lapse  of  half  an  hour,  the  poles  at  the  entrance  of  the  pits  bfin, 
removed,  the  dead  bodies,  in  all  the  contortions  and  stiffness  of  death,  were  drawn  out  \ 
hooked  stakes  secured  through  the  main  sinew  of  the  neck,  a  rude  song,  with  extempon 
words,  being  chanted  the  while." 

The  narrator  mentions  that  out  of  one  pit,  only  twelve  feet  square  and  six  deep, 
saw  twent>  quaggas  extracted. 

Sometimes  pitfalls  ore  constructed  for  the  reception  of  single  animals,  such  aa 
elephant,  the  hippopotamus,  and  the  rhinoceros. 

These  are  maue  chiefly  in  two  modes.  The  pitfalls  which  are  intended  for  cat<:liiiij 
the  three  last-mentioned  animals  are  tolerably  large,  but  not  very  deep,  because  the  m 
and  weight  of  the  prisoners  prevent  them  from  making  their  escape.  Moreover,  a  stoi 
stake,  some  Hve  feet  or  more  in  length,  and  sharpened  at  the  top,  is  placed  in  the  midii 
of  the  pit,  so  that  the  animal  falls  upon  it  and  is  impaled.  The  pits  are  neatly  coven 
with  sticks,  leaves,  and  earth,  so  ingeniously  disposed  that  they  look  exactly  like  the  stiii 
face  of  the  ground,  and  are  dangerous,  not  only  to  the  beasts  which  they  are  intended  I 
catch,  but  to  men  and  horses.  So  many  accidents  have  happened  by  means  of  these  pin 
that  when  a  traveller  goes  from  one  district  to  another  ho  sends  notice  of  his  coming,  so tlm 

all  the  pitfalls  that  lie  in  his  way  may  be  cpenedl 
Elephants  are,   of  course,  the  most  valuablf 
game  that  can  be  taken  in  these  traps,  becao 
their  tusks  can  be  sold  at  a  high  price,  and  tbegj 
flesh  supplies  a  vast  quantity  of  meat.    As 
elephant  is  a  terrible  enemy  to  their  comlifM 
and  storehouses,  the  natives  are  in  the  habit  i 
guarding  the  approaches  by  means  of  these  pitfalk^ 
and  at  first  find  their  stratagem  totally  8«ccessM| 
But  the  elephants  are  so  crafty  that  they 
learn  caution  from  the  fate  of  their  comrades,  ad 
it  is  as  difRcult  to  catch  an  elephant  in  a  pilM| 
as  it  is  to  catch  an  old  rat  m  a  trap.     Having  1 
accustomed  to  such  succulent  repasts,  the  elepliamj 
do  not  like  to  give  up  their  feasts  altogether,  anj 
proceed  on  their  nocturnal  expeditions  mucin 
usual. 

But  some  of  the  oldest  and  wariest  of  the  hei 
go  in  front,  and  when  they  come  near  the  culi^ 
vated  ground,  they  beat  the  earth  with  tlieirtniiil 
not  venturing  a  step  until  they  have  ascertaiueJ 
that  their  footing  is  safe.     As  soon  as  they  cokJ 
to  a  pitfall,  the  hollow  sound  warns  them  of  danger.     They  instantly  stop,  tear  I 
covering  of  the  pitfall  to  pieces,  and,  having  thus  unmasked  it,  proceed  on  their  way. 

The  pitfaU  which  is  made  for  the  giraffe  is  constructed  on  a  different  principltl 
Owing  to  the  exceedingly  long  limbs  of  the  animal,  it  is  dug  at  least  ten  feet  in  depil 
But,  instead  of  being  a  mere  pit,  a  wall  or  bank  of  earth  is  left  in  the  middle,  about  seval 
feet  in  height,  and  shaped  much  like  the  letter  A.  As -soon  as  a  girafie  tumbles  :ntotl«| 
pit,  its  fore  and  hind  legs  fall  on  opposite  sides  of  the  wall,  tso  that  the  animal  is  ])alancei| 
on  its  belly,  and  wastes  its  strength  in  plunging  about  in  hopes  of  finding  a  foothold. 

Sometimes  a  number  of  KatKrs  turn  out  for  the  purpose  of  elephant  hunting.  Bfl 
dint  of  the  wary  caution  which  tliey  can  always  exercise  when  in  pursuit  of  game,  tkejl 
find  out  the  animal  which  possesses  the  finest  tusks,  and  mark  all  liis  peculiarities;  tliejj 
then  watch  the  spot  where  he  treads,  and,  by  means  of  a  lump  of  salt  clay,  they  take  ul 


npTTSsion 


of  his  f< 


OmAFFB. 

5M(ii>n  ihou/ing /orm  of  Pit, 


fhoiiM  have  to  cha.s 

||„«„  of  other  elei) 

Jeutcd  lines,  and 


t  -  '  ■ 


lootprints  serves  tli 
llierij;ht  track  wh 
toft,  and  where  the 
Tiieir  next  enc 
mind  upon  it,  an 
bliding  among  the 
pnimal.  Tlie  won 
s'hich  he  fancies  tl 
ktlarm  is  sure  to  ca 


'Hi 


PITFALLS. 


135 


nprcssion  of  his  fontiimrks.  Tho  rcnson  for  dnliiff  so  \%  «im])le  otiough,  viz.  that  if  they 
IhoiiM  lin^'"  t"  chiiHu  liiiii,  thity  iimy  no,,  run  tho  ri^k  of  confoiimliu;^  liis  footmarks  with 
\\\im  of  other  eleuhnnts.     Tho  «oi«  ol'uvrry  olcphaiit's  foot  is  triiveised  by  ft  numher  of 

ndeattiti  Unes,  am  iu  uo  two  s^t'cimeiia  uru  theau  lines  ulike.    The  clay  modul  of  the 


-"^'BmilBSBC^ 


'^Al  ■    Mn.-/;,^ 


T'W" 


^'_    .^^-^y^iTi 


-V.    "-.^^ 


T^7.  *-r.-;^  ..rn^^X^ 


^    ^       ^' 


v.-vJP^HFi  '^«'S^^  ^' 


m 


a^'^i 


"I 


-''■'■'•' 'VC-^W^v/i' 


^"*^'^f^' 


1^  ,„-;«^' 


^^»^*»^^^.*        v?..,V^., 


'^«s.^. 


-.^, 


'w^ 
^>->. 


>;      /'"^. 


^^  •■  ;■% 


GIRAFFES  m  PITFALL. 


lootprints  serves  thom  as  a  puifle  whereby  they  may  assure  themselves  that  t.iey  are  on 
Ihe  right  track  whenever  they  rome  to  the  netirlibourliood  of  water,  where  the  ground  is 
loft,  and  where  the  footprints  of  muny  elephants  are  sure  to  be  found. 

Tiieir  next  endeavour  is  to  cre<  p  near  enouo'i  to  the  elephant  to  inflict  a  severe 
ifoimd  upon  it,  an  object  which  is  <:enerally  attained  by  a  number  of  the  dark  hunters 
feliding  among  tlie  trees,  and  simultaneously  hurling  their  spears  at  the  unsuspecting 
fenimal.  Tlie  wounded  elephant  is  nearly  certain  to  charge  directly  at  the  spot  from 
khich  he  fancies  that  the  assault  has  been  made,  and  his  shriek  of  mingled  ra.  e  and 
Warm  is  sure  to  cause  the  rest  of  the  herd  to  rush  off  iu  terror.    The  hunters  then  try 


i   . 


-r 


l-f'^'ii:" 


•i,  1 


1 

i 


j*2 


|i,.^:. 


136 


THE  KAFFIR 


by  various  stratagems  to  isolate  the  wounded  animal  from  its  comrades,  and  to  pi. 
him  from  rejoining  them,  while  at  eveiy  opportunity  fresh  assagais  aie  thrown,  and 
elephant  is  never  permitted  to  rest. 

As  a  wotmded  elephant  always  makes  for  the  bush,  it  would  be  quite  safe . 
white  hunters,  though  not  so  from  the  lithe  and  naked  Kaltiis,  who  glide  through 
underwood  and  between  the  trees  faster  than  the  elephant  can  push  its  waythni 
them.  Every  now  and  then  it  will  turn  and  charge  madly  at  its  foes,  but  it  expends 
strength  in  vain,  as  they  escape  by  nimbly  jumping  behind  trees,  or,  in  critical  caies, 
climbing  up  them,  knowing  that  an  elephant  never  seems  to  comprehend  that  aloe 
be  anywhere  but  on  the  ground. 

In  this  kind  of  chase  they  are  much  assisted  by  their  dogs,  which  bark  incessanjjf 
the  animal,  and  serve  to  distract  its  attention  from  the  hunters.  It  may  seem  a 
that  so  huge  an  animal  as  the  elephant  should  be  in  the  least  impeded  by  such 
creatures  as  dogs,  which,  even  if  he  stood  still  and  allowed  them  to  bite  his  legs  to 
hearts'  content,  could  make  no  impression  on  the  thick  and  tough  skin  which  de 
them.  But  the  elephant  has  a  strange  terror  of  small  animals,  and  especially  dieids , 
dog,  so  that,  when  it  is  making  up  its  mind  to  charge  in  one  direction,  thie  barkhigof 
contemptible  little  cur  will  divert  it  from  its  purpose,  and  enable  its  intended  victim  df 
to  secure  himself  behind  a  tree,  or  to  become  the  assailant,  and  add  another  spear  to 
number  that  are  already  quivering  in  the  animal's  vast  body. 

The  slaughter  of  an  elephant  by  this  mode  of  hunting  is  always  a  long  and  a 
process.  Even  when  the  hunters  are  furnished  with  the  best  fire-arms,  a  number  of  voi 
are  generally  inflicted  before  it  dies,  the  exceptional  case,  when  it  falls  dead  at  the 
shot,  being  very  rare  indeed.  Now,  however  powerful  may  be  the  practised  aim  of  a  E 
and  sharp  as  may  be  his  weapon,  he  cannot  drive  it  through  the  inch-thick  hide  in^ 
vital  part,  and  the  consequence  is  that  the  poor  animal  is  literally  worried  to  death  \^ 
multitude  of  wounds,  singly  insignificant,  but  collectively  fatal. 

At  last  the  huge  victim  falls  under  the  loss  of  blood,  and  great  are  the  rejoicings 
it  should  happen  to  sink  down  in  its  ordinary  kneeling  posture,  as  the  tusks  can  then 
cxti-actcd  with  comparative  ease,  and  the  grove  of  spears  planted  in  its  body  can  be  dm 
out  entire ;  whereas,  when  the  elephant  falls  on  one  side,  all  the  spears  upon  that 
shattered  to  pieces,  and  every  one  must  be  furnished  with  a  new  shaft. 

The  first  proceeding  is  to  cut  off  the  tail,  which  is  valued  as  a  trophy,  and  the  nettj 
is  to  carve  upon  the  tusks  the  mark  of  the  hunter  to  whom  they  belong,  and  who 
always  the  man  who  mflicted  the  first  wound.  The  next  proceeding  is  to  cut  a  lai^ 
hole  in  one  side,  into  which  a  number  of  Kaffirs  enter,  and  busy  themselves  by  taking mI| 
the  most  valuable  parts  of  the  animal.  The  inner  membrane  of  the  skin  is  saved  k\ 
water-sacks,  which  are  made  in  a  very  primitive  manner,  a  large  sheet  of  the  membuMi 
being  gathered  together,  and  a  sharp  stick  thrust  through  the  corners.  The  heart  is  tlia! 
taken  out,  cut  into  convenient  pieces,  and  each  portion  wrapped  in  a  piece  of  th«  ear. 

If  the  party  can  encamp  for  the  night  on  the  spot,  they  prepare  a  royal  feast,  bybBldij! 
one  or  two  of  the  feet  in  the  primitive  but  most  effective  oven  wliich  is  in  use,  uoti ' 
in  Southern  Africa,  but  in  many  other  parts  of  the  world. 

A  separate  oven  is  made  for  each  foot,  and  formed  as  follows : — A  hole  is  dugdu 
ground,  considerably  larger  than  the  foot  which  is  to  be  conked,  and  a  fire  is  built  in  if 
As  soon  as  it  burns  up,  a  large  heap  of  dry  wood  is  piled  upon  it,  and  suffered  to  burn 
down.  When  the  heap  is  reduced  to  a  mass  of  glowing  ashes,  the  Kaffirs  scrape  out  tie 
embers  by  means  of  a  long  pole,  each  man  taking  his  turn  to  run  to  the  hole,  scrape  mi 
unril  he  can  endure  the  heat  no  longer,  and  then  run  away  again,  leaving  the  polefv 
his  successor. 

The  hole  being  freed  from  embers,  the  foot  is  rolled  into  it,  and  covered  with  greet 
leaves  and  twigs.  The  hot  earth  and  embers  are  then  piled  over  the  hole,  and  another 
great  bonfire  lighted.  As  soon  as  the  wood  has  entirely  Lurned  itself  out,  the  operation 
of  baking  is  considered  as  complete,  and  the  foot  is  lifted  out  by  several  men  I'urnisiiel 
with  long  sharpened  poles.  By  menus  of  this  remarkable  oven  the  meat  is  cooked  mon 
thoroughly  than  could  be  achieved  in  any  oven  uf  more  elaborate  construction,  the 


the  tendons,  the 
jelatinous  mass,  v 
frhaps,  the  marrov 

Sometimes  the  t 
Ithough  this  part  ( 


*fVi!i 


i^ 


^  r  Ti^ 


ff^^Kf^ 


^^>\ 


COOKING  ELEFHANT'S  FOOT. 


the  tendons,  the  fat,  the  immature  bone,  and  similar  substances  being  converted  into 
■gelatinous  mass,  which  the  African  hunter  seems  to  prefer  to  all  other  dishes,  excepting, 
Vhaps,  the  marrow  taken  from  the  leg-bones  of  the  giraffe  or  eland. 
1  Sometimes  the  trunk  is  cut  into  thick  slices,  and  baked  at  the  same  time  with  the  feet. 
Bthough  this  part  of  the  elephant  may  not  be  remarkable  for  the  excellence  of  its  flavour, 


'f,:^ 


^Wi 


tVA     - 


V       ,— 


COOKING  ELEPHANT'S  FOOT. 


rhfi    r/\*««4yv« 


^      J.I.-     ^-J.     iX.  . 


1     _  •        •% 


138 


TUE  KAFFIR. 


■m 


it  has,  at  all  events,  the  capability  of  being  made  tender  by  cooking,  which  is  by  no  maij 
the  case  with  the  meat  that  is  usually  obtained  from  the  auiuials  which  inhabit  Soutliei 
Africa.  Even  the  skull  itself  is  broken  up  for  the  sake  of  the  oily  fat  which  fills  i 
honeycomb-like  cells  wliich  intervene  between  the  plates  of  the  skull.  The  i-estofL 
meat  is  converted  into  "  biltongue,"  by  cutting  it  into  strips  and  drying  it  in  the  8un,i 
has  already  l)een  described.  As  a  general  rule,  the  Kaffirs  do  not  like  to  leave  au  aoiii 
until  they  have  dried  or  consumed  the  whole  of  the  meat.  Under  the  ready  spears  a 
powerful  jaws  of  the  natives,  even  an  elephant  is  soon  reduced  to  a  skeleton,  assiayl 
imagined  from  the  fact  that  five  Kaffirs  can  eat  a  buffalo  in  a  day  and  a  hal£ 

The  skull  and  tusks  can  generally  be  left  on  the  spot  for  some  time,  as  the  htute 
respect  each  other's  marks,  and  will  not,  as  a  rule,  take  the  tusks  from  au  elephant  tli 
has  been  killed  and  marked  by  another.    The  object  in  allowing  the  head  to  remain  mj 
touched  is,  that  putrefaction  may  take  place,  and  render  the  task  of  extracting  the  te 
easier  than  is  the  case  when  they  are  taken  out  at  once.    It  must  be  remembered  tliatth 
tusks  of  an  elephant  are  embedded  in  the  skull  for  a  considerable  portion  of  their  len;,-! 
and  that  the  only  mode  of  extracting  them  is  by  chopping  away  their  thick  bony  socket^ 
which  is  a  work  of  nmch  time  and  labour.     However,  in  that  hot  climate  putrefactioi 
takes  place  very  readily,  and  by  the  time  that  the  hunters  have  finished  the  elephant  tbi 
tusks  can  be  removed.    Sometimes  the  flesh  becomes  more  than  "  high,"  but  the  Kali 
and  indeed  all  African  savages,  seem  rather  to  piefer  certain  meats  when  in  the  incipiei 
stage  of  putrefaction. 

Careless  of  the  future  as  are  the  natives  of  Southern  Africa,  they  are  never  wasteH 
of  food,  and,  unlike  the  aborigines  of  Noith  America,  they  seldom,  if  ever, allow i 
body  of  a  slain  animal  to  become  the  prey  of  birds  and  beasts.  They  will  eat  in  t 
days  the  food  that  oM^  to  serve  tliem  for  ten,  and  will  nearly  starve  themselves  todes 
during  the  remainii^  eight  days  of  famine,  but  they  will  never  throw  away  anytli 
that  can  by  any  possibility  be  eaten.  Even  the  very  blood  is  not  wasted.  If  a 
animal,  such  as  a  rhinoceros,  be  killed,  the  black  hunters  separate  the  ribs  from  the  spin 
as  the  dead  animal  lies  on  its  side,  and  by  dint  of  axe-blades,  assagai-heads,  and  strouj 
arms,  soon  cut  a  large  hole  in  the  i^ide. 

Into  this  hole  the  hunters  straightway  lower  themselves,  and  remove  the  intestim 
of  the  animal,  passing  them  to  their  comrades  outside,  who  invert  them,  tie  wp  t!ii| 
end,  and  return  them.     By  this  time  a  great  quantity  of  blood  has  coljected, 
reaching  above  the  ankles  of  the  hunters.    This  blood  they  ladle  with  their  joiued  Lai 
into  the  intestines,  and  so  contrive  to  make  black  puddings  on  a  gigantic  scale. 

The  flesh  of  the  rhinoceros  is  not  very  tempting.  That  of  an  old  animal  issovei 
tough  and  dry  that  scarcely  any  one  except  a  native  can  eat  it ;  and  even  that  of  the  you 
animal  is  only  partly  eatable  by  a  white  man.  When  a  European  hunter  kills  a  yom 
rhinoceros,  he  takes  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  it, — namely,  the  hunip,  andaliji 
ot  fat  and  flesh  which  lies  between  the  skin  and  the  ribs.  The  remainder  he  abandoi 
to  his  native  assistants,  who  do  not  seem  to  care  very  much  whether  meat  be  i 
tender,  so  long  as  it  is  meat. 

The  layer  of  fat  and  lean  on  the  ribs  is  only  some  two  inches  in  thickness,  so  tin 
the  attendants  have  the  lion's  share,  as  far  as  quantity  is  concerned.  Qmdity  they  la 
to  the  more  fastidious  taste  of  the  white  man. 

The  intestines  of  animals  are  greatly  valued  by  the  native  hunters,  who  langh 
white  men  for  throwing  them  away.     They  state  that,  even  as  food,  the  intestines  are  tl 
best  parts  of  the  animal,  and  those  Europeans  who  have  had  the  moral  courage  tot'ol 
the  exainpli!  of  the  natives  have  always  corroborated  their  assertion.    The  reader i 
perhaps  remember  that  the  backwoodsmen*  of  America  never  think  of  rejecting  tb 
dainty  morsels,  but  have  an  odd  method  of  drawing  tliem  slowly  through  the  tire, anil 
thus  eating  them  as  fast  as  they  are  cooked.     Moreover,  the  intestines,  as  well  as  t'j[ 
paunch,  are  always  useful  as  water-vessels.    This  latter  article,  when  it  is  taken  fw 
a  small  animal,  is  always  res'3rved  for  cooking  purposes,  being  filled  with  scraps  of  ma 
fat,  blood,  and  other  ingredients,  and  then  cooked.     Scotch  travellers  have  coinp 
this  dish  to  the  "  haggis  "  qf  their  native  land. 


DAINTY  MORSEIA 


The  illustration  on  page  137  represents  the  wild  and  animated  scene  which  accom- 

des  the  death  of  an  elephant.    Some  two  or  three  hours  are  supposed  to  have  elapsed 

nee  the  elephant  was  killed,  and  the  chief  has  just  arrived  at  the  spot.    He  is  shown 

ated  in  the  foreground,  his  shield  and  assagais  stacked  behind  him,  while  his  pa^^e 

holding  a  cup  of  beer,  and  two  of  his  chief  men  are  offering  him  the  tusks  of  the 

lephant 

In  the  middle  distance  are  seen  the  Kaffirs  preparing  the  oven  for  th<»  reception  of 
ie  elephant's  foot  Several  men  are  seen  engaged  in  raking  out  the  embers  from  tlie 
lole,  shielding  themselves  from  the  heat  by  leafy  branches  of  trees,  while  one  of  the 
akeis  has  just  left  his  post,  being  scorched  to  the  utmost  limit  of  endurance,  and  is  in 
he  act  of  handing  over  his  pole  to  a  comrade  who  is  about  to  take  his  place  at  the  fire. 

Two  more  Kaffirs  are  shown  in  the  act  of  rolling  the  huge  foot  to  the  oven,  and  strips 

If  the  elephant's^  flesh  are  seen  suspended  from  the  boughs  in  order  to  be  converted  into 

f  biltongue."    It  is  a  rather  remarkable  fact  that  this  simple  process  of  cutting  the  meat 

Into  strips  and  drying  it  in  the  air  has  the  effect  of  rendering  several  unsavoury  meats 

[uite  palatable,  taking  away  the  powerful  odours  which  deter  even  a  Kaffir,  and  much 

tore  a  white  man,  from  eating  them  in  a  fresh  state. 

,n  the  extreme  distance  is  seen  the  nearly  demolished  body  of  the  elephant,  at  which 

uuple  of  Kaffirs  are  still  at  work.    It  may  here  be  mentioned  that  after  an  elephant 

I  killed,  the  Kaffirs  take  very  great  pains  about  making  the  first  incision  into  the  body. 

he  carcase  of  the  slain  animal  generally  remains  on  the  ground  for  an  hour  or  two  until 

he  orders  of  the  chief  can  be  received ;  and  even  in  that  brief  space  of  time  the  hot 

African  sun  produces  a  partial  decomposition,  and  causes  the  body  of  the  animal  to  swtii 

ly  reason  of  the  quantity  of  gas  which  is  generated. 

I  Tk  Kaffir  who  t"''?3  upon  himself  the  onerous  task  of  making  the  first  incision 
|hooseshis  sharpes.  a.-  v.'oightiest  assagai,  marks  the  direction  of  the  wind,  selects  the 
«st  spot  for  the  op  -  *,  and  looks  carefully  round  to  see  that  the  coast  is  clear. 
laving  made  all  hi'  " '  i^arations,  he  hurls  his  weapon  deeply  into  the  body  of  the 
llephant,  and  simultaneously  leaps  aside  to  avoid  the  result  of  the  stroke,  the  enclosed 
as  escaping  with  a  loud  report,  and  pouring  out  in  volumes  of  such  singularly  offensive 
(lour  that  even  the  nostrils  of  a  Kaffir  are  not  proof  against  it. 

1  have  more  than  once  witnessed  a  somewhat  similar  scene  when  engaged  in  the 
bursuit  of  comparative  anatomy,  the  worst  example  being  that  of  a  lion  which  had  been 
Bead  some  three  or  four  weeks,  and  which  was,  in  consequence,  swollen  out  of  all  shape. 
We  fastened  tightly  all  the  windows  which  looked  upon  the  yard  in  which  the  body  of. 
Ihe  animal  was  lying,  and  held  the  door  ready  to  be  closed  at  a  moment's  notice.  The 
Idventnrouo  operator  armed  himself  with  a  knife  and  a  lighted  pipe,  leaned  well  to  the 
[pposile  side  of  the  animal,  delivered  his  stab,  and  darted  back  to  the  door,  which  was 
Qstantly  closed.  The  result  of  the  operation  was  very  much  like  that  which  has  been 
nentioned  when  performed  on  the  elephant,  though  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  in  a  minute 
|ir  so  the  lion  was  reduced  to  its  ordinary  size. 

Sometimes  a  great  number  of  hunters  unite  for  the  purpose  of  assailing  one  of  the 
[fast  herds  of  animals  which  have  already  been  mentioned.  In  this  instance,  they  do  not 
"esort  to  the  pitfall,  but  attack  the  animals  with  their  spears.  In  order  to  do  so  effec- 
lually,  they  divide  themselves  into  two  parties,  one  of  which,  consisting  chiefly  of  the 
iounger  men,  and  led  by  one  or  two  of  the  old  and  experienced  hunters,  sets  off  towards 
[he  herd,  while  the  others,  armed  with  a  large  supply  of  assagais  and  kerries,  proceed  to 
pue  of  the  narrow  and  steep-sided  ravines  which  are  so  coinmon  in  Southern  Africa. 

Tb'^  former  party  proceed  very  cautiously,  availing  themselves  of  every  cover,  and 
being  very  careful  to  manoeuvre  so  as  to  keep  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  herd,  until  thay 
pave  fairly  placed  the  animals  between  themselves  and  the  ravine.  Meanwhile,  sentries 
pe  detached  at  intervals,  whose  duty  it  is  to  form  a  kind  of  lane  towards  the  ravine, 
knil  to  prevent  the  herd  from  taking  a  wrong  course.  When  all  tiie  arrangements  arc 
fcompleted,  the  hunters  boldly  show  themselves  in  the  rear  of  the  animals,  who  imme- 
diately move  forward  in  a  body — not  very  fast  at  first,  because  they  are  not  quite  sure 
whether  they  are  going  to  be  attacked.    As  they  move  along,  the  sentinels  show  them- 


in 


Wi:-U        * 


140 


THE  KAFFIR 


selves  at  either  side,  so  aa  to  direct  them  towards  the  ravine ;  and  when  the  van  of  tk| 
held  has  entered,  the  remainder  are  sure  to  follow.  1 

Then  comes  a  most  animated  and  stirring  scene.  Knowing  that  when  the  leaders  rf] 
the  herd  have  entered  the  ravine,  the  rest  are  sure  to  follow,  the  driving  party  rushes  fot.l 
ward  with  loud  yells,  beating  their  shields,  and  terrifying  the  animals  to  such  a  deowjl 
that  they  dash  madly  forward  in  a  mixed  concourse  of  antelopes,  quaggas,  giraffes,  audi 
often  a  stray  ostrich  or  two.  Thick  and  fast  the  assagais  rain  upon  the  affright«i| 
nnimnls  as  they  try  to  rush  out  of  the  ravine,  but  when  they  reach  the  end  they  find  theiil 
e.\it  barred  by  a  strong  party  of  hunters,  who  drive  them  back  with  shouts  and  stieaul 


HUNTING  SCENE. 


Some  of  them  charge  boldly  at  the  hunters,  and  make  their  escape,  while  others  rush  klij 
again  through  the  kloof,  hr-ping  to  escape  by  the  same  way  as  they  had  entered.  TliisI 
entrance  is,  however,  guarded  by  the  driving  party,  and  so  the  wretched  animals  are  sent! 
backwards  and  forwards  along  this  deadly  path  until  the  weapons  of  thair  assailants  aiej 
exhausted,  and  tlie  survivors  are  allowed  to  escape. 

These  "kloofs"  form  as  characteristic  features  of  Southern  Africa  as  do  the  tal)l«| 
mountains.  They  have  been  well  defined  as  the  re-entering  elbows  or  fissures  in  a  ranji 
of  liills ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  kloof  is  mostly  clotlied  with  thick  IM 
whatever  may  be  the  character  of  the  surrounding  country.  In  Colonel  E.  Napiet'if 
"  Excursions  in  Southern  Africa,"  there  is  so  admirable  a  description  of  the  kloof  and  thi 
bush  that  it  must  be  given  in  the  language  of  the  writer,  who  has  drawn  a  most  pe!| 
feet  word-picture  of  South  African  scenery : — 

"  The  character  of  the  South  African  '  bush '  has  features  quite  peculiar  in  itself,  anil 


ptiles,  ferocious  bej 
lore  cruel  Kaffir. 

"On  a  nearer  apj 
fles.  These  often  m 

1  of  a  clear,  gurgli 
ferhung  by  abundai 

"Noble  forest  tre 
fig  grey  mantles  oi 


KLOOFa 


141 


I  ijj^gg  unites— whUe  strongly  contrasting— the  grand  and  sublime  with  the  grotesque 
L?  ridiculous.  When  seen  afar  from  a  commanding  elevation— the  undulating  sea  of 
Uure  extending  for  miles  and  miles,  with  a  bright  sun  shiiiinp  on  a  green,  compact, 
Uiroken  surface— it  conveys  to  the  mind  of  a  spectator  nought  save  images  of  repose, 
r  and  tranquillity.  He  forgets  that,  like  the  hectic  bloom  of  a  fatal  malady,  these 
ilin"  seas  of  verdure  often  in  their  entangled  depths  conceal  treacherous,  death-dealing 


FALLS  ON  THE  BIVER  UMZIMVUBU. 


ptiles,  ferocious  beasts  of  prey,  and  the  still  more  dangerous,  though  no  less  crafty,  and 
lore  cruel  Kafiir. 

"On  a  nearer  approach,  dark  glens  and  gloomy  kloofs  are  found  to  fence  the  mountain 
These  often  merge  downwards  into  deep  ravines,  forming  at  their  base  sometimes  the 

I  of  a  clear,  gurgling  brook,  or  that  of  a  turbid,  raging  torrent,  generally  shadowed  and 
|erhung  by  abundant  vegetation,  in  all  the  luxuriance  of  tropical  growth  and  profusion. 

"Noble  forest  trees,  entwined  with  creepers,  encircled  by  parasitical  plants  and  with 
jBg  grey  mantles  of  lichen,  loosely  and  beardlike  floating  from  their  spreading  limbs, 


142 


THE  KAFFIR 


I 


throw  the  '  brown  horrors '  of  a  shadowy  ^loom  o'er  the  dark,  secluded,  druidical-loolti 
dells.  But  jabberiug  apes,  or  large,  satyr-like  baboons,  pertbrming  grotesque  antics 
uttering  unearthly  yells,  grate  strangely  on  the  ear,  and  sadly  mar  the  solemnity  of 
scene ;  whilst  lofty,  leafless,  and  fantastic  euphorbia,  like  huge  candelabra,  shoot  up  in 
profusion  from  the  grey,  rocky  cliff's,  pointing  as  it  were  in  mockery  their  skeleton 
nt  the  dark  and  luxuriant  foliage  around.  Other  plants  of  the  cactus  and  milky  tri.„ 
of  tliorny,  rugged,  or  smooth  and  fleshy  kinds — stretch  forth  in  every  way  their  bizwi^ 
nii4-.shapen  forms;  waving  them  to  the  breeze,  from  yon  high,  beetling  crags,  so  thicUr^ 
clothed  to  their  very  base  with  graceful  nqjebooms,  and  drooping,  palm-like  aloes ;  vhoJ 
tall,  slender,  and  naked  stems  spring  up  from  amidst  the  dense  verdure  of  gay  ^ 
flowering  mimoans. 

"  Emerging  from  such  darksome  glens  to  the  more  sunny  side  of  the  mountain's  bro» 
there  we  still  find  an  impenetrable  bush,  but  differing  in  character  from  what  we  have 
just  described— a  sort  of  high,  thorny  undeiwood,  composed  chiefly  of  the  mimosa  anj 
portiilacacia  tribe ;  taller,  thickcv,  more  impenetrable,  and  of  more  rigid  texture  than  even 
the  tiger's  accuRtomed  lair  in  the  far  depths  of  an  Indian  jungle ;  but,  withal,  so  mixeii 
and  mingled  with  luxuriant,  turgid,  succulent  plants  and  parasites,  as — even  durin<»  tit 
driest  weather — to  be  totally  impervious  to  the  destroying  influence  of  fire. 

"  The  bush  is,  therefore,  from  its  impassable  character,  the  Kaffir's  never-failing  place 
of  refuge,  both  in  peace  and  war.  In  his  naked  hardihood,  he  either,  snake-like,  U-'m 
through  and  creeps  beneath  its  densest  masses,  or,  shielded  with  the  kaross,  securely  Ma 
their  most  thorny  and  abradiiig  opposition.  Under  cover  of  the  bush,  in  war,  he,  panther. 
like,  steals  upon  his  foe;  in  peace,  upon  the  farmer's  flock.  Secure,  in  both  instances,  fma 
pursuit,  he  can  in  the  bush  set  European  power,  European  skill,  and  European  discipline 
at  nought ;  and  hitherto,  vain  has  been  every  effort  to  destroy  by  fire  this,  his  iml)^o. 
nable — for  it  is  impregnable  to  all  save  himself — stronghold." 

A  good  example  of  the  grandeur  of  South  African  scenery,  which  is  mentioned  h 
Colonel  Napier,  is  afforded  by  the  illustration  on  page  141,  which  represents  a  waterfal 
on  the  Umzimvubu  Biver.  The  drawing  was  taken  from  a  sketch  kindly  furnished Ij 
Captain  Drayson,  RA. 

After  a  successful  hunt,  such  as  has  just  been  described,  there  are  great  rejoicings,  tli 
chief  of  the  tribe  having  all  the  slaughtered  game  laid  before  him,  and  giving  orders  fori 
grand  hunting  danc& 

The  chief,  who  is  generally  too  fat  to  care  about  accompanying  the  hunters,  takes  h 
seat  in  some  open  space,  mostly  the  central  enclosure  of  a  kraul,  and  theje,  in  compaDj 
with  a  huge  bowl  of  beer  and  a  few  distinguished  guests,  awaits  the  arrival  of  the  gamp. 
The  animals  have  hardly  fallen  before  they  are  carried  in  triumph  to  the  chief,  and  laiii 
before  him.  As  each  animal  is  placed  on  the  ground,  a  little  Kaffir  boy  comes  and  laji 
himself  over  his  body,  remaining  in  this  position  until  the  dance  is  over.  This  curiom 
custom  is  adopted  from  an  idea  that  it  prevents  sorcerers  from  throwing  their  spells  upon 
the  game.  The  boys  who  are  employed  for  this  purpose  become  greatly  disfigured  bytb 
blood  of  the  slain  animals,  but  they  seem  to  think  that  the  goiy  stains  are  ornameDti! 
rather  than  the  reverse. 

At  intervals,  the  hunting  dance  takes  place,  the  hunters  arranging  themselves 
regular  lines,  advancing  and  retreating  with  the  precision  of  trained  soldiers,  shoutii^' 
leaping,  beating  their  shields,  brandishing  their  weapons,  and  working  themselves  uptoi 
wonderful  pitch  of  excitement.  The  leader  of  the  dance,  who  faces  them,  is,  if  possible, 
even  more  excited  than  the  men,  and  leaps,  stamps,  and  shouts  with  an  energy  tl;at  mn 
i"!  'le  almost  maniacal.  Meanwhile,  the  chief  sits  still,  and  drinks  his  beer,  and  siguilis 
occasionally  his  approval  of  the  dancers. 

Besides  ihose  animals  which  the  Kaffir  kills  for  food,  there  fire  others  which  he  ojlf 
attacks  for  the  sake  of  their  trophies,  such  as  the  skin,  claws,  and  tefeth.  The  niodt 
adopted  in  assailing  the  fierce  and  active  beasts,  such  as  the  lion,  is  very  reniarkaUi 
Each  man  furnishes  himself,  in  addition  to  li4s  usual  weapons,  with  an  assagai,  to  the  bult 
end  of  which  is  attached  a  large  bunch  of  ostrich  feathers,  looking  veiy  much  like  tk 
feather  brushes  with  which  ladies  dust  delicate  furniture.    They  then  proceed  to  thesi<< 


LION  HUNTING. 


143 


Iben  the  lion  is  to  be  found,  and  spread  themselves  so  as  to  make  a  circle  round  him. 
L.  jio0  is  at  first  rather  disquieted  at  this  proceeding,  and,  according  to  his  usual  custom, 
^  to  slip  off  unseen. 
When,  however,  he  finds  that  he  cannot  do  so,  and  that  the  circle  of  enemies  is  closing 
,  him,  he  becomes  angry,  turns  to  bay,  and  with  menacing  growls  announces  his  inten- 
joD  of  punishing  the  intruders  on  his  domain.  One  of  them  then  comes  forward,  and 
tcites  the  lion  to  charge  him,  and  as  soon  as  the  animal's  attention  is  occupied  by  one 
hect,  the  hunters  behind  him  advance,  and  hurl  a  shower  of  assagais  at  him.  With  a 
bible  roar  the  lion  springs  at  the  bold  challenger,  who  sticks  his  plumed  assagai  into 
L  ground,  leaping  at  the  same  time  to  one  side.  In  his  rage  and  pain,  the  lion  does 
k  at  the  moment  comprehend  the  dece[)tion,  and  strikes  with  his  mighty  paw  at  the 


HUNTING  UANCS. 


unch  of  ostrich  plumes,  which  he  takes  for  the  feather-decked  head  of  his  assailant 
finding  himself  baffled,  he  turns  round,  and  leaps  on  the  nearest  hunter,  who  repeats  the 
pe  process ;  and  as  at  every  turn  the  furious  animal  receives  fresh  wounds,  he  succumbs 
;  last  to  his  foes. 

It  is  seldom  that  in  such  an  affray  the  hunters  come  off  scathlesa  The  least  hesita- 
lon  ia  planting  the  plumed  spear  and  leaping  aside  entails  the  certainty  of  a  severe 
lound,  and  the  probability  of  death.  But,  as  the  Kaffirs  seldom  engage  in  such  a  hunt 
Kthout  the  orders  of  their  chief,  and  are  perfectly  aware  that  failure  to  execute  his  com- 
Bands  is  a  capital  offence,  it  is  better  for  them  to  run  the  risk  of  being  swiftly  killed  by 
pe  lion's  paw  than  cruelly  beaten  to  death  by  the  king's  executioners. 

That  sanguinary  monarch,  Dingau,  used  occasionally  to  send  a  detachment  with  orders 

)  catch  a  Hon  alive,  and  bring  it  to  him.    They  executed  this  extraordinary  order  much 

I  the  same  manner  as  has  been  related.    But  they  were  almost  totally  unarmed,  having 

•  weapons  but  their  shields  and  kerries,  and,  as  soon  as  the  lion  was  induced  to  charge, 

he  bold  warriors  threw  themselves  upon  him  in  such  numbers  that  they  fairly  over- 

rhelmed  him,  and  brought  him  into  the  presence  of  Dingan,  bound  and  gagged,  though 

fill  furious  with  rage,  and  without  a  wound.     Of  course,  several  of  the  soldiers  lost  their 

Ives  in  the  assault,  but  neither  their  king  nor  their  comrades  seemed  to  think  that  any- 


144 


THE  KAFFIR 


?'il 


thing  out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  things  had  been  done.    On  one  occasion,  Dingan  cot^l 
descended  to  play  a  practical  joke  upon  nis  soldiera.  I 

A  traveller  had  gone  to  see  him,  and  had  turned  loose  his  horse,  Mrhich  was  quietltl 
grazing  at  a  distance.  At  that  time  horses  had  not  been  introduced  among  the  Kaffiiil 
and  many  uf  the  natives  had  never  even  seen  such  an  animal  as  a  horse.  It  so  happenejl 
that  among  the  soldiers  that  surrounded  Dingan  were  some  who  had  come  from  a  distaotl 
part  of  the  country,  and  who  were  totally  unacquainted  with  horses.  Dingan  called  thenl 
to  him,  and  pointing  to  the  distant  horse,  told  them  to  bring  him  that  lion  alive.  Tbnl 
instantly  started  oif,  and,  as  usual,  one  stood  in  advance  to  tempt  the  animal  to  char^l 
while  the  others  dosed  in  upon  the  supposed  lion,  in  order  to  seize  it  when  it  had  madil 
its  leap.  They  soon  discovered  their  mistake,  and  came  back  looking  very  foolish,  to  tbt| 
great  delight  of  their  chief. 

The  buffalo  is,  however,  a  more  terrible  foe  than  the  lion  itself,  as  it  will  mostly  ti 
the  initiative,  and  attack  before  its  nresence  is  suspected.  Its  habit  of  living  in 
densest  and  darkest  thicket  renders  it  i'  peculiarly  dangerous  animal,  as  it  will  dash  fnnl 
its  concealment  upon  any  unfortunate  man  who  happens  to  pass  near  its  lair ;  and  as  it)  I 
great  weight  and  enormously  solid  horns  onable  it  to  rush  through  the  bush  much  fasttrl 
than  even  a  Ktdfir  can  glide  among  the  mutted  growths,  there  is  but  small  chance  oil 
escape.  Weapons  are  but  of  little  uso  when  a  buffalo  is  in  question,  as  its  armed  front  j]| 
scarcely  pervious  to  a  rifle  ball,  and  perfectly  impregnable  against  such  weapons  as 
Kaffir's  spear,  and  the  suddenness  of  the  attack  gives  but  little  time  for  escape. 

As  the  Kaffirs  do  not  particularly  care  for  its  flesh,  though  of  course  they  \rill  est| 
it  when  they  can  get  nothing  better,  they  will  hunt  the  animal  for  tha  sake  of  iti 
hide,  from  which  they  make  the  strongest  possible  leather.     The  hide  is  so  tough  tba^| 
except  at  close  quarters,  a  bullet  which  has  not  been  hardened  by  the  admixture  of  s( 
other  metal  will  not.  penetrate  it.    Sometimes  the  Kaffir  engages  very  unwillingly  in  vatl 
with  this  dangerous  beast,  being  attacked  unawares  when  passing  near  its  haunts.  Undetl 
these  circumstances  the  man  makes  for  the  nearest  tree,  and  if  he  can  find  time  to  asc 
it  he  is  safe  from  the  ferocious  brute,  who  would  only  be  too  glad  to  toss  him  in  the  ait| 
first,  and  then  to  pound  his  body  to  a  jelly  bv  trampling  on  lum. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


AGKICULTURE. 


nSIOlf  OP  I.ABOTTB — HOW   LAND    18   PHEPAnKD   FOB   8BRD — CLEARINO    THE    LAND    AND   flnEAlCTNO 

UP  THR  GROITND ^EXHAUSTIVE     SYSTEM    OP    AORICULTURB — CROPS    CIXTIVATKD    BY    KAFFUIS 

THB  STAFF    OF    LIFE WATCH-TOVKRS    AND    THEIR    V6KH — KEEFINO    0/F    THE     BIRDS — ENEMIKS 

OF  THE   CORN-FIELD — THB    CHACUA    AND    ITS   DEPREDATIONS THB    BABIANA    ROOT USES    OF 

THR  OUACMA — THB    HIPPOPOTAMUS  AND  ITS    DESTRUCTIVE   POWERS THR    ELEPHANT BINQULAIl 

fLAX  OF  TKRRIFYINO  IT ANTELOPES,  BUFFALOES,  AND  WILD  SWINE ELABOBATB  FORTIFICATION 

— BIBD  KILLING! THB  LOCUST CURIOUS  KAFFIR  LEGEND — FRUITS   CULTIVATED   BY   THE  KAFFIB 

-rOOAOB  FOB  CATTLB — BUBNINO  TUB   BUSH  AND   ITS  BEBULTS. 


by  the  chase  the  Kaffirs  obtain  the  greater  part  of  their  animal  food,  so  by  agriculttire 

ly  jrocure  the  chief  pait  of  their  vegetable  nourishment.    The  task  of  providing  food 

Idivic'ed  between  the  two  sexes,  the  women  not  being  permitted  to  take  p      in  the 

int,  r.or  to  meddle  with  the  cows,  while  the  men  will  not  contaminate  their  wairior 

inds  with  the  touch  of  an  agricultural  implement.     They  have  no  objection  to  use 

e-tools,  such  as  the  axe,  and  will  cut  down  the  trees  and  brushwood  which  may  be  in 

way  of  cultivation ;  but  they  will  not  carry  a  single  stick  off  the  ground,  nor  help 

women  to  dig  or  clear  the  soil 

When  a  new  kraal  is  built,  the  inhabitants  look  out  for  a  convenient  spot  in  the  im- 
idiate  neighbourhood,  where  they  may  cultivate  the  various  plants  that  form  the  staple 
South  African  produce.  As  a  general  rule,  ground  is  of  two  kinds,  namely,  bush  and 
m  ground,  the  former  being  the  more  fertile,  and  the  latter  requiring  less  trouble  in 
iring.  The  experienced  agriculturist  invariably  prefers  the  former,  although  it  costs  him 
ttle  more  labour  at  first,  and  although  the  latter  is  rather  more  inviting  at  first  sight. 
is  favourable  impression  soon  vanishes  upon  a  closer  inspection,  for,  as  a  general  rule, 
ere  it  is  not  sandy,  it  is  baked  so  hard  by  the  sun  that  a  plough  would  have  no 
nee  against  it,  and  even  the  heavy  picks  with  which  the  women  work  cannot  make 
impression  without  much  labour.  Moreover,  it  requires  much  more  water  than  is 
pplied  from  natural  sources,  and,  even  when  well  moistened,  is  not  very  remarkable  for 
fertility.  Bush  land  is  of  a  far  better  quality,  and  is  prepared  for  agriculture  as 
ows : — 

The  men  set  to  work  with  their  little  axes,  and  chop  down  all  the  underwood  and 
tail  trees,  leaving  the  women  to  drag  the  fallen  branches  out  of  the  space  intended  tor 
field  or  garden.  Large  trees  they  cannot  fell  with  their  imperfect  instruments,  and  so 
y  are  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  cutting  off  as  many  branches  as  possible,  and 
11  l)ringing  the  tree  down  by  means  of  fire.  The  small  trees  and  branches  that  are 
ed  are  generally  arranged  round  the  garden,  so  as  to  form  a  defence  against  the  nume- 
is  enemies  which  assail  the  crops.  The  task  of  building  this  fence  belongs  to  the  men, 
I  when  they  have  completed  it  their  part  of  the  work  is  done,  and  they  leave  the  rest 
the  womea 

Furnished  with  the  heavy  and  clumsy  hoe,  the  woman  breaks  up  the  ground  by 
er  manual  labour,  and  manages,  in  her  curious  fashion,  to  combine  digging  and  sowing 
one  operation.  Besides  her  pick,  laid  over  her  shoulder,  and  possibly  a  baby  slung 
'OLL  L 


t  iV 


146 


THE  KAFFIR 


m. 


on  her  back,  she  carries  to  the  field  a  large  basket  of  seed  balanced  on  her  head, 
she  arrives  at  the  scene  of  her  labours,  she  be^'iiis  by  scatterin^^  the  seed  broadcast  ov^l 
the  ground,  nnd  then  pecks  up  the  earth  with  her  hue  to  a  depth  of  some  three  or  fui^t 
inches.  The  larger  i-oots  and  grass  tufts  are  then  picked  out  by  hand  and  removed,  but 
the  smaller  are  not  considered  worthy  of  special  attention. 

This  c'^'^stitutes  tlie  operation  of  sowing,  and  in  a  wonderfully  short  time  a  mixed  cm 
of  corn  t^d  weeds  shoots  up.  Wlien  both  are  about  a  month  old,  the  ground  is  again  hoJ 
and  the  weeds  are  then  pulled  up  and  destroyed.  Owing  to  the  very  imperfect  mode  J 
cultivation,  the  soil  produces  uncertain  results,  the  corn  coming  up  thickly  and  ranld; 
in  some  spots,  while  in  others  not  a  blade  of  corn  has  made  its  appearance. 

Wiien  tliti  Kaffir  chooses  the  open  ground  for  his  garden,  he  does  not  always  troulU 
himself  to  build  a  fence,  but  contents  himself  with  marking  out  and  sowing  a  patch  i 
ground,  trusting  to  good  foitune  that  it  may  not  be  devastated  by  the  numerous  foeswitkl 
which  a  Kaffir's  garden  is  sure  to  be  infested. 

The  Kaffir  .seems  to  have  very  little  idea  of  artificial  irrigation,  and  none  at  all  of 
novating  the  ground  by  manure.    Irrigation  he  leaves  to  the  natural  showers,  and, beyoi, 
paying  a  professional  "  rain-maker"  to  charm  the  clouds  for  him,  he  takes  little,  if anjj 
trouble  about  this  important  branch  of  agriculture.     As  to  manuring  soil,  he  is  totall 
ignorant  of  such  a  proceeding,  although  the  herds  of  cattle  which  are  kept  in  every  ki 
would  enable  him  to  render  his  cultivated  land  marvellously  fertile.    The  fact  is,  tl 
land  is  so  plentiful  that  when  one  patch  of  land  is  exhausted  he  leaves  it,  and  goes 
another;  and  for  this  reason,  abandoned  gardens  ore  very  common,  their  position  bcii 
marked  out  by  remnants  of  the  fence  which  encircled  them,  and  by  the  surviving  mai; 
or  pumpkin  plants  which  have  contrived  to  maintain  an  unassisted  existence. 

Four  or  five  gardens  are  often  to  be  seen  round  a  kraal,  each  situated  so  aa^to  ti 
some  particular  plant.    Various  kinds  of  crops  are  cultivated  by  the  Kaffirs,  the  pi 
cipal  being  maize,  millet,  pumpkins,  and  a  kind  of  spurious  sugar-cane  in  great 
throughout  Southern  Africa,  and  popularly  known  by  the  name  of  "  sweet  reed." 
two  former  constitute,  however,  the  necessaries  of  life,  the  latter  belonging  rather  to 
class  of  luxuries.    The  maize,  or,  as  it  is  popularly  called  when  the  pods  are  severed  fi 
the  stem,  "  mealies,"  is  the  very  staff  of  life  to  a  Kaffir,  as  it  is  from  the  mealies  ii.?t  ij 
made  the  thick  porridge  on  which  the  Kaffir  chiefly  lives.     If  a  European  hires  a  li 
whether  as  guide,  servant,  or  hunter,  he  is  obliged  to  supply  him  with  a  stipulated  qi 
tity  of  food,  of  which  the  maize  forms  the  chief  ingredient.    Indeed,  so  long  as 
native  of  Southern  Africa  can  get  plenty  of  porridge  and  sour  milk,  he  is  perfi 
satisfied  with  his  lot.    When  ripe,  the  ears  of  maize  are  removed  from  the  stem,  the  li 
envelope  is  stripped  off,  and  they  are  hung  in  pairs  over  sticks  iintil  they  are  dry  enoi 
to  be  taken  to  the  storehouse. 

A  watch-tower  is  generally  constructed  in  these  gardens,  especially  if  they  are 
considerable  size.  The  tower  is  useful  for  two  reasons :  it  enables  the  watcher  to  see 
a  considerable  distance,  and  acts  as  a  protection  against  the  wild  boars  and  other  enei 
which  are  apt  to  devastate  the  gardens,  especially  if  they  are  not  guarded  by  a  fence, 
if  the  fence  should  be  damaged.  If  the  spot  be  unfenced,  a  guard  is  kept  on  it 
night,  but  a  properly  defended  garden  needs  no  night  watchers  except  in  one  or  two  wi 
of  the  year. 

The  watch-tower  is  very  simply  made.  Four  stout  poles  are  fixed  firmly  in 
ground,  and  a  number  of  smaller  poles  are  lashed  to  their  tops,  so  as  to  make  a  flat  pi 
form.  A  small  hut  is  built  on  part  of  the  platform  as  a  protection  against  the  weatl 
so  that  the  inmate  can  watch  the  field  while  ensconced  in  the  hut,  and,  if  any  furred 
feathered  robbers  come  within  its  precincts,  can  run  out 'on  the  platform  and  frighten  tin 
away  by  shouts  and  waving  of  arms.  The  space  between  the  platform  and  ground 
wattled  on  three  sides,  leaving  the  fourth  open.  The  object  of  this  wattling  is  twoto' 
In  the  first  place,  the  structure  is  rendered  more  secure ;  and  in  the  second,  the  inmate 
the  tower  can  make  a  fire  and  cook  food  without  being  inconvenienced  by  the  wind. 

The  task  of  watching  the  fields  is  committed  to  the  women  and  young  girls,  the 
thinking  such  duties  beneath  them.    In  order  to  keep  off  the  birds  from  the  net 


BABOONS. 


147 


nrouted  corn-blades,  or  from  the  just  ripening  grain,  a  very  ingenious  device  is  employed. 
i  neat  number  of  tall,  slender  posts  are  stuck  at  intervals  all  over  the  piece  of  land,  and 
[tniurs  made  of  bark  are  led  from  pole  to  pole,  all  the  ends  being  brought  to  the  top  of 
he  watch-tower,  where  they  are  firmly  tied.  .As  soon  as  a  flock  of  birds  alight  on  the 
leld  the  girl  in  chaise  of  the  tower  pulls  the  strings  violeni.iy,  which  sets  them  all 
librating  up  and  down,  and  so  the  birds  are  frightened,  and  fly  away  to  another  spot.  A 
vstem  tdmost  identical  with  this  is  employed  both  in  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  empires, 
J  the  complicated  arrangement  of  poles  and  otrings,  and  the  central  watch-tower,  is  a 
Itvourite  subject  for  illustration  in  tbe  rude  but  graphic  prints  which  both  nations  pro- 
nce  with  such  fertility. 

The  enemies  of  the  corn-field  are  innumerable.  There  are,  in  the  first  place,  hosts  of 
Ljncnd  foes,  little  birds  and  insects,  which  cannot  be  prohibited  from  entering,  and  can 
Lly  be  driven  away  when  they  have  entered.  Then  there  are  certain  members  of  the 
honkey  tribes,  notably  the  baboons,  or  chacmas,  which  care  very  little  more  for  a  fence  than 
)  the  birds,  and  which,  if  they  find  climbing  the  fence  too  troublesome,  can  generally 
ijinuate  themselves  through  its  inter- 
Kices.  This  cunning  and  active  animal 

at  times  too  clever  even  for  the 
affir,  and  will  succeed  in  stealing  un- 

erved  into  his  garden,  and  carrying 

'  the  choicest  of  the  crops.  What- 
ker  a  man  will  eat  a  chacma  will  eat, 
\i  the  creature  knows  as  well  as  the 
an  when  the  crops  are  in  the  best 
der.  Whether  the  garden  contain 
aize,  millet,  pumpkins,  sweet  seeds, 
'  fruits,  the  chacma  is  suro  to  select 
(e  best ;  and  even  when  the  animals 
detected,  and  chased  out  of  the 
Irden,  it  is  very  annoying  to  the  pro- 
lietor  to  see  them  go  off  with  a  quan- 
ly  of  spoil,  besides  the  amount  which 
|ey  have  eaten. 

The  ordinary  food  of  the  chacma  is 
[plant  called  Babiana,  from  the  use 

lich  the. baboons  mike  of  it.    It  is 

I  subterranean   root,  which  has  the 

operty  of  being  always  full  of  watery 

bee  in  the  driest  weather,  so  that  it  is 

I  incalculable  value  to  travellers  who 

\k  not  a  large  supply  of  water  with 

em,  or  who  find  that  the  regular  fountains  are  dried  up.    Many  Kaffirs  keep  tamo 

lacraas  which  they  have  captured  when  very  young,  and  which  have  scarcely  seen  any 

[theur  own  kind.    These   animals  are  very  useful  to  the  Kaffirs,  for,  if  they  come 

on  a  plant  or  a  fruit  which  they  do  not  know,  they  offer  it  to  the  baboon;  and  if  he 

ts  it,  they  know  that  it  is  suitable  for  human  consumption. 

On  their  journeys  the  same  animal  is  very  useful  in  discovering  wate!r,  or,  at  all 
•ents,  the  babiana  roots,  which  supply  a  modicum  of  moisture  to  the  system,  and  sei-ve 
Isupport  life  until  water  is  reached.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  baboon  takes  the 
id  of  the  party,  being  attached  to  a  long  rope,  and  allowed  to  run  about  as  it  likes. 
fhen  it  comes  to  a  root  of  babiana,  it  is  held  back  until  the  precious  vegetable  can  be 
len  entire  out  of  the  ground,  but,  in  order  to  stimulate  the  animal  to  further  exertions, 
|is  allowed  to  eat  a  root  now  and  then. 

The  search  for  water  is  conducted  in  a  similar  manner.    The  wretched  baboon  is  in- 
ntionally  kept  without  drink  until  it  is  half  mad  with  thirst,  and  is  then  led  by  a  cord 

before  mentioned.    It  proceeds  with  great  caution,  standing  occasionally  on  its  hind 

:■  l2 


BABOON  JINDIKG  WATER-UOOTS. 


I      M 


i4. 

"if 


148 


ifttE  ilAFFIR. 


legs  to  sniff  the  breeze,  and  looking  at  and  smelling  every  tuft  of  ^rass.    By  what 
the  animal  is  guided  no  one  can  evun  conjecture ;  but  if  water  is  m  the  ueighbourhoi 
the  baboon  is  sure  to  find  it.   So,  although  this  animal  is  an  inveterate  foe  of  the  I 
garden,  it  is  not  without  its  uses  to  man  when  its  energies  are  rightly  directed. 

If  the  gardens  or  iields  should  happen  to  be  near  the  river  side,  there  is  no  worse  f 
for  them  than  the  hippopotamus,  which  is  only  too  glad  to  exchange  its  ordinary  food  | 
the  rich  banquet  which  it  finds  in  cultivated  grounds.  If  a  single  hippopotamus  thoi 
once  succeed  in  getting  into  a  garden,  a  terrible  destruction  to  the  crop  takes  place.  Intl 
first  place,  the  animal  can  consume  an  almost  illimitable  amount  of  green  food ;  and  yi\^ 
it  gets  among  such  dainties  as  corn-fields  and  pumpkin  patches,  it  indulges  its  appetite  ii 
oruinately.  Moreover,  it  damages  more  than  it  eats,  as  its  broad  feet  and  short  thick  k 
trample  their  way  through  the  crops.  The  track  of  any  large  animal  would  be  injurioi 
to  a  standing  crop,  but  that  of  the  nippopotamus  is  doubly  so,  because  the  legs  of  eith 
side  are  so  wide  apart  that  the  animal  makes  a  double  track,  one  being  made  wi^  { 
feet  of  the  right  side,  and  the  other  with  those  of  the  left. 

Against  these  heavy  and  voracious  foes,  a  fence  would  be  of  little  avail,  as  the  hin 
potamus  could  force  its  way  through  tho  barrier  without  injury,  thanks  to  its  thick  hid 
The  owner  of  tho  field  therefore  encloses  it  within  a  tolerably  deep  ditch,  and  furthen  . 
defends  the  ditch  by  pointed  stakes;  so  that,  if  a  hippopotamus  did  happen  to fidiin 
the  trench,  it  would  never  come  out  again  alive. 

A  similar  defence  is  soinrames  made  against  the  inroads  of  the  elephants, 
animals  do  not  often  take  it  into  their  heads  to  attack  a  garden  in  the  vicinity  of  ho 
habitations  -,  but  when  they  do  so,  it  is  hardly  possible  to  stop  them,  except  by  such  i 
obstacle  as  a  ditch.    Even  the  ordinary  protection  of  a  fence  and  the  vicinity  of  hun 
habitations  is  worthless,  when  a  number  of  elephants  choose  to  make  an  inroad  op 
some  field;  and,  unless  the  whole  population  turns  out  of  the  kraal  and  usesi 
means  at  their  command,  the  animals  will  carry  out  their  plans.    The  elephant  alvaji 
chooses  the  night  for  his  marauding  expeditions,  so  that  the  defenders  of  the  crops 
double  disadvantages  to  contend  against. 

One  weapon  which  they  use  against  the  elephant  is  a  very  singular  one.    Thej  L 
an  idea  that  the  animal  is  terrifiea  at  the  shrill  cry  of  an  infant,  and  as  soon  as  elephiuiti| 
approach  a  kraal,  all  the  children  are  whipped,  in  hopes  that  the  elephants  may  b«  div| 
mayed  at  the  universal  clamour,  and  leave  the  spot. 

Antelopes  of  various  kinds  are  exceedingly  fond  of  the  young  corn-blades,  and,  if  tbl 
field  be  without  a  fence,  are  sure  to  come  in  numbers,  and  nibble  every  green  shoot  dowa j 
to  the  very  ground. 

Near  the  bush  the  buffalo  is  scarcely  less  injurious,  and  more  dangerous  to  mell 
with ;  and  even  the  porcupine  is  capable  of  working  much  damage.  The  wild  swimj 
however,  are  perhaps  the  worst,  because  the  most  constant  invaders,  of  the  garden.  Eva 
a  fence  is  useless  against  them,  unless  it  be  perfect  throughout  its  length,  for  the  pigsc 
force  themselves  through  a  wonderfully  small  aperture,  owing  to  their  wedge-shaped  hd,! 
while  their  thick  and  tough  skins  enable  them  to  push  their  way  through  thorns  m 
spikes  without  suffering  any  damage. 

The  "  pigs,"  as  the  wild  swine  are  popularly  called,  always  come  from  the  bu8h; 
when  several  kraals  are  built  near  a  bush,  the  chiefs  of  each  kraal  agree  to  make  a  f( 
from  one  to  the  other,  so  as  to  shut  out  the  pigs  from  all  the  cultivated  laud.  This  fenol 
is  a  very  'useful  edifice,  but,  at  the  same  time,  has  a  very  ludicrous  aspect  to  il 
EuropeaiL  Tho  reader  has  already  been  told  that  the  Kaffir  cannot  draw  a  straight  lii^l 
much  less  build  a  straight  fence ;  and  the  consequence  is,  that  the  builders  continuaUjI 
find  that  the  fence  is  assuming  the  form  of  a  segment  o^  a  circle  in  one  direction,  aiij 
then  try  to  correct  the  error  by  making  a  segment  of  a  circle  in  the  opposite  direction! 
thus  making  the  fence  very  much  larger  than  is  necessary,  and  giving  themselves  a  rail 
amount  of  needless  trouble.  I 

As  to  the  winged  enemies  of  the  garden,  many  modes  of  killing  them  or  driving  thml 
away  are  employed.  One  method  for  frightening  birds  has  already  been  described,  aiil| 
is  tolerably  useful  when  the  corn  is  young  and  green ;  but  when  it  is  ripe,  the  birds  i 


BIRD  KILLINO. 


149 


Vh  too  bosv  to  be  deterred  by  such  flimsy  devices,  and  continue  to  cat  the  com  ia 

[te  of  the  shaking  strings. 

Uuder  such  ciruunistauces,  war  is  declared  against  the  birds,  and  a  number  of  Kaffirs 

»ouDd  the  enclosure,  each  being  furnished  with  a  number  of  knob-kerries.     A  stone  is 

L  ^uug  into  the  com  for  the  purpose  of  stiirtling  the  birds,  and  as  they  rise  in  a  dense 

ck,  a  shower  of  kerries  is  rained  upon  them  from  everv  side.     As  every  missilu  is 

,to  go  into  the  flock,  and  as  each  Kaitlr  contrives  to  hurl  four  or  five  before  the  birds 

jKt  out  of  range,  it  may  be  imagined  that  the  slaughter  is  very  great.    Tchaka,  who 

not  above  directing  the  minutiee  of  domestic  lil'e,  as  well  as  of  leading  armies, 


i 


▲FFAOACU  OF  ELSPHiNTa 


[sidizing  nations,  and  legislating  for  an  empire,  ordered  that  the  birds  should  be  con- 
pally  attacked  throughout  his  dominions ;  and,  though  he  did  not  succeed  in  kilhng 
I  all,  yet  he  thinned  their  numbers  so  greatly,  that  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life 
I  graminivorous  birds  had  become  scarce  instead  of  invading  the  fields  in  vast  flocks. 
|Locu3ts,  the  worst  of  the  husbandman's  enemies,  could  not  be  extirpated,  and,  indeed, 
1  task  of  even  thinning  their  numbers  appeared  impracticable,    '^he  only  plan  that 
w  to  have  the  least  success  is  that  of  burning  a  large  heap  of  grps' ,  fj*  cks,  and  leaves 
1  to  windward  of  the  fields,  as  soon  as  the  locusts  are  seen  in  the  di|tance.    These 
cts  always  fly  with  the  wind,  and  when  they  find  a  tract  of  country  covered  with 
bke,  they  would  naturally  pass  on  until  they  found  a  spot  which  was  not  defiled  with 
bke,  and  on  which  they  might  settle. 

|lt  is  said  that  locusts  were  not  known  in  the  Zulu  ^sryitories  until  1829,  and  that 

'  were  sent  by  the  supernatural  power  of  Sotshangana,  a  chief  in  the  Delagoa  district, 

|im  Tchaka  attacked,  and  by  whom  the  Zulu  warriors  were  defeated,  as  has  already 

I  mentioned  on  page  126.     The  whole  stoiy  w&i  told  to  Mr.  Shooter,  who  narrates  it 

he  following  words  : — 

'When  they  had  reached  Sotshangana's  country,  the  Zulus  wei-e  in  great  want  of 
land  a  detachment  of  them  coming  to  a  deserted  kraal,  bej^an,  as  usual,  to  search  for 
j  In  80  doing,  they  discovered  some  large  baskets,  used  for  storing  com,  and  their 
Igry  stomachs  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  a  meal.  But  when  a  famished  warrior 
atiently  removed  the  cover  from  one  of  them,  out  rushed  a  multitude  of  insects,  and 
ianticipated  feast  flew  about  their  ears. 
I" Astonishment  seized  the  host,  for  they  had  never  beheld  such  an  apparition  before; 


mi      ^ 
If 


V  i 


\M 


;n 


150 


THE  KAFFIB. 


I' 


wf 


every  man  asked  his  neiglibotir,  but  none  could  'tell  its  quality  or  name.'  One  of  % 
number  at  last  threw  some  light  on  the  mysteiy.  He  had  seen  the  insects  in  MakaziQ 
country,  and  perhaps  he  told  his  wandering  companions  that  they  had  been  collected  || 
food.  But  they  soon  learned  this  from  the  people  of  the  kraal,  who  had  only  retired  | 
escape  the  enemy,  and  whose  voices  were  hetard  from  a  neighbouring  rock.  In  no  i 
would  the  fugitives  have  been  likely  to  spare  their  lungs,  since  they  could  rail  and 
and  threaten  with  impunity;  but  when  they  saw  that  their  food  was  in  danger,.. 
lifted  up  their  voices  with  desperate  energy,  and  uttered  the  terrible  threat  that  ifliij 
invaders  ate  their  locusts,  others  should  follow  them  home,  and  carry  famine  in  tbi 
train.  The  Zulus  were  too  hungry  to  heed  the  woe,  or  to  be  very  discriminating  in  l 
choice  of  victuals,  and  the  locusts  were  devoured.  But  when  the  army  returned  hoig 
the  scourge  appeared,  and  the  threatening  was  fulfilled." 

How  locusts,  the  destroyers  of  food,  are  converted  into  food,  and  become  a  benei 
instead  of  a  curse  to  mankind,  will  be  seen  in  the  next  chapter. 

As  to  the  fruits  of  this  country,  they  are  tolerably  numerous,  the  most  valued  klg 
the  banana,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  royal  fruit;  a  Kafftr  monarch  having] 
claim  to  all  bananas,  and  forced  his  subjects  to  allow  him  4o  take  his  choice  before  tli^ 
touched  the  fruit  themselves.    In  some  favoured  distiicts  the  banana  grows  to  a  j 
size,  a  complete  bunch  being  a  heavy  load  tor  a  man. 

Next  in  importance  to  food  for  man  is  forage  for  cattle,  and  this  is  generally  found  ij 
great  abundance,  so  that  the  grazing  of  a  herd  costs  their  owner  nothing  but  the  tnM 
of  driving  his  cattle  to  and  from  the  grass  land.    In  this,  as  in  other  hot  countries,  t 
grass  grows  with  a  rapidity  and  luxuriance  that  tends  to  make  it  too  rank  for  cattiei 
eat.    When  it  first  springs  up,  it  is  green,  sweet,  and  tender;  but  when  it  has  reaclwii| 
tolerable  length  it  becomes  so  harsh  that  the  cattle  can  hardly  eat  it.    The 
therefore,  adopts  a  plan  by  which  he  obtains  as  much  fresh  grass  as  he  likes  througlt 
the  season. 

When  a  patch  of  grass  has  been  fed  upon  as  long  as  it  can  furnish  nourishment  to  tl 
cattle,  the  Kaffir  marks  out  another  feeding-place.    At  night,  when  the  cattle  are ; 
penned  within  the  kraal,  the  Kaffir  goes  out  with  a  firebrand,  and,  when  he  has  gonei 
to  windward  of  the  spot  which  he  means  to  clear,  he  sets  fire  to  the  dry  grass.    At  I 
the  flame  creeps  but  slowly  on,  but  it  gradually  increases  both  in  speed  and  ext«nt,t 
sweeps  over  the  plain  in  obedience  to  the  wind.     On  level  ground,  the  fire  marches  ii^ 
tolerably  straight  line,  and  is  of  nearly  uniform  height,  except  when  it  happens  to  s 
upon  a  clump  of  bushes,  when  it  sends  bright  spires  of  flame  far  into  the  sky. 

But  when  it  reaches  the  bush-clad  hills,  the  spectacle  becofaies  imposing.  On  nislii 
the  mass  of  flame,  climbing  the  hill  with  fearful  strides,  roaring  like  myriads  of  i 
ruffled  in  the  breeze,  and  devouring  in  its  progress  every  particle  of  vegetation.  Noti 
inhabitant  of  the  bush  or  plain  can  withstond  its  progress,  and  the  fire  confera  this  beiu 
on  the  natives,  that  it  destroys  the  snakes  and  the  slow-moving  reptiles,  while  theswifli 
antelopes  an  able  to  escape. 

When  the^re  has  done  its  work,  the  tract  over  which  it  has  passed  presents  a  i 
dismal  spectacle,  the  whole  soil  being  bare  end  black,  and  the  only  sign  of  former  vej 
tation  being  an  occasional  stump  of  a  tree  which  ;,he  flames  hud  not  entirely  consuni 
But,  in  a  very  short  time,  the  wonderfully  vigorous  life  of  the  herbage  begins  to  i 
itself,  especially  if  a  shower  of  rain  should  happen  to  fall.  Delicate  green  blades  siw 
their  slender  points  through  the  blackened  covering,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole  t 
is  covered  with  a  mantle  of  uniform  tender  greea  Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  tin 
the  fresh  green  of  the  young  blades,  as  they  are  boldly  contrasted  with  the  deep  bli 
hue  of  the  ground.  The  nearest  approach  to  it  is  the  singularly  beautiful  tint  ofo 
hedgerows  in  early  spring — a  tint  as  fleeting  as  it  is  lovely. 

The  charred  ashes  of  the  burned  grass  form  an  admirable  top-dressing  to  the  i 
grass,  which  springs  up  with  marvellous  rapidity,  and  in  a  very  short  lime  affords  ] 
to  the  cattle. 

The  Kaffir  is,  of  course,  careful  not  to  bum  too  much  at  once;  but  by  seb 
different  spots,  and  burning  them  in  regular  succession,  he  is  able  to  give  hisbdovedc 
fresh  pasturage  throughout  the  year. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


FOOD. 


BTAJT  OF  LIPB  IN  KAFFIBLAND — HOW  A   DIKMKIl   IS   COOKBD — BOILINO    AND    OBmOIKO    COBW 

— TBB  KAFVm   HILL,  AMD   MUDE   OF   USING  IT FAin    DIVISION   OF   LABOUB — A   KAFFIB   DINNKB- 

PABIX— •DfOINO  IN  CHOBUS — ACCOUNT  OF  A  KAFFIB  MVKTINO  AND  WAB-80NO — HISTOBY  OF 
THR  VAB-SONO,  AND  ITS   VABI0U8   POINTS  BXFLAINKD — TCHAKa's  VAB-SONO— SONO  IN  BONOUB 

or  PAKDA — HOW   POBBIDGB    IS    EATEN TABIOU8    SPOONS    MADR    BY    THR     NATIVES A    VBEFUI. 

COHBINATION    OF    SPOON    AND    8NVFF-B0X TBB    OIBAFFB    SPOON  —  HOW    THE    COLOURING    IS 

MAXAaKS— PBCUUAB  ANGLE   OF  THB  BOWL  AND  BBASONS  FOB  IT — KAFFIB  KTIQURTTE  IN  DINING 

— nWATR  LOVE  or  JOSTICR — A  GIGANTIC  SPOON — KAFFIB  LADLES — LOCUSTS  BATBN  BY  KAFFIRS 

TBI  nSKCT  IN  ITS  DIFFKBKNT  STAGES — THR  LOCUST  ABUIES  AND  TL.?:IB  NCMBBBS — ^DBSTBUCTIVK- 
KE88  OF  THR  INSECT — DRSCBIPTI9N  OF  A  FLIGHT  OF  LOCUSTS — RFFRCT  OP  WIND  ON  THB  LOCUSTS 
— BO«r  THR  INSRCT8  ABB  CAUGHT,  COOKBD,  AND  BTOBED— GRNBBAL  QUALITT  OF  THR  MEAT 
OBTAINS!)  IN  KAFFIB-LAND — JBBKBD  HBAT,  AND  UODB  QP  COOKING  IT — THB  HUNOXB-BELT  AND 
m  U8RS  —  EATING  SHIELD^-CBBRHONIRS  IN  BATING  BRRF  —  VARIOUS  DRINKS  USRD  BY  THB 
XAPna  —  HOW   HB   DBINKS   WATRB    FROM    THB    BIVBB  —  INTOXICATING    DBINKS   OF  DIFFEBRNT 

COUNTBIRS  —  HOW   BREB    IS    BRRWBD    IN   80UTHBBN    AFRICA— MAKING   UAIZR   INTO  MALT FKB- 

HRNTATION,  bXIMMING,  AND  STRAINING — QUANTITY  OF  SERB  DBUNK  BY  A  KAFFIB — VESSELS  IN 
VmCHBBRB  IS   CONTAINED — BBEB-BASKET8— BASKET   STORR-HOUSK8 — THB   KAFFIB's  LOVR  FOB 

HONBV  —  HOW   HR     FINDS     THR    BRRS'     NEST THR     HONRY-GUIUR    AND    THR    HONRY-RATEL 

FOUONOUS  UO.NRY — POULTRY  AND  EO<M— FOBBIDDEN   HEATS — ^THB   KAFFIB  AND  THB  CBOCODILE. 


h  have  now  seen  how  the  Kaffirs  obtain  the  staple  of  their  animal  food  by  the  cattle- 
en  and  the  hunting-field,  and  how  they  procure  vegetable  food  by  cultivating  the  soil. 
re  will  next  proceed  to  the  various  kindsi  of  food  used  by  the  Kaffirs,  and  to  the  method 
'  which  they  cook  it.  Man,  according  to  a  familiar  saying,  has  been  defined  as  par 
xUence  the  cooking  animal,  and  we  shall  always  find  that  the  various  modes  used  in 
sparing  food  are  equally  characteristic  and  intei'esting. 

The  staff  of  life  to  a  Kaffir  is  grain,  whether  maize  or  millet,  reduced  to  a  pulp 

'  careful  grinding,  and  bearing  some  resemblance  to  the  oatmeal  porridge  of  Scotland. 

When  a  woman  has  to  cook  a  dinner  for  her  husband,  she  goes  to  one  of  the  grain 

ores,  and  takes  out  a  sufficient  quantity  of  either  maize  or  millet,  the  former  being 

llled  umbila,  and  the  latter  amabele.    Tlie  great  cooking  pot  is  now  brought  to  the 

Ircular  fireplace,  and  set  on  three  ]arge  stones,  so  as  to  allow  the  fire  to  bum  beneath  it. 

later  and  maize  are  now  put  into  the  pot,  the  cover  is  luted  down,  as  has  already  been 

ptioned,  and  the  fire  lighted.    The  cooking  pot  is  made  of  clay,  which  is  generally 

cured  by  pounding  the  materials  of  an  ant-hill  and  kneading  it  thoroughly  with 

ater. 

Her  next  proceeding  is  to  get  her  mill  ready.     This  is  a  ver}-  rude  apparatus,  and 

quires  an  enormous  amount  of  labour  to  produce  a  comparatively  small  effect.    It 

bnsists  of  two  parts,  namely,  the  upper  and  lower  millstones,  or  the  bed  and  the  stone. 

lie  bed  is  a  large,  heavy  stone,  which  has  been  flat  on  the  upper  surface,  but  which  has 

ken  slightly  hollowed  and  sloped.    The  stone  is  oval  in  shape,  and  about  eight  or  nine 


152 


THE  KAFFIR 


;    .tv 


inches  in  length,  and  is,  in  fact,  that  kind  of  stone  which  is  popularly  known  under 
name  of  "  cobble, " 

When  the  corn  is  sufficiently  boiled,  and  the  woman  is  ready  to  grind  it,  she  take 
from  the  pot,  and  places  it  on  the  stone,  under  which  she  has  spread  a  mat.    She  ttia 
kneels  at  the  mill,  takes  the  stone  in  both  hands,  and  with  a  peculiar  rockbig 
grinding  motion  reduces  it  to  a  tolerably  consistent  paste.    As  fast  as  it  is  ground  it  > 
forced  down  the  sloping  side  of  the  stone,  upon  a  skin  which  is  ready  to  receive  it.  TB 
form  of  mill  is  perhaps  the  earliest  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  and  it  maybe  found L 
many  parts  of  the  world.     In  Mexico,  for  example,  the  ordinary  mill  is  made  on  \)ndm 
the  same  principle,  though  the  lower  stone  is  rudely  carved  so  as  to  stand  on  three  It 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  operation  of  grinding  corn,  which  is  so  often  iiien.1 
tioned  in  the  earlier  Scriptures,  was  performed  in  just  such  a  mill  as  the  Kaffir  von 


OBINDINO  COTtN,  AND  MIXING  IT  WITH  AUASI. 


uses.  The  labour  of  grinding  the  com  is  very  severe,  the  whole  weight  of  the  lodjj 
being  thrown  on  the  stone,  and  the  hands  being  fully  occupied  in  rolling  and  rocking  thel 
upper  stone  upon  the  lower.  Moreover,  the  labour  has  to  be  repeated  daily,  and  oftfu-j 
times  the  poor  hard-worked  woman  is  obliged  to  resume  it  several  times  in  the  i 
Only  sufficient  corn  is  ground  for  the  con;F>umption  of  a  single  meal;  and  therefore,  so | 
often  as  the  men  are  hungry,  so  often  has  she  to  grind  com  for  them. 

The  boiled  and  ground  corn  takes  a  new  name,  and  is  now  termed  isicaba;  and  Milieu  I 
a  sufficient  quantity  has  been  ground,  the  woman  takes  it  fi-om  the  mat,  puts  it  iutuil 
basket,  and  brings  it  to  her  husband,  who  is  probably  asleep  or  smoking  his  pipe.  She  I 
then  brings  him  a  bowl  and  some  clotted  milk,  and  his  favourite  spoon,  and  leave.s  hiniiol 
mix  it  for  himself  and  take  his  meal,  she  not  expecting  to  Dartake  with  him,  any  moiej 
than  she  would  expect  him  to  help  her  in  grinding  the  com. ' 

The  above  illustration  delineates  a  scene  very  common  in  Kaffirland.     A  "I 
happens  to  be  hunjiry,  and  one  of  the  married  women  hastens  to  supply  his  wants, | 
On  her  left  hand  are  the  pots  in  which  she  has  brought  the  boiled  maize  from  the  cookiuj; 
pot,  and  she  is  hard  at  work  with  her  primitive  mill,  grinding  the  softened  corn 
a  paste.    The  boy,  who  is  a  notable  hunter,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  leopard's  toolli| 


DINXEE  PARTY. 


153 


icklace,  has  t^o  vessels  before  him.  That  on  his  left  contains  amasi,  and  into  the  other 
jcom  is  put  as  fast  as  it  is  ground,  and  falls  upon  the  hide  which  is  spread  in  front  of 
I  miU.  As  for  the  hard-worked  woman,  who  boils  the  grain,  makes  the  amasi,  and 
Kids  the  corn,  she  will  probably  be  rewarded  with  the  fragments  of  the  meal  left  by 
L  member  of  the  nobler  sex.  But,  as  a  young  Kaffir  has  a  fine  appetite,  tlie  amouut 
fhich  will  be  left  for  her  is  never  very  great,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  he  can  mix  and  eat 
L  porridge  rather  faster  than  she  can  supply  him  with  the  materials. 
I  As,  however,  the  Kaffir  is  eminently  a  social  being,  he  likes  to  take  his  meals  in 
Lpany,  and  does  so  in  a  very  orderly  fashion. 


^ 


vv/ 


A  KAFFIB  DINNEBPARIY. 


Wlien  a  number  of  Kaffirs  meet  for  a  social  meal,  they  seat  themselves  round  the 
fe,  squatted  in  their  usual  manner,  and  always  forming  themselves  into  a  circle,  Katllr 
Ihioa  If  they  should  be  veiy  numerous,  they  will  form  two  or  more  concentric  circles, 
[close  to  each  other,  and  all  facing  inwards.  The  pot  is  then  put  on  to  boil,  and  while 
!"  mealies,"  or  heads  of  maize,  are  being  cooked,  they  all  strike  up  songs,  and  sing 
fem  uatil  the  feast  is  ready.  Sometimes  they  prefer  love  songs,  and  are  always  fond  of 
Igs  that  celebrate  the  possession  of  cattle. 

These  melodies  have  a  chorus  thati  is  perfectly  meaningless,  like  the  choruses  of  many 
lour  own  popular  songs,  but  the  sinpers  become  quite  infatuated  with  them.  In  a  weli- 
|«wn  cattle  song,  the  burden  of  which  is  E-e-e-yu-yu-yu,  they  all  accompany  the  words 
fh  gestures.  Their  hands  are  clenched,  with  the  palms  turned  upwards ;  their  arms 
pt,  and  at  each  E-e-e  they  drive  their  arms  out  to  their  full  extent ;  and  at  each 
«tition  of  the  syllable  "  yu,"  they  bring  their  elbows  against  their  sides,  so  as  to  give 
litiunul  emphasis  to  tlie  song.     The  above  illustration  represents  such  a  sceuo 


• 

n 

4 

, 

''■'1 

i 

— 

J  J 

1 

1 

1m 

1 

1'  ! 
*  t 

f 
i 

1 

J  f 


154 


THE  KAFFIR 


i  I 


VM.-' 


ftnd  is  drawn  from  a  sketch  by  Captain  Drayson,  E.A.,  who  lias  frequently  been  present  j 
stich  8ceiie8,  and  learned  to  take  his  part  in  the  wilil  churus.  As  to  the  smoke  of  i 
firo,  the  Kutlirs  care  nothing  for  it,  although  no  European  singer  would  be  able  to  utL 
two  notes  in  such  a  clioking  atmosphere,  nor  to  see  what  he  was  do^g  in  a  small  hi 
withotit  window  or  (thimney,  and  filled  with  wood  smoke.  Some  snuff  gourds  are  « 
on  the  ground,  and  ou  the  left  hand,  just  behind  a  pillur,  is  the  Induna,  or  head  of  i 
kra»d,  who  is  the  founder  of  the  foast 

The  number  of  Kaffirs  that  will  crowd  themselves  into  a  single  small  hut  is  almoL 
incredihle.    Even  in  the  illustration  they  seem  to  be  tolerably  close  together,  but  the  faj 
is,  that  the  artist  was  obliged  to  omit  a  considerable  number  of  individuals  in  order  t 
give  a  partial  view  of  the  fire-place  and  the  various  utensils. 

One  African  traveller  gives  a  very  amusing  account  of  a  scene  similar  to  that  wLkJ 
is  depicted  on  page  153.  In  the  evening  he  heard  a  most  singular  noise  of  uiuny  void 
rising  and  falling  in  regular  rhythm,  and  found  it  to  proceed  fi-oni  an  edifice  which  lie  li», 
taken  for  a  haycock,  but  which  proved  to  be  a  KafSr  hut.  He  put  his  head  into  tin 
door,  but  the  atmosphere  was  almost  too  much  for  him,  and  he  could  only  see  a  few  dyia 
embers,  throwing  a  ruddy  glow  over  a  number  of  Kaffirs  squatting  round  the  lire 
])hice,  and  singing  with  their  usual  gesticulations.  He  estimated  their  number  at  m 
thinking  that  the  hut  could  not  possibly  hold,  much  less  accommodate,  more  than  thai 
number.  However,  from  that  very  hnt  issued  thirty-five  tall  and  powerful  KafiBrs,  an 
they  did  not  look  in  the  least  hot  or  uncomfortable. 

The  song  which  they  were  singing  with  such  energy  was  upon  one  of  the  only  [A 
subjects  which  seem  to  inspire  a  Kaffii's  muse,  namely,  war  and  cattle.    This  particuli 
composition  treated  of  the  latter  subject,  and  began  with  "  All  the  calves  are  dnnkii 
water." 

A  very  graphic  account  of  the  method  in  which  the  Kaffirs  sing  in  concert  is  given!, 
Mr.  Mason,  who  seems  to  have  written  his  description  immediately  after  witnessing  tli 
scene,  and  while  the  impression  was  still  strong  on  his  mind : — 

"  By  the  light  ot  a  s'lall  oil  lamp  I  was  completing  my  English  journal,  ready  for  tin 
mail  which  sailed  ne.xt  day ;  and,  while  thus  busily  employed,  time  stole  away  so  i 
that  it  was  late  ere  I  closed  and  sealed  it  up.  A  feai-f'ul  shout  now  burst  from  tla 
recesses  of  the  surrounding  jungle,  apparently  within  a  hundred  yai-ds  of  onr  tent;  ini 
moment  all  was  still  again,  and  then  the  yell  broke  out  with  increased  vigour,  i| 
it  dinned  in  our  ears,  and  made  the  very  air  shake  and  vibrate  with  the  clamour. 

"  At  first  we  were  alarmed,  and  looked  to  the  priming  of  our  pistols ;  but,  as  the  i 
approached  no  nearer,  I  concluded  that  it  must  be  part  of  some  Kaffir  festival,  and  dettrl 
mined  on  ascertaining  its  meaning;  so,  putting  by  the  pistol,  I  started,  just  as  hat,! 
without  coat,  hat,  or  waistcoat,  and  made  my  way  through  the  dripping  boughs  of  tlit| 
jimgle,  towards  the  spot  from  whence  the  strange  sounds  proceeded. 

"  By  this  time  the  storm  had  quite  abated ;  the  heavy  clouds  were  rolling  slowly  hm\ 
over  the  rising  moon ;  the  drops  from  the  lofty  trees  fell  heavily  on  the  dense  M 
below ;  thousands  of  insects  were  chirping  merrily  ;  and  there,  louder  than  all  tlie  vi, 
was  the  regular  rise  and  f>ill  of  some  score  of  Kafhrs. 

"  I  had  already  penetrated  three  hundred  yards  or  more  into  the  bush,  when  T  dii' 
covered  a  large  and  newly-erected  Kaffir  hut,  with  a  huge  fire  blazing  in  its  centre,  jtatl 
visible  through  the  dense  smoke  that  poured  forth  from  the  little  semicircular  apHrtim| 
that  served  for  a  doorway.  These  huts  of  the  Kaffirs  are  formed  of  trellis-wovk, 
thatched ;  in  appearance  they  resemble  a  well-rounded  haycock,  being,  generally  eijjhtotl 
ten  feet  high  at  the  vertex,  circular  in  form,  and  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  Mi 
with  an  opening  like  that  of  a  beehive  for  a  doorway,  as  before  described. 

"  But,  as  it  was  near  midnight,  it  seemed  to  me  that  my.  visit  might  not  be  a1togetli«| 
seasonable.  However,  to  have  turned  back  when  so  near  the  doorway  might  haTij 
brought  an  assagai  after  me,  since  the  occupants  of  the  hut  would  have  attribiit(l| 
a  rustling  of  the  bushes,  at  that  late  hour,  to'  the  presence  of  a  thief  or  wild  beast. 

"  I  therefore  coughed  aloud,  stooped  down,  and  thrust  my  head  into  the  open  doorwaj,| 
where  a  most  interesting  sight  presented  itself. 


WAR-SONO. 


165 


Devonrer  of  'Swazi,  son  of  Sobnza. 
Breaker  of  the  gates  of  Machobana. 
Devourer  of  Ouudave  of  Muehobana. 
A  moDster  in  size,  of  mighty  power. 
Devourer  of  Ungwati  of  ancient  race ; 
Devonrer  of  the  kingly  Uomape ; 
Like  heaven  abovp,  raining  and  shining." 


<  fancy  three  rows  of  jet-black  Kaffirs,  ranged  in  circles  round  the  interior  of  the  hut, 
jug  knees  and  nose  ^together,  waving  their  well-oiled,  strongly-built  frames  back- 
ids  and  forwards,  to  keep  time  in  their  favourite  'Dingan's  war-song;'  throwing  their 
i  about,  and  brandishing  the  glittering  assagai,  singing  and  shouting,  uttering  a  shrill 
ling  whistle,  beating  the  ground  to  imitate  the  heavy  tramp  of' marching  men,  and 
.ing  the  very  woods  echo  again  with  their  boisterous  merriment 
''My  presence  was  unobserved  for  a  moment,  until  an  old  grey-headed  KaflBr  (an 
ndodie)  pointed  his  finger  towards  me.  In  an  instant,  the  whole  phalanx  of  glaring 
was  turned  to  the  doorway ;  and  silence  reigned  throughout  the  demoniac-looking 
n  A  simxiltaneous  exclamation  of  *  Molonga !  Molonga ! '  (white  man !  white  man !) 
ras  succeeded  by  an  universal  beckon  for  me  to  come  in  and  take  a  place  in  the  ring. 
bis  of  course  I  complied  with ;  and,  having  seen  me  coinfortably  seated,  they  fell  to 
ork  again  more  vociferously  than  ever,  till  I  was  well  near  bewildered  with  the  din,  and 
led  with  the  dense  smoke  issuing  from  the  huge  fire  in  the  centre  of  the  ring." 
Dingan's  war-song,  which  is  here  mentioned,  is  rather  made  in  praise  of  Dingan's  war- 
j  exploits.  To  a  Kaffir,  who  underatands  all  tha  allusions  made  by  the  puet,  it  is  a 
irvellously  exciting  composition,  though  it  loses  its  chief  beauties  when  translated  into  a 
ireinn  language,  and  deprived  of  the  peculiar  musical  rhythm  and  alliteration  which 
•m  the  great  charms  of  Kaffir  poetry.    The  song  was  as  follows  :-— 

!  "11100  needy  otfsping  of  Umpikazi, 
Eyer  of  the  cattle  ofmen. 
Bini  of  Maube,  fleet  as  a  bullet, 
81eek,  erect,  of  b<.-autiful  parts. 
Thy  cattle  like  the  comb  of  the  bees, 

0  bead  too  larae,  too  huddled  to  move. 
Devourer  of  Moiielekatze,  son  of  Machobana, 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  song  in  honour  of  Panda,  which  is  given  on  page  89,  he 
[ill  see  the  strong  resemblance  that  exists  between  the  two  odes,  each  narrating  some 
Lents  of  the  hero's  early  life,  then  diverging  into  a  boast  of  his  great  wealth,  and  ending 
nth  a  list  of  his  warlike  achievements. 
Mr.  Shooter  mentions  a  second  song  which  was  made  in  honour  of  Tchaka,  as,  indeed, 
I  was  told  by  that  renowned  chief  hiniself.  It  was  composed  after  that  warlike  despot 
lad  made  himself  master  of  the  whole  of  Kaffirland,  and  the  reader  will'  not  fail  to  notice 
be  remarkable  resemblance  between  the  burden  of  the  song,  "  Where  will  you  go  out  to 
lattle  now  ? "  and  the  lament  of  Alexander,  that  there  were  no  more  worlds  to  conquer. 

"Thoa  hast  finished,  finished  the  nations  I 
Where  will  you  go  out  to  battle  now  ? 
Hey!  whore  will  you  go  out  to  battle  now? 
Thou  hast  conquered  kings ! 
Where  are  you  going  to  rattle  now  T 

1  have  already  mentioned  that  in  eating  his  porridge  the  Kaffir  uses  a  spoon.    He 
kes  a  wonderful  pride  in  his  spoon,  and  expends  more  trouble  upon  it  than  upon  any 

Jther  article  which  he  possesses,  not  even  his  "  tails,"  pipes,  or  snuff-box,  being  thought 
lorthy  of  so  much  labour  as  is  lavished  upon  his  spoons.  Although  there  is  a  great 
piety  of  patterns  among  the  spoons  manufactured  by  the  Kaffir  tribes,  there  is  a  character 

out  them  which  is  quite  untnistakeable,  and  which  points  out  the  country  of  the 
kaker  as  clearly  as  if  his  name  were  written  on  it.    The  bowl,  for  example,  instead 

being  almost  in  the  same  line  with  the  stem,  is  bent  forwards  at  a  slight  angle,  and, 

istead  of  being  rather  deep,  is  quite  shallow.     It  is  almost  incapable  of  containing 

quids,  and  is  only  adapted  for  conveying  to  the  mouth  the  thick  porridge  which  has 

(ready  been  described.     A  number  of  these  spoons  are  given  in  the  following  illustra- 

ons,  all  taken  from  specimens  in  my  collection. 

Fig.  1  on  the  next  page  is  a  spoon  rather  more  than  two  feet  in  length,  cut  from  a  stout 

anch  of  a  tree,  as  is  shown  by  the  radiating  circles,  denoting  the  successive  annual  de- 

josits  of  woody  fibre.    The  little  dark  mark  in  the  bowl  shows  the  pithy  centre  of  the 

anch.  The  end  of  the  handle  is  made  to  represent  the  head  of  an  assagai,  and  the  peculiar 

jonvexity  and  concavity  of  that  weapon  is  represented  by  staining  one  side  of  the  blade 


Thou  hast  finished,  finished  the  nations ! 
Where  are  you  going  to  battle  now  ? 
Hurrah  I  Hurrah  1  Hurrah ! 
Where  at«  you  going  to  battle  now !" 


(SIL 


»  ^i 


) 


M 


156 


THE  KAFFIR 


black.    This  staining  process  is  very  simply  managed  by  heating  a  piece  of  iron  or 
stone,  and  charring  the  wood  with  it,  so  as  to  make  an  indelible  black  mark.    Part  of  tk 

under  side  of  the  bowl  is  stained  black  in  a  similar  mannerl 
and  so  is  a  portion  of  the  handle,  this  expeditious  and  easii 
mode  of  decoration  being  in  great  favour  among  the  KafiiNi 
when  they  are  making  any  article  of  wood.  The  heads  of  tSI 
wooden  assagais  shown  on  page  103,  are  stained  in  thesanul 
fashion.  According  to  English  ideas,  the  bowl  is  of  ud.| 
pleasantly  large  dimensions,  being  three  inches  and  a  quartet! 
in  width.  But  a  Kaffir  mouth  is  a  capacious  one,  and  he  cu| 
use  this  gigantic  instrument  without  inconvenience.  I 

Fig.  2  represents  a  singularly  elaborate  example  of  a  spooil 
purchased  from  a  native  by  the  late  H.  Jackson,  Esq.  It  J 
more  than  three  feet  in  length  and  is  slightly  curved,  whereajl 
the  preceding  example  is  straight  The  wood  of  which  it  J 
made  is  much  harder  than  that  of  the  other  spoon,  andjjl 
therefore  capable  of  taking  a  tolerably  high  polish. 

The  maker  of  this  spoon  has  ornamented  it  in  a  veirl 
curious  manner.  Five  rings  are  placed  round  the  stem,  andl 
these  rings  are  made  of  the  wire  -like  hairs  from  the  elephant')! 
tail.  They  are  plaited  in  the  manner  that  is  known  to  sailoul 
as  the  "  Turk's  head  knot,"  and  are  similar  to  those  that  have! 
.1.  1  .IB  been  mentioned  on  page  102,  as  being  placed  on  the  handle  ol 

^    the  assagai.     In  order  to  show  the  mode  in  which  these  rinjsl 
are  made,  one  of  them  is  given  on  an  enlarged  scale. 

At  the  end  of  the  handle  of  the  spoon  may  be  seen  al 
globular  knob.  This  is  carved  from  the  same  piece  of  woojl 
as  the  spoon,  and  is  intended  for  a  snuff-box,  so  that  tbel 
owner  is  doubly  supplied  with  luxuries.  It  is  cut  in  ordeil 
to  imitate  a  gourd,  and,  considering  the  very  rude  tools  wliicll 
a  Kaffir  possesses,  the  skill  displayed  in  hollowing  it  is  veijl 
great.  Hound  the  neck  of  the  opening  is  one  of  the  elephantJ 
hair  ringrs,  and  at  the  bottom  there  is  some  rather  deep  cmim 
This  odd  snuff-box  is  ornamented  by  being  charred,  as  is  tlie| 
bowl  and  the  greater  part  of  the  stem. 

Sometimes  the  Kaffirs  exert  great  ingenuity  in  canintl 
the  handles  of  their  spoons  into  rude  semblances  of  varioujl 
animals.  On  account  of  its  long  neck  and  legs  and  sloping  bacl,| 
the  giraffe  is  the  favourite.  Fig.  1  on  the  next  page  shows  c 
of  these  spoons.  It  is  rather  more  than  a  foot  in  length,  ani 
,        __  represents  the  form  of  the  animal  better  than  might  be  siip-l 

■^NN      11  posed  from  the  illustration,  which  is  taken  from  the  front,! 

and  therefore  causes  its  form  to  be  foreshortened  andtlnl 
characteristic  slope  of  the  back  to  be  unseen.  It  is  madeo 
the  acacia  wood,  that  being  the  tree  on  which  the  giraffe  lovtsl 
,  to  feed,  and  which  is  called  by  the  Dutch  settlers  "  Kameell 
dorn,"  or  camel-thom,  in  consequence.  The  peculiar  attitudej 
of  the  head  is  a  faithful  representation  of  the  action  of  tlief 
giraffe  when  raising  its  head  to  browse  among  the  foliage,  anil 
the  spotted  skin  is  well  imitated  by  application  of  a  red-hot  iroi I 

In  some  examples  of  the  giraffe-spoon,  the  form  of  tlnl 
animal  is  much  better  shown,  even  the  joints  of  the  legs  km 
carefully  marked,  and  their  action  indicated.  Sometimal 
the  Kaffir  does  not  make  the  whole  handle  into  the  fonDol| 
an  animal,  but  cuts  the  handle  of  the  usual  shape,  and  lea<ei| 
^'^^poBWDGE^'^^  at  the  end  a  laige  block  of  solid  wood,  which  he  can  cartel 


o 

This  love  of  just 


LOVE  OF  JUSTICE 


157 


L  t]ie  required  shape.    Tlie  hippopotamus  is  frequently  chosen  for  this  purpose,  and 

lis  the  rhinoceros,  while  the  hyeena  is  always  a  favourite,  apparently  because  its 

iculiar  outline  can  easily  be  imitated  in  wood. 
The  reader  will  probably  have  noticed  the  angle  at  which  the  shallow  bowl  is  set,  and 

appears  to  make  the  spoon  a  most  inconvenient  instmment.    If  held  after  the  European 

ishion,  the  user  would  scarcely  be  able  to  manage  it  at  all,  but  the  KafHr  has  his  own 

-ay  of  holding  it,  which  is  perfectly  effective. 
Instead  of  taking  it  between  the  thumb  and  the  forefinger,  he  grasps  the  stem  with  the 

Ihole  hand,  having  the  bowl  to  the  left,  and  the  handle  to  the  right.    He  then  dips  the 

lallow  howl  into  the  tenacious  porridge,  takes  up  as  much  as  it 

ill  possibly  hold,  and  inserts  the  whole  of  the  bowl  into  his 

Ifluth,  the  convex  side  being  uppermost.    In  this  position  the 

IniTue  can  lick  the  spoon  quite  clean,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the 

Ixt  visit  to  the  porridge. 

[  If  a  number  of  Kaffirs  are  about  to  partake  of  a  common 

leal,  they  always  use  a  common  spoon.     Were  each  man  to  bring 

Is  own  with  him,  and  all  to  dip  in  the  pot  at '    je,  it  is  evident 

[at  he  who  had  the  largest  spoon  would  get  the  largest  share, 

[an  which  nothing  would  be  more  distasteful  to  the  justice-loving 

Iffir,  besides  giving  rise  to  a  scene  of  hurry,  and  probably  con- 

ntion,  which  would  be  a  breach  of  good  manners.     So  the  chief 

Ln  present  takes  the    spoon,  helps  himself  to  a  mouthful,  and 

[lids  the  clean  spoon  to  his  next  neighbour.     Thus  the  spoon  goes 
pil  ill  regular  order,  each  man  having  one  spoonful  at  a  time,  and 

Dneha/ing  more  than  another. 

This  love  of  justice  pervades  all  classes  of  Kaffirs,  and  even 

heres  to  them  when  they  are  partially  civilized — a  result  which 

a  not  always  take  place  when  the  savage  has  taken  his  first 

r  lessons  in  the  civilization  of  Europe.     Some  time  ago,  when 

[visitor  was  inspecting  an  English  school  for  Kaflir  children,  he 
strack  by  the  method  adopted  in  giving  the  scholars  their 
als.  Porridge  was  prepared  for  them,  and  served  out  by  one  of 
fcir  own  nation,  who  used  the  most  scrupulous  accuracy  in  divi- 
k  the  food.  She  was  not  content  with  giving  to  each  child  an 
Wntly  equal  share,  but  went  twice  or  thrice  round  the  circle, 
Bing  to  one  portion,  and  taking  away  from  another,  until  all 
re  equally  served.  Not  until  she  was  satisfied  that  the  distribu- 
n  was  a  just  one,  did  the  dusky  scholars  think  of  beginning  their  meal 
[Sometimes  the  Kaffirs  will  amuse  themselves  by  making  spoons  of  the  most  por- 
Itous  dimensions,  which  would  baffle  even  the  giants  of  our  nursery  tales,  did  they 
leavour  to  use  such  implements.  One  of  these  gigantic  spoons  is  in  the  collection  of 
|onel  Lane  Fox.  It  is  shaped  much  like  fig.  1,  on  the  illustration  at  page  156,  and  if 
f  much  reduced  in  size  would  be  a  serviceable  Kaffir  spoon  of  the  ordinary  kind.  But 
i  between  five  and  six  feet  in  length,  its  stem  is  as  thick  as  a  man's  arm,  and  its  bowl 
[e  enough  to  accommodate  his  whole  head. 

jAt  fig.  2  of  the  above  illustration  may  be  seen  an  article  which  looks  like  a  spoon, 
[rather  deserves  the  name  of  ladle,  as  it  is  used  for  substances  more  liqujd  than  the 
ridge.  It  is  carved  from  a  single  piece  of  wood,  and  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  maker 
pld  have  been  able  to  carve  the  deeply-grooved  handle  without  the  aid  of  a  lathe.  If 
I  handle  be  turned  round  on  its  axis,  so  that  the  eye  can  follow  the  spiral  course  of  the 
pves,  it  becomes  evident  that  they  have  been  cut  without  the  us6  of  any  machinery. 
I  the  trath  of  their  course  is  really  wonderful,  and  the  carver  of  this  handsome  handle 
[taken  care  to  darken  the  spiral  grooves  by  the  application  of  a  hot  iron.  This  remark- 
specimen  was  brought  from  Africa  by  the  Eev.  J.  Shooter,  and  the  illustration  has 
1  taken  from  the  specimen  itself. 
|wo  more   examples   of  similar  ladles  are  given  in  the  next  illustration.    The 


SPOONS  FOR  EATINa 
FORRIDOE. 


.j^> 


I .,!",, 


158 


THE  KAFFIR 


%  ^  SPOON  AND  ija>L& 
»,  4,  SKIMHEIUi. 


uppermost  ficure  represents  a  ladle  about  fourteen  inches  in  length.  The  pattern  bu, 
pretence  to  daborate  detail ;  but  the  whole  form  is  very  bold  and  decided,  and  the  cam 
has  evidently  done  his  work  thoroughly,  and  on  a  definite  plan.  The  black  iuarki& 
the  stem  and  handle  are  made  by  a  hot  iron,  and  the  under  surface  of  the  bovl  j 
decorated  with  two  triangular  marlcs  made  in  the  same  manner. 

^  At  fig.  5  of  the  same  illustn 

is  shown  .a  rather  remarkable  L, 
It  is  eighteen  inches  in  length, 
the  bowl  is  both  wide  and  deep! 
is  made  from  the  hard  wood  of  i 
acacia,  and  must  have  cost  the  can] 
a  considerable  amount  of  trouble,  i 
carving  the  ladle,  the  maker  hat  i 
himseff  to  shape  the  hau'ile  in  u 
a  manner  that  it  resembler  a  buni 
of  small  sticks  tied  torjether  by] 
band  at  the  end  ac^  another  nJ 
the  middle.  So  well  has  he  achieve] 
this  feat  th      ^rhen  T  iirst  saw  tli 
ladle,  in  a  raxiier  dim  light,  I  ieal| 
thought  that  some  ingenious  artificer  had  contrived  to  make  a  number  of  twigs  si 
from  one  part  of  a  branch,  and  had  carved  that  portion  of  the  branch  into  the  bo 
and  had  tied  the  twigs  together  to  form  the  handle.    He  has  heightened  the  deception 
charring  the  sham  bands  black,  while  the  rest  of  the  handle  is  left  of  its  natural  colour. 
Figs.  3  and  4  of  the  same  illustration  will  be  presently  described. 

There  is  an  article  of  food  which  is  used  by  the  natives,  in  its  proper  season,  and  k, 
not  prepossess  a  European  in  its  favour.    This  is  the  locust,  the  well-known  insect  wliij 
Bweeps  in  such  countless  myriads  over  the  land^  and  which  does  such  harm  to  thecro 
find  to  everything  that  grows. 

The  eggs  of  the  locust  are  laid  in  the  ground,  and  at  the  proper  season  the  you 
make  their  appearance.  Tliey  are  then  very  small,  but  they  grow  with  great  rapidity-jj 
Indeed,  they  ought  to  do,  considering  the  amount  of  food  which  they  consume. 

Until  they  have  passed  a  considerable  time  in  the  world,  they  have  no  wings,  andc 
only  crawl  and  hop.    The  Kaffirs  call  thesa  imperfect  locusts  "  boyane,"  and  the  rnk]| 
settlers  term  them  "  voet-gangers,"  or  "  foot-goers,"  because  they  cannot  fly.    Even  int 
stage  they  are  terribly  destructive,  and  march  steadily  onwards,  consuming  eveiy  { 
thing  that  they  can  eat 

Nothing  stops  them  in  their  progress  short  of  death,  and,  on  account  of  their  tu 
myriads,  the  numbers  that  can  be  killed  form  but  an  insignificant  proportion  of  the  vh' 
army.  A  stream  of  these  insects,  a  mile  or  more  in  width,  will  pwss  over  a  counti)',i 
scarcely  anything  short  of  a  river  will  stop  them.  Trenches  are  soon  filled  up  with  tli9| 
bodies,  and  those  in  the  rear  march  over  the  carcases  of  their  dead  comrades.  Sometii 
the  trenches  have  been  filled  with  fire,  but  to  no  purpose,  as  the  fire  is  soon  put  out  I 
the  locusts  that  come  crowding  upon  it.  As  for  walls,  the  insects  care  nothing  for  M 
but  surmount  them,  and  even  the  very  houses,  without  suffering  a  check. 

When  they  become  perfect  insects  and  gain  their  wings,  they  proceed,  as  before,^ 
vast  myriads ;  but  this  time,  they  direct  their  course  through  the  air,  and  not  merely  d 
land,  so  that  not  even  the  broadest  river  can  stop  them.  They  generally  stai-t  as  sooui 
the  sun  has  dispelled  the  dews  and  warmed  the  air,  which,  in  its  nightly  chill,  i 
them,  and  renders  them  incapable  of  flight  and  almost  uiilible  even  to  walk.  Towai 
evening  they  always  descend,  and  perhaps  in  the  daytime  also ;  and  wherever  they  i 
every  green  thing  vanishes.  The  sound  of  their  jaws  cutting  down  the  leaves  andeati 
them  can  be  heard  at  a  great  distance.  They  eat  everything  of  a  vegetable  natm 
Mr.  Moffatt  saw  a  whole  field  of  maize  consumed  in  two  hours,  and  has  seen  themd 
linen,  flannel,  and  even  tobacco.    When  they  rise  for  another  flight,  the  spot  which  t 


leir  own  course ;  bi 
lly  go  where  it  driv 
leir  progress.    The 


FLIGHT  OF  LOCUSTS. 


159 


ivB  left  is  M  ^^^^  ^  ^^  i*-  ^^^  desert  land,  and  not  a  vestigo  of  any  kind  of  verdure  is 
be  seen  upon  it. 

j^veiy  excellent  description  of  a  flight  of  locusts  is  given  by  Mr.  Culo,  in  his  work 
South  Africa:— 

<•  Next  day  was  warm  enough,  but  the  wind  was  desperately  high,  and,  much  to  my 
jfflut,  right  in  my  face  as  I  rode  away  on  my  journey.  After  travelling  some  ten  miles, 
iving  swallowed  several  ounces  of  sand  meanwhile,  and  been  compelled  occasionally  to 
iDiove  the  sand-hills  that  were  collecting  in  my  eyes,  I  began  to  fall  in  with  some  locusts. 
It  first  they  came  on  gradually  and  in  small  quantities,  speckling  the  earth  here  and 
ire,  and  voraciously  devouring  the  herbage. 

They  were  not  altogether  pleasant,  as  they  are  weak  on  the  wing,  find  quite  at  the 

rcy  of  the  wind,  which  uncivilly  dashed  many  a  one  into  my  face  with  a  force  that 

e  my  cheeks  tingle.    By  degrees  they  grew  thicker  and  more  frequent.    My  proj-ress 

now  most  unpleasant,  for  they  flew  into  my  face  every  instant    Flung  against  me 

id  my  hoi'se  by  the  breeze,  they  clung  io  us  with  the  tightness  of  desperation,  till  we 

TO  literally  speckled  with  locusts.    Each  moment  the  clouds  of  tlieiii  became  denser, 

I  at  length— I  am  guilty  of  no  exaggeration  in  saying — they  were  as  thick  in  the  air  as 

>  Hakes  of  snow  during  a  heavy  faU  of  it ;  they  covei-ed  the  grass  and  the  road,  so  that 

every  step  my  horse  crashed  dozens ;  they  were  whirled  into  mv  eyes  and  those  of  my 

ir  nag,  till  at  last  the  latter  refused  to  face  them,  and  turned  tail  in  spite  of  whip  and 

bur.  Tney  crawled  about  my  face  and  neck,  got  down  my  shirt  collar  and  up  my  sleeves 

[iaaword,  they  drove  me  to  despair  as  completely  as  they  drove  my  horse  to  stubboin- 

1^3,  and  I  was  obliged  to  ride  back  k  mile  or  two,  and  claim  shelter  from  them  at  a 

[tuse  I  ha(|  passed  on  my  route;  fully  convinced  that  a  shower  of  locusts  is  more  unbear- 

[lie  than  hail,  rain,  snow,  and  sleet  combined. 

"  I  found  the  poor  farmer  in  despair  at  the  dreadful  visitation  which  had  come  upon 
Ini-aud  well  he  might  be  so.  To-day  he  had  standing  crops,  a  garden,  and  wide  pasture 
di  in  full  verdure ;  the  next  day  the  earth  was  as  bare  all  round  as  a  macadamized 
«i(l.  ^     . 

"  I  afterwards  saw  millions  of  these  insects  driven  by  the  wind  into  the  sea  at  Algoa 

jay,  and  washed  on  shore  again  in  such  heaps,  that  the  prisoners  and  coolies  in  the  town 

^re  busily  employed  for  a  day  or  two  in  bur>'ing  the  bodies,  to  prevent  the  evil  conse- 

i;ncethat  would  arise  from  the  putrefying  of  them  close  to  the  town.    No  descript?  ju 

'  these  little  plagues,  or  of  the  destruction  they  cause,  can  well  be  an  exaggeration. 

brtanately,  their  visitations  are  not  frequent,  as  I  only  remember  three  during  my  five 

ars'  residence  in  South  Africa.    Huge  fires  are  sometimes  lighted  round  corn-lands  and 

Irdens  to  prevent  their  approach ;  and  this  is  an  eflective  preventive  when  they  can  steer 

leir  own  course ;  but  when  carried  away  by  such  a  wind  as  I  have  described,  they  can 

lly  go  where  it  drives  them,  and  all  the  bonfires  in  the  world  would  be  useless  to  stay 

leir  progress.    The  farmer  thus  eaten  out  of  house  and  liome  (most  literally)  has  nothing 

I  do  but  to  move  his  stock  forthwith  to  some  other  spot  which  has  escaped  them— happy 

' '.  can  find  a  route  free  from  their  devastation,  so  that  his  herds  and  flocks  may  not 

Jrish  by  the  way.* 

Fortunately,  their  bodies  being  heavy  in  proportion  to  their  wings,  they  cannot  fly 

linst  the  wind,  and  it  often  happens  that,  as  in  the  old  Scripture  narrative,  a  country 

I  relieved  by  a  change  of  wind,  which  drives  the  insects  into  the  sea,  where  they  are 

hwned ;  and,  as  Mr.  Cole  observes,  they  were  driven  by  the  wind  into  his  face  or  upon 

i  clothes,  as  helplessly  as  tlie  cockchafers  on  a  windy  summer  evening. 

Still,  terrible  as  are  the  locusts,  they  have  their  uses.     In  the  firet  place,  they  afibrd 

•d  to  mnumerable  animals.    As  they  fly,  large  flocks  of  birds  wait  on  them,  sweep 

hong  them  and  devour  them  on  the  wing.    While  they  are  on  the  ground,  whether  in 

leir  winged  or  imperfect  state,  they  are  eaten  by  various  animals ;  even  the  lion  and 

|her  formidable  carnivoju  not  disdaining  so  easily-gained  a  repast.    As  the  cool  air 

the  night  renders  the  locusts  incapable  of  moving,  they  can  be  captured  without 

iiiiculty. 

Even  to  mankind  the  locusts  are  serviceable,  being  a  favourite  article  of  food.    It  is 


) 


ICO 


THE  KAFFIR. 


tnio  that  thpsfi  iunecta  devour  whole  crops,  but  it  mav  be  doubted  whether  they  do 
confer  a  benefit  on  the  dusky  cultivatoia  rather  tliau  iuiliot  an  injury.  ' 

As  soon  as  the  shades  of  evening  render  the  locusts  helpless,  the  natives  turn  onfi 
a  body,  with  sacks,  skins,  and  everything  that  can  hold  the  expected  prey,  thos<>  J 
possess  such  animals  brinfjing  pack  oxen  in  order  to  bear  the  loads  home.  The  loeJ 
are  swept  by  millions  into  the  sacks,  witliout  any  particular  exertion  on  the  pnrt  of  t3 
rnlives,  though  not  witl'out  sonjo  danger,  ns  venomous  8er}>ent8  nre  apt  to  cnme  fort 
1  urpose  of  feeding  on  the  insects,  and  are  sometimes  roughly  handled  in  the  darkness. 


COOKING  THE  LOCU.STS. 


When  the  locusts  have  been  brought  home,  they  are  put  into  a  large  covered  pot,  Sid 
as  has  already  been  described,  and  a  little  water  added  to  them.  The  fire  is  tlieu  liglitei 
under  the  pot,  and  the  locusts  are  then  boiled,  or  rather  steamed,  until  they  are  sufficientli 
cooked.  They  are  then  taken  out  of  the  pot,  and  spread  out  in  the  sunbeams  until  tlKjl 
are  quite  dry;  and  when  this  part  of  the  process  is  completed,  they  are  shaken  about ij 
the  wind  until  the  legs  and  wings  fall  off,  and  are  carried  away  just  as  the  chafi"  is  carnd 
away  by  the  breeze  when  corn  is  winnowed.  When  they  are  perfectly  dry,  they  i 
stored  away  in  baskets,  or  placed  in  the  granaries  just  as  if  they  were  corn. 

Sometimes  the  natives  eat  them  whole,  just  as  we  eat  shrimps,  and,  if  they  can  b.,... 
such  a  luxury,  add  a  little  salt  to  them.  Usually,  however,  the  locusts  are  treated  mi 
in  the  same  manner  as  com  or  maize.  They  are  ground  to  powder  by  the  mill  until  iliq, 
are  reduced  to  meal,  which  is  then  mixed  with  water,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  porriJgtj 
A  good  locust  season  is  always  acceptable  to  the  natives,  who  can  indulge  their  enoraoml 
appetite."  to  an  almost  unlimited  extent,  and  in  consequenco  become  quite  fat  in  com 
parison  with  their  ordinary  appearance.  So  valuable,  indeed,  t.re  the  locusts,  that  if  »l 
native  conjurer  can  make  his  companions  believe  that  his  iucuutatiojia  Uave  broujjht  tliil 
locusts,  be  is  sure  to  be  richly  rewarded  by  them. 


HUNGER-BELT. 


161 


I 
t 


bleat,  when  it  can  be  obtained,  is  the  great  laxury  of  a  Kaffir.  Beef  is  his  favourite 
L.  i,ui;  he  will  eat  that  of  many  of  the  native  animals,  thouj:;h  there  are  some,  muluding 
[kinds  of  fish,  which  he  will  not  touch.  With  a  veiy  few  exceptions,  such  as  the 
y  the  wild  animals  of  Southern  Africa  do  not  furnish  very  succulent  food.  Venison 
Utaken  from  a  semi-domesticated  red  deer,  or  a  throe-parts  domesticated  fallow  deer, 
I  reiy  different  meat  when  obtained  from  a  wild  deer  or  antelope.     As  a  general  rule, 

I  gnimaJs  have  very  little  fat  about  them,  and  their  flesh,  bv  reason  of  constant 

tise  and  small  supply  of  food,  is  exceedingly  tough,  and  would  baffle  the  jaws  of  any 
igvery  hungry  man. 
[Fortunately  for  the  Kaffirs,  their 
jth  and  jaws  are  equal  to  any  task 
t  can  be  imposed  upon  them  in  the 
r  of  mastication,  and  meat  which  an 
.opean  can  hardly  manage  to  eat 
I  dainty  to  his  dark  companions.  The 
t  Gordon  Gumming,  who  had  as 
[)h  experience  in  hunter  life  as  most 
I,  used  to  say  that  a  very  good  idea 
ie  meat  which  is  usually  obtained 

the  gun  in  Kaffirland  may  be 
Led  by  taking  the  very  worst  part  of 
[ton^est  possible  beef,  multiplying 
I  tonghness  by  ten,  and  subtracting 
Ithe  gravy. 

I  The  Mual  plan  that  is  adopted  is, 
I  eat  at  once  the  best  parts  of  an 

J,  and  to  cure  the  rest  by  drying 

1  the  ana    This  process  is  a  very 

kple  one.    The  meat  is  cut  into  thin, 

;  strips,  and  hung  on  branches  in 

I  open  air.    The  burning  sunbeams 

I  have  their  effect,  and  convert  the 

klet  strips  of  raw  meat  into  a  sub- 

nce  that  looks  like  old  shoe-leather, 

I  is  nearly  as  tough.    The  mode  of 

ising  it  is,  to  put  it  under  the  ashes 

he  fire,  next  to  pound  it  between  two 

lies,  and  then  to  stew  it  slowly  in  a 

[just  as  is  done  with  fresh  beef.    Of 

rse,  this  mode  of  cooking  meat  is 

J  employed  on  the  march,  when  the 

Biers  are  unable  to  take  with  them 

I  cooking-pots  of  domestic  life. 

jSometinies,    especially    when    re- 

ling  from   an    unsuccessful    war, 

I  Kaffirs  are  put  to  great  straits  for 

jit  of  food,  and  have  recourse  to 

strangest  expedients  for  allaying 
Iger.  They  begin  by  wearing  a  "hunger-belt,"  i.e.  a  belt  passed  several  times  round 
1  body,  and  arranged  so  as  to  press  upon  the  stomach,  and  talce  off  for  a  time  the  feeling 
pint  sickness  that  accompanies  hunger  before  it  developes  into  starvation.  As  the 
p  pass  on,  and  the  faintness  again  appears,  the  hunger-belt  is  drawn  tighter  and 
iter.  This  curious  remedy  for  hunger  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts  ot  the  world,  and  . 
I  long  been  practised  by  the  native  tribes  of  North  America. 

[Tlie  hungry  soldiers,  when  reduced  to  the  last  straits,  have  been  known  to  eat  their 
s-shields,  and,  when  these  were  finished,  to  consume  even  the  thongs  which  bind  the 


/ 


'/■T^A^^ 


SOLDIERS  WITH  HUNa£B-B£LT. 


;■'<■■  'X 


!ili^  V 


^i 


162 


THE  KAFFIR. 


head  of  the  assagai  to  the  shaft.    The  same  process  of  cooking  is  employed  in  makjii 
the  tough  skin  eatable  ;  namely,  partial  broiling  «n<^tT  ashes,  then  pounding  b-tw.  jp  j!tr,n'i 
and  then  stowing,  or  boiling,  if  any  substitute  for  a  cooking-pot  can  bo  fouh'     w..^  ,jf  ,i 
missionaries  relates,  in  a  manner  that  shows  the  elastic  spirit  which  anim .'    i  \'vn  i 
he  and  his  companions  were  once  driven  to  eat  a  box  which  ho  hail  made  Oi    ciu^ctrf 
hide,  and  seems  rather  to  regret  the  loss  of  so  excellent  a  box  than  to  demand  aiil 
sympathy  for  the  hardships  which  he  had  sustained. 

We  now  come  to  the  question  of  the  liquids  which  a  Kaffir  generally  consumej 
Ordinary  men  are  forced  to  content  themselves  with  water,  and  there  are  occasions  whei 
they  would  only  bo  too  glad  to  obtain  even  water.     Certain  ceremonies  demand  that  I 
warriors  shall  be  fed  pleuteously  with  beef  during  the  night,  but  that  they  shall  ^ 
be  allowed  to  drink  until  the  dawn  of  the  following  day.    At  the  beginning  of  the  fei 


SOLDIERS  LAPFINO  WiLTEa 


they  are  merry  enough ;  for  beef  is  always  welcome  to  a  Kaffir,  and  to  be  allowed  toe 
aamuch  as  he  can  possibly  manage  to  accommodate  is  a  luxury  which  but  seldom  occni 
However,  the  time  comes,  even  to  a  hungry  Kaffir,  when  he  cannot  possibly  eat  aojl 
more,  and  he  craves  for  something  to  drink.      This  relief  is  strictly  prohibited,  no  <m 
being  allowed  to  leave  the  circle  in  which  they  are  sitting.     It  generally  happens! 
3ome  of  the  younger  "  boys,"  who  have  been  but  recently  admitted  into  the  compaijl 
of  soldiers,  find  themselves  unable  to  endure  such  a  privation,  and  endeavour  to  slip  awjjj 
unobserved.     But  a  number  of  old  and  tried  warriors,  who  have  inured  themselves  t 
thirst  as  well  as  hunger,  and  who  look  with  contempt  on  all  who  are  less  hardy  t 
themselves,  are  stationed  at  every  point  of  exit,  and,  as  soon  as  they  see  the  dusky  f 


tMil 


BREWING. 


16S 


I  of  A  desertflT  approach  the  ipofc  which  they  are  gnardinff,  they  unoeremoniottsly  attack 
1 1^0,  with  their  sticks,  and  beat  him  back  to  his  place  in  the  circle. 
'  Or  the  march,  if  a  KatHr  is  hurried,  and  comes  to  a  spot  where  there  is  water,  he 
'  ctnnns  down,  and  with  his  curved  hand  tlinm  the  water  into  his  mouth  with  movements 
I  almost  as  rapid  as  those  of  a  cat's  tongue  when  she  laps  milk.  Sometimes,  if  he  comes 
I  tu  a  river,  which  he  has  to  ford,  he  will  contrive  to  slake  his  thirst  as  he  proceeds,  with- 
joukonce  checking  his  speed.  This  precaution  is  necessary  if  he  should  be  pursued,  or  if 
the  river  should  happen  to  be  partially  infested  with  crocodiles  and  other  dongeroua 

reptileS' 

Kaffirs  are  also  very  fond  of  a  kind  of  whey,  which  is  poured  off  from  the  milk 
when  it  is  converted  into  "  amasi,"  and  which  is  something  like  our  buttermilk  to  the 
taste.  Still,  although  the  Kaffirs  can  put  up  with  water,  and  like  their  buttermilk,  the^ 
have  a  craving  for  some  fermented  liquor.  Water  and  buttermilk  are  veiy  well  in  their 
way;  but  they  only  serve  for  quenching  thirst,  and  have  nothing  sociable  about  them. 
Xow  the  Kaffir  is  essentially  a  sociable  being,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  ho 
likes  nothing  better  than  sitting  in  a  circle  of  friends,  talking,  grinding  snuff  or  taking 
it,  smoking,  and  drinking.  And,  when  he  joins  in  such  indulgences,  he  prefers  that  his 
drink  should  be  of  an  intoxicating  nature,  therein  following  the  usual  instincts  of 
I  -jiankind  all  over  the  world. 

There  are  few  nations  who  do  not  know  how  to  make  intoxicating  drinks,  and  the 

I  Kaffir  ifl  not  likely  to  be  much  behindhand  in  this  respect    The  only  fermented  drink 

which  the  genuine  Kaffirs  use  is  a  kind  of  beer,  called  in  the  native  tongue  "  outchualla." 

Like  all  other  savages,  the  Kaffirs  veiy  much  prefer  the  stronger  potations  that  are  made 

by  Europeans;  and  their  love  for  whisky,  rum,  and  brandy  has  been  the  means  of  ruining, 

land  almost  extinguishing,  many  a  tribe — ^just  as  has  been  the  case  in  Northern  America. 

(The  quantity  of  spirituous  liquid  that  a  Kaffir  can  drink  is  really  astonishing;  and  the 

I  strangest  thing  is,  that  he  will  consume  nearly  a  bottle  of  the  commonest  and  coarsest 

spirit,  and  rise  at  daybreak  on  the  next  morning  without  even  a  headache. 

The  beer  which  the  Kaffirs  make  is  by  no  means  a  heady  liquid,  and  seems  to  have 
|rather  a  fattening  than  an  intoxicating  quality.  All  men  of  note  drink  large  quantities  of 
and  the  chief  of  a  tribe  rarely  stirs  without  having  a  great  vessel  of  beer  at  hand, 
I  together  with  his  gourd-cup  and  ladle.  The  operations  of  brewing  are  conducted  entirely 
by  the  women,  and  are  tolerably  simple,  much  resembling  the  plan  which  is  used  in 
I  England  Barley  is  not  employed  for  this  purpose,  the  grain  of  maize  or  millet  being 
I  substituted  for  it 

The  grain  is  first  encouraged  to  a  partial  sprouting  by  being  wrapped  in  wet  mats,,  and 
I  is  then  killed  by  heat,  so  as  to  make  it  into  malt,  resembling  that  which  is  used  in  our 
I  own  country.  The  next  process  is  to  put  it  into  a  vessel,  and  let  it  boil  for  some  time, 
land  afterwards  to  set  it  aside  for  fermentation.  The  Kaffir  has  no  yeast,  but  employs  a 
I  lather  curious  substittite  for  it,  being  the  stem  of  a  species  of  ice-plant,  dried  and  kept 
I  ready  for  use. 

As  the  liquid  ferments,  a  scum  arises  to  the  top,  which  is  carefully  removed  by  means 
I  of  an  ingenious  instrument  shown  at  figs.  3  and  4,  on  page  158.  This  skimmer  is  very  'much 
Jlike  those  wire  implements  used  by  our  cooks  for  talcing  vegetables  out  of  hot  water, 
land  is  made  of  grass  stems  very  neatly  woven  together ;  a  number  of  them  forming  the 
Ihandle,  and  others  spreading  out  like  the  bowl  of  a  spoon.  The  bowls  of  these  skimmers 
jare  set  at  different  angles,  so  as  to  suit  the  vessel  in  which  fermentation  is  carried  on. 

When  the  beer  is  poured  into  the  vessel  in  which  it  is  kept  for  use,  it  is  passed  through 

la  strainer,  so  as  to  prevent  any  of  the  malt  from  mixing  with  it   One  of  these  strainers  is 

jshown  at  fig.  3,  on  page  63.    The  specimen  from  which  the  drawing  was  taken  is  in  my 

[own  collection,  and  is  a  good  sample  of  the  Kaffir's  workmanship.     It  is  made  of  reeds, 

[split  and  flattened ;   each  reed  being  rather  more  than  the  fifth  of  an  inch  wide  at 

[the  opening    and  the  twelfth  of  an  inch  at  the  smaller  end,  and  being  carefully 

?:aduated  in  width.     In  shape  it  resembles  a  jelly-bag,  and,  indeed,  has  much  the 

ame  office  to  perform.    The  reeds  are  woven  in  the  "  under  three  and  over  three " 

isbion,  so  as  to  produce  a  zigzag  pattern;  and  the  conical  shape  of  the  strainer  is 

h2 


B^ 


i 


4     .  _. 


"«><< 


164 


THE  KAFFIE. 


obtained,  not  by  any  alteration  in  the  mode  of  weaving,  but  by  the  gradual  diminution 
of  the  reeds. 

These  strainers  are  of  various  sizes ;  but  my  own  specimen,  which  is  of  the  averace 
dimensions,  measures  fifteen  inches  in  length,  and  nine  in  width  across  the  opening. 

Beer,  like  milk,  is  kept  in  baskets,  which  the  Kafl&rs  are  capable  of  making  so 
elaborately,  that  they  can  hold  almost  any  liquid  as  well  as  if  they  were  casks  made 
by  the  best  European  coopers.  Indeed,  the  fineness  and  beauty  of  the  Kaffir  basket. 
work  may  excite  the  admiration,  if  not  the  envy,  of  civilized  basket-makers,  who,  however 
artistic  may  be  the  forms  which  they  produce,  would  be  sadly  puzzled  if  required  to  make 
a  basket  that  would  hold  beer,  wine,  or  even  mUk. 


1^ '  ■   f\ 


KAf FIB  WOHEM  BBEWINQ  BEEB 


One  of  the  ordinary  forms  of  beer-basket  may  be  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  46, 
the  small  mouth  being  for  the  greater  convenience  of  pouring  it  out.  Others  can  be  seen 
in  the  illustration  on  page  56,  representing  the  interior  of  a  Kaffir  hut.  Beer-baakete  of 
various  sizes  are  to  be  found  in  every  kraal,  and  are  always  kept  in  shady  places,  to 
prevent  the  liquid  from  being  injured  by  heat.  A  Kaffir  chief  hardly  seems  to  be  able  to 
siipport  existence  without  his  beer.  Within  his  own  house,  or  in  the  shadow  of  a  friendly 
screen,  he  will  sit  by  the  hour  to[;ether,  smoking  his  enormous  pipe  continually,  and 
drinking  his  beer  at  tolerably  constant  intervals,  thus  contriving  to  consume  a  consideraWe 
amount  both  of  tobacco  and  beer.  Even  if  he  goes  out  to  inspect  his  cattle,  or  to  review 
his  soldiers,  a  servant  is  sure  to  be  with  him,  bearing  his  beer-basket,  stool,  and  other 
luxurious  appendages  of  state. 

He  generally  drinks  out  of  a  cup,  which  he  makes  from  a  gourd,  and  which,  in 
and  size,  much  resembles  an  emu's  egg  with  the  top  cut  off.  For  the  purpose  of 
the  beer  out  of  the  basket,  and  pouring  it  into  the  cup,  he  uses  a  ladle  of  some  sort. 
form  which  is  most  generally  in  use  is  that  which  is  made  from  a  kind  of  gourd ;  not  egg- 
shaped,  like  that  from  which  the  cup  is  made,  but  formed  very  much  like  an  onion  v& 
the  stalk  attached  to  it.  The  bulb  of  the  onion  represents  the  end  of  the  gourd,  and  it 
will  be  seen  that  when  a  slice  is  cut  off  this  globular  end,  and  the  interior  of  the  gourd 
removed,  a  very  neat  ladle  can  bo  produced.  As  the  outer  skin  of  the  gourd  is  of  a  fine 
yellow  colour,  and  has  a  high  natural  poUsh,  the  cup  and  ladle  have  a  very  pretty 
appearance. 

Sometimes  the  Kaffir  carves  his  ladles  out  of  wood,  and  displays  much  skill  and  taste 
in  their  construction,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  specimens. 

Occasionally  the  beer  bowl  is  carved  from  wood  as  well  as  the  ladle;  but,  on  account  of 
its  weight  when  empty,  and  the  time  employed  in  making  it,  none  but  a  chief  is  likely  to 


The 


BASKET-MAKING 


165 


linake  nse  of  such  a  bowl.  One  of  these  wooden  bowls  is  shown  at  fig.  2,  in  the  illustration 
Ion  page  63,  and  ia  drawn  from  a  specimen  brought  from  Southern  Africa  by  Mr.  HL 
Ijacksoa    It  is  of  large  dimensions,  as  may  be  seen  by  comparing  it  with  the  nulk-pail  at 

a.  1.   The  colour  of  the  btwl  is  black. 
It  is  rather  remarkable  that  the  Kaffir  who  carved  this  bowl  has  been  so  used  to 

„asket8  as  beer  vessels  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  get  the  idea  out  of  his  mind.  The 
Ibowl  is  painfully  wrought  out  of  a  single  block  of  wood,  and  must  have  cost  an  enormous 
lamount  of  labour,  consideting  the  rudeness  of  the  tools  used  by  the  carver.  According  to 
lour  ideas,  the  bowl  ought  therefore  to  show  that  it  really  is  something  more  valuable  than 
lnsaal,  and  as  unlike  the  ordinary  basket  as  possible.  But  so  wedded  has  been  the  maker 
Itothe  notion  that  a  basket,  and  nothing  but  a  basket,  is  the  proper  vessel  for  beer,  that  he 
Ibas  taken  great  pains  to  carve  the  whole  exterior  in  imitation  of  a  basket.  So  well  and 
liffiularly  is  this  decoration  done,  that  when  the  bowl  is  set  some  little  distance,  or  placed 
liathe  shade,  many  persons  mistake  it  for  a  basket  set  on  three  wooden  legs,  and  stained 
■black. 


i 


STOREHOUSES. 


At  fig.  5  of  the  same  illustration  is  an  example  of  the  Kaffir's  basket-work.  This  is 
e  of  the  baskets  used  by  the  women  when  they  have  been  to  the  fields,  and  have  to 
[carry  home  the  ears  of  maize  or  other  produce.  This  basket  is  very  stout  and  strong,  and 
I  will  accommodate  a  quantity  of  com  which  would  form  a  good  load  for  an  average  English 
[labourer.  But  she  considers  this  hard  work  as  part  of  woman's  mission,  asks  one  of  her 
[companions  to  assist  in  placing  it  on  her  head,  and  goes  off  with  her  burden,  often  light- 
[ening  the  heavy  task  by  joining  in  a  chorus  with  her  similarly-laden  friends.  Indeed,  as 
[has  been  well  said  by  an  experienced  missionary,  in  the  normal  state  of  the  Kaffir  tribes 
J  tho  woman  serves  every  office  in  husbandry,  and  herself  fulfils  the  duties  of  field-labourer, 
[plough,  cart,  ox,  and  horse. 

Basket-work  is  used  for  an  infinity  of  purposes.     It  is  of  basket-work,  for  example, 

that  the  Kaffir  maktis  his  curious  and  picturesque  storehouses,  in  which  he  keeps  the 

com  that  he  is  likely  l^o  require  for  household  use.    These  storehouses  are  always  raised 

some  height  from  the  ground,  for  the  double  purpose  of  keeping  vermin  from  devastating 

[them,  and  of  allowing  a  free  passage  to  the  air  round  them,  and  so  keeping  their  contents 


166 


THE  KAFFIR 


dry  and  in  good  condition.  Indead,  the  very  houses  are  formed  of  a  sort  of 'basket-work,  I 
as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Chapter  VII. ;  and  even  their  kraals,  or  villages,  are  little' I 
more  than  basket-work  on  a  very  large  scale.  I 

Almost  any  kind  of  flexible  material  seems  to  answer  for  baskets,  and  the  Kaffiil 
workman  impresses  into  his  service  not  only  the  twigs  of  pliant  bushes,  like  the  osier  and  I 
willow,  but  uses  grass  stems,  grass  leaves,  rushes,  flags,  reeds,  bark,  and  similar  material!  1 
When  he  makes  Siose  that  are  used  for  holding  liquids,  he  always  uses  fine  materials,  and  I 
closes  the  spaces  between  them  by  beating  down  each  successive  row  with  an  instrumeiitl 
that  somewhat  resembles  a  very  stout  paper-knife,  and  that  is  made  either  of  wood,  bonetj 
or  ivory.  As  is  the  case  with  casks,  pails,  quaighs,  and  all  vessels  that  are  made  with] 
staves,  the  baskets  must  be  well  soaked  before  they  become  thoroughly  water-tight 


KAFFIR  WOMEN  BASKET  MAKING. 


One  of  these  baskets  is  in  my  own  collection.      It  is  most  beautifully  made,  8 
certainly  surpasses  vessels  of  wood  or  clay  in  one  respect ;  namely,  that  it  will  bear  very  | 
rough  treatment  without  breaking.   The  mode  of  weaving  it  is  peculiarly  intricate.  Av 
amount  of  grass  is  employed  in  its  construction,  the  work  is  very  close,  and  the  ends  ol  I 
the  innumerable  grass  blades  are  so  neatly  woven  into  the  fabric  as  scarcely  to  be  | 
distinguishable. 

This  basket  is  delineated  in  the  next  illustration.     Soon  after  it  came  into  my  I 
possession,  I  sent  it  to  a  conversazione,  together  with  a  large  number  of  ethnological 
curiosities,  and,  knowing  that  very  few  would  believe  in  its  powers  without  actual  prao^ 
I  filled  it  with  milk,  and  placed  it  on  the  table.     Although  it  had  been  in  England  foij 
some  time,  and  had  evidently  undergone  rather  rough  treatment,  it  held  the  milk  veiy  | 
welL    There  was  a  very  slight  leakage,  caused  by  a  mistake  of  the  former  proprietor,  v' 
had  sewed  a  label  upon  it  with  a  very  coarse  needle,  leaving  little  holes,  through  ^hicli  I 
a  few  drops  of  milk  gradually  oozed.    With  this  exception,  however,  the  basket  was  as  j 
serviceable  as  when  it  was  in  use  among  the  Kaffir  huts. 

Honey  is  a  very  favourite  food  with  the  Kaffirs,  who  are  expert  at  attacking  the  ne 
and  removing  the  combs  in  spite  of  the  attacks  of  the  bees.     They  detect  a  bees'  nest  in  I 
many  ways,  and,  among  other  plans  for  finding  the  nest,  they  set  great  value  on  the  l  " 
called  the  Honey-guide. 

Thore  are  several  species  of  honey -guide,  two  of  which  are  tolerably  common  in  I 
Southern  Africa,  and  all  of  which  belong  to  the  cuckoo  family.    These  birds  are  remark- 
able for  the  trust  which  they  instinctively  repose  in  mankind,  and  the  manner  in  wbidi  j 


THE  HONEY-GUroE. 


167 


/act  as  guides  to  the  nest.  Whenever  a  Kaffir  hears  a  bird  utter  a  peculiar  cry,  which 
J  been  represented  by  the  word  "  Cherr !  cherr ! "  he  looks  out  for  the  singer,  and  goes 
the  direction  of  the  voice.     The  bird,  seeing  that  the  naan  is  following,  begins  to 
>h  the  bees'  nest,  still  uttering  its  encouraging  cry,  and  not  ceasing  until  the  nest 

li  found. 

The  Kaffirs  place  great  reliance  on  the  bird,  and  never  eat  all  the  honey,  but  make  a 

int  of  leaving  some  for  the  guide  that  conducted  them  to  the  sweet  storehouse.    They 

ty  that  the  honey-guide  voluntarily  seeks  the  help  of  man,  because  it  would  otherwise  be 

wible  to  get  at  the  bee-combs,  which  are  made  in  hollow  trees,  thus  being  protected  in 

icure  fortresses,  which  the  bird  could  not  penetrate  without  the  assistance  of  some  being 

.Tonger  than  itself.     And  as  the  bird  chiefly  wants  the  combs  which  contain  the  bee- 

rabs,  and  the  man  wants  only  those  which  contain  honey,  the  Kaffir  leaves  all  the 

ub-combs  for  the  bird,  and  takes  all  the  honey-combs  himself;  so  that  both  parties  are 


MILK  BASKET. 


Whether  this  be  the  case  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  bird  does  perform  this  service  tc 

nkind,  and  that  both  tho  Kaffir  and  the  bird  seem  to  understaiul  <^ach  other.  The 
ffoneyEatel,  one  of  the  largest  species  of  the  weasel  tribe,  and  en  animal  vhich  hi  extremely 
bnd  of  bee-combs,  is  said  to  share  with  mankind  the  privilege  of  ttilif  ico  with  the  honey- 
lide,  and  to  requite  the  aid  of  the  bird  with  the  comb  which  it  taars  out  of  the  hollow 
■ee.  It  is  remarkable  that  both  the  ratel  and  the  honey-guide  arb  so  thickly  defended, 
he  one  with  fur,  and  the  other  with  feathers,  that  the  stings  of  '>e  bees  canuo'.  penetrate 
^Dugh  their  natural  armour. 

It  is  rather  curious,  however,  that  the  honey-guide  does  not  invariably  lead  to  the 
fcests  of  bees.  It  has  an  odd  habit  of  guiding  ths  attention  of  mankind  to  any  animal 
Fhich  may  be  hiding  in  the  bush,  and  the  wary  traveller  is  always  careful  to  have  his 
Weapons  ready  when  he  follows  the  honey-guide,  knowing  that,  although  the  bird  generally 
leads  the  way  to  honey,  it  has  an  unpleasant  custom  of  leading  to  a  concealed  buffalo,  or 
jion,  or  panther,  or  even  to  the  spot  where  a  cobra  or  other  poisonous  snake  is  rt  posing. 

Although  honey  is  much  prized  by  the  Kaffirs,  they  exercise  much  caution  in  eating  it ; 
nd  before  they  will  trust  themselves  to  taste  it,  they  inspect  the  neighbourhood,  with  the 
purpose  of  seeing  whether  certain  poisonous  plants  grow  in  the  vicinity,  as  in  thnt  case 
Jm  honey  is  sure  to  be  deleterious.  The  euphorbia  is  one  of  these  poisonous  plai!^;s,  and 
Pelongs  to  a  large  order,  which  is  represented  in  England  by  certain  small .  plants  known 
p  the  common  denomination  of  spurge.  One  of  them,  popularly  called  milky -weed,,  sun- 
prge,  or  wort-spurge,  is  well  kno.vn  for  the  white  juice  which  pours  plentifully  from 
p  wounded' stem,  and  which  is  used  in  some  places  as  a  means  of  destroying  v.  arts. 


M 


168 


THE  KAFFIR. 


In  our  own  countiy  the  juice  is  only  remarkable  for  its  milky  appearance  and  its  1 
acrid  taste,  which  abides  in  the  mouth  for  a  wonderfully  long  time;  but  in  Africa! 
euphorbias  grow  to  the  dimensions  of  trees,  and  the  juice  is  used  in  many  parts  of  I 
continent  as  a  poison  for  arrows.  Some  of  them  look  so  like  the  cactus  group  that  L, 
might  be  mistaken  for  those  plants ;  but  they  are  easily  known  by  the  milky  juice  tb 
pours  from  them  when  wounded,  and  by  the  fact  that  their  thorns,  when  they  have  and 
grow  singly,  and  not  in  clusters,  like  those  of  the  cactus.  The  white  juice  furnishes,  wb 
evaporate(^  a  highly-poisonous  drug,  called  euphorbixun. 

Honey  is  often  found  in  very  singular  places.    A  swarm  has  been  known  to 
possession  of  a  human  skull,  and  combs  have  been  discovered  in  the  skeleton  framewoi 
of  a  dead  elephant 

like  many  other  nations,  the  Zulus  use  both  poultry  and  their  eggs  for  food, 
both  are  employed  as  objects  of  barter.    The  unfortunate  fowls  that  are  selected  for  I 

purpose  must  be  singularly  uncomfortablt] 
for  they  are  always  tied  in  bundles 
three,  their  legs  being  firmly  bound 
gether.    While  the  bargaining  is  in  pn 
gress,  the  fowls  are  thrown  heedlessly  o| 
the  ground,  where  they  keep  up  a  coi 
tinual  cackling,  as  if  complaining  of  titeij 
hard  treatment.  The  Kaffir  does  not  inta 
to  be  cruel  to  the  poor  birds ;  but  he  1 
really  no  idea  that  he  is  inflicting  paino 
them,  and  will  carry  them  for  miles  bytlii 
legs,  their  heads  hanging  down,  and  thei 
legs  cut  by  the  cords. 

The  accompanying  illustration  repn 
sents  one  of  the  ingenious  houses  wlicl 
the  Kaffirs  build  for  their  poultry, 
house  is  made  of  rough  basket  work,! 
is  then  plastered  thickly  with  clay,  jm 
like  the  low  walls  of  ihe  cool<ing-lioiii 
mentioned  on  pap.e  146.    By  the  side  ( 
the  henhouse  is  an  earthenware  jar,  witll 
an  inverted  basket  by  way  of  cover.  Tliij 
jar  holds  corn,  and  in  front  of  it  is  m 
of  the  riimitive  grain  mills.    A  heerW 
emd  Its  ladle  are  placed  near  the  mill. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  nothing  can  induce  the  Kaffirs  to  eat  fish,  this  prejudice  kii 
shared  by  many  nations,  while  others  derive  a  great  part  of  their  subsistence  from  the  s 
and  the  river.    They  seem  to  feel  as  much  disgust  at  the  notion  of  eating  fish  as  wed 
at  articles  of  diet  such  as  caterpillars,  earthworms,  spiders,  and  other  creatures,  which  a 
considered  as  dainties  in  some  parts  of  the  world. 

In  the  article  of  diet  the  Zulus  are  curiously  particular,  rejecting  many  articles  i 
food  which  the  neighbouring  tribes  eat  without  scruple,  and  which  even  the  Europ 
settlera  do  not  refuse.  As  has  already  been  mentioned,  fish  of  all  kinds  is  rejected,  a 
so  are  reptiles.  The  true  Zulu  will  not  eat  any  species  of  monkey  nor  the  hyaena,  i 
this  particular  we  can  sympathise  with  them.  But  it  is  certainly  odd  to  find  that  tin 
prohibited  articles  of  food  include  many  of  the  animals  which  inhabit  Africa,  and  whid 
are  eaten  not  only  by  the  other  tribes,  but  by  the  white  men.  The  most  extraordinaij 
circumstance  is,  that  the  Zulus  will  not  eat  the  eland,  an  animal  whose  flesh  is  f 
superior  to  that  of  any  English  ox,  is  preferred  even  to  venison,  and  can  be  procured  inl 
large  quantities,  owing  to  its  size.  I 

Neither  will  the  Zulus  eat  thf;  zebra,  the  gnu,  the  hartebeest,  nor  the  rhinoceros;  andtiul 
warriors  refrain  from  the  flesh  of  the  elephant,  the  hippopotamus,  and  the  wild  swiiB| 
Tlie  objection  to  eat  these  animals  seems  to  have  extended  over  a  considerable  portions 


FOWL  HOUSE. 


FOBBIDDEN  MEAia 


169 


ithem  Africa ;  but  when  Tchaka  overran  the  country,  and  swept  off  all  the  herds  of 
the  vanquished  tribes  were  obliged  either  to  eat  the  hitherto  rejected  animals  or 
[jte'rve,  and  naturally  preferred  the  former  alternative. 

It  is  probable  that  the  custom  of  repudiating  certain  aiticles  of  food  is  founded  upon 

ne  of  the  superstitious  ideas  which  take  the  place  of  a  reUgion  in  the  Kafi&r's  mind. 
;  jg  certain  that  superstition  prohib^  ^s  fowls,  ducks,  bustards,  porcupines,  and  eggs, 
I  all  except  the  very  young  and  the  old,  because  the  Kaffirs  think  that  those  who 
J  such  food  will  never  enjoy  the  bono  table  title  of  father  or  mother;  and,  as  is  well 
^own,  a  childless  man  or  woman  is  held  in  the  supremest  contempt. 

There  is  perhaps  no  article  of  food  more  utterly  hateful  to  the  Kaffir  than  the  flesh  of 

J  crocodile,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  even  the  pangs  of  starvation  would  induce  a 

lulu  Kaffir  to  partake  of  such  food,  or  to  hold  friendly  intercourse  with  any  one  who  had 

pne  so. 

An  amusing  instance  of  this  innate  h(  Tor  of  the  crocodile  occurrea  some  few  years 
An  European  settler,  new  to  the  co  atry,  had  shot  a  crocodile,  and  having  heard 

I  of  the  properties  possessed  by  the  fa  of  the  reptile,  he  boiled  some  of  its  flesh  for 
[e  purpose  of  obtaining  it.     Unfortunately  for  him,  the  only  vessel  at  hand  was  an  iron 

I  in  which  his  Kaffir  servants  were  accustomed  to  cook  their  food,  and,  thinking  no 

D,  he  used  the  pot  for  his  purpose.  He  jould  not  have  done  anything  more  calculated 
0  shock  the  feelings  of  the  Kaffirs,  who  deserted  him  in  a  body,  leaving  the  polluted 

isel  behind  thera. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  none  but  a  Kaffir  can  either  drive  or  milk  the 

lative  cattle,  and  the  unfortunate  colonist  was  obliged  to  visit  all  the  kraals  within  reach 

i  order  to  hire  new  servants.     But  the  news  had  spread  in  all  directions,  that  the  white 

lan  CO  iked  crocodile  in  his  porridge  pot,  and  not  a  single  Kaffir  would  serve  him.    At 

ist  he  was  forced  to  go  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  visited  a  kraal  which  he  thought 

las  beyond  the  reach  of  rumour.    The  chief  man  received  him  hospitably,  promised  to 

fend  one  of  his  "  boys  "  as  a  servant,  and  volunteered  permission  to  beat  the  "  boy  "  if  he 

hre  disobedient.    He  finished  by  saying  that  he  only  made  one  stipulation,  and  that 

jras,  that  the  "  boy  "  in  question  should  not  be  obliged  to  eat  crocodile. 

It  will  be  understood  that  these  peculiarities  regarding  food  apply  only  to  the  Zulu 
Iribe,  and  that,  even  in  that  tribe,  great  modifications  have  taken  place  in  later  yeais. 


.i'i 


si   -t 

1     "t       m 


t  -I 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE   TTNIVEBSAL   LOVE   OF  TOBACCO — SmrSTING   AND    SMOKDfO  —  HOW   A  KAFFIB  MAEGS  HIS 

HOW   A    KAFFIB    TAKES     SNTJFP THE     SNUFF-SPOON,   ITS     F0BM8,  AND    MODE    OF   USING  IT - 

ETIQUETTE    OF    SNUFF-TAKING BEGGING   AND   GIVING    SNUFF — COMPABISON    WITH    OUE  EXGi: 

CUSTOM DELICACY  OF  THE  KAFFIb's  OLFACTOBY  NEBVES VABIOUS    FOBMS  OP  SNUKP-BOX— I 

EAB-BOX THE    8INGULAB   BLOOD-BOX — A    KAFFIB'S    CAPACITY   FOB   MODELLING — GOUHD  SNDF] 

BOX —  nii:     KAFFIB    AND    HIS    PIPE — PIPE    L0VEB8     THBOUGHOUT     THE    WOBLD  —  A   SINOnu 

INLAIXi    PIPE THE    WATEB-PIPE    OF   THE    KAFFIB HEMP,   OB   DAGHA,    AND    ITS    OPERATIOX  oj 

THE    s?V!TEM THE    FOOB    MAN's    PIPE CUBI0U8    ACCOMPANIMENT    OK    SMOKING  —  MAJOE  ] 

king's   &HOKINO   ADVENTUBB — CULTIVATION  AND   FBEPABATION   OF   TOBACCO. 


Ain'Er.  the  ^ood  of  Ihe  KafBr  tribes,  we  naturally  come  to  their  luxuries.    One  of  thesel 
Inxuries,  j;'i  nely,  beer,  is  scarcely  considered  as  such  by  them,  but  is  reckoned  as  oneo 
the  necossiu  le-!  of  life.     There  is,  however,  one  gratification  in  wliich  the  Kaffir  indi 
whenever  no  can  do  so,  and  that  is  the  use  of  tobacco,  either  in  the  form  of  smoke  o 
snuff. 

The  love  of  tobacco,  which  is  universally  prevalent  over  the  world,  is  fully  developed  J 
the  Kaffir,  as  in-  all  the  savage  tribes  of  Africa.  For  tobacco  the  native  undergoal 
exertions  which  no  other  reward  would  induce  him  to  undertake.  He  is  not  at  il 
particular  about  the  quality,  provided  that  it  be  strong,  and  it  is  impossible  to  prodttcej 
tobacco  that  can  be  too  coarse,  rough,  or  powerful  for  his  taste.  He  likes  to  feel  its  effecbj 
on  his  system,  and  would  reject  the  finest  flavoured  cigar  for  a  piece  of  rank  sti(i| 
tobacco  that  an  English  gentleman  would  be  unable  to  smoke. 

He  uses  tobacco  in  two  forms,  namely,  smoke  and  snuff,  and  in  both  cases  likes  to| 
feel  that  he  has  the  fuU  flavour  of  the  narcotic. 

His  snuff  is  made  in  a  very  simple  manner,  and  is  mostly  manufactured  by  tlie| 
women.  The  first  process  is  to  grind  the  tobacco  to  powder  between  two  stones, 
when  it  is  partially  rulsbed  down  a  little  water  is  added,  so  as  to  convert  it  into  a  pa 
Meanwhile,  a  number  of  twigs  are  being  carefully  burnt  to  ashes,  a  pure  white  featherjl 
ash  being  one  of  the  chief  ingredients.  The  leaf  of  the  aloe,  previously  dried,  is  ofteiij 
used  for  this  purpose,  and  by  connois curs  if  [^referred  to  any  other  material.  Whentkl 
snufif-maker  judges  that  the  tobacco  i^  ;  utficiently  ground,  she  spreads  the  paste  uponjl 
flat  stone,  and  places  it  in  the  rays  of  i.he  sun.  The  g:c  t  heat  soon  dries  up  the  cakdl 
tobacco,  which  is  then  rubbed  until  it  1.  .comes  a  very  fine  powder.  A  certain  proportioDl 
of  wood-ash  is  then  added  and  carefully  mixed,  and  the  snuff  is  made.  The  effect tifl 
the  ashes  is  to  give  a  pungency  to  the  snufF,  such  as  cannot  be  obtained  from  the  pMl 
tobacco. 

Of  this  snuff  the  Kaffirs  are  immoderately  fond,  and  even  European  snuff-takers  ofteul 
prefer  it  to  any  snuff  that  can  be  purchased.  I  know  one  African  traveller,  w^'o  acquiredl 
the  habit  of  snuff-taking  among  the  Kaffirs,  and  who,  having  learned  to  man  snuff  inl 
Kaffir  fashion,  continues  to  marufacture  his  own  snufl",  thinking  it  superior  to  liytlmtl 
can  be  obtamed  at  the  tobacconists'  shops. 


SNUFF-TAKING. 


171 


The  manner  of  taking  snuff  is,  among  the  Kaffirs,  by  no  means  the  simple  process  in 
among  ourselves.  Suuff-taking  almost  assumes  the  character  of  a  solemn  rite,  and  is 
er  performed  with  the  thoughtless  levity  of  an  European  snuff-taker.  A  Kaffir  never 
iks  of  taking  snuff  while  standing,  but  must  needs  sit  down  for  the  purpose,  in  some 

je  and  at  some  time  when  he  will  not  be  disturbed. 

If  he  happens  to  be  a  man  tolerably  well  off,  he  will  have  a  snuff-spoon  ready  stuck 

Ibis  hair,  and  will  draw  it  out.    These  snuff-spoons  are  very  similar  in  form,  although 

IT  slightly  differ  in  detail.    They  are  made  of  bone 

ivory,  and  consist  of  a  small  bowl  set  on  a  deeply 

Hired  handle.    Some  spoons  have  two  prongs,  but 

1  generality  have  three.    The  bowl  is  mostly  hemi- 

[erical,  but  in  some  specimens  it  is  oblong.    I  pos- 
specimens   of   both    shapes,  which    are   shown 

fthe accompanying  illustration;  and  I  have  also  a 

spoon  from  Madagascar,  which  is  very  similar 

Ihio  shape  and  size  to  that  which  is  \ised  by  the 

[Supposing  him  to  have  a  spoon,  he  takes  his  snuff- 

[  out  of  his  ear,  or  from  his  belt,  and  solemnly  fills 
bowl  of  the  spoon.    He  then  replaces  the  box, 

lertsthe  bowl  of  the  spoon  into  his  capacious  nostrils, 

1  with  a  powerful  inhalation  exhausts  the  contents. 

e  pungent  snuff  causes  tears  to  pour  downhis  cheeks ; 

las  if  to  make  sure  that  they  shall  follow  their  pr9per 

ise,  tl  e  taker  draws  the  edges  of  his  thumbs  down 

|iace,  so  as  make  a  kind  of  groove  in  which  the  tears 

1  run  from  the  inner  angle  of  the  eyes  to  the  corner 

|he  mouth.  This  flood  of  tears  constitutes  the  Kaffir's 

at  enjoyment  in  snuff-taking,  and  it  is  contrary 
lali  etiquette  to  speak  to  a  Kaffir,  or  to  disturb  him 
lany  way,  while  he  is  taking  his  snuff. 

j  If,  as  is  often  the  case,  he  is  not  rich  enough  to  pos- 

j  a  spoon,  he  manages  it  in  another  fashion.    Taking 

!  to  seat  himself  in  a  spot  which  is  sheltered  from 

!  wind,  he  pours  the  snuff  on  the  back  of  his  hand, 

king  a  little  conical  heap   that  exactly  coincides 

kliliis  wide  nostrils.     By  putting  the  left  side  of  his 

Ise  on  the  suuff  heap,  and  closing  the  other  nostrU. 

kli  his  forefinger,  he  contrives  to  absorb  it  all  without  losing  a  grain  of  the  precious 

pstance— an  act  which  he  would  consider  as  the  very  acme  of  folly. 

The  rules  of  etiquette  are  especially  minute  as  regards  snuff  taking. 

It  is  considered  bad  manners  to  offer  snutf  to  another,  because  to  offer  a  gift  implies 

leriority ;  the  principal  man  in  each  assembly  being  always  called  upon  to  give  snuff  to 
i  others. 

There  is  an  etiquette  even  in  asking  for  snuff.     If  one  Kaffir  sees  another  taking 

jnff,he  does  not  ask  directly  for  it,  but  puts  a  sidelong  question,  saying,  "  What  are  you 

Jting?"    The  first  answer  to  this  question  is  always  to  the  effect  that  he  is  not  eating 

Irtliing,  which  is  the  polite  mode  of  refusing  the  request — a  refusal  to  the  first  appli- 

]tion  being  part  of  the  same  singular  code  of  laws.     When  a  second  request  is  made  in 

;same  indirect  manner  as  the  former,  he  pours  a  quantity  of  snuff  into  the  palm  of 

ileft  hand,  and  holds  it  out  for  +he  other  to  help  himself,  and,  at  the  same  time,  looks 

efully  in  another  direction,  so  that  he  may  not  seem  to  watch  the  quantity  which  is 

hn,  and  to  appear  to  grudge  v,he  gift.     Or,  if  several  be  present,  and  he  is  a  rich 

^n,  he  helps  himself  first,  and  then  throws  the  box  to  his  guests,  abstaining,  as  before, 

Jom  looking  at  them  as  they   help  themselves.     When  a  chief  has  summoned  his 

fpendants,  he  calls  a  servant,  who  holds  his  two  open  hands  together,  so  as  to  form  a 


THREE  KINDS  OF  SNUFF  SPOONS  . 


if     h      , 


i 


ii 


172 


THE  KAFFIR 


cup.    The  chief  then  fills  his  hands  with  snuff,  and  the  servant  carries  the  valued  gift! 
the  guests  as  they  sit  around. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  when  a  Kaffir  takes  snuff  he  sits  on  the  greji 
This  is  one  of  the  many  small  points  of  etiquette  which  the  natives  observe  wity 
minutest  care.  Its  infringement  is  looked  upon  not  only  as  an  instance  of  bad  manJ 
but  as  a  tacit  acknowledgment  that  the  man  who  stands  up  while  he  is  engaged  with] 
snuff  with  another  is  trying  to  take  an  advantage  of  him.  Mr.  Shooter  remarks  1 
many  a  man  has  been  murdered  by  being  entrapped  into  snuff-taking,  and  then  8tj 
while  in  a  defenceless  position.  The  very  act  of  holding  out  one  hand  filled  with  i,„ 
while  the  other  is  occupied  with  the  snuff-box,  prevents  the  donor  from  using  hia  weapl 
80  that  he  might  be  easily  overpowered  by  any  one  who  was  inclined  to  be  treacherom 


GIVING  AND  TAKING  SNUFF. 


The  reader  will  probably  have  observed  the  analogy  between  this  custom 
ancient  etiquette  of  our  own  land,  a  relic  of  which  stUl  survives  in  the  "  grace  ciip| 
handed  round  at  municipal  banquets. 

There  are  few  points  in  Kaffir  life  more  remarkable  than  the  minute  code  of  etiqnel 
concerning  the  use  of  tobacco.  It  must  have  been  of  very  recent  growth,  because  tote 
although  much  cultivated  in  Africa,  is  not  indigenous  to  that  country,  and  has  I 
introduced  from  America.  It  almost  seems  as  if  some  spirit  of  courtesy  were  inkie 
in  the  plant,  and  thus  the  African  black  man  and  the  American  red  man  are  perfonj 
obliged  to  observe  careful  ceremonial  in  its  consumption. 

It  might  naturally  be  thought  that  the  constant  inhalations  of  such  quantities^ 
snuff,  and  that  of  so  pungent  a  character,  would  injure  the  olfactory  nerves  to  suchi| 
extent  that  they  would  be  scarcely  able  to  perform  their  office.  Such,  however,  is  i 
the  case.  The  Kaffir's  nose  is  a  wonderful  organ.  It  is  entirely  unaffected  liyt 
abominable  scent  proceeding  from  the  rancid  grease  with  which  the  natives  plenteou! 
besmear  themselves,  and  suffers  no  inconvenience  from  the  stifling  atmosphere  oft 
hut  where  many  inmates  are  assembled.  But,  notwithstanding  all  these  assaults  upi 
it,  conjoined  with  the  continual  snuff-taking,  it  can  detect  odours  which  are  i\i 


SNUFF-BOXES. 


m 


ceptible  to  European  nostrils,  and  appears  to  be  nearly  as  sensitive  as  that  of  the 
Jhoiind. 

iBein*'  so  fond  of  their  snuff,  the  Kaffirs  lavish  all  their  artistic  powers  on  the  boxes 
ifhicb"they  carry  so  valuable  a  substance.  They  make  their  snuff-boxes  of  various 
s,  such  as  wood,  bone,  ivory,  horn  ;  and  just  as  Europeans  employ  gems  and  the 
jcious  metals  in  the  manufacture  of  their  snuff-boxes,  so  do  the  Kaffirs  use  for  the 
L  purpose  the  materials  which  they  most  value,  and  exhaust  upon  them  the  utmost 
Wes  of  their  simple  arts. 

I  One  of  the  commonest  forms  of  snuff-box  is  a  small  tube,  about  three  inches  in  length, 

1  half  an  inch  in  diameter.    This  is  merely  a  joint  of  reed,  with  its  open  end  secured 

I  a  plug.    The  natural  colour  of  the  reed  is  shining  yellow ;  but  the  Kaffir  mostly 

[orates  it  with  various  patterns,  made  by  partially  charring  the  surface.    These  patterns 

differently  disposed ;  but  in  general  form  they  are  very  similar,  consisting  of  diamonds 

A  triangles  of  alternate  black  and  yellow.     This  box  answers  another  purpose  beside 

it  of  holding  the  snuff,  and  is  used  as  an  ornament.     The  correct  method  of  wearing 

(is  to  make  a  hole  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear,  and  push  the  snuff-box  into  it.    In  that 

kioa  it  is  always  at  hand,  and  the  bold  black  and  yellow  pattern  has  a  good  effect 

tinst  the  dark  cheek  of  the  wearer.     This  box  is  seen  at  fig.  6  on  page  43. 

Another  form  of  snuff-box  is  shown  at  fig.  5  on  the  same  page.    This  is  a  small 

licle,  and  is  cut  out  of  solid  ivory.     Much  skill  is  shown  in  the  external  shaping  of  it, 

very  great  patience  must  have  been  shown  in  scraping  and  polishing  its  surface.     But 

i  is  mere  child's  play  contrasted  with  the  enormous  labours  of  hollowing  it  with  the 

imperfect  tools  possessed  by  a  Kaffir  workman.    These  two  snuff-boxes  ought  to 

Jve  been  placed  with  those  on  page  43  ;  but  the  draughtsman  was  not  aware  of  their 

|iect,aid  so  placed  them  among  the  articles  of  dress  and  ornament,  to  which,  in  a 

pee,  they  certainly  do  belong. 

[The common  bottle-gourd  is  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of  snuff-boxes.     Some- 

bes  it  is  merely  hollowed,  and  ftirnished  with  a  plaited  leathern  thong,  whereby  it 

ly  be  secured  to  the  person  of  the  owner.     The  hollowing  process  is  very  simple,  and 

tsists  of  boring  a  hole  in  the  end  as  the  gourd  hangs  on  the  tree,  and  leaving  it  to 

pi  In  process  of  time  the  whol&  interior  decomposes,  and  the  outer  skin  is  baked 

the  sun  to  a  degree  of  hardness  nearly  equal  to  that  of  earthenware.     This  form  of 

uffbox  is  much  used,  and  is  seen  at  fig.  1  in  the  accompanying  illustration.    As  the 

ttle-gourd  obtains  a  large  size,  it  is  generally  employed  as  a  store-box,  in  which  snuff 

Ikept  in  stock,  or  by  a  chief  of  liber^  ideas,  who  likes  to  hand  round  a  large  supply 

long  his  followers.     One  of  the  large  ornamented  gourds  is  drawn  at  fig.  1,  page  60. 

In  the  generality  of  cases  it  is  ornamented 

I  some  way  or  other.    Sometimes  the  Kaffir 

prates  the  whole  exterior  with  the   angular 

Jarred  pattern  which  has  already  been  men- 

Ined ;  but  his  great  delight  is  to  cover  it  with 

pds,  the  ornaments  which    his  soul  loves. 

lese  beads  are  most  ingeniously  attached  to 

p  gourd,  and  fit  it  as  closely  as  the  protective 

[velope  covers  a  Florence  oil  flask. 

One  favourite  kind  of  snuff-box  is  made 

Im  the  bone  of  a  cow's  leg.     The  part  which 

jpreferred  is  that  just  above  the  fore  foot.  The 

|t  being  removed,  the  -Kaffir  measures  a  piece 

jthe  leg  some  four  inches  in  length,  and  cuts 

K  From  the  upper  part  he  strips  the  skin,  but  takes  care  to  leave  a  tolerably  broad 
|t  of  hide  at  the  wider  end.  The  bone  is  then  polished,  and  is  generally  decorated  with 
mely  engraved  but  moderately  regular  pattern,  somewhat  similar  to  that  which  has 
h  already  described  as  placed  upon  the  gourd.  The  natural  hollow  is  much  enlarged, 
Id  the  opening  being  closed  with  a  stopper,  the  snuff-box  is  complete.  This  box  is  seen 
[fig.  2  on  page  50.  '  ' 


41'  - 


SNUFF-BOXES. 


* 


174 


THE  KAFFIR 


Soiiietimcs  the  Kaffir  makes  his  snuff-box  out  of  the  horn  of  a  young  ox ;  but  hei 
occaaioniilly  go  to  the  trouble  of  cutting  it  out  of  the  liorn  of  a  rliinoceros.    Suclial 
is  a  v.'i'"  ble  oiif,  for  the  bone  of  the  rhinoceros  is  solid,  and  therefore  the  hollow  t 
be  madt!  oy  shci    labour,  whereas  that  of  the  ox  is  already  hollow,  and  only  needs  tol 
polished.     Moreover,  it  is  not  so  easy  to  procure  the  horn  of  a  rhinoceros  as  Mmt  of  a 
inasmuch  as  the  former  is  a  powerful  and  dangerous  animal,  and  can  oi;l    be  obu 
at  the  risk  of  life,  nr  by  the  laborious  plan  of  digffiug  a  pitfall. 

i  ,jre  is  one  form  of  snuff-box  which  is,  as  far  as  I  know,  peculi/f  to  the  triVnl 
Southern  Africa,  both  iii  shape  and  material.  A  good  speoiraen  oi  tl"  e  rematkal 
boxes  is  shown  in  the  illustration,  the  original  being  in  my  own  collr< ; lua. 

The  Kathr  bigins  by  making  a  clay  model  of  some  animal,  and  putting  it  in  thej 
to  dry.  He  is  very  expert  at  this  art,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  can  imitai  the  vari 
animals  with  such  truth  that  they  can  be  immediately  recognised.  Of  course  lie  1 
but  little  delicacy,  and  does  not.  aim  at  any  artistic  effect ;  but  ho  is  tlioroii»| 
acquainted  with  the  salie't  points  of  the  animal  which  he  is  niudt  ng,  and  ituj) 
them  with  a  force  that  frequently  passes  into  rather  ludicrous  exaggeration. 
The  next  process  is  a  very  singular  one. 

"When  a  cow  is  killed,! 
Kafhr  removes  the  hide,  i 
lays  it  on  the  ground  withtl 
hair  downwards.      With 
sharp  blade  of  his  assagai 
then  scrapes  the  interior  of  tj 
hide,  so  as  to  clean  off  theJ 
agulated  blood  which  adlioi 
to  it,  and  collects  it  all  in  o 
place.      With  this  ]>lood 
mixes  some  powdered  eaitka 
■works  the  blood  andthepowl 
into  a    paste.     Of  course! 
small  quantity  of  aniinnl  filj 
is  scraped  from  the  hide 
mixtd    with    the   paste, 
aids  to  bind  it  more  clos 
together. 
The  paste  being  ready,  the  Kaffir  rubs  it  over  the  clay  model,  taking  care  tolayito 
a  uniform  thickness.    A  few  minutes  in  the  burning  sunshine  sutiic  i  to  harden  it  loltral)! 
and  then  a  second  coat  is  added.     The  Kaffir  repeats  this  process  until  he  has  obtainedl 
coating  about  the  twelfth  of  an  inch  in  thickness.     Just  before  it  has  become  quite  1 
he  takes  his  needle  or  a  very  finely  pointed  assagai,  and  raises  a  kind  of  coarse  Dap« 
the  surface,  so  as  to  bear  a  rude  resemblance  to  hair. 

When  it  is  quite  dry,  the  Kaffir  cuts  a  round  hole  in  the  top  of  the  head,  and  \ril| 
his  needle,  aided  by  sundry  implements  made  ol  thorns,  picks  out  the  whole  of  the  ( 
model,  leaving  only  the  dry  coating  of  paste.  By  this  time  the  plastic  pastel 
hardened  into  a  peculiar  consistency.  It  is  very  heavy  in  proportion  to  its  bulk,  pai 
on  account  of  the  earthy  mav  ter  incorporated  with  it,  and  partly  on  account  of  i 
extremely  compact  nature.  It  is  wonderfully  strong,  resisting  considerable 
without  suffering  any  damage.  It  is  so  hard,  that  contact  with  sharp  stones,  spear  hei 
or  a  knife  blade  is  perfectly  innocuous,  and  so  elastic,  that  if  it  were  dropped  from  t 
clouds  upon  the  earth,  it  would  scarcely  sustain  any  injury. 

My  own  specimen  represents  an  elephant,  the  leathern  thong  by  which  the  pi 
is  retained  being  ingeniously  contrived  to  play  the  part  of  the  proboscis.     But  the  Kaf 
are  singularly  ingenious  in  their  manufacture  of  these  curious  snuff-boxes,  and  imit:^ 
the  form  of  almost  every  animal  of  their  own  country.    The  ox  and  the  elephant  ai 
their  favourite  models :  but  they  will  sometimes  make  a  snuff-box  in  the  form  of  J 
rhinoceros;  and  the  very  best  specimen  that  I  have  as  yet  seen  was  in  the  shape f 


SNUFP-BOX  MADE  OP  COW  -  iJi.OOU.       SMALL  GOURD  SNUFF-BOX. 


MODELLING. 


176 


hgrtebeest,  the  peculiar  recurved  horns,  and  shape  of  the  head,  being  rendered  with 

Uierl'iil  truth.  „     .      ,  .    ,     .  , 

Modelliii},'  must  naturally  imply  a  mind  with  some  artistic  powers ;  and  it  is  evident 
jatany  one  who  an  form  in  clay  a  recognisable  model  of  uuy  object,  no  matter  how 
Ce  it  miiy  ^^>  ^'*8  within  him  some  modicum  of  the  sculptor's  art.  Tliis  implies 
Iportion  of  the  draughtsman's  art  also,  because  in  the  mind  of  the  modeller  there  must 
nst  a  tol('nil)ly  accurate  conception  of  the  various  outlines  that  bound  the  object  which 
( models.  Now  the  example  just  given  of  the  snuff-boxes  shows  plainly  that  a  Kattlr  can 
Lke  in  clay  a  recognisablo  model  of  certain  given  animals,  and,  therefore,  must  be  some- 
liad  of  an  artist.  He  can  also  carve  very  respectably  in  wood  ;  and,  as  we  have  seen 
lien  we  <  ime  to  the  question  of  a  Kaffir's  food,  and  how  he  eats  it,  he  can  carve  his 

oiis  into  very  artistic  forms,  and  sometimes  to  the  shape  of  certain  objects,  whether 
[titicial  or  natural.  There  is  now  before  me  an  admirably  executed  modol  of  the.  head 
J  a  buffalo,  carved  by  a  Kaffir  out  of  a  rhinoc^ios  norn,  the  peculiar  sweep  and  curve  of 
lel)uffalo'3  enormous  horn  being  given  with  a  truth  and  freedom  that  are  really  wonderful. 

Yet  it  is  a  most  remarkable  fact  that  a  Kaffir,  as  a  general  rul<v  is  wholly  incapable 

understanding  a  drawing  that  includes  perspective.  An  ov^hmj  outline  he  can 
tdersuind  well  enough,  and  will  recognise  a  sketch  of  an  anim  house  or  a  man,  and 
^1  sometimes  succeed  in  identifying  the  individual  who  is  repi  i  d.     Yet  even  this 

taount  of  artistic  recognition  is  by  no  means  universal ;  and  a  T'  m  being  shown  a 

jell-executed  portrait  of  a  man,  has  been  known  to  assert  that  it  w  aa  a  linn. 

But  when  perspective  is  included,  the  Kaffir  is  wholly  at  a  loss  t  >  oomprehend  it. 
tie  of  my  friends,  who  was  travelling  in  South  Africa,  halted  at  a  well-known  spot,  and 
tile  there  received  a  copy  of  an  illustrated  newspaper,  in  which  was  an  engi-aving  of 
U  idei'tical  spot.  He  was  delighted  at  the  opportunity,  and  called  the  Kaffirs  to  come 
pd  look  at  the  print.  Not  one. of  them  could  form  the  slightest  conception  of  its 
leaning,  although,  by  a  curious  coincidence,  a  wagon  had  been  represented  in  exactly 
(e  situation  which  was  occupied  by  that  in  which  they  were  travelling.    In  vain  did  he 

)!ain  the  print.     Here  was  the  wagon — there  was  that  clump  of  trees — there  was  that 

t-topped  hill — down  in  that  direction  ran  that  ravine — and  so  forth.  They  listened 
fcry  attentively,  and  then  began  to  laugh,  thinking  that  he  was  joking  with  them.  The 
gon,  which  happened  to  be  in  the  foreground,  they  recognised,  but  the  landscape  they 
nored.  "  That  clump  of  trees,"  said  they,  "  is  more  than  a  mile  distant ;  how  can  it 
i  on  this  flat  piece  of  paper  ? "  To  their  minds  the  argument  was  ended,  and  there  was 
)  room  for  further  discussion. 

1  have  another  snuff-box,  which  is  remarkable  as  being  a  combination  of  two  arts ; 

nely,  modelling  ai^d  bead-work.  The  author  of  this  composition  does  not  seem  to 
bve  been  a  man  of  original  genius,  or  to  have  possessed  any  confidence  in  his  power  of 
lodellmg.  Instead  of  making  a  clay  model  of  some  animal,  he  has  contented  himself 
jith  imitating  a  gourd,  one  of  the  easiest  tasks  that  a  child  of  four  years  old  could 
prform.  There  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  make  a  ball  of  clay,  for  the  body  of  the  box,  and 
[  to  it  a  small  cylinder  of  clay  for  the  neck.  The  ball  need  not  be  exactly  spherical, 
[or  the  neck  exactly  cylindrical,  so  that  the  exigences  of  art  are  easily  satisfied.  This 
leciraen  is  shown  at  fig.  2,  on  page  173. 

The  maker  of  this  snuff-box  has  been  scarcely  more  successful  in  the  ornamental 
liver  than  in  the  box  itself.  With  great  labour  he  has  woven  an  envelope  made  of 
ads,  and  up  to  a  certain  point  has  been  successful.  He  has  evidently  possessed  beads 
'  several  sizes,  and  has  disposed  them  with  some  ingenuity.  The  larger  are  made  into 
fe  covei;  for  the  neck  oi  the  box,  a  number  of  the  very  largest  beads  being  feserved  to 
ark  the  lino  where  the  neck  is  worked  into  the  body  of  the  bottle.  All  the  boads  are 
_iing  upon  threads  made  of  sinews,  and  are  managed  so  ingeniously  that  a  kind 
'  close  network  is  formed,  which  fits  almost  tightly  to  the  box.  But  the  maker  has 
tmmitted  a  slight  error  in  his  measurements,  and  the  consequence  is  that,  although  the 
jiver  fits  closely  over  the  greater  part  of  the  box,  it  forms  several  ungainly  wrinkles  here 
I'd  there ;  the  maker  having  forgotten  that,  owing  to  the  globular  shape  of  the  box,  the 
ameter  of  the  bead  envelope  ought  to  have  been  contracted  with  each  row  of  beads. 


^^^^m^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


|5o  ^^"     R^M 

£  us  12.0 


11.25  III  1.4 


IJ4 


^^ 


^%. 


6^ 


^ 


^14 


V 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


^;^^^-/^ 

^^v 


23  WIST  MAIN  STtKT 

WIBSTIR.N.Y.  14StO 

(716)  •72-4503 


4iif 


k'^ 


<v 


176 


THE  KAFFIIL 


(  <  I     <a 


'fl 


The  colours  of  the  beads  are  only  three — ^namely,  chalk  white,  garnet,  and  blue- 
two  latter  being  translucent.  The  groundwork  is  formed  of  the  opaque  white  \ 
while  those  of  the  other  two  colours  are  disposed  in  bands  running  in  a  slightly  i 
direction. 

There  is  now  before  me  a  most  remarkable  snuff-box,  or  "iquaka,"  as  the  Eaffln  i. 
it,  which  perplexed  me  exceedingly.  The  form  is  that  of  a  iSouth  African  gonid,  andl 
is  famished  with  a  leathern  thong,  after  the  pure  African  fashion.  But  the  carvioiri 
which  it  is  almost  entirely  covered  never  was  designed  by  a  Kaffir  artist,  llie  m 
portion  is  cut  so  as  to  resemble  the  well-known  concentric  ivory  balls  which  the  ChinL 
cut  with  such  infinite  labour,  and  a  similar  pattern  decorates  the  base.  But  thelxKhl 
the  gourd  is  covered  with  outline  carvings,  one  of  which  represents  a  peacock,  a  M 
which  does  not  belong  to  Kaffirland,  and  the  rest  of  which  are  very  fiiir  representatjonsl 

the  rose,  thistle,  and  shamrock.  The  mam 
is  really  well  drawn,  the  contrast  between  I 
close  plumage  of  the  body  and  the 
decomposed  feathers  of  the  train  being 
boldly  marked;  while  the  attitude  of 
bird,  ixd  it  stands  on  a  branch,  with  levei^ 
head,  is  Very  natural.  Major  Boss  King,! 
whose  collection  it  belongs,  tells  me  that  if  1 
had  not  seen  it  taken  firom  the  body  of  a  sli 
warrior,  he  could  hardly  have  believed 
came  from  Southern  Africa.  He  thinb  th^| 
must  have  been  carved  by  a  partially  cir 
Hottentot,  or  Kaffir  of  exceptional  ini 
and  that  the  design  must  have  been  copied  i 
some  English  models,  or  have  been  fa 
by  an  Englishman  to  the  Kaffir,  who  i 
transferred  it  to  the  gourd. 

This  remarkable  gourd  was  brought 
Africa  by  Major  W.  Boss  King,  late  741 
Highlanders.  The  same  gentleman  has  i 
forwarded  to  me  another  gourd  of  the 
shape,  but  of  much  laiger  size,  which  has  1 
used  for  holding  amasi,  or  clotted  milk. 
specimen  is  chiefly  remarkable  from  thi 
that  an,  accident  has  befEillen  it,  and  a  hole  i 
in  its  side. 

The  owner  has  evidently  valued  the  gourd,  and  has  ingeniously  filled  up  the  hole\ 
a  patch  of  raw  hide.    The  stitch  much  resembles  that  which  has  already  been  descrflx 
when  treating  of  Kaffir  costume.     A  row  of  small  holes  has  been  drilled  through  I 
fracture,  and  by  means  of  a  sinew  thread  the  patch  has  been  fastened  over  the  hole. 

piece  of  hide  is  rather  laiger  than  the  hole  which  it  covers,  i 
as  it  has  been  put  on  when  wet,  the  junction  has  become  cjoi 
watertight,  and  the  patch  is  almost  incorporated  with  the  gooid: 
The  usual  form  of  the  amasi  gourd  is  shown  in  the  accomp 
ing  illustration,  which  represents  a  remarkably  fine  specimen  inn 
own  collection.    The  gourd  is  prepared  in  the  very  simple  ] 
that  is  in  use  among  the  Kaffirs — namely,  by  cutting  off  a  i 
portion  of  the  neck,  so  as  to  allow  the  air  to  enter,  and  thus  I 
cause  the  whole  of  the  soft  substance  of  the  interior  to  dea 
The  severed  portion  of  the  neck  is  carefully  preserved,  and  i 
stopper  is  fixed  to  it  in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  gourd  is  cloe 
it  seems  at  first  sight  to  be  entire.    These  gourds  are  never  washei 
but  fresh  milk  is  continually  added,  in  order  that  it  may ' 
convex  ted  into  amasi  by  that  which  is  left  in  the  vessel 


GOURD. 


AMASI  GOURD. 


PIPE-MAKINa 


177 


WOODEN 
FIFE. 


KBT  to  his  snuff-box,  the  Kaffir  values  his  pipe.  There  is  quite  as  much  variety  in 
get)  in  Eaffirland  as  there  is  in  Europe,  and,  if  possible,  the  material  is  even  more 
^  Beed,  wood,  stone,  horn,  and  bone  are  the  principal  materials,  and  the  reader  will 
>^  from  them  a  considerable  variety  can  be  formed. 

llie  coQunonest  pipes  are  made  out  of  wood,  and  are  formed  on  the  same  principle  as 
I  well-known  wooden  pipes  of  Europe.  But  the  Kafhr  has  no  lathe  in  which  he 
itam  the  bowl  smooth  on  the  exterior,  and  gouge  out  the  wood  to  make  its  cavity. 
Itherhas  he  the  drills  with  which  the  European  maker  pierces  the  stem,  nor  the  ddi- 
j  tools  which  give  it  so  neat  a  finish.  He  has  scarcely  any  tools  but  Ids  assagai  and 
I  needle,  and  yet  with  these  rude  implements  he  succeeds  in  making  a  very  serviceable, 
gg^  not  a  very  artistic  pipe. 

One  of  the  principal  points  in  pipe-making  among 
I  Kaffin  is,  to  be  liberal  as  regards  the  size  of  the  bowl. 
ismalieet  Kaffir  pipe  is  nearly  three  times  as  large  as 
gindinaty  pipe  9f  Europe,  and  is  rather  larger  than  the 
i  porcelain  pipes  so  prevalent  in  Gtermany.  But  the 
soousedby  the  Glermans  is  very  mild,  and  is  employed 
)  for  its  deUcate  flavour  than  its  potency;  whereas  the 

which  a  Kaffir  uses  is  rough,  coarse,  rank,  and  ex- 

jemely  strong.    Some  of  the  pipes  used  by  these  tribes  are 

I  luge  that  a  casual  observer  might  easUy  take  them  for 

8,  and  they  are  so  heavy  and  unwieldy,  especially 

the  bowl,  that  on  an  emergency  a  smoker  might 

Bctually  use  his  pipe  as  a  club,  and  beat  off  either 
|mM  beast  or  a  human  foe  with  the  improvised  weapon. 
Generally,  the  bowl  is  merely  hollowed,  and  then  used 
I  goon  as  the  wood  is  dry ;  but  in  some  cases  the  dusky 
nofactorer  improves  his  pipe,  or  at  least  thinks  that  he 
isso,  by  lining  it  with  a  very  thin  plate  of  sheet  iroiL 
Sometimes,  though  rather  rarely,  a  peculiar  kind  of  stone 
Itised  for  the  manufacture  of  pipes.    This  stone  is  of  a  green  colour,  with  a  wavy  kind 
[pattern,  not  imlike  that  of  malachite.    Many  of  the  natives  set  great  store  by  this 
m,  and  have  almost  superstitious  ideas  of  its  value  and  properties. 
The  Kaffir  possesses  to  the  full  the  love  of  his  own  especial  pipe,  which  seems  to 

iish  every  smoker,  no  matter  .what  his  country  may  be.    The  Turk  has  a  plain 

bowl,  but  encrusts  the  stem  with  jewels,  and  forms  the-»mouthpiece   of  the 

st  amber.    The  German  forms  the  bowl  of  the  finest  porcelain,  and  adorns  it  with 

I  own  coat  of  arms,  or  with  the  portrait  of  some  bosom  friend,  while  the  stem  is 

oiated  with  silken  cords  and  tassels  of  brilliant  and  symbolical  colours. 

Even  the  Englishman,  plain  and  simple  as  are  the  tastes  on  which  he  values  himself, 

M  a  special  pride  in  a  good  meerschaum,  and  decorates  his  favourite  pipe  with  gold 

lountiDg  and  amber  mouthpiece. 

Some  persons  of  simple  taste  prefer  the  plain  wooden  or  clay  pipe  to  the  costliest 

icimen  that  art  can  furnish;  but  others  pride  themselves  either  upon  the  costly 

terials  with  which  the  pipe  is  made,  or  the  quantity  of  gold  and  sUver  wherewith 

I  is  decorated     Others,  again,  seem  to  prefer  forms  as  grotesque  and  fantastic  as 

'  that  are  designed  by  the  Western  Afncan  negro,  as  is  shown  by  the  variety  of 

Dgely-shapod  pipes  exhibited  in  the  tobacconists'  windows,  which  would  not  be  so 

ndantly  produced  if  they  did  not  meet  with  a  correspondingly  large  sale. 

The  North  American  Indian  lavishes  all  his  artistic  powers  upon  his  pipe.    As 

^mor,  upon  a  campaign  he  contents  himself  with  a  pipe  "  contrived  a  double  debt  to 

/'his  tomahawk  being  so  fashioned  that  the  pipe  bowl  is  sunk  in  the  head,  while  the 

ndle  of  the  weapon  is  hollowed,  and  becomes  the  stem.    But,  as  a  man  of  peace, 

I  expends  his  wealth,  his  artistic  powers,  and  his  time  upon  his  pipe.     He  takes 

Doamey  to  the  far  distant  spot  in  which  the  sacred  redstone  is  quarried.    He  utters 

[vocations  to  the  Great  Spirit;  gives  offerings,  and  humbly  asks  permission  to  take 

|VOI»  I  N 


GnEENSTONR 

p;fb. 


178 


THE  KAFFIR. 


f   .i 


I     t 


^    !,.     ' 


n-^'- 


:f 


--3: : 


some  of  the  venerated  stona    He  returns  home  with  his  treasnre,  carves  the  how]  v 
infinite  pains,  makes  a  most  elaborate  stem,  and  decorates  it  with  the  wampum  ^im 
feathers  which  are  the  jewellery  of  a  savage  Indian.    The  inhabitant  of  VancoQT(i3 
Island  shapes  an  entire  ^ipe,  bowl  and  stem  included,  out  of  solid  stone,  covering  it  > 


%.  '4 


rice,  he  contents  himself  with  this  simple  arrangement  But,  in  proportion  as  hel...„ 
rich,  he  indicates  his  increasing  wealth  by  the  appearance  of  his  pipe ;  so  that  whenl 
has  attained  affluence,  the  cocoa-nut  shell  is  encased  in  gold  and  silver  filagree,  while  t 
stem  and  mouthpiece  are  covered  with  gems  and  the  precious  metala 

It  is  likely,  therefore,  that  the  Eafi&r  will  expend  both  time  and  laK. 
upon  the  decoration  of  his  pipe.  Of  artistic  beauty  he  has  veiy  litUe  ida 
and  is  unable  to  give  to  his  pipe  the  flowing  curves  which  are  fou 
in  the  handiwork  of  the  American  Indian,  or  to  produce  the  rude  yet  vigon 
designs  which  ornament  the  pipe  of  New  Caledonia  The  form  of  the  KafI 
pipe  seldom  varies  from  that  which  is  shown  on  page  177,  fig.  1,  and 
whole  energies  of  the  owner  seem  to  be  concentrated  on  inlaying  the  bovl  y 
lead.  The  patterns  which  he  produces  are  not  remarkable  either  for  bei. 
oir  variety,  and,  indeed,  are  little  more  than  repetitions  of  the  zigzag  engnvin 
upon  the  snuff-boxes. 

There  is  now  before  me  a  pipe  which  has  evidently  belonged  to  a    _ 
who  was  a  skilful  smith,   and  on  which  the  owner  has  expended  all  L 
metallurgic  knowledge.    The  entire  stem  and  the  base  of  the  bowl  ate  uml. 
of  lead,  and^he  edge  of  the  bowl  is  furnished  with  a  rim  of  the  same  metal 
The  pattern  which  is  engraved  upon  it  is  composed  of  lead,  and  itisi 
remarkable  fact  that  the  lead  is  not  merely  let  into  the  wood,  but  that  tin 
bowl  of  the  pipe  is  cut  completely  through,  so  that  the  pattern  is  seen  in  I 
inside  as  well  as  on  the  exterior.     This  pipe  has  never  been  smoked,  andt 
pattern  seems  to  be  unfinished. 

The  skill  which  has  been  employed  in  making  this  pipe  is  veiy  gnat,  fe^ 
it  must  require  no  small  amount  of  proficiency  both  in  wood  carving  ai 
metal  working,  to  combine  the  two  materials  together  so  perfectly  as  to  I 
air-tight    This  curious  pipe  is  represented  in  the  accompanying  iUusttatiia,! 

and  is  sketched. from  a  specimen  in  the  collection o 
Major  Eoss  King. 

The  hookah,  or  at  least  a  modification  of  it,  is  ii| 
great  use  among  the  Kaffir  tribes,  and  is  quite  as  ii-l 
genious  a  piece  of  art  as  the  "  hubble-bubble"  oithtl 
Indian  peasant  It  is  made  of  three  distinct  paili,| 
First  there  is  the  bowl,  which  is  generally  carredj 
out  of  stone,  and  is  often  ornamented  with  a  deeplyl 
DOiAiD  rm.  engraved  pattern.    The  commonest  bowls,  hoMfcTe^  I 

are  made  from  earthenware,  and  are  very  similar  hi 
shape  to  that  of  the  Indian  pipe.  Their  form  very  much  resembles  that  of  a  banei,^] 
end  having  a  large  and  the  other  a  small  aper^Jtre. 

The  next  article  is  a  reed,  some  four  or  ^  inches  in  length,  which  is  fitted  tiglitlf| 
into  the  smaller  aperture  of  the  bowl ;  the  .  ,  and  most  important  part,  is  the  bodyi^l 
the  pipe,  which  is  always  made  of  the  horn  of  some  animal,  that  of  the  ox  being  inoil| 
usually  found.  The  favourite  horn,  however,  and  that  which  is  most  costly,  is 
of  the  koodoo,  the  magnificent  spiral-homed  antelope  of  Southern  Africa.  A  hole  ill 
bored  into  the  horn  at  some  little  distance  from  the  point,  and  the  reed,  which  has  alreadjl 
been  attached  to  the  bowl,  is  thrust  into  it,  the  junction  of  the  reed  and  horn  being  iiiaiii| 
air-tight.  I 

The  bowl  is  now  filled  with  tobacco,  or  with  another  mixture  that  will  be  describdi| 
and  the  horn  nearly  filled  with  water.     In  order  to  smoke  this  pipe,  the  native  places  hit  I 


A  SMOKING  FAimr. 


179 


^h  to  the  broad  open  end  of  the  horn,  presses  the  edge  of  the  opening  to  his  cheeks, 
rits  to  exclude  the  air,  and  then  inhales  vigorously.  The  smoke  is  thus  obliged  to  pass 
iiroagh  the  water,  and  is  partially  freed  from  impurities  before  it  reaches  the  lips  of  the 

\^t  Daring  its  passage  through  the  water,  it  causes  a  loud  bubbling  sound,  which  is 

^ht  to  aid  the  enjoyment  of  the  smoker. 

Ym  tobacco  is,  however,  seldom  smoked  in  this  pipe,  and,  especially  among  the 
i  tribe,  on  exceedingly  potent  mixture  is  employed.  Tobacco  is  used  for  the 
J  of  giving  the  accustomea  flavour,  but  the  chief  ingredient  is  a  kind  of  hemp, 

_  "dBglia,"  which  possesses  intoxicating  powers 

jlho8e  of  the  well-known  Indian  hemp.    Smoking 
^  hemp  is  exalted  into  an  important  ceremony  among 

riople,  and  is  conducted  in  the  following  manner : — 
number  of  intending  smokers  assemble  together 

lot  in  a  circle,  having  only  a  single  water  pipe,  to- 

her  with  a  supply  of  the  needful  tobacco  and  the 

judi  hemp,  called  "  dagha"  by  the  natives.    The 

;  in  iai]k  fills  the  pipe,  lights  it,  and  inhales  as 

ismdke  as  his  lungs  can  contain,  not  permitting  any 

it  to  escape.    He  then  hands  the  pipe  to  the  man 

;  him,  and  closes  his  mouth  to  prevent  the  smoke 

om  escaping.    The  result  of  this  proceeding  is  not 

gg  in  manifesting  itself.     Convulsions  agitate  the 

dy,  firoth  issues  from  the  mouth,  the  eyes  seeth  to 

t  from  the  head,  while  their  brilliancy  dies  away, 
is  replaced  by  a  dull,  film-like  aspect,  and  the 

ires  are  contorted  like  those  of  a  person  attacked 
fithepilepjy. 

This  stage  of  excitement  is  so  powerful  that  the 

iman  frame  cannot  endure  it  for  any  length  of  time, 
nd  in  a  minute  or  two  the  smoker  is  lying  insensible 

he  ground.  As  it  would  be  dangerous  to  allow  a 
to  remain  in  this  state  of  insensibility,  he  is 
\mA  by  his  still  sober  comrades,  wh  '  employ  means, 
pt  the  most  gentle,  to  bring  him  to  his  senses.    They 

1  his  woolly  hair,  they  box  his  ears,  and  they  throw 

et  over  him,  not  in  the  most  delicate  manner,  and  thus  awake  him  from  his  lethargy. 
here  are,  however,  instances  where  these  remedial  means  have  fiedled,  and  the  senseless 
Dokerhas  never  opened  his  eyes  again  in  this  world.  Whence  the  gratification  arises  is 
trd  to  say,  and  the  very  fact  that  there  should  be  any  gratification  at  all  is  quite 
explicable  to  a  European.  These  dusky  smokers,  however,  regard  the  pipe  as  sup- 
pyJDg  one  of  the  greatest    luxuries  of  life,  and  will  sacrifice  aknost  everything  to 

saessiL  -^ 

Although  the  Damara  tribe  are  roecial  victims  to  this  peculiar  mode  of  smoking,  it 
I  practised  to  some  extent  by  the  Kaffirs.  These,  however,  are  not  such  slaves  to  the 
|ipe  as  the  Damaras,  neither  do  they  employ  the  intoxicating  hemp  to  such  an  extent,  but 
se  tobacco.  Their  water  pipes  are  mostly  made  of  an  ox  horn,  one  or  two  of  which  are 
I  my  collection.  They  sometimes  fasten  the  bowl  permanently  in  its  place  by  means  of 
I  brind  strap  of  antelope  hide,  one  part  of  which  goes  round  the  bowl,  and  the  other 
jHind  the  stem,  so  as  to  brace  them  firmly  together  by  its  contraction.  The  hair  of  the 
ptelope  is  allowed  to  remain  on  the  skin,  and,  as  the  dark  artist  has  a  natural  eye  for 
blow,  he  always  chooses  some  part  of  the  skin  where  a  tolerably  strong  contrast  of 
W  exists.     This  is  the  case  m  the  pipe  which  has  been  drawn  above.    The  figm-e 

taken  from  a  specimen  in  the  museum  attached  to  the  Nottingham   Mechanics' 
istitute. 

There  is  a  very  singular  kind  of  pipe  which  seems  to  be  in  use  over  a  considerable 
^rtion  of  Southern  Africa.    The  native  of  this  country  is  never  at  a  loss  tor  a  pipe,  and 

m2 


WATER  PIPB. 


180 


THE  EAFFIB. 


Jl.-   .?  i- 

3?  ■»*:;  ■ 


.<*» 


til'  'V- 


!■    ! 

I,  f 


iMV! 


■hi 


if  ho  does  not  happen  to  possess  one  of  the  pipes  in  ordinary  use,  he  can  make  one  in  i 
few  minutes,  wherever  he  may  be.  For  this  purpose  he  needs  no  tools,  and  requires  no 
wood,  stone,  nor  other  material  of  which  pipes  are  generally  made.  There  is  a  certain 
grandeur  about  his  notion  of  a  pipe,  for  he  converts  the  earth  into  that  article,  and  the 
world  itself  becomes  his  tobacco-^ipe. 

The  method  of  making  this  pipe  is  perfectly  simple.  First,  he  povirs  some  water  on 
the  ground,  and  makes  a  kind  of  mud  pie.  The  precise  manner  in  which  this  pie 
is  made  is  depicted  in  Hogarth's  well-known  plate  of  the  "Enraged  Musician."  He  now 
lays  an  assagai  or  a  knob-kerrie  on  the  ground,  and  kneads  the  mud  over  the  end  of  the 
shaft  so  as  to  form  a  ridge  some  few  inches  in  length,  having  a  rather  large  lump  of  mni 
at  the  end.  This  mud  ridge  is  the  element  of  the  future  pipe.  The  next  proceeding  is 
to  push  the  finger  into  the  lump  of  mud  imtil  it  reaches  the  spear  shaft,  and  then  to 
work  it  about  until  a  cavity  is  made,  which  answers  the  purpose  of  the  bowl.  The 

assagai  is  then  carefully  vith-j 
drawn,  and  the  pipe  is  complete, 
ithe  perforated  mud  ric^  doing  i 
duty  for  the  stem.  ] 

,  A  few  minutes  in  thebnmiiv 
sunbeams  suffice  to  bake  the  mod 
into  a  hard  mass,  and  the  pipe 
is  ready  for  use.  The  ingenious 
manufacturer  then  fills  the  hoiri 
with  tobacco  and  proceeds  to 
smoke.  This  enjoyment  he  man- 
ages to  secure  by  lying  on  bis 
face,  putting  his  lips  upon  the 
small  orifice,  and  at  the  sane 
time  applying  a  light  to  the  to- 
bacco in  the  bowl 

In  some  places  the  pipe  ii 
made  in  a  slightly  different  man- 
ner. A  shallow  hole  is  scooped 
in  the  ground,  some  ten  or  twelve 
inches  in  diameter,  and  two  or 
three  deep,  and  the  earth  that  has 
been  removed  is  then  replaced  in 
the  hole,  moistened  and  kneaded  into  a  compact  mud.  A  green  twig  is  then  taken,  bent 
in  the  form  of  a  half  circle,  and  the  middle  of  it  pressed  into  the  hole,  leaving  the  ends 
projecting  at  either  side.  Just  before  the  mud  has  quite  hardened,  the  twig  is  careMy  I 
withdrawn,  and  at  the  same  time  the  bowl  is  made  by  pushing  the  finger  after  the  twig] 
and  widening  the  hole. 

In  such  case  the  pipe  is  of  such  a  nature  that  a  European  could  not  smoke  it,  even 
if  he  could  overcome  the  feeling  of  repugnance  in  \ising  it.  His  projecting  nose  would 
be  in  the  way,  and  his  small  thin  lips  could  not  take  a  proper  hold.  But  the  broad  nose, 
and  large,  projecting  lips  of  the  South  African  native  are  admirably  adapted  for  the  pni- 
pose,  and  enable  him  to  perfonn  with  ease  a  task  which  would  be  physically  impracticable  | 
to  the  Europeaa 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  in  some  parts  of  Asia  the  natives  construct  a  pipe  i 
the  same  principle.    This  pipe  will  be  described  in  its  proper  place. 

When  the  Kaffirs  can  assemble  for  a  quiet  smoke,  they  have  another  curious  cnstom.  I 
The  strong,  rank  tobacco  excites  a  copious  flow  of  saliva,  and  this  is  disposed  of  in « 
rather  strange  manner.  The  smokers  are  furnished  with  a  tube  about  a  yard  in  length, 
and  generally  a  reed,  or  straight  branch,  from  which  the  pith  has  been  extracted.  A 
peculiarly  handsome  specimen  is  usually  covered  with  the  skin  of  a  bullock's  tail 
Through  this  tube  the  smokers  in  turn  discharge  the  superabundant  moisture,  and  it  in 
thought  to  be  a  delicate  compliment  to  select  the  same  spot  that  has  been  previously  used 


THE  POOR  HAN'S  PIPE. 


■til 


TOBACCO  CULTIVATION. 


181 


r  another.    Sometimes,  instead  of  a  hole,  a  circular  trench  is  employed*  but  the  mode 

u  „ging  it  is  exactly  the  same.  ^ 

"Hie  accompanving  illustration  represents  a  couple  of  well-bred  gentlemen — a  married 

n  and  a  "boy  —indulging  in  a  pipe  in  the  cool  of  the  evening.    The  man  has  taken  ^ 
f^uro  at  the  pipe,  and  handed  it  to  bis  comrade,  who  inhales  the  smoke  while  he 

unself  is  engaged  with  the  tube  above-mentioned.  Wisbinff  to  give  some  little  variety 
-J  the  occupation,  he  has  drawn  an  outlined  figure  of  a  krau,  and  is  just  going  to  form 
Imeof  the  nuts.  Presently,  the  boy  will  hand  the  pipe  back  again,  exchange  it  for  the 
ube  and  take  his  turn  at  the  manufacture  of  the  kraal,  which  will  be  completed  by  the 

ne  that  the  pipe  is  finished.  .       v 


KAFFIR  QBirniEHEN  8M0K1KQ. 


[ajor  Boss  King  describes  this  curious  proceeding  in  a  very  amusing  manner. 
"Ketaimng  the  last  draught  of  smoke  in  his  mouth,  which  he  fills  with  a  decoction  of 
bark  and  water  from  a  cdabash,  he  squirts  it  on  the  ground  by  his  side,  through  a  long 
bmamented  tube,  performing  thereon,  by  the  aid  of  a  reserved  portion  of  the  liquid,  a  sort 
pf  boatswain's  whistle,  complacently  regarding  the  soap-like  bubbles,  the  joint  production 

'  himself  and  neighbour. 
"On  this  occasion,  finding  a  blanketed  group  sitting  apart  in  a  circle,  smoking  the 

gha  before  described^  at  their  invitation  I  squatted  down  cross-legged  in  the  ring,  and 
^ceiving  the  rude  cow-horn  pipe  in  my  turn,  took  a  pull  at  its  capacious  mouth,  coughing 
Mently  at  the  sufibcating  fumes,  as  indeed  they  aU  did  more  or  less,  and  after  tasting 
pe  nasty  decoction  of  bark  which  followed  round  in  a  calabash,  took  the  poKtely-ofTered 
pitting-tube  of  my  next  neighbour,  signally  failing,  however,  in  the  orthodox  whistle, 
0  the  unbounded  delight  of  the  Fingoes,  whose  hearty,  ringing  laughter  was  most 
mtagious." 
Tobacco  is  cultivated  by  several  of  the  tribes  inhabiting  Southern  AMca,  and  is 

■epaied  in  nearly  the  same  method  as  is  employed  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  the 
leaves  being  gathered,  "  sweated,"  and  finally  dried.  Still,  they  appreciate  the  tobacco 
Vhich  they  obtain  from  Europeans,  and  prefer  it  to  that  which  is  manufactured  by 


in  „  - 

'It  . 


182 


THE  KAFFIR 


Some  of  tbe  Kaffin  are  veiy  successM  in  their  cultivation  of  tobacco,  and  find  tk 
a  good  crop  is  a  very  valuable  property.    A  Kaffir  -without  tobacco  is  a  nuBeralle  be 
and,  if  it  were  only.for  his  own  sake,  the  possession  of  a  supply  which  will  Uit 
throughout  the  ^ear  is  a  subject  of  congratulation.    But  any  tobacco  that  is  not  neu 
for  the  use  of  himself  or  his  household  is  as  good  as  money  to  the  owner,  as  tiiem 
few  things  which  a  Kaffir  loves  that  tobacco  cannot  buy.    If  he  sees  a  set  of  beads  tl 
particularlv  pleases  him,  and  the  owner  should  happen  to  be  poorer  thflb  himself,  he  ( 
purchase  the  finery  by  the  sacrifice  of  a  little  of  his  fragrant  store.    Also,  he  can 
we  respect  of  the  "boys,"  who  seldom  possess  property  of  any  kind  except  their  sL 
and  spears,  and,  by  judicious  gifts  of  tobacco,  can  oft^  make  them  his  followers,  j 
being  the, first  step  towards  chieftainship.    (Generally,  a  Kaffir  makes  up  the  crop  tii  i 
garden  into  a  single  bundle,  sometimes  -weighing  fifty  or  sixty  pounds,  and  carel. 
encases  it  with  reeds,  much  after  the  fiuhion  that  naval  tobacco  is  sewn  up  in  canv, 
He  is  sure  to  place  these  rolls  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  houses  in  order  to  exti 
the  envy  and  admiration  of  his  oompanion& 


KAVriR  STAFf. 


„J  BSUOIOUB 

"^"iroBU)— MO 

IpOin  OF  TBI  Dl 
OD  Btt  «OBT — 

xm  roB  SAORin 

KB  AVWITUCO  THl 
Xn  OBrtOTS— THE 

Honu  wmoB  ati 

0?  raOPHHOT— FB 
_tHI  FBOBATIOK 
0)  THB  FBOFUXTS 
TBI  OOMFiMY  OF 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


BELIGipN  AND  8UFEBSTITI0N. 


isuoiocs  ntenu  or  thi  KAvrm — ma  idka  or  a  obbatob — ^how  d>ath  oaioi  nrro 

m  WOBLD  — UIO>in>8  AND  TBADITIONB  —  BBUBT  IN  THB  mMOKTAUTT  OV  THB   SOUL  — THB 

ipam  or  thb  diao,  amd  thub  sufposbd  nrrLVBiroB — tohaza'b  vinoB — a  KArm  sbbb 
uiD  BU  vroBT — ruBtmrs  or  obpabtbd  BFOirrs — thb  umits  or  thbib  vowbb — animaui 

tfUO  FOB  SAOBinOB  TO  THBX -- TBMPOBABT  TBANSMIOBATIOir  —  TABIOrS  OMBMa,  ABD  IIBABS 
fOB  AVXBTIirO  THBX — ^WHT  BAOBinOBS  ABB  MADB — A  NATIVB'b  HIBTOBT  OB  A  BACBinOB,  AMD 
in  OBJIOTB — THB  BBABT  OB  riBBT-rBUITB — BAOBinOB  OB  THB  BULL,  AMD  THB  BTBAMOB  OBBB- 
KOmS  WHICH  ATTBMD  I^— XAmB  PBOPHBTS  AMD  THBIB  OmOBB — ^HBBBDITABT  TBAMBMIBBIOir 
OrPBOFHBOT — BBOOBBBB  OB  A  PBOBHBT  —  THB  OHANOB — IMTBBVIBW  WITH  AM  OLD  PBOFHBT 
-TBI  PBOBATIOMABT  BTA0B8  OB  PBOFHBCT — ^A  PBOPHBT'B  BBTCBM  TO  HU  BAlOLT— 80H00L 
0>  THB  PB0FUBT8— BBABCH  BOB  THB  BFIBITB  —  THB  OBBAT  BAOBinOR,  AMD  BBOBmON  IMTO 
TEI  OOMPAMT  or  PB0PHBT8 — THB   WAMD  OB  OmCB — ^DBBBS  OB  A  PBOPHBT. 


'  is  not  very  easy  to  say  whether  a  KafiKr  possesses  any  religion  at  all,  in  onr  sense 

[the word.    With  superstition  he  ia  deeply  imbued,  and  passes  his  lifetime  in  con- 

denble  dread  of  witchcraft  and  of  evil  spirits.    But  religion  which  conv^s  any  sense 

f  moral  responsibility,  seems  to  be  incomprehensible  to  the  ordinary  Kaffir,  and  even 

jisnatunlly  logical  mind  inclines  him  to  practical  atheism. 

As  far  as  is  known,  the  Kaffir  tribes  nave  a  sort  of  tradition  concerning  a  Oxeator, 

wm  they  call  by  a  compound  word  that  may  be  translated  as  the  Great-Great,  and  to 

iiom  th^  attribute  the  first  origin  of  all  tmnss.    But  it  is  certain  that  they  offer  him 

worship,  and  meikB  no  prayers  to  him,  and  nave  no  idea  that  they  are  personally 

ipoosible  to  him  for  their  act& 

Moreover  many  of  the  tribes  do  not  even  possess  this  imperfect  kn  "vledge;  and 

iren  in  those  cases  where  it  does  exist,  its  origin  is  very  uncertain,  and  it  i^  impossible 

ascertain  whether  the  tradition  may  not  be  a  corrupted  recollection  of  Instruction 

wed  from  some  European.     Such,  indeed,  has  been  known  to  be  the  case  among  the 

iffii8,and  it  is  probable  that  the  knowledge  of  a  Creator  is  really  derived  from  European 

Duces.   At  all  events,  such  knowledge  is  by  no  means  universal,  and  exercises  such 

lall  influence  on  the  people  that  it  is  scarcely  worthy  of  mention. 

There  are,  indeed,  one  or  two  legendary  stories  concerning  the  Great-Great,  relating 

)the  creation  of  man,  and  to  the  duration  of  human  life.    The  man  is  supposed  to  have 

een  created  by  splitting  a  reed,  from  which  the  first  parents  of  the  human  race  proceeded. 

l<<sl^end  is  probably  due  to  a  double  meaning  of  the  words  signifying  "  origin"  and 

iate,"  which  also  signify  "reed"  and  "splitting."    Another  form  of  the  tradition 

[leprives  the  Great-Great  of  all  creatorship,  and  makes  him  to  be  one  of  the  two  who 

ned  from  the  split  reed,  so  that  he  is  rather  the  great  ancestor  of  the  hiiman  race  than 

1  creator. 

The  tradition  concerning  the  infliction  of  death  upon  the  human  race  is  a  very 
nrions  one,  and  was  related  to  the  missionaries  by  a  native  who  had  been  converted  to 
"--^-ity. 


.'  i 


184 


THE  KAFFIR 


When  mankind  had  inoreasod  upon  the  earth,  the  Oreat-Oreat  took  counsel  vjt) 
himself,  and  sent  two  messengers  to  them,  one  the  giver  of  life,  the  other  the  hen 
of  death.    The  first  messenger  was  the  chameleon,  who  was  ordered  to  go  and  utter  t 
proclamation,  "  Let  not  the  people  die  I "    The  chameleon  set  off  on  its  miBsion  1 


journey,  until  he  reached  the  habitation  of  men,  when  he  proclaimed  his 
of  death. 

Shortly  afterwards,  the  chameleon  arrived  and  delivered  his  message,  when 
salamander  beat  him  and  drove  him  away,  as  having  failed  in  his  duty  to  his  Mui 
Then  the  people  lamented  because  they  had  received  the  message  of  death  before  tl 
of  life,  and  from  that  time  men  have  been  subject  to  the  power  oi  death. 

The  consequence  is,  that  both  animals  are  detested  by  the  Kaffirs,  who  kill  the  ci 
meleon  when  they  find  it,  because  it  lingered  on  the  way,  and  lost  them  the  gift 
immortality.  And  they  are  equally  sure  to  kill  the  salamander,  because,  when  it  wi 
charged  with  such  a  dread  message,  it  hastened  on  its  joumejr,  and  anticipated  tl 
chameleon  in  its  message  of  life.  There  are  many  variations  of  this  story,  but  in  ii 
main  points  it  is  current  throughout  many  parts  of  Southern  Africa. 

Although  the  Kaffir^s  ideas  of  the  Creator  are  so  vague  and  undefined,  he  has  at 
,  events  a  very  firm  belief  in  the  existence  of  the  soul  and  its  immortality  after  det. 
Tchaka  once  made  use  of  this  belief  in  a  very  ingenious  manner.    The  people  had  becoL 
rather  tired  of  war,  and  required  some  inducement  to  make  them  welcome  the  order  f( 
battle  as  heretofore.    Whereupon,  Tchaka  had  a  vision  of  Umbia,  a  well-known  chit 
who  had  served  under  his  father,  and  who  appeared  to  Tchaka  to  tell  him  that  his  fathi 
was  becoming  angiy  with  the  Zulu  tribe  because  they  had  become  lazy,  and  had  notgoi 
to  war  against  the  remaining  unconquered  tiibes.    This  laziness  on  the  part  of  the  ZuIl 
who  still  inhabited  the  earth  was  displeasing  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  who  would  bel 
very  comfortable  below  ground,  with  plenty  of  wives  and  cattle,  as  soon  as  they  saw 
their  tribe  in  supreme  authority  over  the  whole  land,  from  the  Draakensberg  to  the  sea 

In  honour  of  this  messenger  from  the  shades,  Tchaka  ordered  numbers  of  cattle  to  In 
slaughtered  in  all  his  military  kraals,  gave  sumptuous  feasts,  and  raised  the  descendimti 
of  Umbia  to  the  rank  of  Indunaa 

Of  course,  the  name  of  Umbia  was  in  all  mouths,  and,  while  the  excitement  was  at 
its  height,  an  old  man  suddenly  disappeared  from  his  hut,  having  been  dragged  awarj 
according  to  his  wife's  account,  by  a  lion.  The  affair  was  reported  to  Tchaka  in  council, 
but  he  affected  to  take  no  notice  of  it.  After  the  lapse  of  tliree  months,  when  tlit 
immediate  excitement  had  died  away,  the  old  man  reappeared  before  Tchaka  with  hiij 
head-ring  torn  off,  and  clothed  in  a  wild  and  fantastic  manner. 

He  said  that  the  lion  had  dragged  him  away  to  its  den,  when  the  earth  suddei 
opened  and  swallowed  them  both  up.  The  lion  accompanied  him  without  doing  l 
any  harm,  and  brought  him  to  a  place  where  there  was  some  red  earth.  This  also  gavel 
way,  and  he  fell  into  another  abyss,  where  he  lay  stunned  by  the  falL  On  recoveiiog 
he  found  himself  in  a  pleasant  coimtry,  and  discovered  that  it  was  inhabited  by  the 
spirits  of  Zulus  who  had  died,  and  whom  he  had  known  in  life.  There  was  Senzu- 
mkona,  the  father  of  Tchaka,  with  his  councillors,  his  chiefs,  his  soldiers,  his  wives,  andj 
his  cattla 

Umbia  was  also  there,  and  enjoyed  himself  very  much.  Since  his  departure 
the  shades,  he  had  become  a  great  doctor,  and  was  accustomed  to  stroll  about  at  ii 
instead  of  staying  at  home  quietly  with  his  family.  No  one  seemed  to  know  where  ht{ 
had  gone,  but  he  told  the  narrator  that  he  used  to  revisit  earth  in  oi-der  to  see  his  frieniii 
and  relatives.  For  three  months  the  narrator  was  kept  in  the  shades  below,  and  vail 
then  told  to  go  back  to  his  tribe  and  narrate  what  he  had  seen. 

Tchaka  pretended  to  disbelieve  the  narrative,  and  publicly  treated  with  contempt  thi| 
man,  denoimcing  him  as  a  liar,  and  sending  for  prophets  who  should  "  smell "  him,  and 
discover  whether  he  had  told  the  truth.    The  seers  arrived,  performed  their  conjuiatioui 


LEGENDS  AND  TRADITIONS. 


180 


imelt"  the  man,  and  stated  that  he  had  told  the  truth,  that  he  had  really  visited  the 
niritaof  the  dead,  and  that  he  had  been  fetc^  jd  by  tlie  lion  because  the  people  did 
L  believe  the  vision  that  had  appeared  to  Tchaka.  It  is  needless  to  observe  that  the 
vboitt  bosiness  had  been  previously  arranged  by  that  wily  chief,  in  order  to  carry  out 

,  imbitious  purposes. 

Unbounded  as  is  in  one  respect  their  reverence  for  the  spirits  of  their  ancestors,  they 

ribate  to  those  same  spirits  a  very  limited  range  of  power.    A  KafHr  has  the  very 

heat  respect  for  the  spirits  of  his  own  ancestors,  or  those  of  his  chief,  but  pays  not 
he  leut  regard  to  those  which  beluu^  to  other  families.  The  spirit  of  a  departed  Kaffir 
isupiK^  to  have  no  sympathy  except  with  relations  and  immediate  descendants. 

It  has  been  already  mentioned  that,  after  the  death  of  a  Katfir,  his  spirit  is  supposed 

h)  dwell  in  the  shade  below,  aud  to  have  the  power  of  influencing  the  survivors  of  his 

^D  family,  whether  for  good  or  evil.    He  likes  cattle  to  be  sacrificed  to  his  name, 

^ase,  in  that  catfe,  he  adds  the  spirits  of  the  dead  cattle  to  his  herd  below,  while  his 

riends  above  eat  the  flesh,  so  that  both  parties  are  well  pleased.    Sometimes,  if  he  thinks 

at  he  has  been  neglected  by  them,  he  visits  his  displeasure  by  afflicting  them  with 

jioos  diseases,  from  which  they  seldom  expect  to  recover  without  the  sacritice  of  cattle. 
j  the  ailment  is  comparatively  trifling,  the  saciiflce  of  a  goat  is  deemed  sufficient ;  but  if 
he  malady  be  serious,  nothing  but  an  ox,  or  in  some  cases  several  oxeu,  are  required 
efore  the  oflended  spirits  will  relent.    Sheep  seem  never  to  be  used  for  this  purpose. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  page 
^6,  he  will  see  that  the  sacrifice  of 

ittle  in  case  of  sickness  forms 

;  of  a  guardian's  duty  towards 
ijroung  girl,  and  that,  if  her  tem- 
lonry  guardian  should  have  com- 
blied  with  this  custom,  her  rela- 
\m,  should  they  be  discovered, 

I  bound  to  refund  such  cattle. 

That  the  spirits  of  the  dead 

I  allowed  to  quit  their  shadowy 
Ame  below  and  to  revisit  their 
riends  has  already  been   men- 
toned.   In  some  instances,  as  in 
he  case  of  Umbia,  they  are  sup- 
*  to  present  themselves  in 
k\t  own  form.     But  the  usual 
|ilan  is,  for  them  to  adopt  the 
hape  of  some  animal  wluch  is 
ot  in  the  habit  of  entering  human 
Iwellings,  and  so  to  appear  under 
)bom)weid  form.    The  serpent  or 

Sl^'ln  JT  "  ^""^"^^  to  be  the  favourite  mark  under  which  the  spirit  conceals  its 
t^-S  "^f^w  °'^  ^v"'^  'l^?*''«  '^  ^«ft  *«  «^«^<^i«e  his  ingenuity  in  guessing 
^Kh  r"V^**.?u^  he  enshrined  in  the  strange  animal.  In  order  to  SertaiS 
uSfin'  T*-'  °^*^^  '^"^''  ¥  ^*y«  ^  «ti«t  gen«y  on  its  back;  and  if  it  sho^s 
2»  T''  ^^  ""  r*V"^^  ^^"^  h«  i«  ^avo^i^d  with  the  presence  of  one  of  his  dead 
Z^L  o?'""  T  ^7  ^**'?  *H^^  °>^^«  «^«h  *  discovery,  and  will  not  offer 
KnlSlT  J^'  P'"''^'"*  '^i^  ^  ^^'^  "^""^  '''  ^^^^  an  ancestor  would  not 
SLfw^Vin^S.1  ?  '"""^  ""V^"^^'  '^^'P*  ^  ^^^  *  ^*">i°g  that,  unless  he  were 
mJ^!^JTAT\'^'^^  evil  consequence  would  follow.  In  consequence  of  this 
I  iTlv  iL  wl?*''^*  ^'^*.  1''^^'  *°  ™°g  ^«^P««<«  ^^  li^a^ds:  not  knowing 
'•  Pl?,,i/tr^r^^^^  "^^"^^  ^^^^y  *°^a^d«  «°°^e  dead  ancestor  who  will  avenge 
elf  upon  them  for  their  want  of  respect.  ^ 

KtinT  J'k-.'^J^  ^"1^^  *  ^'^t'  *^®  K*^  ^o^d  ta'^e  ^0  notice  of  it,  as  these 
m],  are  m  the  habit  of  entering  human  dwellings ;  but  if  a  sheep  wer«  to  do  so.  he 


FINDING  A  SNAEB. 


m 


i    ;  ■*.; 


hi 


tiii 


i'\ 


I  *. 


s?^SF 


\'. 


186 


THE  KAFFIR 


would  immediately  fancy  that  it  waa  inspired  with  the  shade  of  one  of  his  anceitoH 
The  same  would  be  the  cose  with  a  wild  animal  of  any  kind,  unless  it  were  a  b^gt 
prey,  in  which  case  it  mi^ht  possibly  have  made  its  way  into  the  hut  in  search  of  for,. 
A  similar  exception  would  be  made  with  regard  to  antelopes  and  other  animala  wld^ 
had  been  hunted,  and  had  rushed  into  the  kraal  or  crept  mto  the  hut  as  a  refuge  fitn 
their  foes. 

Sacrifices  are  often  made,  not  only  to  remove  existing  evils,  but  to  avert  impendiM 
dancer.  In  battle,  for  example,  a  soldier  who  finds  that  the  enemy  are  getting  thTapper 
hand,  will  make  a  vow  to  his  ancestors  that  if  he  comes  safelv  out  of  the  fight,  he  i!i 
mi^e  a  sacrifice  to  them,  and  this  vow  is  always  kept  Even  if  the  soldier  should  be  J 
"boy,"  who  has  no  cattle,  his  father  or  nearest  relation  would  think  himself  bound  tt] 
ftilfil  the  vow.  Now  and  then,  if  he  should  find  that  the  danger  was  not  so  great  aa  wu 
anticipated,  he  will  compromise  the  matter  by  offering  a  goat.  Unless  a  sacrifice  of  gonw 
kind  were  made,  the  vengeance  of  the  offended  spirits  would  be  terrible,  and  no  Kaffii 
would  willingly  run  such  a  risk. 

Sacrifices  are  also  offered  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  certain  favours.  For  example, 
as  has  been  already  mentioned,  when  an  army  starts  on  an  expedition,  sacrificea  an 
made  to  the  spirits,  and  a  similar  rite  is  performed  when  a  new  kraal  is  built,  or  a  nev 
field  laid  out  Belatives  at  home  will  offer  sacrifices  in  behalf  of  their  absent  friendt; 
and  when  a  chief  is  away  from  home  in  command  of  a  war  expedition,  the  sacrificea  foi 
his  welfare  occur  almost  daily.  Sacrifices  or  thank-offerings  ought  also  to  be  made 
when  the  spirits  have  been  propitious ;  and  if  the  army  is  victorious,  or  the  chief  retuned 
in  health,  it  is  thought  right  to  add  another  sacrifice  to  the  former,  in  token  of  acknow' 
ledgment  that  the  previous  offering  has  not  been  in  vain.  ^ 

The  Kaffir  generally  reserves  the  largest  and  finest  ox  in  his  herd  for  sacrifice  underL 
very  important  circumstances,  and  this  animal,  which  is  distinguished  by  the  name  otl 
"  Ox  of  the  Spirits,"  is  never  sold  except  on  pressing  emergency.  I 

Mr.  Shooter,  who  has  given  great  attention  to  the  moral  culture  of  the  Kaffir  triHl 
remarks  with  much  truth,  that  the  Kaffir's  idea  of  a  sacrifice  is  simply  a  present  of  foodi 
to  the  spirit  For  the  same  reason,  when  an  ox  is  solemnly  sacnficed,  the  prophet  iil 
attendance  calls  upon  the  spirits  to  come  and  eat  and  adds  to  the  inducement  by  placisgl 
baskets  of  beer  and  vessels  of  snuff  by  the  side  of  the  slaughtered  animal  Indeed,! 
when  a  man  is  very  poor,  and  has  no  cattle  to  sacrifice,  he  contents  himself  with  tbeNl 
latter  offerings.  I 

The  account  of  one  of  these  sacrifices  has  been  translated  by  Mr.  Grout,  from  tlnl 
words  of  a  native.  After  mentioning  a  great  variety  of  preliminary  rites,  he  proceeds  tol 
say,  "  Now  some  one  person  goes  out  and  when  he  has  come  abroad,  without  the  knal,! 
all  who  are  within  their  houses  keep  silence,  while  he  goes  round  the  kraal,  the  outnl 
enclosure  of  the  kraal,  and  says,  '  Honour  to  thee,  lord  I'  (inkosi.)  Offering  prayers  tol 
the  shades,  he  continues,  '  A  blessing,  let  a  blessing  come  then,  since  you  have  lealljl 
demanded  your  cow ;  let  sickness  depart  utterly.    Thus  we  offer  your  animal'  | 

"  And  on  our  part  we  say, '  Let  the  sick  man  come  out,  come  forth,  be  no  longer  sick, 
and  slaughter  your  animal  then,  since  we  have  now  consented  that  he  may  have  it  k 
his  own  use.  Glory  to  thee,  lord ;  good  news ;  come  then,  let  us  see  him  going  about  lih 
other  people.  Now  then,  we  have  given  you  what  you  want;  let  us  therefore  see  whetha 
or  not  it  was  enjoined  in  order  that  he  might  recover,  and  that  the  sickness  mi^ 
pass  by.' 

"  And  then,  coming  out,  spear  in  hand,  he  enters  the  cattle  fold,  comes  up  and  stall 
it  The  cow  cries,  says  yeh !  to  which  he  replies,  '  An  animal  for  the  gods  ought  h 
show  signs  of  distress ; '  it  is  all  right  then,  just  what  you  required.  Then  they  skini^ 
eat  it,  finish  it"  Sometimes  the  gaU  is  eaten  by  the  sacrificer,  and  sometimes  it  is  rubb 
over  the  body. 

Another  kind  of  sacrifice  is  that  which  is  made  by  the  principal  man  of  a  kraal,! 
even  by  the  king  himself,  about  the  first  of  January,  the  time  when  the  pods  of  tl 
maize  are  green,  and  are  in  a  fit  state  for  food.  No  Kaffir  will  venture  to  eat  the  prodm 
of  the  new  year  until  after  the  festival,  which  may  be  called  the  Feast  of  First-ficuita 


['    ...i;! 


SAOBIFICINO. 


wr 


The  feut  lasts  for  several  dayn,  and  in  order  to  celebrate  it,  the  whole  army  assembles, 

^her  with  the  young  recruits  who  have  not  yet  been  entrusted  with  shields.    The 

nphets  al*o  auemble  in  great  force,  their  business  being  to  invent  certain  modes  of 

!Liiur  food,  which  will  rendeMhe  body  of  the  consumer  strong  throughout  the  year. 

f^ill^tival,  also,  the  veteran  soldiers  who  have  earned  their  discharge  are  formally 

Uetied  from  service,  while  the  recruits  are  draughted  into  the  ranka 

The  fint  business  is,  the  sacrifice  of  the  bull    For  this  purpose  a  bull  is  given  to  the 

frion,  who  are  obliged  to  catch  it  and  strangle  it  with  their  naked  hands.    They 

got'even  allowed  a  rope  with  which  to  bind  the  animal,  and  the  natural  conse- 

fence  ia,  that  no  small  amount  of  torture  is  inflicted  upon  the  poor  animal,  while  the 

on  ore  placed  in  considerable  jeopardy  of  their  lives.    When  the  bull  is  dead,  the 


'i  ■  i  ,li 


8A0RIFI0INO  THE  BULL. 


lief  prophet  opens  it,  and  removes  the  gall,  which  he  mixes  with  other  medicines  and 
pes  to  the  king  and  his  councillors.    The  dose  thus  prepared  is  always  as  unsavoury  a 

kre  as  can  well  be  conceived,  but  the  Kaffir  palate  is  not  very  delicate,  and  suffers 
tie  under  the  infliction. 

The  body  of  the  bull  is  next  handed  over  to  the  "  boys,"  who  eat  as  much  as  they 
n,8nd  are  obliged  to  burn  the  remainder.  As  a  general  rule,  there  is  very  little  to  be 
irned.  The  men  do  not  eat  the  flesh  of  this  animal,  but  they  feast  to  their  heart's 
^tent  on  other  cattle,  which  are  slaughtered  in  the  usual  manner.  Dancing,  drinking, 
id  taking  snuff  now  set  in,  and  continue  in  full  force  for  several  days,  until  not  even 
jtffir  energy  can  endure  more  exertion. 

Then  comes  'the  part  of  the  king.  The  subjects  form  themselves  into  a  vast  ring, 
lo  which  the  king,  dressed  in  all  the  bravery  of  his  dancing  apparel,  enters  with  a 
bnd,  amid  shouts  of  welcome  from  the  people.  He  proceeds  to  indulge  in  one  of  the 
TOU8  dances  which  the  Kaffirs  love,  springing  high  into  the  air,  flourishing  his  stick  of 
te,  and  singing  songs  in  his  own  praises,  until  he  can  dance  and  sing  no  longer. 
oeially,  this  dance  is  not  of  very  long  duration,  as  the  king  is  almost  invariably  a  fat 
1  unwieldy  man,  and  cannot  endure  a  prolonged  exertion. 

The  crowning  incident  of  the  feast  now  takes  place.  The  king  stands  in  the  midst 
m  people— Dingan  always  stood  on  a  small  mound  of  earth — takes  a  young  and  green 


-  -  * 


188 


THE  KAFFIR 


-.4, 


i: 


I 


»?;;■ 


calabash  in  his  hands,  and  dashes  it  upon  the  ground,  so  as  to  break  it  in  pieces-  by t 
act  declaring  the  harvest  begun,  and  the  people  at  liberty  to  eat  of  the  fruits  of  the  r 
year.    A  very  similar  ceremony  takes  place  among  the  tribes  of  American  Indians 
consequence  of  which  is  frequently  that  the  people  abuse  the  newly-granted  per 
and  in  a  few  days  consume  all  the  maize  that  ought  to  have  served  them  for  tl 
months  of  winter. 

The  Kaffir  has  a  strong  belief  in  omens ;  though  perhaps  not  stronger  than 
credulity  in  some  parts  of  our  own  land.    He  is  always  on  the  look-out  for  omenTj 
has  as  keen  an  eye  for  them  and  their  meaning  as  an  ancient  augur.    Anythins  t! 
happens  out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  events  is  an  omen,  either  for  good,  or  evil,  and  L 
natural  constitution  of  a  Kaffir's  mind  always  inclines  him  to  the  latter  feeUng.  ^ ; 
the  ancient  days,  the  modem  Kaffir  finds  most  of  his  omens  in  the  actions  of  animals. 

One  of  the  worst  of  omens  is  the  bleating  of  a  sheep  as  it  is  being  slai 

Some  years  ago  this  omen  occurred  in  the  kraal  belonging  to  one  of  Panda's  "i ^ 

or  councillors.  A  prophet  was  immediately  summoned,  and  a  number  of  sacrifices  offer; 
to  avert  the  evil  omen.  Panda  himself  was  so  uneasy  that  he  added  an  ox  to  th 
sacrifices,  and  afterwards  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  man  whose  kraal  could  be  visits 
by  such  an  infiiction  could  not  be  fit  to  liva  He  accordingly  sent  a  party  of  i 
kill  the  induna,  but  the  man,  knowing  the  character  of  his  chief,  took  the  alarm  in  tin 
and  escaped  inio  British  territory  in  Natal  ' 

If  a  goat  were  tb  leap  on  a  hut,  nothing  would  be  thought  of  it ;  but  if' a  aog  ou 
eheep  were  to  do  so,  it  would  be  an  omen.  It  is  rather  remarkable  that  among  the  Koit 
American  tribes  the  roofs  of  houses  form  the  usual  resting-place  of  the  dogs  which  svai 
in  every  village.  If  a  cow  were  to  eat  grain  that  had  been  spilled  on  the  groimd,  it  woil 
be  no  omen ;  but  if  she  were  to  ^ush  off  the  cover  of  a  vessel  containing  grain,  ande 
the  contents,  the  act  would  be  considered  ominous. 

Mention  has  been  made  once  or  twice  of  the  prophets,  sometimes,  but  erroneonsly, 
-witch  doctors.    These  personages  play  a  most  impoi-tant  part  in  the  religious  system 
the  Kaffir  tribes ;  and  although  their  office  varies  slightly  in  detail,  according  to  thi 
locality  to  which  they  belong,  their  general  characteristics  are  the  same  thi-oughont 
coimtry.     Their  chief  offices  are,  communicating  with  the  spirit  of  the  departed, 
ascertaining  their  wishes ;  discovering  the  perpetrators  of  crimes ;  reversing  spells  thni 
by  witchcraft ;  and  lastly,  and  most  important,  rain-making. 

The  office  of  prophet  cannot  be  assumed  by  any  one  who  may  be  ambitious  of  such 
distinction,  but  is  hedged  about  with  many  rites  and  ceremonies.  In  the  first  place,  it  ii 
not  every  one  who  is  entitled  even  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  office,  which  is  p 
hereditary.  A  prophet  must  be  descended  from  a  prophet,  though  he  need  not 
prophet's  son.  Indeed,  as  a  general  rule,  the  sons  of  prophets  do  not  attain  the  ( 
which  their  fathera  held,  the  supernatural  afflatus  generally  passing  over  one  generatioi 
and  sometimes  two.  In  the  next  place,  a  very  long  and  arduous  preparation  is  nadefc 
the  office,  and  the  candidate,  if  he  passes  successfully  through  it,  is  solemnly  admittedl 
into  the  order  by  a  council  of  seers,  who  meet  for  the  purpose. 

When  first  the  spirit  of  prophecy  manifests  itself  to  a  Kaffir,  he  begins  by  losing  all 
his  interest  in  the  events  of  every-day  life.    He  becomes  depressed  in  mind;  prefen] 
solitude  to  company ;  often  has  fainting  fits ;  and,  what  is  most  extraordinary  of  all,  los 
his  appetite.    He  is  visited  by  dreams  of  an  extraordinary  character,  mainly  relating 
serpents,  lions,  hysenas,  leopards,  and  other  wild  beasts.    Day  by  day  he  becomes  nioi 
and  more  possessed,  until  the  perturbations  of  the  spirit  manifest  themselves  openly. 

In  this  stage  of  his  novitiate,  the  future  prophet  uttera  terrible  yells,  leaps  here 
there  with  astonishing  Mgour,  and  runs  about  at  fcdl  speed,  leaping  and  shrieking  all  tl 
time.  When  thus  excited  he  will  dart  into  the  bush,  catch  snakes  (which  an  ordinal 
Kaffir  will  not  touch),  tie  them  round  his  neck,  boldly  fling  himself  into  the  water, 
perform  all  kinds  of  insane  feats. 

This  early  stage  of  a  prophet's  life  is  called  by  the  Kaffira  Twasa,  a  word 
signifies  the  change  of  the  old  moon  to  the  new,  and  the  change  of  winter  to  spring  ill 


PREPAEATIONS  FOR  PROPHETSHIP. 


189 


^  of  the  year.    During  its  progress,  the  head  of  his  house  is  supposed  to  feel 

t^ride  in  the  fact  that  a  prophet  is  to  be  numbered  among  the  family,  and  to  offer 
fices  for  the  success  of  the  novice.  When  the  preliminary  stage  is  over,  the  future 
het  goes  to  some  old  and  respected  seer,  gives  him  a  goat  as  a  fee,  and  remains  under 
[^haiee  until  he  has  completed  the  necessary  course  of  instruction.  He  then  assumes, 
idie^  and  character  of  a  prophet,  and  if  he  succeeds  in  his  ofSce  he  will  rise  to 
loonded  power  among  his  tribe.  But  should  his  first  essay  be  unsuccessful,  he  is 
fcrersally  contemned  as  one  whom  the  spirits  of  the  departed  think  to  be  unworthy 
Itheir  confidence. 

I  Mr.  Shooter  gives  a  very  graphic  account  of  the  preparation  of  a  prophet,  who  was 
her  to  one  of  his  own  servants.  The  reader  will  not  fail  to  notice  that  the  man  in 
stioa  was  entitled  by  birth  to  assume  the  prophet's  office. 


■    'M 


'^    M 


THB  PBOPHErS  RETUKN. 


"Some  of  the  particulars  may  be  peculiar  to  his  tribe,  and  some  due  to  the  caprice  of 

i  individual.    A  married  man  (whose  mother  was  the  daughter  of  a  prophet)  had 

ifested  the  symptoms  of  inspiration  when  a  youth ;  but  his  father,  not  willing  to 

ughter  his  cattle  as  custom  would  have  required,  employed  a  seer  of  reputation  to 

ick  the  growing  '  change.'    The  dispossession  was  not,  however,  permanent ;  and  when 

I  youth  became  a  man,  the  inspiration  returned.     He  professed  to  have  constantly 

urring  dreams  about  lions,  leopards,  elephants,  boa-constrictors,  and  all  manner  of 

Id  beasts ;  he  dreamed  about  the  Zulu  country,  and  (strangest  thing  of  all)  that  he  had 

lehement  desire  to  return  to  it. 

["After  a  while  he  beca»ne  very  sick  ;  his  wives,  thinking  he  was  dying,  poured  cold 
'''  over  his  prostrate  person ;  and  the  chief,  whose  induna  he  was,  sent  a  messenger 


(       '^ 


mm 


[i^'il 


!,t  ■!'  i.i 


190 


THE  KAFFIR 


to  a  prophet.  The  latter  declared  that  the  man  was  becoming  inspired,  and  diiectejt 
chief  to  supply  an  ox  for  sacrifice.  This  was  disagreeable,  but  that  personage  did 
dare  to  refuse,  and  the  animal  was  sent ;  he  contrived  however  to  delay  the  sacrifice 
prudently  ordered  that,  if  the  patient  died  in  the  meantime,  the  ox  should  be  letonn 
Having  begun  to  recover  his  strength,  our  growing  prophet  cried  and  raved  likeadeliriol 
being,  suffering  no  one  to  enter  his  hut,  except  two  of  his  younger  children — ^a  girl  aJ 
boy.  Many  of  the  tribe  came  to  see  him,  but  he  did  not  permit  them  to  apptoacU 
person,  and  impatiently  motioned  them  away. 

"  In  a  few  days  he  rushed  out  of  his  hut,  tore  away  through  the  fence,  ran  L 
maniac  across  the  grass,  and  disappeared  in  the  bush.  The  two  children  went  after] 
and  the  boy  (his  sister  having  tired)  eventually  discovered  him  on  the  sea-shore. 


THE  PBOPHETS  SCHOOli. 

the  child  could  approach,  the  real  or  affected  madman  disappeared  again,  and  was  seeni 
more  for  two  or  tiiree  days.  He  then  returned  home,  a  strange  and  frightful  sped 
sickness  and  fasting  had  reduced  him  almost  to  a  skeleton  ;  his  eyes  glared  and 
out  from  his  shrunken  face ;  the  ring  had  been  torn  from  his  head,  which  he  had  coven 
with  long  shaggy  grass,  while,  to  complete  the  hideous  picture,  a  living  serpent ' 
twisted  round  his  neck.  Having  entered  the  kraal  where  his  wives  were  in  tears,  i 
the  inmates  in  sorrow,  he  saluted  them  with  a  wild  howl  to  this  effect :  '  People  call  i 
mad,  I  know  they  say  I  am  mad ;  that  is  nothing ;  the  spirits  are  influencing  me-ti 
spirits  of  Majolo,  of  Unhlovu,  and  of  my  father.' 

"  After  this  a  sort  of  dance  took  place,  in  which  he  sung  or  chanted, '  I  thought  1 1 
dreaming  while  I  was  asleep ;  but,  to  my  surprise,  I  was  not  asleep.'    The  won 
(previously  instructed)  broke  forth  into  a  shrill  chorus,  referring  to  his  departure  fio|| 
home,  his  visit  to  the  sea,  and  his  wandering  from  river  to  river ;  while  the  men  d 
part  by  singing  two  or  three  unmeaning  syllables.    The  dance  and  the  accompan)^ 
chants  were  several  times  repeated,  the  chief  actor  conducting  himself  consistently  wit! 
his  previous  behaviour. 

"  His  dreams  continued,  and  the  people  were  told  that  he  had  seen  a  boa-constricte 
in  a  vision,  and  could  point  out  the  spot  where  it  was  to  be  found.  They  accompanid 
him ;  and,  when  he  had  indicated  the  place,  they  dug,  and  discovered  two  of  the  lepti' 


THE  "CHANGE" 


191 


ideavoared  to  seize  one,  but  the  people  held  him  back,  and  his  son  struck  the  animal 
gttlficient  force  to  disable  but  not  to  kill  it.    He  was  then  allowed  to  take  the 
mt  trhich  he  placed  round  his  neck,  and  the  party  returned  home.    Subsequently 
(as  he  alleged)  dreamed  about  a  leopard,  the  people  accompanied  him,  and  found 
J  beast  was  slain,  and  carried  in  triumph  to  the  kraaL 

When  our  growing  prophet  returned  home  after  his  absence  at  the  sea,  he  began  to 
rhter  his  cattle,  according  to  custom,  and  continued  doing  so  at  intervals  until  the 
eweie  consumed.  Some  of  them  were  offered  in  sacrifice.  As  the  general  rule, 
tbere  is  beef  at  a  kraal  the  neighbours  assemble  to  eat  it ;  but,  when  an  embiyo- 
jays  his  cattle,  those  who  wish  to  eat  must  previously  give  him  something.  It 
ver  the  chief  were  to  give  him  a  cow,  the  people  of  the  tribe  would  be  free  to  go. 
case  the  chief  had  not  done  so,  and  the  visitors  were  obliged  to  buy  their 

jertainment,  one  man  giving  a 

Qe,  another  a  shilling.    An  in- 

^diiiil,who  was  unable  or  un- 

illing  to  pay,  having  ventured 

piesent  himself   with  emply 

jids,  oar  neophyte  was  exceed- 

dy  wroth,  and,  seizing  a  stick, 
)  Ae  intruder  a  significant 
Lffbich  the  latter  was  not  slow 


"Dniiog  the  consumption  of 

eattle,  the  neophyte  disap- 
[i^aijl  for  two  days.  When 
\ns  fimshed  he  went  to  a 
with  whom  he  resided 

I  moras— his  children  taking 

I  food ;  and  afterwards,  to  re- 
tvefiiither  instruction,  visited 
seer.  He  was  then  oon- 
leied  qualified  to  practise." 

Ibe  reader  may  remember  that 
9  novitiate  prophet  occasionally 
himself  into  water.     He 

«ses  the  clearest  and  deepest 

lol  that  he  can  find,  and  the 

^t  of  doing  so  is  to  try  whether 

jrofthe  spirits  will  reveal  them- 

Ives  to  him  at  the  bottom  of  the 

«r,  though  they  would  not  do 
I  on  dry  land. 

In  the  foregoing  story  of  a 
[ophet's  preparation,  tha  narrator 

I  not  touch  upon  the  space  that 
lervenes  between  the  novitiate 
the  admission  into  the  pro- 
etic  order.  This  omission  can 
I  supplied  by  an  account  given 
[Mr.  Grout,  by  a  native  who  was 

rra  believer  in  the  supernatural  powers  of  the  prophets. 

The  state  of  "  change  "  lasts  for  a  long  time,  and  is  generally  terminated  at  the  begin- 

gof  the  new  year.     He  then  rubs  himself  all  over  with  white  clay,  bedecks  himself 

h  living  snakes,  and  goes  to  a  council  of  seers.    They  take  him  to  the  water — the  sea, 

'  7  should  be  within  reach  of  the  coast — ^throw  him  into  the  water,  4||id  there  leave 
He  again  goes  off  into  solitude,  and,  when  he  returns,  he  is  aooca^jpopied  by  the 


PROPHET  AND  WIFB. 


-'■    ^     §- 


.(     ' 


192 


THE  KAFHR. 


: 


Cle  of  his  kraal,  bringing  oxen  and  goats  for  sacxifl^    He  does  not  sacrifiot  vm 
nse  they  are  silent  when  killed,  whereas  an  ox  lows,  and  a  goat  bleats,  aod^ 
needfid  that  any  animal  which  is  slaughtered  as  a  sacrifice  must  cry  out. 

Aa  they  are  saccessiyely  sacrificed,  he  takes  out  the  bladders  and  gall-bags,  inflates! 


OLD  FBOFHEia 


with  air,  and  hangs  them  about  his  body,  as  companions  to  the  snakes  which  he  is  aln 
wearing.  "  He  enters  pools  of  water,  abounding  in  serpents  and  alligators.  And  now.ifli 
catches  a  snake,  he  has  power  over  that ;  or  if  he  catches  a  leoparcl,  he  has  power  ovi 
the  leopard ;  or  if  he  catches  a  deadly-poisonous  serpent^  he  has  power  over  the  moi 


ZULU  PBOFHBT. 


^ 


IM 


^leipeni    And  thus  he  takes  hit  degrees,  Che  degree  of  leinwxd,  that  he  may 
[j^opaidq,  and  of  aer^ents,  that  he  may  catoh  serpents."    Not  until  he  has  completed 
)  Dtepuations  does  he  begin  to  practise  his  profession,  and  to  exact  payment  ficom 
_j  wbo  oome  to  ask  his  advice. 

flhe  iUutration  on  pa^  191  is  taken  firom  a  photograph  whidi  represents  a  Zulu 
Uet  ud  his  wife.    He  is  not  dressed  in  his  official  costume,  a  specimen  of  which  may 
[^  ic  the  next  illustration,  but  is  merely  clad  in  the  ordinaiy  dress  of  every-day  lifa 
Ktoup  iB  particularly  valuable,  as  showing  the  singular  contrast  between  the  two 
•  the  husband  and  wife  scarcely  seeming  to  belong  to  the  same  race  of  mankind. 
indeed,  is  generally  the  case  throughout  the  Kaffir  tribes,    Ihe  Kaffir  prophet 
_^ffl  canies  a  wand  of  offlcey-generally  a  cow's  tail,  iiMtened  to  a  wooden  handle    and 
^  other  hand  he  bears  a  miniature  shield  and  an  asssgaL 
16  next  engraving  represents  two  prophets,  in  the  roll  costume  of  their  professitm. 
wen  both  celebrated  men,  and  had  attidned  old  age  when  their  portraits  were 
^  One  of  them  was  peculiarly^  noted  for  his  skill  as  a  rain-maker,  and  the  other  was 
^for  ^s  knowledge  of  medicine  and  the  properties  of  herbs.    Each  is  arrayed  in 
UrmentB  suitable  to  the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged.   Although  tiie  '^ame  man  ia 
i^yaiain-nudcer,  a  witch-finder,  a  necromancer,  and  a  physician,  he  does  not  wear 
I  Hme  costume  on  all  occasions,  but  indues  the  official  dress  which  belongs  to  the 
sod  in  many  cases  the  change  is  so  great  that  the  man  can  scarcely  be 

J  one  css^  he  will  be  dressed  merely  in  the  ordinary  Kaffir  kilt,  with  a  few  inflated 

|.])Iidden  in  lus  hair,  and  a  snake-skin-  wound  ovet  his  shoulders.   In  another,  he  will 

iiabbed  his  ftce  and  body  with  white  earth,  covered  his  head  with  such  quantities  of 

.ins  that  his  face  can  hardly  be  seen  under  them,  and  fringed  his  limbs  with  the  tails 

Oft,  the  long  hair4ufts  of  goats,  skins  of  birds,  and  other  wild  and  savage  adornments ; 

etuad  clanking  sound  is  made  at  every  movement  by  numbers  of  small 

I  strung  on  leathern  thongs.    His  movements  are  equally  changed  with  hia 

;;  and  a  man  who  will,  when  invoking  rain,  invest  every  gesture  with  solemn  and 

ck  graces  will,  when  acting  as  witch-finder,  lash  himseu  mto  furious  excitement, 

\  in  the  air,  flourish  his  legs  and  arms  about  as  if  they  did  not  belong  to  him,  fill 

[til  with  his  shrieks,  and  foam  at  the  mouth  as  if  he  had  been  taken  with  an  epileptic 

It  is  rather  curious  that,  while  in  some  Kaffir  tribes  a  man  who  is  liable  te  fits  ia 

and  repelled,  among  othert  he  is  thought  to  be  directly  inspired  by  the  souls 

^  ited  chiefit,  and  is  tjMo  fada  entitled  to  become  a  prophet,  even  though  he  be  not 

sphetiod  descent    He  is  one  who  has  been  specially  ohoeen  by  the  apints,  and  may 

.1^  prophetical  office  to  his  descendants. 


1 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


BELIOION  AND  SUPERSTITION- Conttnuetf. 


DTmiS  OF  TRa  PBOPRBT — X  PBOPBICT  AlH)  HIS  OLIKNTS — PBOBABLB  BB8ULT  OV  TBI  Ol^nirJ 
▲  KAFFIB'b  BBLXSr  IN  OHABMS  —  0HABM-STICK8  AND  THBU  VARIOUS  PBOPBBTIB8  —  oocu j 
AND  THONDBB  CHABHS — A   SOUTH   AFRICAN  THUNDRR8T0BM — LOVB,  LION,  AND  FATIOm  i 

— THE  KAFFIR  OATTLB  DOCTOR  —  ILLMKSB   OF  A  CHIEF THB  WIZARD  SUXXOMBD— i| 

THB  VIZARD  —  A  TRBRIBLB   SCBNB  —  KONA'S    ILLNB88  AND   ITS   BB8ULT8 — A  FBHAU  HOFI 
AND  HBB  FROCBBDINOS — INOBNI0U8    MODR   OF  EXTORTION — THB   IHF08TUBE  DBTBOTBD— B 
DITARY  CHARACTER  OF  PBOFHBCY — A  PROPHETESS  AT  HOMB — DEMEANOUR  OF  FEXALI  FBOFl 
— SUROBBT  AND   MBDICINB — ^A  PBIlflTIVB  UODB   OF   CI7FPINO — A  FALSE  PROPHET  AND  BIB  li] 
~>A  BQiaULAB  SUPBBSnnON — KA7FIB  TAHPIBBS— THB  MIOHX  CBY — PBOCUBINO  BnDIHCl 


m  ^' 


Thk  object  for  which  the  KafBr  prophet  is  generally  consulted  is  the  discovery  of  i 
craft  Now,  the  reader  must  understand  that  the  belief  in  witchcraft  is  universal  thno^ 
out  Africa,  and  in  no  part  of  that  continent  is  it  so  strong  as  in  Kaffirland.  Thenj 
scarcely  an  ill  that  can  befall  mankind  which  is  not  believed  to  be  caused  by  witcha 
and,  consequently,  the  prophet  has  to  find  out  the  author  of  the  evil  The  most  haul 
discovery  that  he  can  make  is,  that  the  charm  has  not  been  wrought  by  any  individu 
but  has  been  the  work  of  offended  spirits.  All  illness,  for  example,  is  thougfattol 
caused  by  the  spirits  of  the  departed,  either  liecause  they  are  oQ'ended  with  the  suffei 
or  because  they  have  been  .worked  upon  by  some  necromancer. 

Mr.  Shooter  has  so  well  described  the  course  of  proceeding  in  such  a  case  that  his  on 
words  must  be  given : — 

"  When  people  consult  a  prophet,  they  do  not  tell  him  on  what  subject  they  wish  j 
be  enlightened.  He  is  supposed  to  be  acquainted  with  their  thoughts,  and  they  men 
intimate  that  they  wish  to  have  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge.  Pi-obably  he  will' ta 
time  to  consider,'  and  not  give  his  responses  at  once.  Two  young  men  visiting  hiin,| 
consequence  of  their  brothers  illness,  found  the  prophet  squatting  by  his  hut,  and  salr 
him.  He  then  invited  them  to  sit  down,  and,  retiring  outside  the  kraal,  squatted  nmi 
gate,  to  take  snuff  and  meditate.  This  done  to  his  satisfaction,  he  sends  a  boy  to  naHi^ 
visitors  into  his  presence ;  when  they  immediately  join  him,  and  squat 

"  The  prophet  asks  for  his  'assa^i' — a  figurative  expression  for  his  fee— when  t 
applicants  reply  that  they  have  nothmg  to  give  at  present ;  after  a  while,  they  will ! 
something  to  pay  him  with.   '  No,'  answers  the  prophet,  not  disposed  to  give  credit; ' 
want  to  cheat  me — everybody  tries  to  do  so  now.  Why  don't  you  give  me  two  sluiiipl 
They  offer  him  a  small  assagai ;  but  he  is  not  satisfied  with  the  weapon,  and,  pointingf 
a  larger  one,  says, '  That  is  mine.'    The  man  who  had  brought  this  excuses  himself^ 
saying  that  it  does  not  belong  to  him ;  but  the  prophet  persists,  and  it  is  givea 

"  Having  no  hope  of  extorting  a  larger  fee,  the  prophet  says, '  Beat  and  hear,  i 
people.'    Each  of  the  applicants  snaps  his  fingers,  and  replies, '  I  hean'    The  heatii^| 
sometimes,  and  perhaps  more  regularly,  performed  by  beating  the  ground  with  sticks. 


THE  PROPHET  AND  HIS  CLIENTS. 


195 


"The  prophet  now  pretends  to  have  a  vision,  indistinct  at  first,  but  becoming  eventually 

deanr*  vn^  ^^  "^^  ^^^  actual  thing  which  has  occurred.    This  vision  he  professes  to 

leribe  as  it  appears  to  him.    We  may  imagine  him  saying,  for  instance,  '  A  cow  is 

^^no.  I  see  a  man ;  a  man  has  been  hurt'    While  he  runs  on  in  this  way,  the  appli- 

nti  leply  to  ^^^^  assertion  by  beating,  as  at  first,  and  saying, '  I  hear.'   They  carefully 

staia  m>m  saying  whether  he  is  right  or  wrong;  but  when  he  approaches  the  truth,  the 

Bple  creatures  testify  their  joy  by  beating  and  replying  with  increased  vigour. 

^The  prophet's  simulated  vision  is  not  a  series  of  guesses,  in  which  he  may  possibly 

bitnpon  the  truth,  but  a  systematic  enumeration  of  particulars,  in  which  he  can  scarcely 

Diss  it  Thus,  he  may  b^in  by  saying  that  the  thing  which  the  applicants  wish  to  know 

Klates  to  some  animal  with  hair,  and,  going  through  each  division  of  that  clasn,  suggests 

fhatever  may  be  likely  to  occur  to  a  cow,  a  cal^  a  dog.    If  he  find  no  indicaticn  that  the 


PBOPHKC  Ain>  INQUraSRS. 


Alter  relates  to  one  ot  this  class,  he  takes  another,  as  human  beings,  and  proceeds 
krough  it  in  the  same  manner.  It  is  obvious  that  a  tolerably  clever  practitioner  may,  in 
pis  way,  discover  from  the  applicants  whatever  may  have  happened  to  them,  and  send 
pm  away  with  a  deep  impression  of  his  prophetic  abilities,  especially  if  he  have  any 
cvioua  knowledge  of  their  circumstances.  The  following  sketch  will  give  the  reader  a 
jeneral  idea  of  the  prophet's  manner  of  proceeding,    A  few  particulars  only,  as  being 

fficient  for  illustration,  are  given : — 

" '  Beat  and  hear,  my  people.' 

"  They  snap  their  fingers,  and  say, '  I  hear.' 

"'Attend,  my  people.' 

"  They  beat,  and  say,  •  I  hear. 

"I don't  know  what  you  want;  you  want  to  know  something  abont  an  animal  with 
w.  A  cow  is  sick ;  what's  the  matter  with  her  ?    I  see  a  wound  on  her  side — no ;  I'm 

nng.  A  cow  is  lost ;  I  see  a  cow  in  the  bush.  Nay,  don't  beat,  my  people ;  I'm  wrong. 
["sadog;  a  dog  has  ascended  a  hut.*    Nay,  that's  not  it.    I  see  now — ^beat  vigorously ; 

!  thing  relates  to  people.  Somebody  is  ill — a  man  is  ill — ^he  is  an  old  man.  No ;  I  see 
jwomaQ— she  has  been  married  a  year :  where  is  she  ?    I'm  wrong ;  I  don't  see  yet' 

t.  Thii^  it  vill  be  remembered,  is  one  of  the  mil  omens  wbioh  a  Kaflk  fears. 

02 


196 


THE  KAFFIB. 


"  Ferhap*  he  takes  snuff,  and  rests  a  whUe.  * 

"  '  Beat  uid  hear,  my  peoplft  I  see  now ;  it's  a  boy— beat  vigoroosty.  Re  ii  iu| 
Where  is  he  siokt  Let  me  see— there'  (placing  his  hand  on  some  i^at  of  his  own  mtml 
"  No— beat  and  attend,  my  people — I  see  now.  Thsbi  1 '  (indicating  the  aotnsl  plaJI 
'  Where  is  he  ?  Not  at  his  kraal ;  he  is  working  with  a  white  man.  How  hsi  he  bZI 
hurt?  I  see  him  going  to  the  bush— he  has  gone  to  fetch  wood ;  a  piece  of  wood  ft 
upon  him ;  he  is  hurt — ^he  cannot  walk.  I  see  water;  what's  the  watn  fort  Him  , 
pouring  it  over  him ;  he  is  fainting— he  is  veiy  ilL  The  spirits  are  angiy  with  hiu- 
ufher  is  angiy ;  he  wants  bee£  The  bo^  received  a  cow  for  his  wages;  it  wsstL 
cow.  No ;  I  see  whita  Where  is  the  white  7  a  little  on  the  side.  The  sp^t  wsnti  < 
cow ;  kill  It,  and  the  boy  will  recover.' " 

Fortunate  indeed  are  the  spectators  of  the  scene  if  the  necromancer  makes  ndt  i|l 
announcement^  and  any  one  of  these  would  be  only  too  glad  to  compound  ibr  twi 
sacrifice  of  a  cow,  if  he  could  be  sure  of  escaping  accusation  as  a  wizaod.    In  the  cm 
of  a  "boy,"  or  even  of  a  married  man  of  no  great  rank  or  wealth,  such  will  pTobeblr) 
the  result  of  the  inquiry— the  prophet  will  get  his  fee,  the  spectators  will  get  a  feait^  i 
the  patient  may  possibljr .set  better. 

But  when  a  <mief  is  ill  the  probability  is  that  some  one  wiU  be  accused  of  witehcnlL| 
and  if  the  king  is  ailing  such  an  accusation  is  a  matter  of  certain^. 

In  the  eye  of  a  Kaffir,  any  one  may  be  a  witch  or  a  wizard— both  sexes  beiiw  equ 
liable  to  the  impeachment— and  on  that  subject  no  man  can  trust  his  neighoour. 
husband  hlu  no  faith  in  his  own  wife,  and  the  father  mistrusts  his  children.  As  s  ni 
consequence,  the  &ith  in  charms  is  co-extensive  with  the  belief  in  witchcraft,  sad 
is  scarcely  a  Kaffir  who  does  not  carry  with  him  a  whole  series  of  charms,  each  1 
destined  to  avert  some  particular  evil  The  charms  are  furnished  to  them  l^  the  pnplittS 
and  as.the^  never  are  of  the  least  intrinsic  value,  and  are  highly  paid  for,  the  bnaiiKNt 
a  prophet  is  rather  a  lucrative  one.  Anything  will  serve  as  a  chann, — bits  of  bone,  i 
of  skm,  feathers,  claws,  teeth,  roots,  and  bits  of  wood. 

A  Kaffir  will  often  have  a  whole  string  of  such  charms  hting  round  his  neck,  and,  to| 
a  European,  a  superstitious  Kaffir  has  often  a  very  ludicrous  aspect    One  man,  vhi 
seems  to  have  been  peculiarly  impressible  to  such  observances,  had  bedecked  his  ht 
with  pigs'  bristles  set  straight,  so  as  to  stand  out  on  all  sides  like  the  quills  of  a  hedgeb 
while  round  his  neck  he  mui  strung  a  quantity  of  charms,  the  principal  of  which  vei 
pieces  of  bone,  the  head  of  a  snake,  a  tooth  of  a  young  hippopotamus,  and  a  Irau 
haruUe.    Sometimes  the  charms  are  strung  on  the  same  tnoug  with  the  beads,  nei 
knives,  snuff-boxes,  and  other  decorations  of  a  Kaffir's  toiled  but  generally  they  i 
considered  worthy  of  a  string  to  themselves. 

But  the  generality  of  charms  are  made  of  various  roots  and  bits  of  wood,  which  i 
hung  round  the  neck,  and  nibbled  when  the  wearer  feels  a  need  of  their  influence.  0 
powerful  set  of  charms  is  intended  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  wearer  against  t 
feeling  of  fear,  and  the  prophets  have  very  ingeniously  managed  to  invent  a  sepan 
charm  for  evei^  kind  of  roar.    For  example,  if  a  Kaffir  has  to  go  out  at  night,  and  d 
afraid  of  meeting  ghosts,  he  has  recourse  to  his  ghost-charm,  which  he  nibbks  sligbth 
and  then  sallies  out  in  bold  defiance  of  the  shades  below.    When  he  has  come  to  1 
journey's  end,  he  finds  that  he  has  met  no  ghosts,  and,  consequently,  he  has 
faith  in  his  charm. 

If  Lj  should  go  into  action  as  a  soldier,  he  takes  care  to  have  his  enemv-charm  i 
for  use,  and  just  before  he  enten  the  battle  bites  off  a  portion  of  the  wood,  maaticateiJI 
thoroughly,  and  then  blows  the  fragments  towards  the  foe,  confident  that  he  is  tirasta' ' 
away  from  the  couraoe  of  the  enemy,  and  adding  the  subtracted  amount  to  his  own. 
only  misgiving  which  disturbs  his  mind  i^  that  the  enemy  is  doing  exactly  the  i 
thing,  and  he  cannot  be  quite  sure  that  the  opposing  charm  may  not  w  more  potent  t 
bis  owa  The  prophet  rather  fosters  than  discourages  this  feeling,  because  the  soldit 
knowing  that,  if  he  retreats,  he  will  be  executed  as  a  coward — ia  so  anxious  to  jpoasea  i 
double  share  of  courage  that  he  will  pay  largely  in  order  to  secure  a  powenfol  charm. 

Frequently,  when  a  soldier  has  b^  thus  disgraced,  his  friends  abuse  the  prophet  ^ 


SOUTH  AFRICAN  THUNDERSTORBl 


107 


>t  a  ohurin.    His  reply,  howeyer,  is  always  easy:  "  He  only  sate  im 

^ I'  expect  BoatKshanns ;  if  he  wanted  ox-ohanns,  be  ought  to  have 

OM  a  oow,  or  ui  least  a  caJf."    Even  if  an  adequate  fee  has  been  paid,  the  answer 

iMttUy  "t^y — ^^*  '°'^  ^'^  *  wisard,  and  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors  were  augry  with 

lia  tenonblingtbem  so  much  with  his  conjurations. 

YoT  hft  KuBrs  will  venture  out  during  the  stormy  season  without  a  thunderoharm 

it(NWrv*tive  against  lightning.    This  object  looks  just  like  any  other  charm,  and  is, 

lih^  nothing  more  than  a  small  piece  of  wood  or  root    The  Kaffir's  faith  in  it  is 

nboanded,  i^  in  consequence  of  the  awftil  severity  of  thunderstorms,  the  sale  of  such 

mi  is  a  very  lucrative  part  of  the  prophet's  business.    We  can  scarcely  wonder  that 

jKiftr  bss  recourse  to  such  preservatives,  for  he  well  knows  that  no  art  of  man  can 

lil  i^iinst  the  terrific  storms  of  that  country. 

Eraa  in  England  we  often  witness  thunderstorms  that  fill  the  boldest  witn  awe,  whila 
I  w«sk«r*minded  of  both  sexes  cower  in  abject  fear  at  the  crashing  thunder  and  the 
ghtnhig  streaks.  But  the  worst  storm  that  has  been  known  in  England  is  as 
compared  to  the  ordinary  thunderstorms  of  Southern  Africa — storms  in  which 
iuSve,  wno  has  been  accustomed  to  them  all  his  life,  can  do  nothing  but  crouch  to 
jgionnd,  and  lav  his  hand  on  his  mouth  in  silence  What  an  African  storm  can  be 
ij  be  imaffined  from  the  following  account  by  Mr.  Cole : — 

''EmerE^ng  tStet  a  few  days  from  these  freezing  quarters,  I  found  myself  in  the  plaiqa 

rtheGnaf-Reinet  district    It  was  pleasant  to  feel  warm  again,  but  what  I  gained  in 

ilwio  I  decidedly  lost  in  the  picturesque :  never>ending  plains  of  burnt  grass,  treeless^ 

den,  houseless — such  were  the  attractions  that  greeted  my  eves.    How  anything  in 

(Vegetable  or  animal  kingdom  could  exist  there  seemed  a  perfect  mystery.    Tet  the 

j^  if  soon  explained.    I  was  there  when  there  had  been  a  lona-continued  drought 

one  of  ^hose  viaitations  to  which  these  districts  are  especially  subject    One  day  the 

(londi  began  to  gather,  the  wind  fell,  the  air  became  oppressively  sultry,  and  all  gave 

otioe  of  an  approaching  storm. 

"  My  horses  became  restive  and  uneasy,  and  for  myself  I  felt  faint  and  weary  to 
loen.   My  after-rider  looked  alarmed,  for  truly  the  heavens  bore  a  fearful  aspect.    I 

conceive  nothins  more  dismal  than  the  deep,  thick,  blade,  impenetrable  masses  of 
ub  timt  surrounded  us.  It  might  have  been  the  entrance  to  the  infernal  regiona 
henuelves  that  stood  before  us.  Suddenly  we  saw  a  stream  of  light  so  vivid,  so  intenseH 
iri2ht,and  of  such  immense  height  (apparently),  that  for  a  moment  we  were  half  blinded, 
jrhile  oar  horses  snorted  and  turned  sharp  round  from  the  glare.    Almost  at  the  same 

nt  burst  forth  a  peal  of  thunder,  like  the  artillery  of  all  the  universe  discharged  at 

I  in  our  ears. 

"There  was  no  time  to  be  lost:  we  struck  spurs  to  our  horses'  flanks,  and  galloped  to 

Imonntain  side,  a  little  way  behind  us,  where  the  quick  eye  of  my  Hottentot  had  observed 

ieave.  In  a  few  minutes — ^moments  rather^-we  were  within  it,  but  not  before  the  sturm 

1  bant  forth  in  all  its  fury.    One  moment  the  country  round  us  was  black  as  ink—  the 

itit  was  a  sheet  of  living  flame,  whiter  than  the  white  heat  of  the  furnace.   One  lons- 

otinoed,  never-ceasing  roar  of  thunder  (not  separate  daps  as  we  hear  them  in  England) 

kfened  our  ears,  and  each  moment  we  feared  destruction ;  for,  more  than  oi  ce,  huge 

Mes  of  rock,  detached  by  the  lightning-blast  from  the  mountain  above  us,  rolled  down 

lit  ear  cavern  with  the  roar  of  an  avalanche.    The  Hottentot  lay  on  his  face,  shntting 

at  the  light,  though  he  could  not  escape  the  sound. 

"At  length  the  rain-spouts  burst  forth,  and  to  describe  how  the  water  delused  the 
rth  would  be  impossible ;  suffice  it  that  though  we  had  entered  the  cave  from  the  road 
nthoat  passing  any  stream,  or  apparently  any  bed  of  one,  when  we  again  ventnTcd  forth 
^m  our  place  of  shelter,  three  hours  later,  a  broad  and  impassable  torrent  flowed 
etween  ourselves  and  the  road,  and  we  had  to  crawl  along  the  mountain  sides  on  foot, 
nth  great  difficulty,  and  in  the  momentary  danger  of  losing  our  footing  on  its  slippery 
nrfuce,  and  being  dashed  into  the  roaring  torrent  for  about  two  miles  ere  we  could  find 
ifordable  spot    Two  days  later  these  plains  were  covered  with  a  lovely  verdure." 

Other  charms  are  intended  for  softening  the  heart  of  a  girl  whoir  a  man  wants  to 


198 


THE  KAFFIR 


'*i 


Ik'  ; 


JiMfy 


'■',} 


marry,  or  of  her  father,  in  urder  to  induce  him  to  bu  moderate  in  his  demand  for  coin  I 
or  of  th:  chief  if  he  should  have  to  prefer  a  request.  All  these  chanus  are  exactly  alikil 
to  the  look,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  no  not  possess  the  least  efficacy  in  onewnl 
or  another.  ^* 

There  are  some  charms  which  itndoubtedly  do  possess  some  power,  and  others  which 
owe  their  force  to  the  imagination  of  the  user.  The  many  charms  which  they  hosmi 
against  various  kinds  of  fear  belong  to  this  class.  For  example,  if  a  man  meets  a  lion  or 
a  leopard,  and  nibbles  a  little  scrap  of  wood,  it  is  plain  that  the  efficiency  of  tbeit 
charms  is  wholly  imaginary.  In  many  instances  this  is  undoubtedly  the  case,  if 
a  man,  meeting  a  lion,  nibbles  a  little  piece  of  lion-charm,  and  the  animal  moves  olT 
leaving  him  unmolested,  his  fears  are  certainly  allayed  by  the  use  of  the  chann,  thoud 
his  escape  is  due  to  the  natural  dread  of  man  implanted  in  the  nature  of  the  inferior 
animal,  and  nc '  to  the  power  of  the  charm.  In  battle,  too,  a  man  who  thinks  that  hii 
charms  will  render  the  enemy  afraid  of  him  is  much  more  likely  to  fight  with  doubled 
valodr,  and  so  to  bring  about  the  result  attributed  to  the  charm.  In  cases  of  illness,  too, 
we  all  know  how  powerful  is  the  healing  effect  of  the  imagination  in  restoration  of  health. 
But  there  are  many  instances  where  the  material  used  as  a  charm  possesses  mediciiial 
properties,  of  which  the  prophet  is  perfectly  aware.  There  is,  for  example,  one  chann 
against  weariness,  the  efncacy  of  which  clearly  depends  upon  the  properties  of  the 
material.  One  of  my  friends,  who  was  quite  weary  after  a  day's  hard  hunting,  vas  peN 
suaded  by  one  of  his  Kaffir  servants  to  eat  a  little  of  his  fatigue-charm.  It  was  evidently 
made  from  the  root  of  some  tree,  and  was  very  bitter,  though  not  unpleasantly  so.  He 
tried  it,  simply  from  curiosity,  and  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  in  a  few  minutd 
he  felt  his  muscular  powers  wonderfully  restored,  so  that  he  was  enabled  to  resume  hit 
feet,  and  proceed  briskly  homewards,  the  extreme  exhaustion  having  passed  away, 
Imagination  in  this  case  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  success  of  the  charm,  and  it  is 
evident  that  the  prophet  who  sold  it  to  the  Kaffir  was  aware  of  its  medicinal  properties. 
So  deeply-rooted  in  the  Kaffir  mind  is  the  idea  that  all  sickness  is  caused  by  witch- 
jmilb  of  some  kind  or  other,  that  even  if  cattle  are  ill,  their  sickness  is  supposed  to  have 
been  caused  by  some  supernatural  power 

The  first  course  that  is  taken  is  necessarily  the  propitiation  of  the  spirits,  in  order  that 
they  may  overrule  the  machinations  of  the  evil-doer,  and  preserve  the  cattle,  which  con- 
stitute the  wealth  and  strength  of  the  kraaL  One  of  the  best  oxen  is  therefore  sacrificed 
to  them  with  the  usual  ceremonies,  and,  when  it  is  dead,  the  gall  and  contents  of  the 
stomach  are  scattered  over  the  cattle  pen,  and  the  spirits  are  solemnly  invoked. 

Here  is  one  of  these  curious  prayers,  which  was  obtained  from  a  Kaffir.  "Hail! 
friend  I  thou  of  this  kraal,  grant  us  a  blessing,  beholding  what  we  have  done.  You  see 
this  distress;  remove  it,  since  we  have  given  you  an  animal.  We  know  not  what mon 
you  want,  whether  you  still  require  anything  more,  or  not.  Grant  us  grain  that  it  may 
be  abundant,  that  we  may  eat,  and  not  be  in  want  of  anything,  since  we  have  given  yon 
what  you  want.  Tfiis  kraal  was  built  by  yourself,  father,  and  now  why  do  you  diminish 
Your  own  kraal  ?  Build  on,  as  you  have  begun,  let  it  be  larger,  that  your  offspring,  still 
nere  about,  may  increase,  increasing  knowledge  of  you,  whence  cometh  great  power." 

The  flL>sh  of  the  slaughtered  ox  is  then  taken  into  a  hut,  the  door  is  closed,  and  no  one 
is  allowed  to  enter  for  a  considerable  time,  during  which  period  the  spirits  are  supposed  u 
be  eating  the  bee£  The  door  is  then  opened,  the  beef  is  cooked,  and  all  who  are  present 
partike  of  it 

If  the  propitiatory  sacrifice  fails,  a  prophet  of  known  skill  is  summoned,  and  the  herd 
collected  in  the  isibaya,  or  central  enclosure,  in  readiness  against  his  arrival  His  iiist 
proceeding  is  to  light  a  fire  in  the  isibaya  and  burn  medicine  upon  it,  taking  care  that 
the  smoke  shall  pass  over  the  cattle.  He  next  proceeds  to  frighten  the  evil  spirit  out  of 
them  by  a  simple  though  remarkable  proceeding.  He  takes  a  firebrand  in  his  hand, 
puts  a  lump  of  fat  in  his  mouth,  and  then  walks  up  to  one  of  the  afflicted  oxen.  The 
animal  is  firmly  held  while  he  proceeds  to  nja.sticate  the  fat,  and  then  to  eject  it  on  the 
firebrand.  The  mixed  fat  and  water  make  a  great  sputtering  in  the  face  of  the  ox,  Nvliich 
is  greatly  terrified,  and  bursts  away  from  its  tormentors. 


SMELLINQ  FOR  A  WIZARD. 


m 


This  process  is  repeated  upon  the  entire  herd  until  they  are  all  in  a  state  of  fiirious 
icitement,  and,  as  soon  as  they  have  reached  that  stage,  the  gate  of  the  enclosure 
thrown  open,  and  the  frightened  animals  dash  out  of  it  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 
12I  nub  after  them,  the  men  beating  their  shields  with  their  knob-kerries,  the  ' 
•oien  tattling  calabashes  with  stones  in  them,  and  all  yelling  and  shouting  at  the  top 
their  voices.  The  cattle,  which  are  generally  treated  with  peculiar  kindness,  are  quite 
de  themselves  at  such  a  proceeding,  and  it  is  a  considerable  time  before  they  can 
;ver  their  equanimity. 

This  may  seem  to  be  rather  a  curious  method  of  treating  the  cattle  disease,  but,  as  the 
^  of  Uie  prophet  is  forfeited  if  the  animals  are  not  cured,  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  the 
unedr  is  Tioore  efficacious  than  it  appears  to  be. 

When  a  chief  of  rank  happens  to  be  ill,  and  especially  if  the  king  himself  should  be 
no  one  has  ^e  least  doubt  that  sorcery  was  the  cause  of  the  evil    And,  as  the 


^^^ 


,^.^- 


,  *>"   '^    .-i 


m 

'Mm 


p. 


'  ta 


^'^ 


CUBING  CATTLE. 


fchiefs  are  given  to  eating  and  drinking,  and  smoking  and  sleeping,  until  they  are  so  fat 
that  they  can  hardly  walk,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  are  veiy  frequently  ill.  It  thus 
lecomes  the  busmess  of  the  prophet  to  find  out  the  wizard,  or  "  evil-doer,"  as  he  is  called, 
f>y  whom  the  charm  was  wrought. 

To  doubt  that  the  illness  was  caused  by  witchcraft  would  be  a  sort  of  high  treason, 

nd  afford  good  grounds  for  believing  that  the  doubter  was  himself  the  wizard.    For 

I  Kaffir  chief  always  chooses  to  think  himself  above  the  common  lot  of  humanity— that 

lie  is  superior  to  others,  and  that  he  cannot  die  like  inferior  men.    It  is  evident,  therefore, 

Ihat  any  ailment  which  may  attack  him  must  be  caused  by  witchcraft,  and  that,  if  the  evil- 

mt  can  be  detected,  the  spell  will  lose  its  potency,  and  the  sufferer  be  restored  to  health. 

Charms  which  cause  ill-health  are  usually  roots,  tufta  of  hair,  feathers,  bits  of  bon^ 


I   ' 


f   <i<  ''{^V'?! 


i  4 


MO 


THE  KAFFIR 


¥'- 


Um 


U; 


!  ," 


.1 


or  similftr  objects,  which  hare  been  in  the  poiMMion  of  the  victim,  or  at  leut  htra 
touched  by  him.    These  are  buried  in  some  secret  spot  by  the  wisard,  who  mutten  i 
over  them,  by  means  of  which  the  victim  droops  in  health  in  proportion  as  th«  b., 
ohum  deoavs  in  the  ground.    The  object  of  the  prophet,  therefore,  is  twofold ;  fin^  1 
point  out  the  wizard,  and,  secondly,  to  discover  the  buried  charms,  dig  them  n, ' 
reverse  the  spelL 

The  "  evu-doer"  is  discovered  by  a  process  which  is  technically  named  "smelJiM* 

A  large  circle  is  formed  of  spectators,  all  of  whom  squat  on  the  ground,  after  l 
nsnal  manner  of  Kaffirs.  When  all  is  ready,  the  prophet  clothes  himself  iu  hk  l, 
official  costume,  and  proceeds  into  the  circle,  where  he  is  received  with  a  grestihoot^ 
welcome.  Though  every  one  knows  that  before  an  hour  has  elapsed  one  at  least  of . 
.pumber  will  be  accused  of  witchcraft,  and  though  no  one  knows  whether  he  himself  i_ 
not  be  the  victim,  no  one  dares  to  omit  the  shout  of  welcome,  lest  he  shotUd  be  tuspectt 
as  the  wizard. 

The  prophet  then  begins  to  pace  slowly  in  the  circle,  gradually  increasing  his 
until  at  last  he  breaks  into  a  dance,  accompanyins  his  steps  with  a  measured  cb 
Louder  and  louder  peals  the  chant,  <|uicker  and  wilder  become  the  steps  of  the 
dancer,  until  at  last  the  man  lashes  himself  into  a  state  of  insane  fury,  his  eyes  n„ 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  and  his  chant  interrupted  by  shrieks  and  sobs,  lo  { 
the  spectators  may  well  believe,  as  they  most  firmly  do,  that  he  is  possessed  by  the  i 
of  departed  chiefk 

Then  comes  the  anxious  part  of  the  ceremony.    The  prophet  leaps  in  great 
over  the  arena,  first  rushing  to  one  part  and  then  to  another,  inhaling  his  breil 
violently,  like  a  dog  trying  to  discover  a  lost  scent,  and  seeminc  to  be  attracted  I 
or  repelled  from  certain  individuals  by  a  power  not  his  own.    Each  Kaffir  liti 
trembling  awe.  Us  heart  sinking  when  he  sees  the  terrible  prophet  coming  towaidil 
and  his  couitige  returning  as  the  seer  turns  off  in  another  direction. 

At  last  the  choice  is  made.  The  prophet  stops  suddenly  opposite  one  portion  i 
the  circle,  and  begins  to  sniff  violently,  as  if  trying  to  discover  by  the  sense  of  smell  f  hi 
the  offender  may  be.  The  vast  assembly  look  on  in  awe-struck  silence,  vhile 
prophet  draws  nearer  and  nearer,  as  if  he  were  supernaturally  attracted  to  the  objd 
of  which  he  was  in  search.  Suddenly  he  makes  a  dash  forward,  snatches  his  wand  o 
office  out  of  his  belt,  touches  the  doomed  man  with  it  and  runs  off. 

The  hapless  victim  is  instantly  seized  by  the  executioners,  and  hurried  off  befontlii| 
chief  in  orders  be  examined. 

In  the  illustration  on  the  next  page  the  doomed  victim — a  man  of  some  consequeMl 
— ^is  seen  in  the  foreground,  shrinking  from  the  approach  of  the  prophet,  who  is  cnvliitl 
towards  hino.  The  chief  who  summoned  him  is  smoking  his  pipe  in  the  background,  udl 
behind  him  are  the  young  men  who  act  as  executioners,  each  armed  with  a  knob^keniJ 
and  ready  to  run  and  arrest  the  unfortunate  individual  who  may  be  pointed  otttbythil 
prophet. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  prophet  is  followed  by  a  number  of  people  who  visli  til 
see  him  discover  the  buried  charm.  This  part  of  the  proceeding  is  very  similar  to  thitl 
which  has  been  mentioned.  He  dances  through  the  kraal,  entering  hut  after  hut,  tm 
pretending  to  be  satisfied  by  the  sense  of  smell  that  the  charm  is  not  to  be  found  in  eitt| 
place.  By  degrees  he  approaches  nearer  the  right  spot,  on  which  he  throws  his  assagiil 
and  tells  the  people  to  dig  and  find  the  charm,  which,  of  course,  he  has  previously  taketl 
care  to  place  there.  How  this  part  of  the  performance  is  sometimes  managed  fi| 
be  presently  narrated. 

The  wretched  man  who  is  once  accused  openly  as  being  accessory  to  the  illnesmil 
his  king  has  no  hope  of  mercy,  and  yields  to  the  dreadful  fate  that  awaits  him.  Ilii| 
nominal  examination  to  which  he  is  subjected  is  no  examination  at  all,  but  meKlyil 
succession  of  the  severest  tortures  that  human  ingenuity  can  suggest,  prolonged  as  loi^l 
as  life  is  left  in  him.  He  is  asked  to  confess  that  he  has  used  witchcraft  against  bil 
king,  but  invariably  denies  his  guilt,  though  he  well  knows  the  result  of  bu  answeil 
Torture  after  torture  is  inflicted  upon  him,  fire  applied  in  various  ways  being  the  pm*] 


t  ^ 


KAFFIR  CBUELT7. 


201 


y^nnuA  employed.    The  oondading  tortare  it  generally  the  nme,  nunely, 
Bf  ft  hole  in  *n  ant't  nest,  tying  him  nand  and  foot  and  thniating  him  into  the 
J^or  foftening  him  in  the  ground,  and  breakinc|  upon  him  a  nest  of  laige  auti, 
Jfo  the  fieroeneie  of  their  tempers,  and  th^  Agonizing  venom  of  their  stings. 
Bow  nithlessly  cruel  a  Kaffir  can  be  when  he  la  excitcKl  by  the  fear  of  witchcraft  can 
iioMinMiftam  the  following  account  of  the  trial  and  execution  of  a  supposed  wizard. 
iNMsr  must,  moreover,  be  told  that  the  whole  of  the  details  are  not  mentioned    The 
■intiTS  is  taken  from  M^jor  W.  Koss  King*^  inlereating  "  Camptygiiing  in  Kaffirland,** 
Coik  which  describes  the  Kaffirs  of  1861-2  :— 
"TlMiame  Kona,  some  years  before,  having  fallen  sick,  a  'witch  doctor'  was  oon- 
\0i  loeoidiag  to  custom,  to  ascertain  the  individual  under  whose  evil  influence  he 
J  Differing;  snd,  as  usual,  a  man  of  property  was  selected,  and  condemned  to  forfeit 
ilib  for  his  alleged  crime. 


..V* 


\^  %%\ 


^"W^T^ 


fUi 


BMBLLINO  FOR  ▲  WIZABO. 


'To  prevent  his  being  told  of  his  fnte  by  his  friends,  a  party  of  men  left  Macomo's 

1  early  in  the  morning  to  secure  the  recovery  of  the  sick  young  chi-f  'w  murdering 

I  of  his  father's  subjects.    The  day  selected  for  the  sacrifice  appeared  -.^  have  been 

uttof  gala  day  with  the  unconscious  victim  ;  he  was  in  his  kraal,  had  just  slaughtered 

!  of  his  cattle,  and  was  merrily  contemplating  the  convivialities  of  the  day  befor<>  him, 

which  he  was  about  to  preside.    The  arrival  of  a  partv  of  men  from  the  'great 

i'  gave  him  no  other  concern  than  as  to  what  part  of  the  animal  he  should  offer 

1  as  his  guests.    In  a  moment,  however,  the  ruthless  party  seized  him  in  his  kraal ; 

jben  he  found  himself  secured  with  a  rheim  round  his  neck,  he  calmly  said,  '  It  is  my 
■fortune  to  be  caught  unarmed  or  it  should  not  be  thus.' 

"He  was  then  ordered  to  produce  the  matter  with  which  he  had  bewitched  the  son  of 
I  chieC    He  replied,  '  I  have  no  bewitching  matter ;  but  destroy  me  quickly,  if  my 

|ief  has  consented  to  my  death.'  His  executioners  said  they  must  torture  him  until  he 
duced  it,  to  which  he  answered,  '  Save  yourselves  the  trouble,  for  torture  as  you  will 
DDot  produce  what  I  have  not'    He  was  then  held  down  on  the  around,  and  several 

^D  proceeded  t«  pierce  his  body  all  over  with  long  Kaffir  needies.    The  miserable 

btim  bore  this  with  extraordinary  resolution ;  his  tormentors  tiring,  and  complaining  of 
'  pain  it  gave  their  hands,  and  of  the  needles  or  skewers  bending. 


202 


THE  KAFFIR 


"During  this  time  a  fire  had  been  kindled,  in  which  large  flat  stones  were 
heat ;  the  man  was  then  directed  to  rise,  they  pointed  out  to  him  the  fire,  telling "„ 
was  for  his  further  torture  unless  he  produced  the  bewitching  matter.    He  answereT 
told  you  the  truth  when  I  said,  Save  yourselves  the  trouble ;  as  for  the  hot  stones,  la 
bear  them,  for  I  am  innocent ;  I  would  pray  to  be  strangled  at  once,  but  that  you  wod 
say  I  fear  your  torture.'    Here  his  wife,  who  had  also  been  seized,  waa  stripped  perfectl 
n..  ':ed.  and  cruelly  beaten  and  ill-treated  before  his  eyes. 

"  The  victim  waa  then  led  to  the  fire,  where  he  was  thrown  on  his  back,  stretched  o 
with  his  arms  and  legs  tied  to  strong  pegs  driven  into  the  ground,  and  the  stones  001 
red  hot,  were  taken  out  of  the  fire  and  placed  on  his  naked  body— on  the  groin,  stoma 
and  chest,  supported  by  others  on  each  side  of  him,  also  heated  and  pressed  against  L 
body.    It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  awful  effect  of  this  barbarous  process,  the  stod 
slipping  off  the  scorched  and  broiling  flesh,  being  only  kept  in  their  places  by  the  1 
of  the  fiendish  executioners. 

"  Through  all  this  the  heroic  fellow  still  remained  pferfectly  sensible,  and  when  i«K« 
if  he  wished  to  be  released  to  discover  his  hidden  charm,  said,  *  Kelease  me.'  They  diJ 
so,  fully  expecting  they  had  vanquished  his  resolution,  when,  to  the  astonishment  of  all] 
he  stood  up  a  ghastly  spectacle,  broiled  alive  I  his  smoking  flesh  hanging  in  pieces  froi 
his  body !  and  composedly  asked  his  tormentors,  '  What  do  you  wish  me  to  do  nowli 
They  repeated  their  demand,  but  he  resolutely  asserted  his  innocence,  and  begged  then 
to  put  him  out  of  his  misery ;  and  as  they  were  now  getting  tired  of  their  labour,  thei 
made  a  running  noose  on  the  rheim  around  his  neck,  jerked  him  to  the  ground,  an 
savagely  fragged  him  about  on  the  sharp  stones,  then  placing  their  feet  on  the  backc, 
his  neck,  they  drew  the  noose  tight,  and  strangled  him.  His  mangled  corpse  was  takei] 
into  his  own  hut,  which  was  set  on  fire  and  burnt  to  ashes.  His  sufferings  commesct 
at  ten  a.m.  and  only  ended  at  sunset." 

Kona,  whose  illness  was  the  cause  of  this  fearful  scene,  was  a  son  of  Macomo, 
well-krown  Kaffir  chief,  who  resisted  the  English  forces  for  so  Icng  a  time. 

It  seems  strange  that  the  Kaffir  should  act  in  this  Jhanner ;  naturally,  he  is 
means  of  a  vindictive  or  cruel  nature.     Hot-tempered  he  is,  and  likely  enough  to  aveni 
himself  when  offended,  by  a  blow  of  a  club  or  the  point  of  an  assagai.    But,  after  I 
heat  of  the  moment  has  passed  away,  his  good  humour  returns,  and  he  becomes  i 
cheerful  and  lively  as  ever.    Even  in  war,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  he  is  1 
generally  a  cruel  soldier,  when  not  excited  by  actual  combat,  and  it  seems  rather  stn 
that  when  a  man  towards  whom  he  has  felt  no  enmity,  and  who  may,  perhaps,  be  1 
nearest  relative,  is  accused  of  a  criiuc— no  matter  what  it  may  be — he  should  be  guiltjl 
in  cold  blood,  of  deliberate  cruelty  too  terrible  to  be  described. 

The  fact  is,  this  conduct  shows  how  great  is  his  fear  of  the  intangible  power  of  vit{ 
craft.    Fear  is  ever  the  parent  of  cruelty,  and  the  simple  fact  that  a  naturally  kiniiJ 
hearted  and  good-tempered  man  will  lose  all  sense  of  ruth,  and  inflict  nameless  toitu 
on  his  fellow,  shows  the  abject  fear  of  witchcraft  which  fills  a  Kaffir's  mind. 

Sometimes  the  prophet  is  not  able  to  hide  a  charm  in  a  convenient  place, 
obliged  to  have  recourse  to  other  means.  If,  for  example,  it  would  be  necessary  to  shoij 
that  the  "  evil-doer "  had  buried  the  charm  in  his  own  hut,  the  prophet  would  not  H 
able  to  gain  access  to  the  spot,  and  would  •therefore  have  the  earth  dug  up,  and  tr^tj 
convey  surreptitiously  some  pieces  of  root  or  bone  into  the  hole.  Mr.  Isaacs  once  detected 
a  notable  prophetess  in  this  proceeding,  and  exposed  the  trick  before  the  assembled  peopl^ 

Some  of  his  immediate  followers  were  ill,  and  they  sent  for  a  prophetess  who ' 
that  the  white  man  did  not  believe  in  her  powers.  So  she  sent  him  a  message,  sayii 
that,  if  he  would  give  her  a  cow,  she  would  detect  the  charms  that  were  destroying  I 
people,  and  would  allow  him  to  be  present  when  she  dug  up  the  enchanted  roots.  Soli(| 
sent  a  cow,  and  two  days  afterwards  had  another  message,  stating  that  the  cow  was  t 
small,  and  she  must  have  a  larger  one,  or  that  the  difference  must  be  made  up  in  calii 
At  the  same  time  she  asked  for  the  services  of  one  of  his  men,  named  Maslanifu.  U^ 
sent  the  calico,  but  declined  the  latter  portion  of  the  request,  knowing  that  the  man  n 
only  wanted  as  a  means  of  gaining  information. 


AN  ARROGANT  PROPHETESS. 


203 


The  expected  day  arrived,  and,  on  account  of  the  celebrity  of  the  prophetess,  vast 
nbers  of  men  belonging  to  various  tribes  came  in  bodies,  each  headed  by  a  chief  of  a 
A   Messenger  after  messenger  came  to  announce  her  advance,  but  she  did  not  make 
r  appearance,  and  at  last  a  courier  came  to  say  that  the  spirit  would  not  allow  her  to 
ceed  any  further  until  some  beads  were  sent  to  her.    The  chiefs,  of  whose  arrival  she 
I  heard,  and  on  whose  liberality  she  doubtlessly  depended,  made  a  collection  straight- 
IV  cot  together  a  parcel  of  beads,  and  sent  the  present  by  the  messenger. 
I  The  beads  having  softened  her  heart,  she  made  her  solemn  entry  into  the  kraal,  foi- 
led by  a  guard  of  fifty  warriors,  al^  in  full  panoply  of  war.    The  procession  moved  in 
temn  march  to  the  centre  of  the     baya,  and  then  the  warriors  formed  themselves  in  a 
their  large  shields  resting  on  the  ground  and  covering  the  body  as  high  as  the  chin. 


Wm^u^- 


^.:'~^'  i' 


!«s.~i^aeE9 


^:'<'W 


'\1SJ 


APPIIOACH  OF  THE  PUOPHETESS. 


'■■       V^ 


! 


I  their  assajrais  grasped  in  their  rij^ht  hanrlg.    She  was  also  accompanied  by  Maslamfu, 

B  very  man  whom  she  had  asked  for.  and  who  was  evidently  an  old  attendant  of  her  own. 

The  prophetess  was  decorated  in  the  usual  wild  and  extravagant  manner,  and  sha  had 

Iproved  her  complexion  by  painting  her  nose  and  one  eyelid  with  charcoal,  and  the 

per  eyelid  with  red  earth.    She  had  also  allowed  all  her  hair  to  grow,  and  had  plastered 

I  together  with  a  mixture  of  charcoal  and  fat.    The  usual  tufted  wand  of  office  was 

I  her  hand. 

Having  now  made  her  appearancp,  she  demanded  more  beads,  which  were  given  to 

,  in  order  that  she  should  have  no  excuse  for  declining  to  proceed  any  further  in  her 

antations.    She  then  began  her  work  in  earnest,  leaping  and  bounding  from  one  side  of 

enclosure  to  the  other,  and  displaying  the  most  wonderful  agility.    During  this,  part 

the  proceedings  she  sang  a  song  as  an  accompaniment  to  her  dance,  the  words  of  the 


'  'J 


204 


THE  KAFFIR 


song  itself  either  having  no  meaning,  or  being  quite  incomprehensible  to  the  hearen, 
burden  of  each  stanza  was,  however,  simple  enough,  and  all  the  assembled  host  of] 
joined  in  it  at  the  full  stretch  of  their  lungs. 

After  rushing  to  several  huts,  and  pretending  to  smell  them,  she  suddenly  sb 
before  the  .white  men,  who  were  carefully  watching  her,  and  demanded  another  cow 
the  plea  that  if  the  noxious  charm  were  dug  up  without  the  sacrifice  of  a  second  cow « 
spirits  would  be  offended.  At  last  she  received  the  promise  of  a  cow,  under  the  pioij 
that  the  rest  of  the  performance  was  to  be  satisfactory. 

After  a  variety  of  strange  performances,  she  suddenly  turned  to  her  audience  l 
appointed  one  of  them  to  dig  up  the  fatal  soil   The  man  was  a  great  muscular  Kaffir  1 
he  trembled  like  a  child  as  he  approached  the  sorceress,  and  was  evidently  so  teiriL 
that  she  was  obliged  to  lay  a  spell  upon  him  which  would  counteract  the  evil  influence] 
the  buried  charm.    She  gave  nim  an  assagai  by  way  of  a  spade,  a  pot  for  the  roots  i 
directed  him  successively  to  three  huts,  making  him  dig  in  each,  but  was  baffled  ' 
vigilant  watch  which  was  kept  upon  all  her  movements. 

After  she  had  vainly  searched  the  three  huts,  she  suddenly  turned  and  walked  qmc] 
out  of  the  kraal,  followed  by  the  still  terrified  excavator,  her  husband,  and  MasUmfo,! 
proceeded  to  a  garden,  into  which  she  flung  an  assagai,  and  told  her  man  to  dig  up  t 
spot  on  which  the  spear  felL  "  Being  now  outdone,  and  closel;)^  followed  by  us  i 
finding  all  her  efforts  to  ehide  our  vigilance  were  vain,  for  we  examined  into  all  hertri 
with  the  moat  persevering  scrutiny,  she  8u4denly  turned  round,  and  at  a  quick  pace] 
ceeded  to  the  kraal,  where  she  very  sagaciously  called  for  her  snuff-box. 

"  Her  hvsband  ran  to  her,  and  presented  one.    This  attracted  my  notice,  as '. 
had  hitherto  performed  the  office  of  snuff-box  bearer,  and  I  conjectured  that,  ioaini] 
snuff  in  the  box,  her  husband  had  presented  her  with  roots.    I  did  not  fail  in  myn 
diction ;  for,  as  she  proceeded  to  the  upper  part  of  the  kraal,  she  took  the  spear  from  1 
man  appointed  to  dig,  and  dug  herself  in  front  of  the  hut  where  the  people  had  \m^ 
took  some  earth,  and  added  it  to  that  in  the  pot ;  then  proceeded  as  rapidly  as  posdl 
to  the  calf  kraal,  where  she  dug  about  two  inches  deep,  and  applied  two  fingers  of  the  1 
hand  to  scoop  a  little  earth  out,  at  the  same  time  holding  the  roots  with  her  other  t 
fingers ;  then,  in  a  second,  closed  her  hand,  mixing  the  roots  with  the  earth,  and  pu 
them  into  the  pot,  saying  to  the  man, '  These  are  the  things  you  have  been  looking  fw" 

The  natural  end  of  this  exposure  was,  that  she  was  obliged  to  escape  out  d  t 
turmoil  which  was  caused  by  her  manifest  imposture;  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  i 
did  not  ask  for  the  cows. 

The  female  professors  of  the  art  of  witchcraft  go  through  a  series  of  ceremonies  i 
similar  to  those  which  have  been  already  described,  and  are  capable  of  traDsmittiogjI 
any  of  their  descendants  the  privilege  of  being  admitted  to  the  same  rank  as  thenuelw 
As  may  be  gathered  from  the  preceding  account,  they  perform  the  ordinary  duties  of^ 
much  as  do  other  women,  whether  married  or  single ;  and  it  is,  perhaps,  remarkable  t 
so  far  from  celibacy  being  considered  a  necessary  qualification  for  the  office,  neither  i 
nor  women  seem  to  be  eligible  for  it  unless  they  are  married. 

When  once  admitted  into  the  college  of  prophets,  the  members  of  it  always  endean 
to  inspire  awe  into  the  public  by  the  remarkable  style  of  adornment  which  they  assunei 
and  they  are  considered  at  liberty  to  depart  from  the  \isual  sumptuary  laws  which  are  j 
strictly  enforced  among  the  Kaffir  tribes,  and  to  dress  according  to  their  individai 
caprice.    One  of  the  female  prophets  was  visited  by  Captain  Gardiner,  and  seems  to  hnj 
made  a  powerful  impression  upon  him,  both  by  her  dress  and  her  demeanour. 

"  This  woman  may  be  styled  a  queen  of  witches,  and  her  appearance  b( 
craft..    Large  coils  of  entrails  stuffed  with  fat  were  suspended  round  her  neck ;  while  1 
thick  and  tangled  hair,  stuck  over  in  all  directions  with  the  gall-bladders  of  aniinal8,gJij 
to  her  tall  figure  a  very  singularly  wild  and  giotesque  appearance.    One  of  her  devia 
which  occurred  about  six  months  ago,  is  too  characteristic  to  be  omitted.    Tpail 
assembled  his  army,  and  was  in  the  act  of  going  out  to  war,  a  project  which,  for  som 
reason,  she  ^^ought  it  necessary  to  oppose. 

"  Finding  that  all  her  dissuasions  were  ineffectual,  she  suddenly  quitted  the  plac^ 


DEMEANOUR  OF  FEMALE  PROPHETS. 


20$ 


jcoompanied  only  by  a  little  girl,  entirely  concealed  herself  from  obsenration.   At 

respiration  of  three  or  four  days,  she  as  mysteriously  returned ;  and  holding  her  side, 

gently  bleeding  from  an  assagai-wound,  pretended  to  have  been  received,  in  her 

^ce,  fiom  the  spirit  of  her  late  husband  Maddegan,  she  presented  herself  before  Tpai. 

foarbrother's  spirit,'  she  exclaimed, '  has  met  me,  and  here  is  the  wound  he  has  made 

I  or  side  with  an  assagai ;  hi  reproached  me  for  remaining  with  people  who  had  treated 

«Tpai,  either  willingly  or  actually  imposed  upon  by  this  strange  occurrence,  counter- 

jnded  the  army ;  and,  if  we  are  to  credit  the  good  people  in  these  parts,  the  wound 

Cediately  healed  I    For  several  months  subsequent  to  this  period,  she  took  it  into*  her 

^  to  crawl  about  upon  her  hands  and  knees ;  and  it  is  only  lately,  I  imderstand,  that 

gluts  resumed  her  station  in  society  as  a  biped." 

One  of  the  female  prophets  had  a  curious  method  of  discovering  an  "  evil-doer."   She 


•it 


;;  TU 


Sr 


THE  FBOf  HETBSS  AT  WORK. 


leaping  into  the  ring  of  assembled  Kaffirs,  with  great  bounds  of  which  a  woman 
«m3  hardly  capable.    It  is  possible  that  she  previously  made  use  -^f  some  preparation 
Ihich  had  an  exciting  effect  on  the  brain,  and  assisted  in  working  herself  up  to  a  pitch  of 
Irrible  frenzy. 

I  With  her  person  decorated  with  snakes,  skulls,  heads  and  claws  of  birds,  and 
iher  strange  objects — with  her  magic  rattle  in  one  hand,  and  her  staff  of  office  in  the 
Iher— she  flew  about  the  circle  with  such  erratic  rapidity  that  the  eye  could  scarcely 
lUow  her  movements,  and  no  one  could  in  the  least  anticipate  what  she  would  do  next. 
ler  eyes  seemed  starting  from  her  head,  foam  flew  from  her  clenched  jaws,  while  at 
Iterrals  she  uttered  frantic  shrieks  and  yells  that  seemed  scarcely  to  belong  to  humanity. 


•1  \| 

1  F  7:fe 


206 


THE  KAFFIR 


^S   1 


mhf 

I  i, 
'  I" 


|F  t 


ii.iaii'(- 


In  short,  her  appearance  was  as  terrible  as  can  well  be  imagined,  and  stue  to 
awe  in  the  simjue-minded  and  superstitious  audience  which  surrounded  her. 

She  did  not  go  through  the  usual  process  of  smelUng  and  crawling,  but  parsuedj 
erratic  course  about  the  ring,  striking  with  her  wand  of  office  the  man  who  happen 
be  within  its  reach,  and  running  off  with  an  almost  incredible  swiftness. 

Hie  illustration  on   page  205  represents  her  engaged  in  her  dread  office, 
been  summoned  by  a  rich  chief,  who  is  seen  in  the  distance,  lying  on  his  mat,  andatu, 
by  his  wives.    The  terrified  culprit  is  seen  in  the  foreground,  his  inmxediate  neighL 
shrhiking  from  him  as  the  prophetic  wand  touches  him,  while  others  are  pointing  hiol 
to  the  executioners. 

There  is  very  marked  distinction  between  the  Kaffir  prophetess  and  an  on 
woman,  and  this  distinction  lies  principally  in  the  gait  and  geneml  demeanour, 
already  been  observed,  the  women  and  the  men  seem  almost  to  belong  to  different  i. 
the  former  being  timid,  humble,  and  subdued,  while  the  latter  are  bold,  confident,! 
almost  haughty.    The  prophetess,  however,  having  assumed  so  high  an  office,  takes  nij 
herself  a  demeanour  that  shows  her  appreciation  of  her  own  powers,  and  walks  aliouti 
a  bold,  free  step,  that  has  in  it  something  almost  regal. 

In  one  point,  both  sexes  are  alike  when  they  are  elevated  to  prophetical  rank, 
become  absolutely  ruthless  in  their  profession,  and  lost  to  all  sense  of  mercy.  Ko  one] 
safe  from  them  except  the  king  himself;  and  his  highest  and  most  trusted  councl 
never  knows  whether  the  prophetic  finger  may  not  be  pointed  at  him,  and  the  prophei 
voice  denounce  him  as  a  wizard.  Should  this  be  the  case,  his  rank,  wealth,  and  chandi 
will  avail  him  nothing,  and  he  will  be  seized  and  tortured  to  death  as  mercilessly  as  if] 
were  one  of  the  lowest  of  the  people. 

Mixed  up  with  these  superstitious  deceptions,  there  is  among  the  prophets  a  ccnsidi 
able  amount  of  skill  both  in  surgery  and  medicine.  Partly  from  the  constant  slaughter  a 
cutting-up  of  cattle,  and  partly  from  experience  in  warfare  and  executions,  every  K 
has  a  tolerable  notion  of  anatomy — far  greater,  indeed,  than  is  possessed  by  the  genen 
of  educated  persons  in  our  own  country.    Consequently,  he  can  undertake  various  surgicJ 
operations  with  confidence,  and  in  some  branches  of  the  art  he  is  quite  a  proficient.  F| 
example,  a  Kaffir  prophet  has  been  known  to  operate  successfully  in  a  case  of  drop 
that  the  patient  recovered;  while  in  the  reducing  of  dislocated  joints,  the  setting  ot i 
tured  bones,  and  the  treatment  of  wounds,  he  is  an  adept. 

A  kind  of  cupping  is  much  practised  by  the  Kaffirs,  and  is  managed  in  xmal  I 
same  way  as  among  ourselves,  though  with  different  and  ruder  instruments.  Instead  t 
cupping  glasses,  they  use  the  horn  of  an  ox  with  a  hole  bored  through  the  smaller  en 
The  operator  begins  his  work  by  pressing  the  large  end  of  the  horn  against  the  partvbicj 
is  to  be  relieved,  and,  applying  his  mouth  to  the  other  end,  he  sucks  vigorously  until  li 
has  produced  the  required  effect  A  few  gashes  are  then  made  with  the  sharp  blade  of « 
assagai,  the  horn  is  again  applied,  and  suction  employed  until  a  sufficient  amount  g 
blood  has  been  extracted. 

As  the  Kaffirs  are  acquainted  with  poisons,  so  are  they  aware  of  the  medicinal  \ 
perties  possessed  by  many  vegetable  productions.  Their  chief  medicines  are  obtaiud 
from  the  castor-oil  plant  and  the  male  fern,  and  are  administered  for  the  same  coniplaiqtj 
as  are  treated  by  the  same  medicines  in  Europe.  Sometimes  a  curious  mixture  of  suigeij 
and  medicine  is  made  by  scarifying  the  skin,  and  rubbing  medicine  into  it.  It  is  probaW 
the  "  witch  doctors  "  have  a  very  much  wider  acquaintance  with  herbs  and  their  ] 
perties  than  they  choose  to  make  public ;  and  this  conjecture  is  partly  carried  out  by  tbj 
efficacy  which  certain  so-called  charms  have  on  those  who  use  them,  even  when  imagii 
tion  does  not  lend  her  potent  aid. 

Possessing  such  terrible  powers,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  prophets  i 
sometimes  use  them  for  the  gratification  of  personal  revenge,  or  for  the  sake  of  gaia  I| 
the  former  case  of  action,  they  are  only  impelled  by  their  own  feelings ;  but  to  the  latto 
they  are  frequently  tempted  by  others,  and  an  unprincipled  prophet  will  sometimi^ 
accumulate  much  wealth  by  taking  bribes  to  accuse  certain  persons  of  witchcraft. 

How  Tchaka  contrived  to  work  upon  the  feelings  of  the  people  by  means  of  I 


THE  NiGHT-CRl?: 


207 


has  been  already  mentioned.    Mr.  Shooter  narrates  a  curious  instance  where  a 

sliocusation  was  made  b^  a  corrupt  prophet.  One  man  cherished  a  violent  jealousy 
^t  another  named  Umpisi  (t.e.  The  Hysena),  and,  after  many  attempts,  succeeded  in 
r  8  prophet  to  accuse  his  enemy  of  witchcraft.  This  he  did  in  a  very  curious 
-DDer,  namely,  by  pretending  to  have  a  vision  in  which  he  had  seen  a  wizard  scattering 
L)D  near  the  hut.  The  wizard's  name,  he  said,  was  Nukwa.  Now,  Nukwa  is  a  word 
br  women  when  they  speak  of  the  hysena,  and  therefore  signified  the  same  as 
isL  Panda,  however,  declined  to  believe  the  accusation,  and  no  direct  indictment  was 
<ie.  A  second  accusation  was,  however,  more  successful,  and  the  unfortunate  man  was 
[t  to  deatii.  Afterwards,  Panda  discovered  the  plot,  and  in  a  rude  kind  of  way  did  justice, 
r  depriving  the  false  prophet  of  all  his  cattle,  forbidding  him  to  practise  his  art  again,  and 
Dsigning  the  accuser  to  the  same  fate  which  he  had  caused  to  be  inflicted  on  his  victim. 
The  Kaffirs  very  firmly  believe  in  one  sort  of  witchcraft,  which  is  singularly  like  some 
the  superstitions  of  the  Middle  Ages.  They  fancy  that  the  wizards  have  the  power  of 
jsrormmg  the  dead  body  of  a  human  being  into  a  familiar  of  their  own,  which  will  do 
1  their  work,  and  need  neither  pay  nor  keep. 

The  "evil-doer"  looks  out  for  funerals,  and  when  he  finds  that  a  body  has  been 
Lteired  upon  which  he  can  work  his  spell  without  fear  of  discovery,  he  prepares  his 
Vms,  and  waits  until  after  sunset.  Shielded  by  the  darkness  of  midnight,  he  digs  up 
le^body,  and,  by  means  of  his  incantations,  breathes  a  sort  of  life  into  it,  which  enables 
'corpse  to  move  and  to  speak ;  the  spirit  of  some  dead  wizard  being  supposed  to  have . 
btered  into  it.  He  then  heats  stones  or  iron  in  the  fire,  burns  a  hole  in  the  head,  and 
this  aperture  he  extracts  the  tongue.  Further  spells  are  then  cast  around  the 
^vivified  body,  which  b-^ve  the  effect  of  changing  it  into  the  form  of  some  animal,  such 
lahyana,  an  owl,  or  a  wild-cat;  the  latter  being  the  form  most  in  favour  with  such 
pints.  This  mystic  animal  then  becomes  his  servant,  and  obeys  all  his  behests,  whatever 
be.  By  day,  it  hides  in  darkness ;  but  at  night  it  comes  forth  to  do  its  master's 
lidding.  It  cuts  wood,  digs  and  plants  the  garden,  builds  houses,  makes  baskets,  pots, 
's,  and  clubs,  catches  game,  and  runs  errands. 

But  the  chief  use  to  which  it  is  put  is  to  inflict  sickness,  or  even  death,  upon  persons 
Irho  are  disliked  by  its  master.  In  the  dead  of  night,  when  tlie  Kaffirs  are  all  at  home, 
he  goblin  servant  glides  towards  the  doomed  house,  and,  standing  outside,  it  cries  out, 
]  Woe !  woe !  woe !  to  this  house ! "  The  trembling  inmates  hear  the  dread  voice ;  but  none 
If  them  dares  to  go  out  or  to  answer,  for  they  believe  that  if  they  so  much  as  utter  a  sound, 
|roiove  hand  or  fobt,  they  will  die,  as  well  as  the  person  to  whom  the  message  is  sent. 

Should  the  wizard  be  disturbed  in  his  incantations,  before  he  has  had  time  to  trans- 
hm  the  resuscitated  body,  it  wanders  through  the  country,  powerful,  a  messenger  of  evil, 
pt  an  idiot,  uttering  cries  and  menaces,  but  not  knowing  their  import. 

In  consequence  of  this  belief,  no  Kaflir  dares  to  be  seen  in  communication  with  any 
^reatiu-e  except  the  recognised  domestic  animals,  such  as  cattle  and  fowls.  Any  attempt 
I  tame  a  wild  animal  would  assuredly  cause  the  presumptuous  Kaffir  to  be  put  to  death 
ian  "evil-doer."  A  rather  curious  case  of  this  kind  occurred  in  Natal. 
A  woman  who  was  passing  into  the  bush  in  order  to  cut  wood,  saw  a  man  feeding  a 
ild-cat-the  animal  which  is  thought  to  be  specially  devoted  to  the  evil  spirit.  Terrified 
it  the  sight,  she  tried  to  escape  unseen ;  but  tne  man  perceived  her,  pushed  the  animal 
iside,  and  bribed  her  to  be  silent  about  what  she  had  seen.  However,  she  went  home, 
nd  straightway  told  the  chiefs  head-wife,  who  told  her  husband,  and  from  that  moment 
he  man's  doom  was  fixed. 

Evidence  against  a  supposed  wizard  is  always  plentiful,  and  on  this  occasion  it  was 

iirnished  liberally.    One  person  had  overheard  a  domestic  quarrel,  in  which  the  man  had 

)eaten  his  eldest  wife,  and  she  threatened  to  accuse  him  of  witchcraft ;  but  he  replied 

Ihat  she  was  as  bad  as  himself,  and  that  if  he  was  executed,  she  would  suffer  the  same 

Btft   Another  person  had  heard  him  say  to  the  same  wife,  that  they  had  not  been  found 

l«t,  and  that  the  accusers  only  wanted  their  corn.    Both  man  and  wife  were  summoned 

lefore  the  council,  examined  after  the  usual  method,  and,  as  a  necessarv  consequence, 

xecuted  on  the  spot. 


V|       » itf* 


'1 

V 

At, 

1 

'h 

k4 

3^ 

1 

'^ 

\ 

t 

'si 

'1 

y 

'/jj 

1 

t 

H 

<5 

« 

«l 

; 

TS 

Wl 

CHAPTER  XIX. 


8UPEBSTITI0N— Conte'nued. 


BAnr-MAKma — ^BnfBOTS 

BSW.*«TOS    AND 


or    A     DBOVOHT — THB 


HIOHXST 


OFFICR  OV  A  KAWIB  PBOPBIT 
ITB  PRRIL8 — HOW  THB  PBOPHBT  "HAKES  BAIN " — INOBNI0C8  BTAUONt. 
MB.  MOFFATT*S  ACCOUNT  OP  A  BAIN-MAKKS,  AND  HIS  FBOCBBDINOB — BI7PF08ED  POVIIU  oil 
BUB0PEAN8 — KAFFIB  PBOPHBTS  IN  1857 — PBOGBKSS  OF  THB  WAB,  AND  OBADUAL  BKPCUR  oil 
THB  XAFFIB8 — KBBLI,  THB  KAFFIB  CHIBF,  AND  HIS  ADVISBB8 — STBANOB  PBOPHBCT  AND  ; 
BB8ULT8 — THB  PBOPHBTS*  BBUXF  IN  THBIB  OWN  P0WEB8 — MORAL  INFLVBNCB  OF  TBI  FBOR 
— THB  CBLBBBATRD  PBOPHBT  MAKANNA  AND  HIS  CABRRB — HIS  BI8R,  CULMINATION,  AND  tAuA 
MAKANNA's  OATHXRINO  BONO — TALISMANIC  NECKLACB — THE  CH\BM-STICK  OF  THB  XAFni>-.fii| 
THB  PBOPHBTS  ABX  AOVO0ATB8  OF  WAB — A  PBOPHBT  WHO  TOOK  ADTICB. 


The  highest  and  most  important  duty  Mrhich  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  prophets  is  thitt 
rain-making.  In  Southern  Africa,  rain  is  the  veiy  life  of  the  country ;  and,  should  it  I 
delayed  beyond  the  usual  time,  the  dread  of  famine  runs  through  the  land.  The  Eaffinl 
r^7tainly  possess  storehouses,  but  not  of  sufficient  size  to  hold  enough  grain  forthesob-l 
sistence  of  a  tribe  throughout  the  year — nor,  indeed,  could  the  Ka^rs  be  able  to  gnil 
enough  food  for  such  a  purpose.  I 

During  a  drought,  the  pasture  fails,  and  the  cattle  die;  thus  cutting  oif  the  supply tfl 
milk,  which  is  almost  the  staff  of  life  to  a  Kaffir — certainly  so  to  his  children.  The  ve^l 
idea  of  such  a  calamity  makes  every  mother  in  Kaffirland  tremble  with  affright,  and  then  I 
is  nothing  which  they  would  not  do  to  avert  it,  even  to  the  sacrifice  of  their  own  lives,! 
Soon  the  water-j^ools  dry  up,  then  the  wells,  and  lastly  the  springs  begin  to  fail ;  and  con-f 
sequently  disease  and  death  soon  make  dire  havoc  among  the  tribes.  In  England,  we  can  I 
form  no  conct  ^tion  of  such  a  state  of  things,  and  are  rather  apt  to  suffer  from  excess  of  I 
rain  than  its  absence ;  but  the  miseries  which  even  a  few  weeks'  drought  in  the  height  ot| 
summer  can  inflict  upon  this  well-watered  land  may  enable  us  to  appreciate  some  of  I 
horrors  which  accompany  a  drought  in  Southern  Africa. 

Among  the  prophets,  or  witch-doctors,  there  are  some  who  claim  the  power  of  forcing  | 
rain  to  fall  by  their  incantations.    Bain-making  is  the  very  highest  oflice  which  a . 
prophet  can  perform,  and  there  are  comparatively  few  who  will  venture  to  attempt  it;  I 
because,  in  case  of  failure,  the  wrath  of  the  disappointed  people  is  sometimes  kno^l 
to  exhibit  itself  iv  perforating  the  unsuccessful  prophet  with  an  assagai,  knocking  out  bii 
brains  with  a  knob-kerrie,  or  the  more  simple  process  of  tearing  him  to  pieces.  Those;  I 
however,  who  do  succeed,  are  at  once  raised  to  the  very  summit  of  their  profession.  Thejl 
exercise  almost  unlimited  sway  over  their  own  tribe,  and  over  any  other  in  which  there  is 
not  a  rain-maker  of  equal  celebrity.    The  king  is  the  only  man  who  pretend?  to  exerci!8 
any  authority  over  these  all  powerful  beings;  and  even  the  king,  irregr,')nsi':ie  despot 
though  he  be,  is  obliged  to  be  submissive  to  the  rain-maker  wmle  he  is  working  bii 
incantations. 

It  is,  perhaps,  not  at  all  strange  that  the  Kaffirs  should  place  implicit  faith  in  the 
p  'wer  of  the  rain-makers ;  but  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  the  operators  themselves ""''"" 


INGENIOUS  EVASIONS. 


209 


their  own  powers.  Of  course  there  are  many  instances  where  a  rain-maker  knowingly 
Ltises  imposture ;  but  iu  those  cases  he  is  mostly  driven  to  such  a  courae  by  the 
Uces  of  those  who  are  employing  him ;  and,  as  a  general  fact,  the  wizard  believes  in 
Lfficacy  of  his  own  charms  quite  as  firmly  as  any  of  his  followers. 

A  prophet  who  has  distinguished  himself  as  a  rain-maker  is  soon  known  far  and  wide, 
id  does  uot  restrict  his  practice  to  his  own  district.  Potentates  from  all  parts  of  the 
nntry  send  for  him  when  the  drought  continues,  and  their  own  prophets  fail  to  produce 
In  this,  as  in  other  countries,  the  prophet  has  moi-e  honour  in  another  land  than  in 
I  own,  and  the  confidence  placed  in  him  is  boundless. 

Xhis  confidence  is  grounded  on  th^  fact  that  a  rain-maker  from  a  distant  land 


i 


A' 


'nl 


CHUUNINO  RAIN. 


1  often  produce  rain  when  others  at  home  have  failed.  The  reason  is  simple  enough, 
JDuj;hthe  KafiSrs  do  not  see  it.  By  the  time  that  thn  whole  series  of  native  prophets 
ke  gone  through  their  incantations,  the  time  of  drougut  is  comparatively  near  to  a  close ; 
f,  if  the  prophet  can  only  manage  to  stave  off  the  actual  production  of  rain  for  a  few 
p,  he  has  a  reasonable  chance  of  success,  as  every  hour  is  a  positive  gain  to  him. 
I  It  is  needless  to  mention  that  the  Kaffirs  are  well  acquainted  with  the  signs  of  the 
ather,  as  is  always  the  case  with  those  who  live  much  in  the  open  air.  The  prophets, 
fdently,  are  more  weather-wise  than  the  generality  of  their  race,  and,  however  much  a 

i-raaker  may  believe  in  himself,  he  never  willingly  undertakes  a  commission  when  the 
lis  of  the  sky  portend  a  continuance  of  drought.  Should  he  be  absolutely  forced  into 
dertaking  the  business,  his  only  hope  of  escape  from  the  dilemma  is  to  procrastinate  as 
|icli  as  possible,  w^hile  at  the  same  time  he  keeps  the  people  amused.  The  most  common 

Je  of  procrastination  is  by  requesting  certain  articles,  which  he  knows  are  almost 
attainable,  and  saying  that  until  he  has  them  his  incantations  will  have  no  effect.    Mr. 
jttffatt  narrates  a  very  amusing  instance  of  the  shifts  to  which  a  prophet  is  sometimes 
It,  when  the  rain  will  not  fall,  and  when  he  is  forced  to  invoke  it. 

"Tlie  rain-maker  found  the  clouds  in  our  country  rather  harder  to  manage  than  those 

had  left.  He  complained  that  secret  rogues  were  disobeying  his  proclamations. 
TOLL  P        ■  _, 


/> 


MM 


.  i\m%^ 


210 


THE  KAFFIR 


I. 


k  'M 


When  ureed  to  make  repeated  trials,  he  would  reply,  'You  only  give  me  sheep  and  in. 
to  kill,  therefore  I  can  only  make  goat-rain ;  give  me  for  slaughter  oxen,  and  1 1|! 
let  you  see  ox-rain.'  One  day,  as  he  was  taking  a  sound  sleep,  a  shower  fell,  on  wU 
one  of  the  principal  men  entered  his  house  to  congratulate  him,  but  to  his  utter  aiiia; 
meut  found  him  totally  insensible  to  what  was  transpiring.  '  U^laka  rare  t '  (Hallo  I 
my  father !)  '  I  thought  you  were  making  rain,'  said  the  intruder,  when,  arising  fromj 
slumbers,  and  seeing  his  wife  sitting  on  the  floor  shaking  a  milk-sack  in  order  to  obti 
a  little  butter  to  anoint  her  hair,  he  replied,  pointing  to  the  operation  of  churuinc  'L 
you  not  see  my  wife  churning  rain  as  fast  as  she  can  ? '  This  reply  gave  entire  satiifM 
tion,  and  it  presently  spread  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  town,  that  the 
maker  had  churned  the  shower  out  of  a  milk-snck. 

"  The  moisture  caused  by  this  shower  was  dried  up  by  a  scorching  sun,  and  manylom 
weeks  followed  without  a  sinijle  cloud,  and  when  these  did  appear  they  might  somotinid 
be  seen,  to  the  great  mortification  of  the  conjurer,  to  discharge  their  watery  treasures  at  i 
immense  distance.  This  disappointment  was  increased  when  a  heavy  cloud  would 
over  with  tremendous  thunder,  but  not  one  drop  of  rain.  There  had  been  several  guco, 
sive  years  of  drought,  during  which  water  had  not  been  seen  to  flow  upon  the  gionnl 
and  in  that  climate,  if  rain  does  not  fdll  continuously  and  in  considerable  quantities,  it] 
all  exhaled  in  a  couple  of  houra  In  digging  graves  we  have  found  the  earth  as  i 
as  dust  at  four  or  five  feet  depth,  when  the  surface  was  saturated  with  raia 

"  The  women  had  cultivated  extensive  fields,  but  the  seed  was  lying  in  the  soil  as  \ 
had  been  thrown  from  the  hand ;  the  cattle  were  dying  for  want  of  pasture,  and  hundm 
of  living  skeletons  were  seen  going  to  the  fields  in  quest  of  unwholesome  roots  aoi| 
reptiles,  wliile  many  were  dying  with  hunger.     Our  sheep,  as  before  stated,  were  soi 
likely  to  be  all  devoured,  and  finding  their  number  daily  diminish,  we  slaughtered  tli 
remainder  and  put  the  meat  in  salt,  which  of  course  was  far  from  being  agreeable  in  e 
a  climate,  and  where  vegetables  were  so  scarce. 

"  All  these  circumstances  irritated  the  rain-maker  very  much ;  but  he  was  ofteJ 
puzzled  to  find  something  on  which  to  lay  the  blame,  for  he  had  exhausted  his  skill 
One  night,  a  small  cloud  passed  over,  and  the  only  flash  of  lightning,  from  which  a  1 
peal  of  thunder  burst,  struck  a  tree  in  the  town.  Next  day,  the  rain-maker  and  i 
number  of  people  assembled  to  perform  the  usual  ceremony  on  such  an  event.  It  vi) 
ascended,  and  ropes  of  grass  and  gross  roots  were  bound  round  diflerent  parts  of  ti) 
trunk,  which  in  the  Acacia  giraffa  is  seldom  much  injured.  A  limb  may  be  torn  i 
of  numerous  trees  of  that  species  which  I  have  seen  struck  by  lightning,  the  tninlj 
appears  to  resist  its  power,  as  the  fluid  produces  only  a  stripe  or  groove  along  the  baikl 
the  ground.  "When  these  bandages  were  made  he  deposited  some  of  his  nostrums,  aii| 
got  quantities  of  water  handed  up,  which  he  poured  with  great  solemnity  on  the  wounded 
tree,  while  the  assembled  multitude  shoiited  '  Fula  piila.'  This  done  the  tree  was  liewj 
down,  dragged  out  of  the  town,  and  burnt  to  ashes.    Soon  after  this 


unmeaning  cen 


mony,  he  got  large  bowls  of  water,  with  which  was  mingled  an  infusion  of  bulbs.  All 
the  men  of  the  town  then  came  together,  and  passed  in  succession  before  him,  whea  li(( 
sprinkled  each  with  a  zebra's  tail  which  he  dipped  in  the  water. 

"  As  all  this  and  much  more  did  not  succeed,  he  had  recourse  to  another  stratagem,  Hi| 
knew  well  that  baboons  were  not  very  easily  caught  among  the  rocky  glens  and  shelvila 
precipices,  there  fore,in  order  lo  gain  time,  lie  informed  the  men  that,  to  make  rain,  bij 
must  have  a  baboon;  that  the  animal  must  be  without  a  blemish,  not  a  hair  was  to  I 
wanting  on  its  body.    One  would  have  thought  any  simpleton  might  have  seen  tliroa^ 
his  tricks,  as  their  being  able  to  present  him  with  a  baboon  in  that  state  was  impossiMei| 
even  though  they  caught  him  asleep.     Forth  sallied  a  band  of  chosen  runners,  *b 
ascended  the  neighbou*  ing  mountain.    The  baboons  from  their  lofty  domiciles  had  I 
in  the  habit  of  looking  down  on  the  plain  beneath  at  the  natives  encircling  and  piirsuind 
the  quaggas  and  antelopes,  little  dreaming  that  one  day  they  would  themselves  be  objoc^ 
of  pursuit    They  hobbled  off^  in  consternation,  grunting,  and  screaming  and  leapii 
from  rock  to  rock,  occasionally  looking  down  on  their  pursuers,  grinning  and  gnasbinj 
their  teeth.    After  a  long  pursuit,  with  wounded  limbs,  scratched  bodies,  and  brokei 


ACCOUNT  OF  A  RAIN-MAKERS  PROCEEDINGS. 


211 


a  younff  one  was  secured,  and  brought  to  the  town,  the  captors  exulting  as  if  they 
obtainiid  a  great  spoil.  The  wily  rogue,  on  seeing  the  animal,  put  on  a  countenance 
ibitint!  the  most  intense  sorrow,  exclaiming,  '  My  heart  is  rent  in  pieces ;  I  am  dumb 


libitiDg 


srief;'  and  pointing  to  the  ear  of  the  baboon,  which  was  scratched,  and  the  tail, 
ich  had  lost  some  hairs,  added,  '  Did  I  not  tell  you  I  could  not  make  rain  if  there  was 
liair  wanting  ? ' 

"After  some  days  another  was  obtained;  but  there  was  still  some  imperfection,  il 
lleced.  He  had  often  said  that,  if  they  would  procure  him  the  heart  of  a  lion,  he 
ild  show  them  that  he  could  make  rain  so  abundant  that  a  man  might  think  himself 

off  to  he  under  shelter,  as  when  it  fell  it  mi^'ht  sweep  whole  towns  away.    He  had 


i^l 


BRINQINQ  THE  BABOON. 


wovered  that  the  clouds  required  strong  medicine,  and  that  a  lion's  heart  would  do  the 

isiiiesB.  To  obtain  this  the  rain-maker  well  knew  was  no  joke.  One  day  it  was 
[iiounced  that  a  lion  had  attacked  one  of  the  cattle  outposts,  not  far  from  the  town,  and 

party  set  off  for  the  twofold  purpose  of  getting  a  key  to  the  clouds  and  disposing  of  a 
liigerou8  enemy.  The  orders  were  imperative,  whatever  the  consequences  might  be, 
iiich,  in  this  instance,  might  have  been  very  serious,  had  not  one  of  our  men  shot  the 

41110  animal  dead  with  a  gun. 

"This  was  no  sooner  done  than  it  was  cut  up  for  roasting  and  boiling;  no  matter  if  it 

d  previously  eaten  some  of  their  relations,  they  ate  it  in  its  turn.  Nothing  could 
jceed  their  enthusiasm  when  they  returned  to  the  town,  bearing  the  lion's  heart,,  and 
iglng  the  conqueror's  song  in  full  chorus ;  the  rain-maker  prepared  his  medicines, 
Indled  his  fires,  and  might  be  seen  upon  the  top  of  the  hill,  stretching  forth  his  puny 

uds,  and  beckoning  the  clouds  to  draw  near,  or  even  shaking  his  spear,  and  threatening 

p2 


I.    '5 


212 


THE  KAFFIR 


m 


f 


that,  if  they  disobeyed,  they  should  feel  his  ire.    The  deluded  populace  believed  all  i 
and  wondered  the  rains  would  not  fall. 

"  Asking  an  Experienced  and  iudicious  man,  the  king's  uncle,  how  it  was  that  go  ( 
an  operator  on  the  clouds  could  not  succeed,  '  Ah,'  he  replied,  with  apparent  uli 
'  there  is  a  cause  for  the  hardheartedness  of  the  clouds  if  the  rain-maker  could  only  i 
it  out.'     A  scrutinising  watch  was    kept   upon  everything  done  by  the  missionari 
Some  weeks  after  my  return  from  a  visit  to  Griqua  Town,  a  grand  discovery  wa«  qu 
that  the  rain  had  been  prevented  by  my  bringing  a  bag  of  salt  from  that  place  in  i 
wagon.    The  charge  was  made  by  the  king  and  his  attendants,  with  great  gravity  i 
form.    As  giving  the  least  oifence  by  laughing  at  their  puerile  actions  ought  alvavsi 
be  avoided  when  dealing  with  a  people  who  ai-e  sincere  though  deluded,  the  case  viij  | 
my  part  investigated  with  more  tlian  usual  solemnity.    Mothibi  and  his  aide-decai] 
accompanied  me  to  the  storehouse,  where  the  identical  bag  stood.    It  was  open,  with  i 
white  contents  full  in  view.     '  There  it  is,'  he  exclaimed,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction, 
finding,  on  examination,  that  the  reported  salt  was  only  white  clay  or  chalk,  tleY( 
not  help  laughing  at  their  own  incredulity." 

An  unsuccessful  Kaffir  prophet  is  never  very  sorry  to  have  white  men  in  the  comtii 
because  he  can  always  lay  the  blame  of  failure  upon  them.  Should  they  be  missionaiij 
the  sound  of  the  hymns  is  quite  enough  to  drive  away  the  clouds ;  and  should  thev  | 
laymen,  any  habit  in  which  they  indulged  would  be  considered  a  sufficient  reason  forti 
continuance  of  drought.  The  Kaffir  always  acknowledges  the  superior  powers  ofi 
white  man,  and,  though  he  thinks  his  own  race  far  superior  to  any  that  inhalittll 
earth,  he  fancies  that  the  sph'its  which  help  him  are  not  so  powerful  as  tho&o  who  aid  1 
white  man,  and  that  it  is  from  their  patronage,  and  not  from  any  menlbl  or  physje 
superiority,  that  he  has  obtained  his  pre-eminence. 

Fully  believing  in  his  own  rain-making  powers,  he  fancies  that  the  whit*  men  i 
as  superior  in  this  art  as  in  others,  and  invents  the  most  extraordinary  theories  in  order] 
account  for  the  fact.  After  their  own  prophets  have  failed  to  produce  rain,  the 
are  tolerably  sure  to  wait  upon  a  missionary,  and  ask  him  to  perform  the  office, 
process  of  reasoning  by  which  they  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  missionaiieac 
make  rain  is  rather  a  curious  one.  As  soon  as  the  raw,  cold  winds  begin  to  blov  i 
to  threaten  rain,  the  missionaries  were  naturally  accustomed'  to  put  on  their  oven 
when  they  left  their  houses.  These  coats  were  usually  of  a  daik  colour,  and  nothing  ( 
persuade  the  natives  but  that  the  assumption  of  dark  clothing  was  a  spell  by  which  i 
was  compelled  to  fall 

It  has  just  been  mentioned  that  the  prophets  fully  believe  in  their  own  superaatt 
powers,    Considering  the  many  examples  of  manifest  imposture  which  continually  t 
place,  some  of  which  have  already  been  described,  most  Europeans  would  fancy  that  I 
prophets  were  intentional  and  consistent  deceivers,  and  their  opinion  of  themselves  d 
something  like  that  of  the  old  Roman  augurs,  who  could  even  look  in  each  other's  faq 
without  smiling.    This,  however,  is  not  the  case.     Deceivers  they  undoubtedly  are,  i 
many  instances  wilfully  so,  but  it  is  equally  certain  that  they  do  believe  that  they  aretl 
means  of  communication  between  the  spirits  of  the  dead  and  their  living  relatives. 

No  better  proof  of  this  fact  can  be  adduced  than  the  extraordinary  series  of  evejij 
which  took  place  in  1857,  in  which  not  only  one  prophet,  but  a  considerable  nunihero 
them  took  part,  and  in  which  their  action  was  unanimous. 

In  that  year,  the  Kaffir  tribes  awoke  to  the  conclusion  that  they  had  been  gradual 
but  surely  yielding  before  the  European  settlers,  and'^they  organized  a  vast  conspirac] 
by  which  they  hoped  to  drive  every  white  man  out  of  Southern  Africa,  and  to  i 
establish  their  own  supremacy.    The  very  existence  of  the  colony  of  Natal  was  a  thoij 
in  their  sides,  as  that  country-was  almost  daily  receiving  reinforcements  from  Europe,! 
was  becoming  gradually  stronger  and  less  likely  to  be  conquered.    Moreover,  there  to 
continual  defections  of  their  own  race ;  whole  families,  and  even  the  population  of  enti 
villages,  were  escaping  from  the  despotic  sway  of  the  native  monarch,  and  taking  reft 
in  the  country  protected  by  the  white  man's  rifle.    Several  attempts  had  been  previousM 
made  under  the  celebrated  chief  Sandilli,  and  the  equally  famous  prophet-warrid 


KAFFIR  PROPHETS  IN  1857. 


21 


iaDDA,  to  dispossess  the  colonists,  and  in  every  case  the  Kaffir  tribes  had  been  r.^ied 
i  great  loss,  and  were  at  last  forced  to  offer  their  submission. 

In  1867,  however,  a  vast  meeting  was  convened  by  Kreli,  in  order  to  orguuiwB  a 
ilarly  planned  campaign,  and  at  this  meeting  a  celebrated  prophet  was  expected  to  be 
lent  He  did  not  make  his  appearance,  but  sent  a  messenger,  saying  that  the  spirit 
ordered  the  Kaffirs  to  kill  all  their  cattle.  This  strange  mandate  was  obeyed  by 
QV  of  the  people,  but  others  refused  to  obey  the  prophet's  order,  and  saved  their  cattle 

Angiy  that  his  orders  had  been  disobeyed,  the  prophet  called  another  meeting,  and 

I  a  private  interview  with  Kreli,  in  which  he  said  that  the  disobedience  of  the  people 

I  the  reason  why  the  white  men  had  not  been  driven  out  of  the  land.    But,  if  they 

lid  be  obedient,  and  slay  every  head  of  cattle  in  the  country,  except  one  cow  and  one 

[|t,  the  spirits  of  the  dead  would  be  propitiated  by  their  munificence,  and  would  give 

ijiraid.   Eight  days  were  to  be  allowed  for  doing  the  murderous  work,  and  on  the 

Ctb— at  most  on  the  ninth  day — by  means  of  spells  thrown  upon  the  surviving  cow 

1  goat,  the  cattle  would  all  rise  again,  and  they  would  repossess  the  wealth  which  they 

I  freely  offered.    They  were  also  ordered  to  throw  away  all  the  corn  in  their  granaries 

J  storehouses.     As  a  sign  that  the  prophecy  would  be  fulfilled,  the  sun  would  not  rise 

[til  half-past  eight,  it  would  then  turn  red  and  go  back  on  its  course,  and  darkness,  rain, 

jBiider,  and  lightning  would  warn  the  people  of  the  events  that  were  to  follow. 


1  # 


\ 


WAILINQ  OF  DECEIVED  KAFFIRS. 


I  The  work  of  slaughter  then  began  in  earnest ;  the  goats  and  cattle  were  exterminated 
oughout  the  country,  and,  except  the  two  which  were  to  be  the  reserve,  not  a  cow  or  a 
lit  was  left  alive.  With  curious  inconsistency,  the  Kaffirs  took  the  hides  to  the  ti-ading 
Itions  and  sold  them,  and  so  fast  did  they  pour  in  that  they  were  purchased  for  the 
pst  trifle,  and  many  thousands  could  not  be  sold  at  all,  and  were  left  in  the  interior  of 
!  country. 

j  The  eighth  day  arrived,  and  no  signs  were  visible  in  the  heavens.  This  did  rot  disturb 
!  Kaffirs  very  much,  as  they  relied  on  the  promised  ninth  day.  On  that  morning  not  a 
Iffir  moved  from  his  dwelling,  but  feat  m  the  kraal,  anxiously  watching  the  sun.  From 
I  in  the  morning  until  ten  they  watched  its  course,  but  it  did  not  change  colour  or  alter  its 
be,  and  neither  the  thunder,  lightning,  nor  rain  came  on  in  token  that  the  prophecy 
f  to  be  fulfilled. 

I  The  deluded  Kaffirs  then  repented  themselves,  but  too  late,  of  their  credulity.     They 

u  killed  all  their  cattle  and  destroyed  all  their  com,  and  without  these  necessaries  of 

ithey  knew  that  they  must  starve.    And  they  did  indeed  starve.    Famine  in  its  worst 

1  set  in  throughout  the  coimtry ;  the  children  died  by  hundreds ;  none  but  those  of  the 


"tf 
St  I 

'      3 


t*     '  •gam 


2U 


THE  KAFFIR 


I 

'I 


strongest  constitutions  survived,  and  even  these  were  mere  skeletons,  worn  tmA 
privations,  and  equally  unable  to  work  or  to  fight    l^y  this  self-inflicted  blow  tjie  K 
suffered  far  more  than  they  would  have  done  in  the  most  prolonged  war,  and  rtn 
themselves  incapable  of  resistance  for  many  years. 

That  the  prophets  who  uttered  such  strange  mandates  must  have  been  belieTenigi 
truth  of  their  art  is  evident  enough,  for  they  sacriticed  not  only  the  property  of  oiIm 
but  their  own,  and  we  have  already  seen  how  tenaciously  a  KafAr  ciin^jg  to  bin  toi 
and  herds.  Moreover,  in  thus  destroying  all  the  food  in  the  country,  tliey  knevil 
they  were  condemning  to  starvation  not  only  the  countryr  in  general,  but  themsalvm 
their  families,  and  a  man  is  not  likelv  to  utter  prophecies  which,  if  false,  would  r 
him  from  wealth  to  poverty,  and  condemn  himself,  Iiis  family,  and  all  the  country  t«| 
miseries  of  famine,  did  he  not  believe  those  prophecies  to  be  true. 

Although  the  influence  exercised  by  tlie  prophets  is,  in  many  cases,  wielded  Id  i 
ii\jurious  manner,  it  b  not  entirely  an  unmixed  evil.  Imperfect  as  their  religious  gyni 
is,  and  disastrous  as  are  too  often  the  consequences,  it  is  better  than  no  religion  at^ 
and  at  all  events  it  has  two  advantages,  the  one  being  the  assertion  of  the  iminortaliiil 
the  soul,  and  the  second  the  acknowledgment  that  there  are  beings  in  the  spiritual  voi 
possessed  of  far  greater  powei-s  than  their  own,  whether  for  good  or  evil. 

One  of  the  most  extraordinary  of  these  prophets  was  the  celebrated  Makannaj 
united  in  his  own  person  the  offices  of  prophet  and  general,  and  who  ventured  to  opn 
the  English  forces,  and  in  person  to  lead  an  attack  on  Grahamstown. 

This  remarkable  man  laid  his  plans  with  great  care  and  deliberation,  and  did  i, 
strike  a  blow  until  all  his  plots  were  fully  developed.      In  the  first  place  he  contriTJ 
to  obtain  considerable  military  informatiun  by  conversation  with  the  soldiers,  and  e: 
cially  the  officers  of  the  regiments  who  were  quartered  at  Grahamstown,  and  in  i 
manner  contrived  to  learn  much  of  the  English  military  system,  as  well  as  of  i 
mechanical  arts. 

The  object  which  he  proposed  to  himself  is  not  precisely  known,  but  as  farascaij 
gathered  from  his  actions,  he  seems  to  have  intended  to  pursue  a  similar  course  to  tli 
which  was  taken  by  Tchaka  among  the  nioi-e  noiihem  Zulus,  and  to  gather  together d 
scattered  Amakosa  tribes  and  to  unite  them  in  one  great  nation,  of  which  he  should! 
sole  king  and  priest  But  his  ambition  was  a  nobler  one  than  that  of  Tchaka,  whose  c 
object  was  personal  aggrandizement,  and  who  shed  rivers  of  blood,  even  among  his  oil 
subjects,  in  order  to  render  himself  supreme.  Makanna  was  a  man  of  different  noi 
and  although  personal  ambition  had  much  to  do  with  his  conduct,  he  was  clearly  inspij 
with  a  wish  to  raise  his  people  into  a  southern  nation  that  should  rival  the  great  Ziil 
monarchy  of  the  north,  and  also,  by  the  importation  of  European  ideas,  to  elevated 
character  of  his  subjects,  and  to  assimilate  them  as  far  as  possible  with  the  white  w\ 
their  acknowledged  superiors  in  every  art. 

That  he  ultimately  failed  is  no  wonder,  because  he  was  one  of  those  enthusiasts  i 
do  not  recognise  their  epoch.  Most  people  fail  in  being  behind  their  day,  MakaoJ 
failed  in  being  before  it  Enjoying  constant  intercourse  with  Europeans,  and  invariai 
choosing  for  his  companions  men  of  eminence  among  them,  his  own  mind  had  becoi 
sufficiently  enlarged  to  perceive  the  infinite  sup«riority  of  European  civilization,  and-j 
know  that  if  he  could  only  succeed  in  infusing  their  jdeas  into  the  minds  of  hissubjedf 
the  Kosa  nation  would  not  only  be  the  equal  of,  but  be  far  superior  to  the  Zulu  enipiij 
which  was  erected  by  violence  and  preserved  by  bloodshed. 

Conscious  of  the  superstitious  character  of  his  countrymen,  and  knowing  that  I 
would  not  be  able  to  gain  sufficient  influence  over  them  unless  he  laid  claim  to  siipi 
natural  powers,  Makanna  announced  himself  to  be  ^  prophet  of  a  new  kind.  lotlj 
part  of  his  line  of  conduct,  he  showed  the  same  deep  \\i  lom  that  had  characterised  I 
former  pi-oceedings,  and  gained  much  religious  as  well  ;  s  practical  knowledge  frorati 
white  men,  whom  he  ultimately  intended  to  destroy.  He  made  a  point  of  conveisingj 
much  as  possible  with  the  clergy,  and,  with  all  a  Kaffir's  inborn  love  of  aiguma 
delighted  in  getting  into  controversies  respecting  the  belief  of  the  Christians,  andtl 
inspiration  of  the  Scriptures. 


ATTACK  ON  ORAHAMSTOWN. 


21S 


Keen  and  subtle  of  intellect,  and  possessed  of  wonderftil  oratorical  powen,  he  would 
tone  time  ask  question  after  question  for  tlie  puq)ose  of  entangling  his  instructor  in  a 
M)biiiiii  and  at  another  would  burst  into  a  torrent  of  eloquence  in  which  he  would 
jLitly  make  use  of  any  unguarded  expression,  and  carry  away  his  audience  by  the 
birit  and  lire  of  his  oratory. 

In  the  meanwhile  he  was  quietly  working  upon  the  minds  of  his  countrymen  so  as 
ipnpare  them  for  his  flnal  step ;  and  at  last,  when  he  had  thoroughly  matured  hiu 
Jqi  he  boldly  announced  himself  as  a  prophet  to  whom  had  been  given  a  special 
onimiMion  from  Uhlanga,  the  iJreat  Spirit. 

Unlike  the  ordinary  prophets,  whose  utterances  were  all  of  blood  and  sacrifice,  either 
Lr  men  or  animals,  he  imported  i  ito  his  new  system  of  religion  many  ideas  that  he  had 
tbtained  from  the  Christian  clergy,  and  had  the  honour  of  being  the  first  Kaffir  prot)het 
kho  ever  denounced  vice  and  enforced  morulitv  on  his  followers.  Not  only  did  he 
Ireach  against  vice  in  the  abstract,  but  he  had  the  courage  to  denounce  all  those  who 
led  vicious  lives,  and  was  as  unsparing  towards  the  most  powerful  chiefs  as  towards  the 
]iumble«t  servant. 

One  chief,  the  renowned- Gaika,  waa  direfully  offended  at  the  prophet's  boldness, 
(Thereupon  Makauua,  finding  that  spiritual  weapons  were  wasted  on  such  a  man,  took  to 
jie  spear  and  shield  instead,  led  an  extemporised  force  against  Gaika,  and  defeated  him. 
Having  now  cleared  away  one  of  the  obstacles  to  his  course  of  ambition,  he  thought 
[that  the  time  had  come  when  he  might  strike  a  still  greater  blow.  The  English  had 
aken  Gaika  under  their  protection  after  his  defeat,  and  Makanna  thought  that  he  could 
ooquer  the  British  forces  as  he  had  those  of  his  countrynmn. 
Accordingly,  he  redoubled  his  efforts  to  make  himself  revered  by  the  Kaffir  tribes. 
|He  !«ldom  showed  himself,  passing  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  seclusion ;  and  when 
Ijie  did  appear  in  public,  he  always  maintained  a  reserved,  solemn,  and  abstracted  air,  such 
|u  befitted  the  character  which  he  assumed,  namely,  a  prophet  inspired,  not  by  the  spirits 
lof  the  dead,  but  by  the  Uhlanga,  the  Great  Spirit  himself  Now  and  then  he  would 
liiinimon  the  people  about  him,  and  pour  out  torrents  of  impetuous  eloquence,  in  which 
Ihe  announced  his  mission  from  above,  and  uttered  a  series  of  prophecies,  wild  and 
[extravagant,  but  all  having  one  purport ;  namely,  that  the  spirits  of  their  fathers  would 
ht  for  the  Kaffirs,  and  drive  the  inhabitants  into  the  sea. 

Suddenly  he  called  together  his  troops,  and  made  a  descent  upon  Grahamstown,  the 
Iwhole  attack  being  so  unexpected  that  the  little  garrison  were  taken  by  surprise ;  and  the 
Icommander  was  nearly  taken  prisoner  as  he  was  riding  with  some  of  his  officers. 

More  than  10,000  Kaffir  warriors  were  engaged  in  the  assault,  while  the  defenders 
Inumbered  barely  350  Europeans  and  a  few  disciplined  Hottentots.  The  place  was  very 
[imperfectly  fortified,  and,  although  a  few  field-guns  were  in  Grahamstown,  they  were 
loot  in  position,  nor  were  they  ready  for  action. 

Nothing  could  be  more  gallant  than  the  conduct  of  assailants  and  defenders.  Tlie 
J  Kaffirs,  fierce,  warlike,  and  constitutionally  brave,  rushed  to  the  attack  with  wild  war 
(cries,  hurling  their  assagais  as  they  advanced ;  and  when  they  came  to  close  quarters, 
I  breaking  their  last  weapon,  and  using  it  as  a  dagger.  The  defenders  on  the  other  hand 
contended  with  disciplined  steadiness  against  such  fearful  odds,  but  the  battle  might 
I  have  gone  against  them  had  it  not  been  for  a  timely  succour. 

Finding  that  the  place  could  not  be  taken  by  a  direct  assault,  Makanna  detached 
j  several  columns  to  attack  it  both  in  flank  and  rear,  while  he  kept  the  garrison  fully 
employed  by  assailing  it  in  front.  Just  at  that  moment,  an  old  experienced  Hottentot 
captain,  named  Boezak,  happened  to  arrive  at  Grahamstown  with  a  party  of  his  men. 
Without  hesitation  he  led  his  little  force  against  the  enemy,  and,  being  familiar  with 
Kaffir  warfare,  and  also  practised  marksmen,  he  &iid  his  followers  neglected  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  enemy,  and  directed  their  fire  upon  the  leaders  who  were  conducting  the 
final  charge.  In  a  few  seconds  a  number  of  the  most  distinguished  chiefs  were  shot 
I  down,  and  the  onset  received  a  sudden  check. 

The  Amakosa  warriors  soon  recovered  themselves  and  returned  to  the  charge,  but  the 
I  English  had  taken  advantage  of  the  brief  respite,  and  brought  their  field-guns  to  bear. 


01     »i; 


216 


THE  KAFFIR. 


Volley  after  volley  of  grape-shot  was  poured  into  the  thickest  columns  of  the  eneinJ 
and  the  front  ranks  fell  like  grass  before  the  mower's  scythe.  '' 

Still,  the  courage  of  the  Kaffirs,  stimulated  by  the  mystic  utterances  of  their  pwpy 
general,  was  not  quelled,  and  the  undaunted  warriors  charged  up  to  the  very  moutli 
the  guns,  stabbing  with  their  last  spears  at  the  artillerymen.    But  brave  as  they  njini,! 
be,  they  could  not  contend  against  the  deadly  hail  of  grape-shot  and  musketiy  tl 
ceaselessly  poured  into  their  ranks,  while  as  soon  as  a  leader  made  himself  eonspicunuii 
he  was  shot  by  Boezak  and  his  little  body  of  marksmen.    Makanna  rallied  bis  foiJ 
several  times,  but  at  last  they  were  put  to  flight,  and  he  was  obliged  to  accompany  U 
discomfited  soldiers. 

Short  as  was  this  battle,  it  was  a  terrible  one  for  the  Kaffirs.    Fourteen  hundru 
bodies  were  found  dead  on  the  field,  while  at  least  as  many  more  died  of  their  wounds! 

After  this  decisive  repulse,  Makanna  surrendered  himself  to  the  English,  and  w J. 
sent  as  a  prisoner  to  Robben  Island.  Here  he  remained  for  a  year,  with  a  few  followeiJ 
and  slaves  whom  he  was  permitted  to  retain.  One  day  he  disarmed  the  guard,  and  triedl 
to  escape  in  a  boat,  but  was  drowned  in  the  attempt.  I 

The  subjoined  spirited  rendering  of  Makanna's  gathering  song  is  by  Mr.  Prin"le,  M 
poet-traveller  in  Southern  Africa. 


MAKANNA'S  GATHERINO. 


•'  Wakp.  f  AmalcosB,  walce ! 

And  arm  yourselves  for  war, 
As  coining  winds  the  forest  shake, 

I  hear  a  sound  from  far : 
It  is  not  thunder  in  the  sky, 

Nor  lion's  roar  upon  tho  hill. 
But  the  voice  of  him  who  sits  on  high, 

And  bids  me  speak  his  will ! 

"  He  bids  me  call  you  forth. 

Bold  sons  of  Kahahee, 
To  sweep  the  White  Man  from  the  earth, 
^   And  drive  them  to  the  sea  : 
The  sea,  which  heaved  them  up  at  first, 

For  Amakosa's  curse  and  bane, 
Howls  for  the  progeny  she  nursed. 

To  swallow  tnem  again. 

"  Then  come,  ye  chieftains  bold. 
With  war-plumes  waving  high  ; 
Come,  every  warrior  young  and  old, 
With  club  and  assagaL 


Remember  how  the  spoiler's  host 
Did  through  the  land  like  locusts  ranee! 

Your  heriis,  your  wives,  your  comrades  fost,- 
Reraember,  and  revenge  ! 

"  Fling  your  broad  shields  away. 

Bootless  a$rainst  such  foes  ; 
But  hand  to  hand  we'll  fight  to-dav, 

And  with  the  bayonets  close. 
Grasp  ea<^h  man  short  his  stabbing  spe» 

And,  when  to  battle's  edge  we  como, 
Rush  on  their  ranks  in  full  career, 

And  to  their  hearts  strike  home  I 

"  Wake !  Amakosa,  wake ! 

And  muster  for  the  war  : 
The  wizard-wolves  from  Keisi's  brake. 

The  vultures  from  afar, 
Are  gathering  at  Uulanga's  call. 

And  follow  fast  our  westward  way— 
For  well  they  know,  ere  evening  fall. 

They  shall  have  glorious  prey ! " 


NECKLACE  MADE  OF  HUMAN  FINOER-BONEa 


There  is  now  before  me  a  remarkable  necklace,  which  was  taken  from  the  neck  of  a  j 
Kaffir  who  was  killed  in  the  attack  of  the  74th  Highlanders  on  the  Iron  Mount   Tt 
stronghold  of  the  dark  enemies  was  peculiarly  well  adapted  for  defence,  and  the  nativtis 


THE  DAGHASAC. 


217 


I  therefore  used  it  as  a  place  wherein  they  could  deposit  their  stores    but,  by  a  false 

I  ve  on  their  part,  they  put  themselves  between  two  fires,  and  alter  severe  loas  had  to 

andon  the  post.    The  necklace  belongs  to  the  collection  of  Major  Ross  King,  who  led 

>  74th  in  the  attack. 

It  has  evidently  been  used  for  superstitious  purposes,  and  has  belonged  to  a  Kaffir 
Iho  was  either  one  of  the  prophets  or  who  intended  to  join  that  order.  It  is  composed 
f  human  finger  bones,  twenty-seven  in  number,  and  as  only  the  last  joint  of  the  finger  is 

J  it  ia  evident  that  at  least  three  men  must  have  supplied  the  bones  in  question.  From 
He  nature  of  the  ornament,  it  is  likely  that  it  once  belonged  to  that  class  of  which  doctors 
Cake  a  living,  by  pretending  to  detect  the  evil-doers  who  have  caused  the  death  of  chiefs 
L  persons  of  rank. 

J5  another  exampie  of  the  superstitious  ideas  of  the  Kaffirs,  I  may  here  describe  the 
rticle  which  is  represented  in  the 
aexed  illustration. 

This  is  one  of  the  small  bags 
Ihich  are  sometimes  called  knap- 
j-ks,  and  sometime  "daghasacs," 
be  latter  name  being  given  to 
hem  because  their  chief  use  is  to 
old  the  dagha,  or  preparation  of 
|emp  which  is  so  extensively  used 
|)r  smoking,  and  which  was  pro- 
lably  the  only  herb  that  was  usod 
lefore  the  introduction  of  tobacco 
■om  America. 

Sometimes  the  daghasac  is 
ink  of  the  skin  of  some  small 
,  taken  off  entire ;  but  in 
ills  instance  it  is  made  of  small 
[ieces  of  antelope-skin  neatly 
Wed  together,  and  having  some 
If  the  hair  still  left  in  the  interior. 
[he  line  of  jimction  between  the 
Ipper  and  lower  pieces  of  skin  is 
Weniously  concealed  by  the  strings 
If  black  and  white  beads  which 
|Te  attached  to  it ;  and  the  same 
leads  serve  also  to  conceal  a  patch 
[phich  is  let  iu  in  one  side.  The  bag 

lended  over  the  shoulders  of  the  wearer  by  means  of  a  long  chain  formed  ot  iron 
^ire,  the  links  of  which  are  made  so  neatly  that,  but  for  a  few  irregularities,  they  would 
!  taken  for  the  handiwork  of  a  European  wire-worker. 

From  the  end  of  the  bag  hang  two  thongs,  each  of  which  bears  at  the  extremity  a 
fraliied  charm.  One  of  these  articles  is  a  piece  of  stick,  about  three  inches  in  length,  and 
kbout  as  thick  as  an  artist's  pencil ;  and  the  .other  is  a  small  sea-shelL  The  bone 
necklace,  which  has  just  been  described,  does  really  look  like  a  cliarm  or  an  amulet ;  but 
Ihese  two  objects  are  so  perfectly  harmless  in  appearance  that  no  one  would  detect  their 
iharacter  without  a  previous  acquaintance  with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  natives. 
I  The  stick  in  question  is  formed  of  a  sort  of  creeper,  which  seeras  to  be  invariably  used 
In  the  manufacture  of  certain  charms.  It  has  small  dark  leaves  and  pale  blue  flowers, 
Wis  found  plentifully  at  the  Cape,  growing  among  the  "Boerbohne"  and  other  bushes, 
nd  twining  its  flexible  shoots  among  their  branches. 

Major  King,  to  whose  collection  the  daghasac  belongs,  possesses  a  large  specimen  of 
Ihe  same  stick,  five  feet  in  length  and  perfectly  straight.  It  was  taken  from  the 
^ntre  of  a  bundle  of  assagnis  that  had  fallen  from  .the  grasp  of  a  Kaffir,  who  was 
"  '  in  a  skirmish  by  the  Higlilanders.    This  stick  was  employed  as  a  war  charm,  and 


THE  DAGUASAC. 


c 


218 


THE  KAFFIR. 


probably  was  supposed  to  have  the  double  effect  of  making  certain  the  aim  of  theassai 
and  of  guarding  the  owner  from  harm.  ' 

Vast  numbers  of  those  wooden  charms  were  issued  to  the  soldiers  by  the  celebrat 
prophet  Umlangeni,  who  prophesied  that  by  his  incantations  the  bullets  of  the  white  mi 
would  turn  to  water  as  soon  as  they  were  fired.  As  the  charm  cost  nothing  except  tl 
trouble  of  cutting  the  stick  to  the  proper  length,  and  as  he  never  issued  one  withoi 
a  fee  of  some  kind,  it  is  evident  that  the  sacred  office  became  in  his  hands  a  vei 
profitable  one. 

As  war  occupies  so  much  of  the  Kaffir's  mind,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  the  prophi 
encourage  rather  than  suppress  the  warlike  spirit  of  the  natioa 

During  times  of  peace,  tiie  objects  for  which  the  prophet  will  be  consulted  are  coi 
paratively  few. 

Anxious  parents  may  come  to  the  prophet  for  the  purpose  of  performing  soi 
ceremony  over  a  sick  child ;  or,  with  much  apparent  anxiety,  a  deputation  from  tl 
tribe  may  call  him  to  attend  upon  the  chief,  who  has  made  himself  ill  by  eating  too  muci 
beef  and  drinking  too  much  beer ;  or  he  may  be  summoned  in  case  of  sickness,  which 
always  a  tolerably  profitable  business,  and  in  which  his  course  of  treatment  is  sure  to 
successful ;  or  if  he  should  enjoy  the  high  but  perilous  reputation  of  being  a  rain- 
he  may  be  called  upon  to  perform  his  incantations,  and  will  consequently  receive  a 
number  of  presents. 

These,  however,  are .  the  sum  of  the  prophet's  duties  in  times  of  peace,  and  1 
naturally  inclined  to  foster  a  warlike  disposition  among  the  people.    The  reader 
remember  that  when  Tchaka  found  that  his  subjects  were  in  danger  of  settling  down  to 
quiet  agricultural  life,  he  induced  one  of  the  prophets  to  stir  up  a  renewal  of  the  old  martii 
spirit.    And  we  may  be  sure  that  he  found  no  unwilling  agents  in  the  prophets,  at  li 
three  of  whom  must  have  been  engaged  in  the  deception. 

In  war,  however,  the  prophet's  services  are  in  constant  demand,  and  his  influence 
his  wealth  are  equally  increased.    He  retains  all  the  privileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  timi 
of  peace,  in  addition  to  those  which  belong  to  him  as  general  adviser  in  time  of  war. 

From  the  beginning  to  the  tad  of  the  war  every  one  consults  the  prophet  Whei 
the  king  forms  the  conception  of  making  war,  he  is  sure  to  send  for  the  prophet,  am 
ask  him  to  divine  the  result  of  the  coming  contest,  and  whatever  his  advice  may 
it  is  implicitly  followed     Then,  after  war  has  been  announced,  another  ceremony 
necessary  in  order  to  propitiate  the  spirits  of  ancestors,  and  cause  them  to  fight  for  tliei 
descendants,  who  sacrifice  so  many  oxen  to  them,  and  thus  enrich  their  cattle-pen  in  tlii 
shades  below.     Next  comes  the  grand  series  of  ceremonies  when  the  troops  are  mustei 
and  another,  scarcely  less  grand,  when  they  march  off. 

In  the  meantime  almost  every  soldier  will  want  a  charm  of  some  kind  or  other,  am 
will  pay  for  it.  Moreover,  he  wUl  generally  owe  the  sacrifice  of  a  cow,  or  at  least  a] 
if  be  return  home  safely  at  the  end  of  a  campaign,  and  of  all  sacrifices  the  prophet 
his  share.  The  old  men  and  wives  who  remain  rt  home,  and  are  sure  to  feel  anxious  aboul 
their  husbands  and  children  who  are  with  the  army,  are  equally  sure  to  offer  saorifioi 
as  propitiations  to  the  spirits. 

When  the  army  returns  the  prophet  is  still  in  request,  as  he  has  to  superintend 
various  sacrifices  that  have  been  vowed  by  the  survivors  and  their  friends.  As  to  tlioi 
who  fell  they  have  already  paid  their  fees,  and  for  the  failure  of  the  charm  there  is  ahvay 
some  excuse,  which  the  simple  people  are  quite  ready  to  believe. 

Mr.  Baines  has  kindly  sent  me  an  account  of  one  of  these  prophets,  and  the  manner  ii 
which  he  performed  his  office.  Besides  the  snakes,  skins,  feathers,  and  other  strange] 
ornaments  with  which  a  Kaffir  prophet  is  wont  to  bedeck  himself,  he  had  hung  roimi 
his  neck  a  string  of  bones  and  skulls,  an  amulet  of  which  he  evidently  was  exceedingl; 
proud.  He  was  consulted  by  some  of  the  soldiers  about  the  result  of  the  expedition,  am 
straightway  proceeded  to  work.  Taking  off  the  necklace  he  flung  it  on  the  ground,  am 
then  squatted  down  beside  it,  scanning  carefully  the  attitude  assumed  by  every  hone,  am 
drawing  therefrom  his  conclusions.  At  last  he  rose,  and  stated  to  his  awe-struck  client3| 
that  before  the  war  was  over  many  of  them  would  eat  dust,  i.e,  bo  killed. 


UNFAVOURABLE  PROPHECY. 


219 


This  announcetnent  had  a  ftteat  effect  up<  n  the  dark  soldiers,  and  their  spirits  were 
Igiijly  depressed  by  it.  The  cunimander,  ho\  ever,  was  a  man  who  was  independent  of 
Isucb  actions,  and  did  not  intend  to  have  his  men  disheartened  by  any  prophet.  So  he 
LdI  for  the  seer  in  question,  and  very  plainly  told  him  that  his  business  was  to  foretell 


m 


UNFAYOUBABLB  FROFHBUY. 


success,  and  not  failure ;  and  that,  if  he  did  not  alter  his  line  of  prophecy,  he  must  be 
prepared  to  take  the  consequences.  Both  the  seer  and  the  spirits  of  departed  chiefs  took 
this  rather  strong  hint,  and  after  that  intimation  the  omens  invariably  proved  to  be 
favourable,  and  the  soldiers  recovered  their  lost  equanimity. 


i 

V 


.P 


iw 


^m         ,  a 

fe  '-^ 

'M 

ii 

■M 

■"If 

1 

1 

1 

'•  H 

t:« 

, 
V^ 

^ 

IHr 

-.* 

••i, 

',j 

Wr 

^ 

% 

4 

^^l 

! 

r 

1  '• 

'.4 

1 

1 

■* 

1 

1 

1 

^.-        - 

--zm 

M 

'\i 

^^^^1 

iv 

CHAPTER  XX. 


FUNERAL  RITES. 


■iA, 


BimiAL  OF  THR  DEAD — LOCALITIES  OF  THE  TOMBS — THE  CHIEF  S  LAST  BESTINO-PLACE — SACJtmcn 

AND    LVSTItATION BODIES    OF    CHIMINALS — HKPUONANCR    T0WABD8    DEAD    BODIBS  — OBDINabv 

BITES FUNEBAL  OF   A  CHILD— THE  DEATH  AND  BUBIAL  OF  MNANDB — HEB  OBNEBAL  CHARACTEB  i 

AND  BUSPICIOirS  NATDBE  OP  HEB  ILLNESS — TCBAKA'S  BEHAVIOVB — A8SEHBLAGF  OF  THR  PEOFll 
AND  TEBBIBLB  UASSAOBB — HNANDb's  CvJIPANIONS  in  THR  QB/.VK — THB  YBAB  OF  VATCRINO-- 
A  STBANOB  OBDINANCE — HOW  TCHAKA  WBNT  OVT  OF  HOVBNINO — A  SUMMABY  MODE  OF  8EPUUCBI 
— ABANDONMBNT  OF  THK  AQBD  SICK— UB.  OALXOM's  STOBT. 


Closely  connected  with  the  religion  of  any  country  is  the  mode  in  which  the  bodies  of 
the  dead  are  disposed  o£ 

Burial  in  the  earth  is  the  simplest  and  most  natural  mode  of  disposing  of  a  deadlxxly, 
and  this  mode  is  adopted  by  the  Kaffirs.  There  are  slight  variations  in  the  melhod  of 
interment  and  the  choice  of  a  giUve,  but  the  general  system  prevails  throughout  Kaffir- 
land.  The  body  is  never  laid  prostrate,  as  among  ourselves ;  but  a  circular  hole  is  dug 
in  the  ground,  and  the  body  is  placed  in  it  in  a  sitting  position,  the  knees  being  brought 
to  the  chin  and  the  head  bent  over  them  Sometimes,  and  especially  if  there  should  te 
cause  for  haste,  the  Kaffirs  select  for  a  grave  an  ant-hill,  which  has  been  ransacked  by 
the  great  ant-bear  or  aard-vark,  and  out  of  which  the  animal  has  torn  the  whole  interior 
with  its  powerful  claws,  leaving  a  mere  oven-shaped  shell  as  hard  as  a  brick.  Generally, 
however,  a  circular  hole  is  dug,  and  the  body  is  placed  in  it,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned. 

As  to  the  place  of  burial,  that  depends  upon  the  rank  of  the  dead  person.  If  lie  be 
the  head  man  of  a  kraal  he  is  always  buried  in  the  isibaya,  or  cattle  enclosure,  and  the 
funeral  is  conducted  with  much  ceremony.  During  the  last  few  days  of  illness,  when  it 
is  evident  that  recovery  is  impossible,  the  people  belonging  to  the  kraal  omit  the  usual 
care  of  the  toilet,  allowing  their  hair  t  grow  as  it  likes,  and  abstaining  from  the  use  of 
grease  or  from  washing.  The  worst  clothes  are  worn,  and  all  ornaments  are  removed 
They  also  are  bound  to  fast  until  the  funeral,  and  there  is  a  humane  custom  that  the 
children  are  first  supplied  with  an  abundant  meal,  and  not  until  they  have  eaten  are  they 
told  of  their  father's  death. 

The  actual  burial  is  performed  by  the  nearest  relatives,  and  on  such  an  occasion  it  is 
not  thought  below  the  dignity  of  a  man  to  assist  in  digging  the  grave.  The  body  is  then 
placed  in  the  grave ;  his  spoon,  mat,  pillow,  and  spears  are  laid  beside  him :  the  shafts 
of  the  latter  are  always  broken,  and  the  iron  heads  bent,  perhaps  from  some  vague  idea 
that  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  will  come  out  of  the  earth  and  do  mischief  with  them, 
Should  he  be  a  rich  man,  oxen  are  also  killed  and  placed  near  him,  so  that  he  may  go 
into  the  land  of  spirits  well  furnished  with  cattle,  implements,  and  weapons.    If  the 

Eerson  interred  should  not  be  of  sufficient  rank  to  be  entitled  to  a  grave  in  the  isibaya, 
e  is  buried  outside  the  kraal,  and  over  the  grave  is  made  a  strong  fence  of  stones  or 
thorn-bushes,  to  prevent  the  corpse  from  being  disturbed  by  wild  beasts  or  wizards. 


FUNERAL  OF  A  CHILD.  221 

As  soon  as  the  funeral  partv  returns,  the  prophets  send  the  inhabitants  of  the  kraal  to 
jie  nearest  stream,  and  after  they  have  washed  therein  he  administers  some  medicine  to 
ilieni  and  then  they  are  at  liberty  to  eut  and  drink,  to  milk  their  cattle,  and  to  dress  their 
,'  Those,  however,  who  dug  the  grave  and  handled  the  body  of  the  dead  man  are 
[blised  to  undergo  a  double  course  of  medicine  and  lustration  before  they  are  permitted 
(break  their  fast. 
It  is  not  every  Kaffir  who  receives  the  funeral  rites.  Those  who  have  been  killed  by  order 
Lf  tlie  king  are  considered  unworthy  of  receiving  honourable  sepulture,  and  no  matter  what 
jiay  be  the  crime  of  wliich  they  are  accused,  or  whether  indeed  they  have  not  been  kUed 
lliro*i<'h  some  momentary  caprice  of  the  despot,  their  bodies  are  merely  dragged  away  by 
[he  lieels  into  the  bush,  and  allowed  to  become  the  prey  of  the  vultures  and  hysenas. 
Except  when  heated  by  conflict,  the  Katfir  has  an  invincible  repugnance  to  touching 
Jcad  body,  and  nothing  can  show  greater  respect  for  the  dead  than  the  fact  that  the 
Luiediate  relatives  conquer  this  repugnance,  and  perform  the  last  office  in  spite  of  their 
'atural  aversion  to  such  a  duty,  and  with  full  knowledge  of  the  long  and  painful  fast 
"  licli  they  must  undergo. 

The  friends  of  the  family  then  assemble  near  the  principal  hut,  and  loudly  bewail  the 

Joss  which  the  kraal  has  sustained.    An  ox  is  killed,  and  its  flesh  cooked  as  a  feast  for 

Ihe  mourners,  the  animal  itself  being  offered  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  departed  chief.    Having 

finished  their  banquet,  and  exhausted  all  their  complimentary  phrases  towards  the  dead, 

hey  generally  become  anything  but  complimentary  to  the  living. 

Addressing  the  eldest  son,  who  has  now  succeeded  to  his  father's  place,  they  bewail 
his  inexperience,  condole  with  the  wives  upon  their  hard  lot  in  being  under  the  sway  of 
one  so  inferior  in  every  way  to  the  deceased,  and  give  the  son  plenty  of  good  advice, 
Itelliig  him  not  to  beat  any  of  his  mothers  if  he  can  keep  them  in  order  without  manual 
Icorrection,  to  be  kind  to  all  his  brothers  and  sisters,  and  to  be  considerate  towards  the 
Idependants.  They  enforce  their  arguments  by  copious  weeping.  Tears  always  come 
]readi!y  to  a  Kaffir,  but,  if  there  should  be  any  difficulty  in  shedding  them,  a  liberal  use  of 
pangent  snuff  is  sure  to  produce  the  desired  result. 

Such  is  the  mode  in  which  ordinary  men  and  chiefs  are  buried.  The  funerals  of 
Ichildren  are  conducted  in  a  much  quicker  and  simpler  manner,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
Ifollowing  extract  from  Gardiner's  work  on  Southern  Africa  He  is  describing  the  funeral 
jofachild  belonging  to  a  Kaffir  with  whom  he  was  acquainted: — 

"After  threading  an  intricate  path,  and  winding  about  for  some  little  distance,  they 
ipped.  Inquiring  if  that  was  the  spot  they  had  chosen,  Kolelwa  replied,  •  You  must 
Ishonr  us.'  Ou  being  again  told  that  it  was  left  entirely  for  his  decision,  they  proceeded  a 
Ifeff  paces  further,  and  then  commenced  one  of  the  most  distressing  scenes  I  ever  witnessed, 
la  father  with  his  own  hand  opening  the  ground  with  his  hoe,  and  scooping  out  a  grave  for 
Ihisown  child,  assisted  only  by  one  of  his  wives— while  the  bereaved  mother,  in  the  bitter- 
iness  of  her  grief,  seated  under  some  bushes  like  another  Hagar,  watched  every  movement, 
[but  dared  not  trust  herself  nearer  to  the  mournful  spot 

"When  all  was  prepared  Kolelwa  returned,  with  the  wife  who  had  assisted  him,  for 
jthe  body— Nombima,  the  mother,  still  remaining  half  concealed  among  the  trees.  Every- 
J  thing  was  conducted  so  Silently  that  I  did  not  perceive  their  return,  until  suddenly  turn- 
ling  to  the  spot  I  observed  the  woman  suppoiting  the  body  so  naturally  upon  her  lap,  as 
I  she  sat  on  the  ground,  that  at  first  I  really  supposed  it  had  been  a  living  child. 
I  "Dipping  a  bundle  of  leafy  boughs  into  a  calabash  of  water,  the  body  was  first  washed 
jby  the  father,  and  then  laid  by  him  in  the  grave ;  over  which  I  read  a  selection  from  the 
j Burial  Service  (such  portions  only  as  were  strictly  applicable);  concluding  with  a  short 
I  exhortation  to  those  who  were  present.  The  entire  opening  was  then  filled  in  with  large 
Ifagots,  over  which  earth  was  thrown,  and  above  all  a  considerable  pile  of  thorny  boughs 
land  branches  heaped,  in  order  to  render  it  secure  from  the  approach  of  wild  animals." 
j  In  strange  contrast  with  this  touching  and  peaceful  scene  stands  the  teirible  rites  by 
[which  Tchaka  celebrated  the  funeral  of  his  mother  Mnande. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned,  on  page  127,  that  Tchaka  was  suspected,  and  not 
[without  reason,  of  having  been  accessory,  either  actively  or  passively,  to  his  mother's 


■f"' 


M\ 


i-l  I 


c 


223 


THE  KAFFIR. 


it. 


m 


death ;  and  it  was  no  secret  that  she  was  a  turbulent,  quarrelsome,  bad-tempered  woman] 
and  that  Tchaka  was  very  glad  to  be  rid  of  her.    Now,  although  a  Kaifir  is  much  despi!! 
if  lie  allows  his  mother  to  exercise  the  least  authority  over  him  when  he  has  once  reach 
adult  age,  and  though  it  is  thought  rather  a  praiseworthy  act  than  otherwise  for  a  younJ 
man  to  beat  hi?  mother,  as  a  proof  that  he  Is  no  more  a  child,  the  murder  of  a  parent  i 
looked  upon  as  a  crime  for  which  no  excuse  could  be  offered. 

Irresponsible  despot  as  was  Tchaka,  he  was  not  so  utterly  independent  of 
opinion  that  he  could  allow  himself  to  be  spoken  of  as  a  parricide,  and  accordiDgw' 
soon  as  his  mother  was  beyond  all  chance  of  recovery,  he  set  himself  to  work  to  make  h. 
people  believe  that  he  was  really  very  sorry  for  his  mother's  illness.  In  the  first  iflaa 
he  cut  short  a  great  elephant-hunting  party  at  which  he  was  engaged ;  and  although  1 
was  fully  sixty  miles  from  the  kraal  in  which  his  mother  was  residing,  he  set  off  at  ona 
and  arrived  at  home  in  the  middle  of  the  following  day.  At  Tchaka's  request,  Mr.  Fyn 
went  to  see  the  patient,  and  to  report  whether  there  was  any  chance  of  her  recoveiy.  ' 
account  of  the  interview  and  the  subsequent  ceremonies  is  as  follows : — 

"  I  went,  attended  by  an  old  chief,  and  found  the  hut  filled  with  mourning  womei 
and  such  clouds  of  smoke  that  I  was  obliged  to  bid  them  retire,  to  enable  me  to  bieatl 
within  it     Her  complaint  was  dysentery,  and  I  reported  at  once  to  Tchaka  that  her  ( 
was  hopeless,  and  that  I  did  not  expect  that  she  would  live  through  the  day.    Thei. 
ments  which  were  then  sitting  in  a  semicircle  around  him  were  ordered  to  their  barrac^J 
while  Tchaka  himself  sat  for  about  two  hours,  in  a  contemplative  mood,  without  a  va 
escaping  his  lips ;  several  of  the  elder  chiefs  sitting  also  before  him. 

"  When  the  tidings  wjre  brought  that  she  had  expired,  Tchaka  immediately  arose  i, 
entered  his  dwelling ;  and  haVing  ordered  the  principal  chiefs  to  put  on  their  war  dressea^l 
he  in  a  few  minutes  appeared  in  his.  As  soon  as  the  death  was  publicly  announced,  the] 
women  and  all  the  men  who  were  present  tore  instantly  from  their  persons  every  desciip-l 
tion  of  ornai  lent.  I 

"  Tchaka  now  appeared  before  the  hut  in  which  the  body  lay,  surrounded  by  hul 
principal  chiefs,  in  their  war  attire.  For  about  twenty  minutes  he  atood  iu  ^  silent^] 
mournful  attitude,  with  his  head  bowed  upon  his  shield,  on  which  I  saw  a  few  large  teahj 
fall  After  two  or  three  deep  sighs,  his  feelings  becoming  ungovernable,  he  broke  out  into| 
frantic  yells,  which  fearfully  contrasted  with  the  silence  that  had  hitherto  prevailed, 
signal  was  enough :  the  chief  and  people,  to  the  number  of  about  fifteen  thousand,  com.] 
menced  the  most  dismal  and  horrid  lamentations.  .  .  . 

"  The  people,  from  the  neighbouring  kraals,  male  and  female,  came  pouring  in;  eaohl 
body,  as  they  appeared  in  sight,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  joining  to  swell  the  temhlel 
cry.  Through  the  whole  night  it  continued,  none  daring  to  take  rest  or  refresh  theniselvesl 
with  water ;  while,  at  short  intervals,  fresh  bursts  were  heard  as  more  distant  r(^imeati| 
approached. 

"  The  morning  dawned  without  any  relaxation,  and  before  noon  the  number 
increased  to  about  sixty  thousand.  The  cries  became  now  indescribably  horrid.  Hundredi!  I 
were  lying  faint  from  excessive  fatigue  and  want  of  nourishment;  while  the  carcases  of] 
forty  oxen  lay  in  a  heap,  which  had  been  slaughtered  as  an  offering  to  the  guardian  i 
spirits  of  the  tribe. 

"  At  noon  the  whole  force  formed  a  circle,  with  Tchaka  in  their  centre,  and  sang  a 
war  song,  which  afforded  them  some  relaxation  during  its  continuance.  At  the  close  of  it,  | 
Tchaka  ordered  several  men  to  be  executed  on  the  spot,  and  the  cries  became,  if  \ 
more  violent  than  ever.  No  further  orders  were  needed ;  but,  as  if  bent  on  convincing  I 
their  chief  of  their  extreme  gi'ief,  the  multitude  commenced  a  general  massacre— many  of 
them  received  the  blow  of  death  while  inflicting  it  on  others,  each  taking  the  opportunity 
of  revenging  his  injuries,  real  oi  imaginary.  Those  who  could  no  more  force  tears  from 
their  eyes — those  who  were  found  near  the  river,  panting  for  water — were  beaten  to  death  | 
by  others  mad  with  excitement. 

"  Toward  the  afternoon  I  calculated  that  not  fewer  than  seven  thousand  people 
fallen  in  this  frightful,  indiscriminate  massacre.    The  adjacent  stream,  to  .which  many  I 
had  fled  exhausted  to  wet  their  parched  tongues,  became  impassable  from  the  number  of 


GIRLS  BUEIED  ALIVE. 


S23 


I  ^f,)ges  which  lay  on  each  side  of  it ;  while  the  kraal  in  which  the  scene  took  place 

.gowing  with  blood." 

On  the  second  day  after  Mnande's  death  her  body  was  placed  in  a  large  grave,  near 

-gpot  where  she  had  died,  and  ten  of  the  best-looking  girls  in  the  kraal  were  enclosed 

tve  m  the  same  grave.    Twelve  thousand  men,  all  fuUy  armed,  attended  this  di-ead 


*,  'i 


>-^  -^^^i^^^.  '^ 


•i-.    BO    \M 


\i<r 


Hi 


t' 


BURIAL  OF  TCUAKA'S  MOTHER 


c 


J' 


eremony,  and  were  stationed  as  a  guard  over  the  grave  for  a  whole  year.    They  were 

baintained  by  voluntary  contributions  of  cattle  from  every  Zulu  who  possessed  a  herd, 

lowever  small  it  might  be.    Of  course,  if  Tchaka  could  celebrate  the  last  illness  and 

pth  of  his  mother  with  such  magnificent  ceremonies,  no  one  would  be  likely  to  think 

hat  he  had  anjifrhand  in  her  death. 

Extravagant  as  were  these  rites,  they  did  not  quite  satisfy  the  people,  and  the  chiefs 

animously  proposed  that  further  sacrifices  should  bo  made,    Tliey  proposed  that  every 

Jne  should  be  killed  who  had  not  been  present  at  Mnande's  funeral ;  and  this  horrible 

ugsestion  was  actually  carried  out,  several  regiments  of  soldiers  being  sent  through  the 

oimtry  for  the  purpose  of  executing  it. 


'jr 


324 


THE  KAFFIR. 


It< 


Their  next  proposal  was  that  the  very  earth  should  unite  in  the  general  mournino 
should  not  be  cultivated  for  a  whole  year;  and  that  no  one  should  be  allowed  eithnti 
make  or  eat  amasi,  but  that  the  milk  should  be  at  once  poured  out  on  the  earth.   Th 
suggestions  were  accepted ;  but,  after  a  lapse  of  three  months,  a  composition  was  made  I 
large  numbers  of  oxen  offered  to  Tchaka  by  the  chiefs. 

The  last,  and  most  astounding,  suggestion  was,  that  if  during  the  ensuing  year, 
child  should  be  bom,  or  even  if  such  an  event  were  likely  to  occur,  both  the  parents  tu, 
the  child  should  be  summarily  executed.    As  this  suggestion  was,  in  fact,  only  a  carrvii 
out,  on  a  large  scale,  of  the  principle  followed  by  Tchaka  in  his  own  households,  he  leadii 


gave  his  consent ;  and  during  the  whole  of  the  year  there  was  much  innocent  blood  ahel 

After  the  year  had  expired,  Tchaka  determined  upon  another  expiatory  sacrifice  aj) 
preliminary  to  the  ceremony  by  which  he  went  out  of  mourning.  This,  however,  did  na 
take  place,  owing  to  the  remonstrances  of  Mr.  Fynn,  who  succeeded'  in  persuading  th 
despot  to  spare  the  lives  of  his  subjects.  One  reason  why  Tchaka  acceded  to  the  lequet 
was  his  amusement  at  the  notion  of  a  white  man  pleading  for  the  life  of  "  dogs." 

The  whole  of  the  able-bodied  part  of  the  poptlation  had  taken  warning  by  thi 
massacre  of  the  previous  year,  and  presented  themselves  at  the  ceremony.  They  wei 
arranged  in  regiments,  and,  as  soon  as  the  chief  made  his  appearance,  they  moved  sinmi 
taueously  to  the  tops  of  the  hills  that  surrounded  the  great  kraal  in  which  the  ceremoql 
was  to  take  place.  Upwards  of  a  hundred  thousand  oxen  were  brought  together  to  l 
♦he  ceremony,  their  bellowing  being  thought  to  be  a  grateful  sound  to  the  spirits  of  i 
dead.  Standing  amidst  this  savage  accompaniment  to  his  voice,  Tchaka  began  to  wenl 
and  sob  loudly,  the  whole  assembly  echoing  the  sound,  as  in  duty  bound,  and  making! 
most  hideous  din.  This  noisy  rite  began  in  the  afternoon,  and  closed  at  sunset,  vbei 
Tchaka  ordered  a  quantity  of  cattle  to  be  killed  for  a  feast. 

Next  day  came  the  ceremony  by  which  Tchaka  was  released  from  his  state  of  moimiinj 
Every  man  who  owned  cattle  had  brought  at  least  one  calf  with  him,  and  when  the  king 
took  his  place  in  the  centre  of  the  kraal,  each  man  cut  open  the  right  side  of  the  calf,  I 
out  the  gall-bladder,  and  left  the  wretched  creature  to  die.    Each  regiment  then  movft 
in  succession  before  Tchaka,  and,  as  it  marched  slowly  round  him,  every  nmn  sprinkledl 
gall  over  him.    After  he  had  been  thus  covere'd  with  gall,  he  was  washed  by  the  _ 
with  certain  preparations  of  their  own ;  and  with  this  ceremony  the  whole  procee 
ended,  and  Tchaka  was  out  of  mourning. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  in  some  instances,  especially  those  where  the  deadl 
have  been  murdered  by  command  of  the  king,  or  have  been  tortured  to  death  as  wizanls,! 
the  bodies  are  merely  dragged  into  the  bush,  and  are  left  to  be  devoured  by  the  hytenasl 
and  the  vultures.  Cases  are  also  known  where  a  person  on  the  point  of  death  ha.s  1 
thrown  into  the  river  by  the  relatives  before  life  was  quite  extinct  The  actors  in  these  I 
strange  tragedies  seemed  to  have  thought  that  the  dying  person  need  not  be  particulatl 
about  an  hour  more  or  less  in  the  wodd,  especially  as  by  such  a  proceeding  they  freedj 
themselves  from  the  hated  duty  of  handling  a  dead  body. 

Sometimes  those  who  are  sick  to  death  receive  even  a  more  horrible  treatment  than  I 
the  comparatively  merciful  death  by  drowning,  or  by  the  jaws  of  crocodiles;  the  dying  I 
and  the  veiy  old  and  infirm  being  left  to  perish,  with  a  small  supply  of  food  and  drink  I 
enough  to  sustain  life  for  a  day  or  two.  Mr.  Galton  relates  one  such  instance  that  occurred! 
within  his  own  experience. 

"  I  saw  a  terrible  sight  on  the  way,  which  has  often  haunted  me  since.  We  had  taken  I 
a  short  cut,  and  were  a  day  and  a  half  from  our  wagons,  when  I  observed  some  smoke  in  I 
front,  and  rode  to  see  what  it  was.  An  immense  black  thorn  tree  was  smoulderin|;,anil,l 
from  the  quantity  of  ashes  about,  there  was  all  the  appearance  of  its  having  burnt  for  a  j 
long  time.  By  it  were  tracks  that  we  could  make  nothing  of — no  footmarks,  only  an  I 
impression  of  a  hand  here  and  there.  We  followed  them,  and  found  a  wretched  woman,! 
most  horribly  emaciated;  both  her  feet  were  burnt  quite  off,  and  the  wounds  were  open] 
and  unhealed. 

"  Her  account  was  that,  many  days  back,  she  and  others  were  encamping  there ; 
when  she  was  asleep,  a  dry  but  standing  tree,  which  they  had  set  fire  to,  fell  down 


I*!     ii 


ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  AGED. 


225 


I  ^Q-]e(i  her  among  its  branches :  there  she  was  burnt  before  she  could  extricate  herself, 
U  ber  people  left  her.  She  had  since  lived  on  gum  alone,  of  which  there  were  vast 
ilntities  about :  it  oozes  down  from  the  trees,  and  forms  large  cakes  in  the  sand.  There 
m!  water  close  by,  for  she  was  on  the  edge  of  a  river-bed.    I  did  not  know  what  to  do 

itb  her ;  I  had  no  means  of  conveying  her  anywhere,  or  any  place  to  convey  her  to. 
'  "The'Dainaras  kill  useless  and  worn-out  people^ven  sons  smother  their  sick  fathers ; 

nd  death  was  not  far  from  her.     I  had  three  sheep  with  me ;  so  I  ofiT-packed,  and  killed 
She  seemed  ravenous ;  and,  though  I  pun>osely  had  off-|>acked  some  two  hundred 

,uj  from  her,  yet  the  poor  wretch  kept  crawl-  ^  and  dragging  herself  up  to  me,  and 
wuld  not  De  withheld,  for  fear  I  should  forget  to  give  her  the  food  I  promised. 

"  When  it  was  ready,  and  she  had  devoured  what  I  gave  her,  the  meat  acted  as  it 
jAilen  does  in  buc1\  cases,  and  fairly  intoxicated  her ;  she  attempted  to  stand,  regardless  of 
the  pain,  and  sang,  and  tossed  her  lean  arms  about.  It  was  perfectly  sickening  to  witness 
[he spectacle.  I  did  the  only  thing  I  could;  I  cut  the  rest  of  the  meat  in  strips,  and 
tuDsTwithin  her  reach,  and  where  the  sun  would  jerk  (i.e.  dry  and  preserve)  it.  It  was 
koy  dtiys'  provision  for  her.  I  saw  she  had  water,  Hrewood,  and  gum  in  abundance,  and 
Gen  I  left  her  to  her  fate." 

This  event  took  place  among  the  Damaras ;  but  Captain  Gardiner  mentions  that 
hnionir  the  Zulus  a  dying  woman  was  carried  into  the  bush,  and  left  there  to  perish  in 
nlitude.  That  such  a  custom  does  prevail  is  evident,  and  it  is  likely  that  it  may  be  more 

nnently  practised  than  is  generally  supposed.    People  of  rank  are  tended  carefully 

ougli  during  sickness ;  but  men  and  women  of  low  condition,  especially  if  they  are  old 
nd  feeble,  as  well  as  prostrated  with  sickness,  are  not  likely  to  have  much  chance  of 
>  nursed  in  a  coun^  where  human  life  is  so^Iittle  valued. 


tsi 


irh 


■■:s 


(>:il 


CIRCULAR  KAFFm  SHIELD. 
(From  tht  UUt  Oordon  Cw»,minifi  oMutkn,} 


■\4 


c 


VOL  I 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


DOMESTIC  LIFE. 

SLKEPINO  ACCOHUODATION — ^HOW  80LOIBR8  ON  THE  CAMPAIGN  SLEKP — THE  KAPFIr's  BED— IONOBAxJ 

OF   WEAVING — POBTABLK    FURNITURE A    SINOULAR    PROJECTILE — THE    KAFFIB'b   WUOW-iJ 

MATERIAL  AND  USUAL  SHAPE — A  KAFFIR's  IDEAS  OF   ORNAMENT MODE  OK   HKPOSINQ— DINOAN  J 

HOME — DOMESTIC  DISCIPLINE — KAFFIR  MUSIC ENERGETIC    PERFORMANCE — BOMB  NATIVE  HFlJ 

DIES— QUALITY  OF   VOICE — MUSICAL   INSTRUMENTS — THE  "  HARP  "  AND   MODE  OF  PLAYDIO  n\ 

PECULIAR  TONES   OF   THE   HARP— THE   KAFFIR's   FLUTE EARTHENWARE    AMONG  THE  KAF 

WOMEN  THE  ONLY  POTTERS — HOW  THE  POTS  ARE  MADE — GENERAL  FORM  OF  THE  POTS  AND  TH 
USES — EARTHEN    GRAIN-STORES  —  TUBASHINO    OUT    GRAIN    BKFOBE    STOWAGE — THE   TREM 
AFRICA — THE   THORNS    AND    THEIR   PROPERTIES — THE   ORAPPLB-PLANT— THE  WAIX-A-BIT, 
BOOX-AND-SPIKB  THOIWB— HONKEy-BOPBS — VABIOUB  TIIIBBBS. 


The  sleeping  accommodation  of  a  Kaffir  is  of  the  simplest  kind,  and  to  European  mq 
forms  about  as  uncomfortable  a  set  of  articles  as  can  be  imagined.    Indeed,  with  nai 
of  the  young  unmarried  men,  the  only  permanent  accommodation  for  sleeping  is  thJ 
which  is  furnished  by  the  floor  of  the  hut,  or  the  ground  itself  if  they  should  be  forced  t 
sleep  in  the  open  air. 

Soldiers  on  a  campaign  always  sleep  on  the  ground,  and  as  they  are  forced  to  leave  a 
their  clothes  behind  them,  they  seek  repose  in  the  most  primitive  manner  imaginably 
It  has  already  been  mentioned  that,  in  order  to  secure  celerity  of  movement,  a  KafG 
soldier  carries  nothing  but  his  weapon,  and  is  not  even  encumbered  by  dress.  Hence  I 
has  a  notable  advantage  over  European  soldiers,  who  would  soon  perish  by  disease  vei 
they  obliged  to  go^through  a  campaign  lyithout  beds,  tents,  kit,  or  commissariat. 

Our  Highland  soldiers  are  less  dependent  on  accessory  comforts  than  most  Europ 
regiments,  and  will  contentedly  wrap  themselves  in  their  plaids,  use  their  knapsacks 
pillows,  and  betake  themselves  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.    But  they  have  at  all  events  theil 

Elaid,  while  the  Kaffir  warrior  has  nothing  but  his  shield,  which  he  may  use  as  a  M  il 
e  likes,  and  it  is,  perhaps,  fortunate  for  him  that  loiig  training  in  hard  marches  rendeii 
him  totally  indifferent  as  to  the  spot  on  which  he  is  to  lie.  His  chief  care  is  that  ib 
place  which  he  selects  should  not  be  wet,  or  be  in  the  close  neighbourhood  of  ants'  nest 
or  snakes'  haunts,  and  his  next  care  is  to  arrange  his  body  and  limbs  so  as  to  lit  M 
inequalities  of  the  ground.  As  to  the  hardness  of  his  extemporized  couch,  he  thinks  littlj 
or  nothing  of  it. 

But  when  our  KafHr  lad  is  admitted  into  the  ranks  of  the  men,  and  takes  to  hinselj 
his  first  wife,  he  indulges  in  the  double  luxury  of  a  bed  and  a  pillow — the  former  \m\ 
made  of  grass-stems  and  the  latter  of  wood. 

At  fig.  3  in  the  accompanying  illustration  is  represented  the  ordinary  bed  of  a  Kaffirl 
This  article  of  furniture  is  almost  the  same  throughout  Southern  Africa,  and,  among  thj 
true  Kaffir  tribes,  the  bed  of  the  king  himself  and  that  of  his  meanest  subject  ai-e  identic! 
in  material  and  shape.    The  figure  is  drawn  from  a  specimen  in  my  own  collection,  anJ 
gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the  KafiEur's  bed  and  furniture. 


SLEEPING  ACCOMMODATION. 


227 


*.  <*'*i 


It  ia  made  of  the  stems  of  grasses,  some  three  feet  in  length,  and  about  as  thick 
jjQvyquills.  These  are  laid  side  by  side,  and  are  fastened  together  by  means  of  double 
ujQjN  which  pass  round  the  grass-stems,  and  are  continually  crossed  backwards  and 
drwanls  so  as  to  form  them  into  a  mat  about  three  feet  in  width  and  six  in  length.  This 
oethod  of  tying  the  gross-stems  together  is  almost  identical  with  that  which  is  employed 
Iv  the  native  tribes  that  inhabit  the  banks  of  the  Essequibo  River,  in  tying  together  the 
Ijender  arrows  which  they  project  through  their  blow-guns.  The  ends  of  the  grass-stems 
L  all  turned  over  and  firmly  bound  down  with  string,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  selvage, 
L^cb  protects  the  mat  from  being  unravelled. 


Ill 


KAFFIR  BED  FCRMITURB. 
Fia  1,  3,  i'iUouw.    a,  ThtUd  partly  rolled  «p. 


/■  •."*.! 


On  looking  at  one  of  these  sleeping  mats,  the  observer  is  apt  to  fancy  that  a  vast 
noiint  of  needless  trouble  has  been  taken  with  it — that  the  maker  would  have  done  his 
work  quicker  and  better,  and  that  the  article  itself  would  have  looked  much  more  elegant, 

1  he  woven  the  materials  instead  of  lashing  them  with  string.  But  the  Kaffir  has  not 
Jthe  faintest  idea  of  weaving,  and  even  the  primitive  hand-loom,  which  is  so  prevalent  in 
(different  parts  of  the  world,  is  not  to  be  found  in  Southern  Africa 

The  Kaffir  can  dress  skins  as  well  as  any  European  furrier.  He  can  execute  basket 
ItotIc  which  no  professional  basket-maker  can  even  imitate,  much  less  rival  He  can 
Imake  spear  blades  and  axes  which  are  more  suitable  to  his  country  than  the  best 
Ispeciinens  of  European  manufacture.  But  he  has  not  the  least  notion  of  the  very  simple 
loperatiou  of  weaving  threads  into  cloth.  This  ignorance  of  an  almost  universal  art  is  the 
linore  remarkable  because  he  can  weave  leather  thongs  and  coarse  hairs  into  elaboratb 
joraaments,  and  can  string  beads  together  so  as  to  form  flat  belts  or  even  aprons.  Still, 
|8uch  is  the  fact,  and  a  very  curious  fact  it  is. 

When  the  sleeper  awakes  in  the  morning,  the  bed  is  rolled  up  into  a  cylindrical  form, 
llashed  together  with  a  hide  thong,  and  suspended  out  of  the  way  in  the  hut.  A  bed  thus 
jsuspended  may  be  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  115,  The  student  of  Scripture  will 
Inaturally  be  reminded  of  the  command  issued  to  the  paralytic  man,  to  "  take  up  his  bed 
land  walk,"  the  bed  in  question  being  the  ordinary  thin  mattress  in  use  in  the  East, 
jwliich  is  spread  flat  on  the  ground  when  in  use,  and  is  rolled  up  and  put  away  as  soon 
|as  the  sleeper  rises  from  his  couch. 

If  a  Kaffir  moves  from  one  residence  to  another,  his  wife  carries  his  bed  with  her, 

jsometimes  having  her  own  couch  balanced  on  the  top  of  her  head,  and  her  husband's 

'to  her  shoulders.    This  latter  mode  of  carrying  the  bed  may  be  seen  in  the 

q2 


W    ? 


»1 


■:h 


,  4  .i! '  ''1^ 


228 


THE  KAFFIR. 


illustration  on  page  26,  where  the  woman  is  shown  with  the  bed  partly  hidden  under  1 
kaross. 

Should  tho  Kaffir  be  a  man  of  rather  a  luxurious  disposition,  he  orders  his  wif  I 
pluck  a  quantity  of  grass  or  iresh  leaves,  and  by  strewinjj  them  thickly  on  the  i;ronJ 
and  spreading  the  mat  over  them,  he  procures  a  bed  which  even  an  ordinary  Eurori 
would  not  despise.  ^ 

Although  tho  bed  is  large  enough  to  accommodate  a  full-sized  man,  it  is  wonderful! 
light.  My  own  specimen,  which  is  a  very  fair  example  of  a  Kaffir  bed,  weighs  exacil 
two  pounds  and  one  ounce  so  that  the  pei-son  who  carries  it  is  incommotled  not  so  inuJ 
by  its  weight  as  by  its  bulk.  The  bulk  is,  however,  greatly  diminished  by  the  firmna 
with  which  it  is  rolled  up,  so  that  it  is  made  into  a  cylinder  only  three  or  four  inches  i 
diameter.  The  reader  may  remember  a  story  of  a  runaway  bride,  named  Uziiito  wk 
rather  astonished  a  Kaffir  chief  b^  pitching  her  bed  headlong  through  the  door  of  tU 
hut.  On  rofer-nce  to  the  illustration  on  page  229,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  readily  tlieb 
could  be  thrown  through  the  narrow  entrance,  and  how  sharp  a  blow  could  be  struck 
it  if  thrown  with  any  force. 

The  pillow  used  by  the  Kaffir  is  even  less  comfortable  than  his  bed,  inasninch  as  { 
consists  of  nothing  but  a  block  of  wood.     The  shape  and  dimensions  of  these  pillows  i 
extremely  variable,  but  the  most  common  shape  is  that  which  is  shown  in  fig^.  1  and  2  c 
page  227.     Both  drawings  were  made  from  specimens  now  before  me.    Tiieir  length  i 
fifteen  inches,  and  their  height  nearly  six,  and,  as  they  are  out  out  of  solid  blocks  of 
acacia  tree,  the  weight  is  considerable. 

Upon  the  pill'  t  No.  1  the  maker  has  bestowed  great  pains,  and  has  carved  the  eii, 
legs  in  a  very  elaborate  manner,  cutting  them  into  pyramidal  patterns,  and  charring  tk 
alternate  sides  of  each  little  pyramid,  so  as  to  produce  the  contrast  of  black  and  vUt] 
which  seems  to  be  the  Kaffir's  ideal  of  beauty  in  wood-carving. 

It  may  here  be  noticed  that  the  Kaffir  is  not  at  all  inventive  in  patterns,  and  tL 
a  curious  contrast  exists  between  his  architecture  and  his  designs.  The  former,  it  inn 
be  remarked,  is  all  built  upon  curved  lines,  while  in  the  latter  the  lines  are  nearly  straighl 
It  is  very  seldom  indeed  that  an  uncivilized  Kaffir  draws  a  pattern  which  is  not  hm 
upon  straight  lines,  and  even  in  those  instances  where  he  introduces  circular  patterns  tin 
circles  are  small.  t 

Comfortless  as  these  pillows  seem  to  us,  they  are  well  enough  suited  to  the  Kaffir,  i 
even  the  married  men,  whose  heads  are  closely  shaven,  and  who  have  not  even  the  pro 
tection  of  their  hair  against  the  hardness  of  the  wood,  are  far  better  pleased  with  thei 
pillow  than  they  would  be  with  the  softest  cushion  that  could  be  manufactured  out  i 
down  and  satin. 

Nor  is  this  taste  peculiar  to  the  Kaffir,  or  even  to  the  savage.    No  Englishman  win 
has  been  accustomed  to  a  hard  and  simple  mattress  would  feel  comfortable  if  obliged  \ 
sleep  in  a  feather  bed ;  and  many  travellers  who  have  been  long  accustomed  to  sleep  od 
the  ground  have  never  been  able  to  endure  a  bed  afterwards.     I  have  known  several  suclj 
travellers,  one  of  whom  not  only  extended  his  dislike  of  English  sleeping  accommoi 
tion  to  the  bed,  but  to  the  very  pillow,  for  which  article  he  always  substituted  a  block  o^ 
oak,  slightly  rounded  at  the  top. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  the  mode  in  which  a  Kaffir  reposes.  Tlnl 
individual  who  is  reclining  is  the  great  Kaffir  monarch,  Dingan,  and  the  readen 
observe  that  his  bed  is  a  mere  mat,  and  that  his  pillow  is  only  a  block  of  wood.  The  kt| 
which  is  here  represented  is  the  celebrated  one  which  he  built  at  his  garrison  tow 
Ukunginglove,  and  it  was  specially  noted  because  it  was  supported  by  twenty  pillatil 
The  fireplace  of  this  hut  was  remarkable  for  its  shape,  which,  instead  of  being  the  simpler 
circle  in  general  use  among  the  Kaffirs,  resembled  in  form  that  ornament  which  is  kDomij 
to  architects  by  the  name  of  quatrefoil. 

A  few  of  his  wives  are  seen  seated  round  the  apartment,  and,  as  Dingan  was  so  gieatj 
a  man,  they  were  not  permitted  to  stand  upright,  or  even  to  use  their  feet  in  any  way,  sol 
that  if  they  wished  to  move  from  one  part  of  the  hut  to  another,  they  were  obliged  tol 
shuffle  about  on  their  knees.    The  illustration  is  taken  from  a  sketch  by  Captain  Gardiner,! 


KAFFIR  MUSIC. 


229 


van  invited  by  PInjfftn  to  an  interview  in  the  house,  and  during  which  interview  he 

!h  r  ustoniHiied  lii^  ^uest  by  retirin;^  for  a  nhort  tiuw,  and  then  pruHontiiig  himself  with 

face  limbs,  and  body  entirely  covered  with  red  and  white  spots,  like  those  on  toy 

The  reader  can  form,  from  the  contemplation  of  this  drawing,  a  tolerablv  accurate  idea 
the  luxuries  afforded  by  the  wild,  savage  life  which  some  authors  are  so  fond  of 

sising. 


f 


1 


'I 


mi 


DINOAN  AT  HOMB. 


ito  music,  the  Kaffir  has  rather  curious  ideas  on  the  subject.    His  notion  of  melody  is 

ut  very  slight,  while  his  timing  is  perfection  itself.    The  songs  of  the  Kaffir  tribes  have 

dready  been  mentioned,  and  the  very  fact  that  several  hundred  men  will  sing  the  various 

»ar  songs  as  if  they  were  animated  with  a  single  spirit  shows  that  they  must  all  keep 

|ihe  most  exact  time. 

In  this  point  they  aid  themselves  by  the  violent  gestures  in  which  the)  indulge.    A 

affir  differs  from  an  European  vocalist  in  this  point,  namely,  that  he  always,  if  possible, 

kits  down  when  he  sings.     He  and  his  companions  will  squat  in  a  circle,  sometimes  three 

K  four  rows  deep,  and  will  shout  some  well-known  song  at  the  top  of  their  voices, 

paying  their  polished  bodies  backwards  and  forwards  as  if  they  were  one  man,  and 

piding  the  time  by  thumping  the  ground  with  their  knob-kerries,  and  bringing  their 

felbows  violently  against  their  ribs  so  as  to  expel  the  notes  from  their  lungs  with  double 

pphasis. 


230 


THE  EAFFIB. 


II ;" 


■  ■■  I 


Some  of  the  tunes  which  are  sung  by  the  Kaffirs  at  their  dances  are  here  given  t 
music  being  taken  from  the  Rev.  J.  Shooter's  work.  The  reader  will  at  once  seel 
boldly  the  time  is  marked  in  them,  and  how  well  they  are  adapted  for  their  pu 


Neither  are  they  entirely  destitute  of  tune,  the  last  especially  having  a  wild  and  qii„ 
sort  of  melody,  which  is  calculated  to  take  a  strong  hold  of  the  ear,  and  to  haunt  I 
memories  of  those  who  have  heard  it  sung  as  only  Kaffirs  can  sing  it.    Among  so 
the  Bosjesman  tribes  a  sort  of  harmony — or  rather  sustained  discord — is  employ 
will  be  seen  in  a  succeeding  page,  but  the  Zulus  seem  to  excel  in  unison  songs,  the  fon 
of  which  can  be  imagined  by  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  grand  old  hymns 
Gregorian  tunes  that  have  been  suffered  to  lie  so  long  in  obscurity. 

Of  course,  the  quality  of  a  Kaffir's  voice  is  not  that  which  would  please  an  Europ 
vocalist.    Like  all  uncultivated  songsters,  the  Kaffir  delights  in  strong  contrasts,  noil 
using  a  high  falsetto,  and  now  dropping  suddenly  into  a  gruff  bass.   It  is  a  very  remaikablJ 
fact  that  this  method  of  managing  the  voice  is  tolerably  universal  throughout  the  world; 
and  that  the  accomplished  vocalist  of  Kaffirland,  of  China,  of  Japan,  of  Persia,  and  o 
Arabia,  sings  with  exactly  that  falsetto  voice,  that  nasal  twang,  and  that  abrupt  transitioi 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  notes,  which  characterize  our  uneducated  singers  in  nuall 
districts.    Put  a  Wiltshire  labourer  and  a  Chinese  gentleman  into  different  rooms,  t 
the  doors  so  as  to  exclude  the  pronunciation  of  the  words,  ask  them  to  sing  one  of  theiil 
ordinary  songs,  and  the  hearer  will  scarcely  be  able  to  decide  which  room  holds  thsf 
English  and  which  the  Chinese  vocalist.     In  the  specimens  of  music  which  have  beesl 
given,  the  readeif  will  notice  in  several  places  the  sudden  rise  or  drop  of  a  whole  octavd 
and  also  the  curiously  jerking,  effect  of  many  passages,  both  eminently  characteristic  rf| 
music  as  performed  in  country  villages  where  modem  art  has  not  modified  the  voice. 

The  musical  instruments  of  the  Kaffir  are  very  few,  and  those  of  the  most  simple  I 
kind.  One  is  the  whistle,  which  has  already  been  described  and  figured  on  page  64,  andl 
which  is  often  diverted  from  its  normal  duty  as  a  mere  whistle,  to  become  a  musicall 
instrument,  which,  although  it  hab  no  range  of  notes,  can  at  all  events  make  itself  heaid I 
through  any  amount  of  vocal  accompaniment.  And,  as  a  Kaffir  thinks  that  a  song  is  no  I 
song  unless  it  is  to  be  sung  with  the  whole  power  of  the  lungs,  so  does  he  think  that  \k\ 
whistle  in  question  is  a  valuable  instrument  in  his  limited  orchestra. 

Thei-e  is,  however,  one  musical  instrument  which  is  singularly  soft  and  low  in  its  | 
tones,  and  yet  which  is  in  great  favour  with  the  Kaffir  musicians.  This  is  the  instru-i 
ment  which  is  sometimes  called  a  harp,  sometimes  a  guitar,  and  sometimes  a  fiddle, 
which  has  an  equal  right  to  either  title,  inasmuch  as  it  has  not  the  least  resemblance  to  I 
either  of  those  instruments.  For  the  sftke  of  brevity,  we  will  take  the  first  of  these] 
names,  and  call  it  a  harp. 


HARP. 


231 


At  first  sight,  the  spectator  would  probably  take  it  for  an  ordinary  bow,  to  which  a 
noid  had  been  tied  by  way  of  ornament,  and,  indeed,  I  have  known  the  instrument 
'  lie  thus  described  in  a  catalogue. 

Xhe  instrument  which  is  represented  in  the  illustration  is  taken  from  a  specimen 
fhich  was  brought  from  the  Natal  district  by  the  late  H.  Jackson,  Esq.,  to  whom  I  am 


»"1 


n 


i 


J- 

'■  !■ 

m 


HASP. 

for  so  many  of  the  weapons  and  implements  which  appear  in  this  work.    The 

iTabout  five  feet  in  length,  and  is  made  exactly  as  if  it  were  intended  to  be  used  for 
propelling  arrows.  The  true  Kaffir, 
Ihowever,  never  uses  the  bow  in 
Iwarfare,  or  even  in  hunting,  thinking 
jit  to  be  a  cowardly  sort  of  weapon, 
InnwoTthy  of  the  hand  of  a  warrior, 
janci  looking  upon  it  in  miich  the 
liaine  light  as  the  knights  of  old 
[looked  first  on  the  cross-bows,  and 
I  afterwards  on  fire-arms,  neither  of 
I  which  weapons  give  fair  play  for  a 
I  warrior's  skill  and  strength. 

The  cord  is  made  of  twisted  hair, 

land  is  much  longer  than  the  bow, 

80  that  it  can  be  tightly  or  loosely 

I  strung  according  to  the  tone  which 

1  dusky  musician  desires  to  pro- 
Iduce.  Near  one  end  of  the  bow  a 
round  hollow  gourd  is  firmly  lashed 
by  meaas  of  a  rather  complicated 
irraDgement  of  leathern  thongs. 
When  the  gourd  is,  in  its  place,  and 
the  string  is  tightened  to  its  proper 
I  tension,  the  instrument  is  complete. 

When  the  Kaffir  musician  desires 
I  to  use  it,  he  holds  it  as  represented 
I  in  the  illustration,  and  strikes  the 
cord  with  a  small  stick,  producing  a 
series  of  sounds  which  are  certainly 
rather  musical  than  otherwise,  but 
which  are  so  faint  as  to  be  scarcely 
audible  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
yards.  Although  the  sound  is  so 
feeble,  and  the  instrument  is  in- 
tended for  time  rather  than  tone,  the 
Kaffirs  are  veiy  fond  of  it,  and  will 
play  on  it  by  the  hour  together, 
their  enthusiasm  being  quite  unin- 
' "  "Me  to  an  European  ear. 


i 


P'///^?y55$r 


KAFFIR  MUSICIAN. 


f 

-•  r 

^f 

tf 

*^5l 


232 


THE  EAETIR 


Generally  the  performer  is  content  with  the  tones  which  he  obtains  by  strinoi  I 
the  bow  to  a  certain  note,  but  an  expert  player  is  not  content  with  such  an  arrange^'?! 
He  attaches  a  short  thong  to  the  string,  just  opposite  the  place  which  is  occupied  bv  til 
left  hand,  and  to  the  end  of  the  thong  he  fastens  a  ring.  The  forefinger  of  the  left  hand  i 
passed  tlu-ough  the  ring,  and  the  peiTormer  is  able  as  he  plays  to  vary  the  tone  by  alteriifl 
the  tension  of  the  string.  The  object  of  the  calabash  is  to  give  depth  and  resonance  to  th  I 
sound,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  a  similar  contrivance  is  in  use  in  many  parts  of  th  I 
world,  hollow  bamboo  tubes,  earthenware  drums,  and  brass  vessels  being  used  forth! I 
same  purpose.  " 

The  reader  may  perhaps  remember  that  in  the  middle  ages,  and  indeed  in  goig,! 
districts  up  to  a  comparatively  later  time,  a  single-stringed  fiddle  was  used  in  the  country 
tt  was  simply  a  bow,  with  a  blown  bladder  inserted  between  the  string  and  the  staff  and! 


WOMBN  XAKWO  FOTS. 


looked  veiy  much  like  the  Kaffir  instrument  with  the  gourd  turned  inside,  so  as  to 
allow  the  string  to  pass  over  it.  Instead  of  being  merely  struck  with  a  small  stick,  it 
was  played  with  a  rude  kind  of  bow ;  but,  even  in  the  hands  of  the  most  skilful 
performer,  its  tones  must  have  been  anything  but  melodious. 

The  Kaffir  harp  is  used  both  by  men  and  women.  There  is  also  a  kind  of  rude 
flageolet,  or  Hute,  made  of  a  reed,  which  is  used  by  the  Kaffirs.  This  instrument  is, 
however,  more  general  among  the  Bechuanas,  and  will  be  described  in  a  future  page. 

In  the  course  of  the  work,  mention  has  been  made  of  the  earthenware  pots  used  by  the 
Kaffirs.  These  vessels  aid  of  the  rudest  imaginable  description,  and  afford  a  curious 
contrast  to  the  delicate  and  elaborate  basket-work  which  has  been  already  mentioned. 


POT-MAKING. 


233 


„u  a  "KaBx  makes  his  baskets,  whether  be  be  employed  upon  a  small  milk-vessel  or 
yZgm  store-house,  he  invents  the  ndost  delicate  and  elaborate  patterns,  and,  out  of  the 
lainnlest  possible  materials,  produces  work  which  no  European  basket-maker  can  surpass, 
when  vessels  are  to  be  made  with  clay  the  inventive  powers  of  the  maker  seem  to 

a  and  the  pattern  is  as  inferior  as  the  material 

Perhaps  this  inferiority  may  be  the  result  of  the  fact  that  basket-making  belongs  to 

;  men,  who  are  accustomed  to  cut  patterns  of  various  kinds  upon  their  spoons  and 

mda,  whereas  the  art  of  pottery,  which  implies  really  hard  work,  such  as  digging  and 
Itoeading  clay,  is  handed  over  to  the  women,  who  are  accustomed  to  doing  drudgery. 
I  The  illustration  shows  a  number  of  women  engaged  in  making  earthen  pots. 
iThe  Kaffir  has  no  'knowledge  of  machinery,  and,  just  as  he  is  ignorant  of  the  rudest 
Iform  of  a  loom  for  weaving  thread  into  fabrics,  so  is  he  incapable  of  making  the  simplest 
Ibnd  of  a  wheel  by  which  he  may  aid  the  hand  in  the  shaping  of  pottery.  This  is 
Iperhaps  the  more  remarkable,  as  the  love  of  the  circular  form  is  so  strong  in  the  Kaffir 
Imind  that  we  might  naturally  imagine  him  to  invent  a  simple  kind  of  wheel  like  that 
Lhicb  is  employ^  by  the  peasants  of  India.  But,  as  may  be  conjectured  from  the 
lonly  attempts  at  machinery  which  a  Kaffir  makes,  namely,  a  bellows  whereby  he  saves 
Ibis  breath,  and  the  extremely  rude  mill  whereby  he  saves  his  teeth,  the  construction  of  a 
lievolviBg  wheel  is  far  beyond  him. 

In  Biaidog  their  pots  the  women  break  to  pieces  the  nests  of  the  white  ant,  and, 
„;erpoanding  the  material  to  a  fine  powder,  mix  it  with  water,  and- then  knead  it  until 
li^is  of  a  proper  consistency.  Th^  then  form  the  clay  into  rings,  and  build  up  the  pots 
Iby  degrees,  laying  one  ring  regularly  upon  another  imtil  the  requisite  shape  is  obtained. 
I  It  is  evident  therefore,  that  the  manufacture  of  a  tolerably  large  pot  is  a  process  which 
joccBpies  »  considerable  time,  because  it  has  to  be  built  up  very  slowly,  lest  it  should  sink 
lunder  its  own  wer'i'htv 

The  only  tocl  v  ?*1>  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  Kaffir  pottery  is  a  piece  of  wood, 
Ivith  which  the  «.  t  r  scrapes  the  clay  rings  as  she  applies  them,  so  as  to  give  a 
Itolerably  smooth  ;  if  ■■),  and  with  which  she  can  apply  little  pieces  of  clay  where  there 
lis  a  deficiency. 

The  mode  in  which  the  various  operations  are  conducted  can  be  seen  by  reference  to 
3  illustration.    The  yoimg  girl  who  is  coming  forward  is  bringing  newly-kneaded  clay 
|for  the  Bse  of  the  principal  operator. 

Tilt  idbapes  of  these  pots  and  pans  are  exceedingly  clumsy,  and  their  ungainly  look 
lis  inonied  by  the  frequency  with  which  they  become  lop-sided  in  consequence  of 
limpflrfiBiBt  diving.  Examples  of  these  articles  may  be  seen  in  several  parts  of  this  work. 
[At  the  fiuitner  end  of  the  illustration  on  page  66  may  be  seen  several  of  the  larger 
ts,  which  are  used  for  holding  grain  after  it  has  been  husked. 

The  operation  of  husking,  by  the  way,  is  rather  a  peculiar  one,  and  not  at  all  pleasant 
[for  the  spectators  who  care  for  their  eyes  or  faces.  The  dry  heads  of  maize  are  thrown  in 
upon  the  hard  and  polished  floor  of  the  hut,  and  a  number  of  Kaffirs  sit  in  a  circle 
Iround  the  heap,  each  being  furnished  with  the  ever-useful  knob-kerry.  One  of  them 
[strikes  up  a  song,  and  the  others  join  in  full  chorus,  beating  time  with  their  clubs  upon 
[the  heads  of  maize.  This  is  a  very  exciting  amusement  for  the  performers,  who  shout 
Ithe  noisy  chorus  at  the  highest  pitch  of  their  lungs,  and  beat  time  by  striking  their 
Iknob-kerries  upon  the  grain.  With  every  blow  of  the  heavy  club,  the  maize  grains  are 
Istruck  from  their  husks,  and  fly  about  the  hut  in  all  directions,  threatening  injury,  if  not 
I  absolute  destruction,  to  the  eyes  of  all  who  are  present  in  the  hut. 

Yet  the  threshers  appear  to  enjoy  an  immunity  which  seems  to  be  restricted  to  them- 

.  ("8  and  blacksmiths ;  and  while  a  stranger  is  anxiously  shading  his  eyes  from  the 
jsliower  of  hard  maize  grains,  the  threshers  themselves  do  not  give  a  thought  to  the 
jsafety  of  their  eyes,  but  sing  at  the  top  of  their  voice,  pound  away  at  the  com  cobs,  and 
luiake  the  grains  fly  in  all  directions,  as  if  the  chorus  of  the  song  were  the  chief  object 
I  in  life,  and  the  preservation  of  their  eyesight  were  unworthy  of  a  thought. 
I  After  the  maize  has  been  thus  separated  from  the  husk,  a  large  portion  is  hidden 
laway  in  the  subterranean  granaries,  which  have  already  been  mentioned,  while  a  con- 


I    *■  8- 

1 


m 


'M 


•V-       --=       tF-- 


;f   ' 


234 


THE  KAFFIR 


lite  :^- 


K 


siderable  quantity  is  placed  in  their  large  earthen  jars  for  home  consumption.   ThJ 
narrow-mouthed  vessels  in  this  illustration  are  not  jarsi  but  milk  baskets.    The  genenJ 
shape  of  those  which  are  used  for  cooking  is  seen  in  the  accompanying  illustration.   Ti, 
order  to  show  the  form  of  the  actual  cooking  vessel,  a  smaller  specimen  is  placed  in  thJ 
foreground.    In  boiling  meat,  two  pots  are  employed,  one  being  used  as  a  cover  invert 
over  the  other,  and  the  two  are  luted  tightly  together  so  as  to  preserve  the  flavour  ( 
the  meat    Except  for  the  three  purposes  of  preserving  grain,  cooking  food,  and  boilia 
beer,  the  Kaffir  seldom  uses  earthenware  vessels,  his  light  baskets  answering  ever 
purpose,  and  being  very  much  more  convenient  for  handling. 


WOMEN  QUARBELLmO. 

From  the  preceding  pages,  the  reader  may  form  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  haWts  a 
customs  of  the  tribes  which  inhabit  this  portion  of  the  world,  and  of  whom  one  race  I 
been  selected  as  the  typical  example     Of  the  many  other  tribes  but  slight  notice  will  be  I 
taken,*  and  only  the  most  salient  points  of  their  character  will  be  mentioned. 

On  the  whole  it  will  be  seen  that  the  life  of  a  South  African  savage  is  not  so  repnl- 
sive  as  is  often  thought  to  be  the  case,  and  that,  bating  a  few  particulars,  a  Kaffir  lives  I 
a  tolerably  happy  and  peaceful  lifa     He  is  of  course  called  upon  to  serve  in  the  army  for 
a  certain  time,  but  he  shares  this  liability  with  inhabitants  of  most  civilized  nations  of 
Europe,  and  when  he  returns  after  the  campaign  he  is  rewarded  for  good  conduct  byaj 
step  in  social  rank,  and  the  means  whereby  to  maintain  it. 

Domestic  life  has,  of  course,  its  drawbacks  among  savages  as  among  civilized  nations  I 
and  there  are,  perhaps,  times  when  the  gallant  soldier,  who  has  been  rewarded  with  avvife 
pr  two  for  his  courage  in  the  field,  wishes  himself  once  more  engaged  on  a  var  march. 
The  natural  consequence  of  the  low  esteem  in  which  the  women  are  viewed,  and  f 
state  of  slavery  iu  which  they  are  held,  is  that  they  are  apt  to  quarrel  fiercely  among  I 


THORNS. 


236 


ItheiDselYes,  and  to  vent  upon  each  other  any  feelings  of  irritation  that  they  are  forced  to 

ppiesfl  before  their  lords  and  masters. 

Even  among  ourselves  we  see  how  this  querulous  spirit  is  developed  in  propoiiion  to 
Ifint  of  cultivation,  and  how,  in  the  most  degraded  neighbourhoods,  a  quarrel  starts  up 
Itietveen  two  women  on  the  very  slightest  grounds,  and  spreads  in  all  directions  like  fire 
lio  tow.  So,  in  a  Kaffir  kraal,  a  couple  of  women  get  up  a  quarrel,  and  the  contagion 
l^ediately  spreads  around.  Every  woman  within  hearing  must  needs  take  part  in  the 
Iqoarrel,  just  like  dogs  when  they  near  their  companions  fighting,  and  the  scene  in  the 
Iknal  becomes,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  illustration,  more  lively  than  pleasant. 
I  Even  this  drawback  to  domestic  life  is  not  without  its  remedy,  which  generally  takes 
Idle  shape  of  a  stick,  so  that  the  men,  at  least,  pass  tolerably  tranquil  lives.  Their  chief 
Ichancteristics  are  the  absolute  power  of  their  king,  and  their  singular  subservience  to 
IsnpeTstition ;  but,  as  they  have  never  been  accustomed  to  consider  their  lives  or  their 
Invfierty  their  own,  they  are  quite  happy  under  conditions  which  would  maJce  an 
llngluhman  miserable. 

Ant  account  of  Southern  Africa  would  be  imperfiect  without  a  short  description  of 
IcDeoitvo  of  tho  conspicuous  trees,  especially  of  tne  thorns  which  render  the  "  bush"  so 


THORNS  OF  ACACIA. 

impervious  to  an  European,  but  which  have  no  effect  on  the  naked  and  well-oiled  skin  of 
a  Kaffir.  Fiequently  the  traveller  will  pursue  his  journey  for  many  days  together,  and 
will  see  scarcely  a  tree  that  does  not  possess  thorns  more  or  less  formidable.  These  thorns 
maybe  roughly  divided  into  two  groups,  narnely.'  the  straight  and  the  hooked ;  and  in  the 

I  accompanying  illustrations  examples  are  shown  of  both  kinds. 

The  straight  thorns  are  produced  by  trees  belonging  to  the  great  group  of  Acacias,  in 

I  which  Southern  Africa  is  peculiarly  rich.  They  are  too  numerous  to  be  separately  noticed, 
and  it  is  only  needful  to  say  that  the  two  chief  representatives  of  this  formidable  tree  are 
theKameel-dorn  {Acada  giraffce)  and  the  Karroo-dorn  {Acacia  Capends).  Tlie  former  tree 
las  sharp  brown  thorns,  very  thick  and  strong,  arid  is  remarkable  for  the  fact  that  its  pod 
does  not  open  like  that  of  most  trees  of  the  same  group.  It  is  called  by  the  Dutch 
colonists  the  Kameel-dorn,  because  the  giraffe,  or  kameel,  grazes  upon  its  delicate  leaves ; 
but  its  native  name  is  Mokdala,  and  by  that  title  it  is  known  throughout  the  greater  part 

I  of  Southern  Africa. 

The  wood  of  the  Kameel-dorh  varies  in  colour,  being  pale  red  towards  the  circum- 


.    'f 


•Ji  y-    k 


236 


THE  KAFFIR 


ference  of  the  trunk,  and  deepening  towards  the  centre  into  dark  reddish  brown, 
very  heart  of  the  tree,  which  is  extremely  heavy,  and  of  a  very  dark  colour,  is  used  in  tU 
manufacture  of  knob-kerries,  and  similar  articles,  the  chief  of  which  are  the  handles  of  thj 
feather-headed  sticks,  which  have  already  been  mentioned  in  the  chapter  upon  huntins 
The  tree  is  found  almost  exclusively  on  rich  sandy  plains  where  is  little  water. 

The  other  species,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  Karroo-dom,  or  White-tlioni  m 
generally  found  on  the  banks  of  rivers  or  water-courses,  and  is  therefore  a  most  valuablj 
tree  to  the  thirsty  traveller,  who  alwajrs  looks  out  for  the  Karroo-thorn  tree,  knowing  thJ 
it  is  generally  on  the  bank  of  some  stream,  or  that  by  digging  at  its  foot  he  may  finl 
water.  The  leaves  of  this  tree  are  extremely  plentiful ;  but  they  are  of  so  small  a  sizl 
that  the  tree  affords  but  very  little  shade,  and  the  effect  of  the  sunbeams  passing  throiuilil 
a  thick  clump  of  these  trees  is  most  singular.  ^  I 

Several  stems  generally  rise  from  the  same  root,  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  tbel 
older  trees  can  easily  be  known  by  the  dead  branches,  which  snap  across,  and  then  faul 
downward,  so  that  their  tips  rest  on  the  ground,  while  at  the  point  of  fracture  theya«| 
still  attached  to  the  tree.  Insects,  especially  the  wood-devouring  beetles,  are  supposed  tot 
be  the  cause  of  this  phenomenon,  as  the  dead  branches  are  always  found  to  be  perlbratedl 
with  their  burrows.  I 

Every  branch  and  twig  of  this  tree  is  covered  with  the  sharp  white  thorns,  wbichl 
grow  in  pairs,  and  vary  much  in  length,  averaging  generally  from  two  to  four  inches.! 
Those  which  are  represented  in  the  illustration  are  longer  and  larger  than  usual  The  I 
slender  pair  are  nearly  seven  inches  in  length,  and  are  as  sharp  as  needles.  The  stouterl 
pair  are  five  inches  in  length,  but  their  deficiency  in  length  is  more  than  compensated  byl 
their  great  thickness,  one  of  thetn  measuring  nearly  two  inches  in  circumferenca  Theyl 
are  white  in  colour,  and  are  hollow,  the  thickness  of  their  walls  scarcely  exceeding  thatofl 
a  quilL  [ 

They  are,  however,  exceedingly  strong,  and  are  most  formidable  impediments  to  anyl 
who  encounter  them.  There  is  a  story  of  a  lion,  which  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  believe  I 
until  I  had  seen  these  thorns,  but  which  now  seems  perfectly  credible.  The  lion  hadl 
sprung  at  his  prey,  but  had  slipped  in  his  spring,  and  fallen  into  a  thorn-bush,  vheiehel 
lay  impaled  among  the  sharp  spikes,  and  so  died  from  the  effects  of  his  many  wo 
If  the  bush  should  have  been  composed  of  such  thorns  as  those  which  have  been  I 
described,  it  would  have  been  a  much  more  wonderM  thing  for  him  to  have  escaped  than! 
to  have  perished.  I 

The  danger,  as  well  as  annoyance,  which  are  caused  by  these  thorns  may  be  imagined  I 
from  an  accident  which  befel  one  of  Le  Vaillant's  oxen.  The  animal  happened  to  be 
driven  against  an  acacia,  and  some  of  the  thorns  penetrated  its  breast,  of  course  breakinj; 
into  the  wound.  All  those  which  could  be  seen  were  extracted  with  pincers;  but  several 
of  them  had  broken  beneath  the  skin,  and  could  not  be  touched.  These  caused  so  violent  I 
an  inflammation  that,  after  waiting  for  twenty-four  hours  in  hopes  of  saving  its  life,  itw 
found  necessary  to  put  it  to  death. 

This  thorn  is  very  useful  for  various  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  its  bark  is  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  the  strings  with  which  the  natives  weave  their  mats  together,  and 
which  they  often  use  in  tying  together  the  flexible  sticks  which  form  the  frameworkof 
their  huts.  From  the  thorns  of  the  tree  the  young  maidens  form  various  ornaments,  and 
with  these  thorns  they  decorate  their  heads,  if  they  should  not  be  fortunate  enough  to 
procure  the  quills  of  the  porcupine  for  that  purpose.  Moreover,  the  dried  wood  makes  an 
excellent  fire,  burning  easily  and  rapidly,  and  throwing  out  a  brisk  and  glowing,  though 
rather  transient  heat. 

Several  of  the  acacias  are  useful  even  as  food-providers,  the  gum  which  exudes  from 
them  being  eaten  as  a  regular  article  of  diet.  The  reader  may  remember  that  the  poor 
Damara  woman,  who  was  left  to  die  in  the  wilderness,  was  supplied  with  giira  as  an 
article  of  food.  Several  of  the  trees  supply  the  gum  in  very  large  quantities.  Mr.  Burchell, 
the  well-known  traveller,  thinks  that  the  gum  which  exudes  from  these  trees  is  so  clear 
and  good  that  it  might  largely  take  the  place  of  the  gum-arabic  of  commerce,  and  form  as 


THE  THOENY  ACACIA. 


237 


^lar  article  of  merchandise  as  the  ivory,  hides,  and  feathers  which  form  the  staple  of 
i)Uth  African  trade. 
"  On  the  branches  of  these  acacias,  which  have  so  great  a  resemblance  to  the  true 
m  of  the  ancients,  or  the  tree  which  yields  the  gum-arabic,  as  to  have  been  once  cen- 
tred the  same  species,  I  frequently  saw  large  lumps  of  very  good  and  clear  gum. 
"  Wherever  they  had  been  wounded  by  the  hatchets  of  the  natives,  there  most  com- 
nonly  the  gum  exuded ;  and  by  some  similar  operations  it  is  probable  that  the  trees 
nieht,  without  destroying  them,  be  made  to  produce  annually  a  large  crop.    And  if  a 
jompntation  could  be  made  of  the  quantity  that  might  be  obtained  from  those  trees  only 
rhicb  line  the  banks  of  the  Gariep  and  its  branches,  amounting  to  a  line  of  wood 
Ifreckoning  both  sides)  of  more  than  two  thousand  miles,  one  would  feel  inclined  to  sup- 
Jiiose  that  it  might  be  worth  while  to  teach  and  encourage  the  natives  to  collect  it    This 
[^  certainly  would  be  ready  to  do,  if  they  heard  that  tobacco  could  always  be  obtained 
1  exchange. 
« But  if  to  the  acacias  of  the  river  arc  <\dded  the  myriads  which  crowd  almost  every 
liiver  in  extra-tropical  Southern  A*''"  \         en  between  the  Cape  ■""'  the  Gariep  only,  we 
lioayfeel  satisfied   that  there 
lire  trees  enough  to  supply  a 
quantity  of  this  drug  more 
[than  equal  to  the  whole  con- 
ion  of   Great    Britain. 
Ibf  the  productiveness  of  the 
xAeoM  Capensis,  as  compared 
Ivith  that  of  the  Acacia  vera, 
|l  Lave  no  information   that 
8  me  to  give  an  opinion 
Iktwith  respect  to  the  quality, 
1 1  think  we  may  venture  to 
Qounce  it  to  be  in  no  way 
I  Inferior." 

These  are  fair  representa- 
Itives  of  the  straight-thomed 
I  plant  of  Southern  Africa.  The 
[best  example  of   the   hook- 
Ithomed  vegetation    is    that 
which  is  described  by  Burchell 
as  the  Grapple-plant;  but  it 
is  better  known  by  the  expres- 
sive name  of  Hook-thorn.  The 

scientific  title  of  this  plant  is  Uhcaria  procumbens,  the  former  name  being  given  to  it  on 
account  of  the  hooks  with  which  it  is  armed,  and  the  latter  to  the  mode  in  which  it 
I  grows  along  the  ground. 

When  in  blossom,  this  is  a  singularly  beautiful  plant,  the  large  flowers  being  of  a  rich 

I  purple  hue,  and  producing  a  most  lovely  effect  as  they  spread  themselves  over  the  ground, 

or  hang  in  masses  from  the  trees  and  shrubs.    The  long,  trailing  branches  are  furnished 

throughout  their  length  with  sharp  barbed  thorns,  set  in  pairs.     Unpleasant  as  are  the 

branches,  they  become  worse  when  the  purple  petals  fall  and  the  seed-vessels  are 

I  developed.  Then  the  experienced  traveller  dreads  its  presence,  and,  if  he  can  do  so,  keeps 

clear  of  the  ground  which  is  tenanted  by  such  a  foe.    The  large  seed-vessels  are  covered 

with  a  multitude  of  sharp  and  very  strong  hooked  thorns,  the  form  of  which  can  be  seen 

I  by  reference  to  the  illustration. 

When  the  seed  is  ripe,  the  vessel  splits  along  the  middle,  and  the  two  sides  separate 
widely  from  each  other,  so  that  they  form  an  array  of  hooks  which  reminds  the  observer 
of  the  complicated  devices  used  by  anglers  in  pike-fishing.  The  illustration  represents  a 
still  closed  seed-vessel,  and,  formidable  as  it  looks,  its  powers  are  more  than  doubled  when 
It  is  open  and  dry,  each  half  being  covered  with  thorns  pointing  in  opposite  directions — 


OBAFFLE  PLANT. 


1. 


t  H 


A      ,,^' 


ft*!'- 


If'       '■ 


J/ 

:'■  IfH 


1/  ^t5 


li,.. 


238 


THE  KAFFIR 


thorns  as  sharp  as  needles,  and  nearly  as  strong  as  if  they  were  made  of  the  lan 
material. 

The  reader  may  easily  imadne  the  horrors  of  i  bush  which  is  beset  with  tM 
weapons.  No  one  who  wears  clothes  has  a  chance  of  escape  from  them.  If  only  gj 
hooked  thorn  catches  but  his  coat-sleeve,  he  is  a  prisoner  at  once.  The  first  movemen 
bends  the  long,  slender  branches,  and  hook  after  hook  fixes  its  point  upon  him.  Stm.! 
gUng  only  trebles  the  number  of  his  thomed  enemies,  and  the  only  mode  by  which! 
he  can  free  himself  is  to  "  wait-a-bit,"  cut  off  the  clinging  seed-vessels,  and,  wheil 
he  is  clear  of  the  bush,  remove  them  one  by  on&  This  terrible  plant  was  most  fatal  to| 
our  soldiers  in  the  last  Kaffir  wars,  the  unwieldy  accoutrements  and  loose  clothing  of  thil 
soldier  being  seized  by  the  thorns,  and  holding  the  unfortunate  man  fast,  while  the  naked! 
Kaffir  could  glide  among  the  thorns  unharmed,  and  delive:  his  assagai  with  impunity.    | 

If  the  reader  would  like  to  form  an  idea  of  the  power  of  these  thorns,  he  can  do  so  brj 
thrusting  his  arm  into  the  mividle  of  a  thick  rose-bush,  and  mentally  multiplying  thel 
number  of  thorns  by  a  hundred,  and  their  size  by  fifty.  In  shape  the  thoms  have  J 
singular  resemblance  to  the  fore-cUws  of  the  lion,  and  they  ceitainly,  though  inanimatej 
are  scarcely  less  efficacious.  I 

There  is  one  of  the  acacia  tribe  (Acacia  detinena)  which  is  nearly  as  bad  in  its  way  u| 
the  grapple-plant.  In  Burchell's  "  Travels  "  there  is  a  very  good  account  of  this  ahruU 
which  is  known  to  the  colonists  by  the  title  of  Vachi-een-hidgte,  or  Wait-a-bit  thorn.  "  Th»| 
largest  shrubs  were  about  five  feet  high — a  plant  quite  unknown  to  me,  but  well  known  I 
to  the  Klaarwater  people  . . .  and  is  the  same  thorny  bush  which  gave  us  so  much  annoy- [ 
ance  the  night  before,  where  it  was  above  seven  feet  high.  I 

"  I  was  preparing  to  cut  some  specimens  of  it,  which  the  Hottentots  observing,  warned  I 
me  to  be  very  careful  in  doing  so,  otherwise  I  should  be  certainly  caught  fast  in  itil 
branches.  In  consequence  of  this  advice,  I  proceeded  with  the  utmost  caution ;  but,  with  I 
all  my  care,  a  small  twig  got  hold  of  one  sleeve.  While  thinking  to  disengage  it  qnietljl 
with  the  other  hand,  both  arms  were  seized  by  these  rapacious  thorns;  and  the  morel 
I  tried  to  extricate  myself,  the  more  entangled  I  became ;  till  at  last  it  seized  my  hat  i 
and  convinced  me  that  there  was  no  possibility  for  me  to  free  myself  but  by  main  force,! 
and  at  the  expense  of  tearing  all  my  clothes.  i 

"  I  therefore  called  out  for  help,  and  two  of  my  men  came  and  released  me  by  cutting  I 
off  the  branches  by  which  I  was  held.    In  revenge  for  the  ill-treatment,  I  determined  to  I 
give  to  the  tree  a  name  which  should  serve  to  cautioi^  future  travellers  against  i 
themselves  to  venture  within  its  clutches."    The  monitory  name  to  which  allusion  \ 
been  made  is  that  of  detinens,  as  applied  to  that  particular  species  of  acacia. 

Besides  these  plants,  there  is  one  which  deserves  a  brief  mention,  on  account  of  it)  I 
remarkable  conformation.  This  is  the  Three-thorn,  a  species  of  Rhigozum,  which  is  very! 
common  in  parts  of  Southern  Africa.  It  is  a  low  shrub,  somewhere  about  three  or  four  | 
feet  in  height,  and  its  branches  divide  very  regidarly  into  threes,  giving  it  a  quaint  i 
altogether  singular  aspect. 

There  is  another  remarkable  species,  called  the  Haak-een-steek,  or  the  Hook-and-prick  I 
thorn.    In  this  species  the  thorns  are  very  curiously  arranged.    Firat  comes  a  sliort, 
hooked  thorn;  and  if  the  traveller  contrives  to  be  caught  by  this  hook,  and  tries  to  pull  I 
himself  away,  he  forces  down  upon  himself  a  pair  of  long,  straight  thorns,  two  inches  in| 
length,  and  as  sharp  as  needles. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  variety  of  thorns  which  beset  the  traveller  is  very  great  j 
indeed.    Dr.  Kirk  ingeniously  divides  them  into  three  classes,  namely,  those  which  I 
the  flesh,  those  which  tear  the  clothes,  and  those  which  tear  both — this  last  class  being  by  | 
far  the  largest. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  the  "Stink-wood"  has  occasionally  been  mentioned. I 
This  same  tree  with  the  unsavoury  name  seems  to  have  been  rath«  r  neglected,  if  we  may 
believe  the  account  written  by  Le  Vaillant  nearly  a  century  ago.     He  remarks  of  this 
tree,  that  it  grows  plentifully  in  several  parts  of  Southern  A'rica,  and  is  found  near! 
Algoa  Bay,  whence  it  is  transported  to  the  Cape,  and  there  Uf  jd  in  the  manufacture  of| 
furniture. 


Ill 


PARASITIC  TREES. 


289 


The  tree  is  A  ^fuj  elow-growin^  one,  and,  like  such  trees,  produces  wood  of  a  very 
ltd  texture.  When  freshly  out  it  is  pale,  but  after  the  lapse  of  time  it  gradutJIy 
^en>  iQ^  ^  ^^^  chestnut  varied  with  olack.  Like  the  hard  woods,  it  is  susceptible 
[  I  very  high  polish,  and  possesses  besides  the  invaluable  pronerty  of  being  free  from 
Lint  vhicn  seem  to  perceive  even  in  the  dried  wood  the  unpleasant  odour  which  dis- 

Jghes  it  when  green.  In  general  look  and  mode  of  growth  this  tree  much  resemblra 
f  oek  of  our  own  country. 

^en  a  traveller  first  enters  a  South  African  forest,  he  is  rather  surprised  by  two 
gtanoes ;  the  first  being  that  the  trees  do  not  surpass  in  size  those  which  grace  an 
English  copse,  and  that  in  many  cases  they  are  far  inferior  both  in  size  and 
Mtv.  Tho  next  point  that  strikes  his  attention  is,  the  vast  number  of  creepers  which 
niead  thoir  slender  branches  from  tree  to  tree,  and  which,  in  somo  instances,  envelop  the 
npporting  tree  so  completely  that  they  wholly  hide  it  from  view.  They  have  the  faculty 
'  roiining  up  the  trunks  of  trees,  pushing  their  branches  to  the  very  extremity  of  the 

aghs,  and  then  letting  drop  their  slender  filaments,  that  are  caught  by  lower  bougha 

dhang  in  festoons  from  them. 

At  first  the  filaments  are  scarcely  stronger  than  packthread,  but  by  degrees  they 
^me  thicker  and  thicker,  until  they  are  as  large  as  a  man's  arm.  These  creepera 
nultiply  in  Buch  profusion  that  they  become  in  many  places  the  chief  features  of  the 
«Deiy,  all  the  trees  being  bound  together  by  the  festoons  of  creepers  which  hang  from 

inch  to  branch. 

The  Dutch  settlers  call  them  by  the  name  of  Bavians-tow,  or  Baboon-ropes,  because 

)  baboons  and  monkeys  clamber  by  means  of  them  to  the  extremities  of  the  branches 
[rhete  the  fruit  grows.  The  scientific  name  for  the  plant  is  Cynanohum  obttutfolium, 
lieoiatives,  ever  watchful  for  their  own  interests,  make  great  use  of  these  creepers, 
ad  the  Kaffirs  use  them  largely  in  lashing  together  the  various  portioi  4'  their  huts. 
Ibe  fruit  of  the  Bavians-tow  is  only  found  at  the  extremity  of  the  branci.  js,  where  the 
roang  filaments  shoot  out  When  npe  it  is  something  like  a  cherry,  and  is  of  a  bright 
jrimsoD  colour.  It  goes  by  the  popular  name  of  "\nld  grape,"  and  is  much  liked  by 
Donkeys,  birds,  and  men.    From  the  fruit  a  kind  of  spirit  is  distilled,  and  a  very  good 

eserve  can  be  made  from  it. 

These  baboon-ropes  are  not  the  only  parasitic  growths  upon  trees.  In  many  parts 
(the  country  there  is  a  kind  of  long,  fibrous  moss  which  grows  upon  the  trees,  and  is 
[ten  in  such  profusion  that  it  completely  covers  them,  hiding  not  only  the  trunk  and 
knnches,  but  even  the  twigs  and  leafaga  This  mossy  growth  extends  to  a  considerable 
tength,  in  some  cases  attaining  as  much  as  ten  or  twelve  feet.  It  is  yellow  in  colour,  and 
ihen  short  is  very  soft  and  fine,  so  that  it  can  be  used  for  most  of  the  purposes  to  which 
lotton  or  tow  are  applied.  But,  when  it  reaches  the  length  of  six  or  seven  feet,  it  becomes 
uni  and  wiry,  and  is  comparatively  useless.  I  have  now  before  me  a  quantity  of  this 
ov-like  lichen,  which  had  been  used  in  packing  a  large  box  full  of  Kamr  weapons  and 
mpletnents.  There  is  a  tree  which  furnishes  a  very  useful  timber,  called  from  its  colour, 
["Geele-hout,"  a  yellow  wood.  This  tree  is  a  species  of  Texrta,  but  there  are  at  least  two 
pecies  which  produce  the  wood.  The  timber  is  much  used  for  beams,  planks,  and 
ailding  purposes  generally. 

Many  travellers  have  thought  that  these  and  several  other  trees  would  form  valuable 
liiticles  of  merchandise,  and  that  they  might  be  profitably  brought  over  to  Europe.  That 
they  afford  really  valuable  woods,  and  that  some  of  them  would  be  extremely  useful  in 
jlelicate  and  fancy  work,  is  indisputable.  The  only  difficulty  is,  that  to  cut  and  transport 
pern  at  present  involves  so  much  expense  that  the  arrangement  would  hardly  be 
'   profitable  for  the  investment  of  so  much  capital. 


1^ 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 


THE    HOTTENTOT    BACEa 


OOMnUSTRD    ftAOBS  — lIirrUAL    BBPCLnON    BSTirSBN    THB    KAVFIB    AMD    THS  HOTTBITOT. 
KATIVB    ALUSS  —  APFBABANOR   OP  THB   UOTTBNTOT   RACB  ;   THBIK  COM PLBXION  AND  VBAT 
— BBSKMBLANOB    TO    THB    CHINB8B  —  THB    SON  AND  ITS  SVPPOBBO  BPPBCT  ON  COLOUB~i 
HOTTBNTOT   IN   YOUTH  AND   AOB — BAPID     DBTBBIOBATION   OP  POBH  —  SINOtn^B  POBMATION  Oil 
HOTTBNTOT  WOMBN — POBTBAIT-TABINO  WITH  A  SBXTANT — OBOWTH  OP  THB  HAIB— OKNBBAL  CHA.| 
BAOTBR  OP  THB   H0TTBNT0T8 — DRB88   OP   THB   MBN — WOMBN'S  DBB88  AMD  0BNAHENT8— OSTUChI 
B0O-8HBLL8    V8BD   AS   AN  OBNAMENT  —  A    CCBIOrS    PRONTLBT — OBBASB,   8IBILO,    AND  BCCHr-l 

MATCBB  OP  THB    8IBIL0,   AND   THB    HODB   IN  WHICH   IT   IS   PBOOUBBD V8B   OP  THB  BCCBTJ~| 

IfODB  OP  PBEPABINO  SKINS — THB  TANNINQ-TAT  —  BOPB-MAKINO  —  BOWLS  AND  JABS  — Hmil 
BOPBS  AND  THRIB  MANUPACTVBB — THB  HOTTBNTOT  SPOON — A  NATIVB  PLY-TBAP — HAT-VAKn»| 
— HOTTBNTO'f  ABOHITBCTiniB  —  8DIPLB  ItODB  Of  ATOIDINO  VXBimf  —  MOIIAD  HABITS  OF  m| 
H0TTBNT0T8 — THB  DI0OINO-8TICK. 


Bbtore  proceeding  with  the  general  view  of  the  remaining  tribes  which  inhabit  Africa,! 
it  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  few  pages  to  the  remarkable  race  which  has  lived  for  sol 
long  in  close  contact  with  the  Kaffir  tribes,  and  which  presents  the  cunous  phenomenal 
of  a  pale  race  living  in  the  same  land  with  a  black  race,  and  yet  having  pre<>«rved  itij 
individuality.  | 

About  three  centuries  ago,  the  whole  of  Southern  Africa  was  inhabited  by  various  tribeil 
belonging  to  a  large  and  powerful  nation.  This  nation,  now  known  collectively  underl 
the  name  of  Hottentot,  was  at  that  time  the  owner  and  master  of  the  land,  of  which  it| 
had  held  possession  for  a  considerable  period.  Whether  or  not  the  Hottentots  were  the| 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Southern  Africa,  is  rather  doubtful ;  but  the  probability  is,  tha(| 
they  came  from  a  distant  source,  and  that  they  dispossessed  the  aborigines,  exac%| 
as  they  themselves  were  afterwards  ejected  by  the  Eafi&rs,  and  the  Kaffirs  supplanted  bjj 
the  Europeans. 

The  Hottentots  have  a  deadly  and  almost  instinctive  hatred  of  the  Kaffir  race.  He  I 
origin  of  this  feeling  is  evidently  attributable  to  the  successive  defeats  which  tlieyl 
suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  Kaffirs,  and  caused  them  to  become  merely  tolerated  | 
inhabitants  of  a  land  in  which  they  were  formerly  the  mastera  The  parents  b 
handed  down  this  antipathy  to  their  children,  and,  as  is  often  the  case,  it  seems  to  h. 
grown  stronger  in  each  generation,  so  that  the  semi-civilized  Hottentot  of  the  preseotj 
day,  though  speaking  our  European  language,  and  wearing  European  clothing,  hates  the  I 
Kaffirs  as  cordially  as  did  his  wild  ancestors,  and  cannot  even  mention  their  name  without | 
prefixing  some  opprobrious  epithet. 

In  consequence  of  this  feeling,  the  Hottentot  is  an  invaluable  cow-herd,  in  a  li 
where  Kaffirs  are  professional  cow-stealers.  He  seems  to  detect  the  presence  of  a  Kaffir  I 
almost  by  intuition,  and  even  on  a  dark  night,  when  the  dusky  body  of  the  robber  can! 
hardly  be  seen,  he  will  discover  the  thief,  work  his  stealthy  way  towards  him,  and  killl 
him  noiselessly  with  a  single  blow.  In  the  late  South  African  war,  the  Hottentotjj 
became  most  useful  allies.  They  were  docile,  easily  disciplined,  and  were  sinipl][| 
invaluable  in  bush-fighting,  where  the  English  soldier,  with  all  his  apparatus  of  belts  f 
accoutrements,  was  utterly  useless. 


APPEARANCE  OF  THE  HOTTENTOT  RACE. 


Stt 


^c-i 


It  is  nther  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  every  country  into  which  we  have  carried  our 
the  natives  have  become  our  best  allies  against  their  own  countrymen,  and  have 
,vfed  services  without  which  we  could  scarcely  have  kept  our  footing.  No  one  can 
'k  up  and  capture  the  Australian  native  rebel  so  effectually  as  a  native  policeman, 
native  African  assists  us  against  those  wno  at  all  eveucs  inhabit  the  same  land, 
lueh  they  may  not  happen  to  belong  to  the  same  race.  The  natives  of  China  gave  us 
at  assistance  in  the  late  Chinese  war,  and  the  services  which  were  rendered  to  us  by 
ire  forces  during  the  great  Indian  mutiny  can  hardly  be  overrated. 
However  much  the  Hottentot  may  dislike  the  Kaffir,  the  feeling  of  antagonism  is 
liprocal,  and  the  vindictive  hatred  borne  by  the  defeated  race  towards  their  conquerors 
scarcely  less  intense  than  the  contemptuous  repugnance  felt  by  the  victors  towards 
vanquished. 

Neither  in  colour  nor  general  aspect  do  tho  Hottentots  resemble  the  dark  races  around 

JUL  Their  complexion  is  sallow,  and  much  like  that  of  a  veiy  dark  person  sufiTering 

jm  jaundice.    Indeed,  the  com- 

lexion  of  the  Hottentots  much 

lemblesthatof  the  Chinese,  and 

general  similitude   between 

.etwo  nations  is  very  remarkable. 

geofmy  friends  who  lived  long 

Isouth  Africa,  had  a  driver  who 

Hike  a  Hottentot,  and  who, 

fall  appearance,  was  a  Hottentot 

ne  day,  however,  he  astonished 

lis  master  by  declaring  himself  a 

binese,  and  proving  the  assertion 

r  removing  his  hat,  and  showing 

g  long  pig-tail  twisted  round  his 

ad.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  Chinese 

olie,  who  had  been  imported 

Southern  Africa,    and  who, 

a  the  fashion  of  his  people, 

I  accommodated  himself  to  the 

anners  and  customs  of  those 

nongwhom  he  lived.  Mr.MoiTutt, 

missionary  author,  mentions 

lat  he  saw  two  Chinese  children, 

iiom  he  would  have  taken  for 

lottentots  had  he  not  been  in- 

ffmed  of  their  true  character. 

The  existence'  of  this  light- 

[iloured  race  in  such  a  locality 

a  good  proof  that  com- 

lexion  is  not  entirely  caused  by 

h  sua    There  is  a  very  popular 

m  that  the  hot  sun  of  tropical 

Wntries    produces    the    black 

jolour  of  the   negro  and  other 

I  and  that  a  low  temperature 

Peaches  the  skin.    Yet  we  have 

1  Hottentots  and  their  kindred 

i)e8  exhibiting  pale  skins  in  a 

[ountry  close  to  the  tropics,  while 

e  Esquimaux,  who  live  amid  eternal  ice,  are  often  so  dark  that  they  might  almost 
>  mistaken  for  negroes,  but  for  the  conibrmatiou  of  their  fiaces  and  the  length  of 
leir  hair. 
VOL  I.  ,  B 


Lyy^Z 


HOTTENTOT  TOUNO  MAN. 


242 


THE  nOTTENTOT. 


r'' 

■'-'"', 

> 

'^&^z..:  :; 

-    .,,__.., ^ 

~  \ 

'^^-JrJ-ri     ---.r. 

.'"■'   '-Sdr 

^ 

"-'^i^HBl 

^ 

V 

-s:               '   j^^Uj^H 

HBt^'rT- 

■  V^,  -,  -.1=^:   - 

^^^^B^^^H 

^B^L~-''. 

-;    _     /^_,-J.,---^l>^7-,;  '                 -; 

~-  •— 'j^SB^^^^^B 

^^^~' 

■1 

ttiiH 

The  shape  of  the  Hottentot  face  is  very  peculiar,  as  may' be  seen  by  reference  to  u 
engravings  which  illustrate  scenes  in  Ifoctentot  life.    The  cheek-bones  project  shatoll 
from  the  face,  and  the  long  uhin  is  narrow  and  pointed.    These  characteriHtica  are  not  J 
visible  in  youth,  but  seom  to  grow  stronger  with  age.     Indeed,  an  old  Hottentot,  wliethi 
man  or  woman,  seems  to  have  scarcely  any  real  face,  but  to  be  furnished  with  a  juei 
skin  drown  tightly  over  the  skull. 

What  were  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Hottentots  before  they  were  dist 

by  the  Kaffirs,  or  deteriomtod  by  contact  wit'.i  bad  specimens  of  European  civUization  i 
extremely  difficult  to  say,  as  no  trustworthy  historian  of  their  domestic  economy  hu  liJ 

among  them.  Kolben,  whose  bw 
of  travels  has  long  been  acceptt 
as  giving  a  true  account  of  thi 
Hottentot,  is  now  known  to  \ 
utterly  unworthy  of  belief,  injt 
much  as  his  information  is  seconj 
hand,  and  those  from  whom 
ol)»ained  it  have  evidently  amu. 
themselves  by  imposing  upon  1 
incredulity. 

As  this  work  treats  only  i 
the  hormal  habits  and  customs  o 
the  various  parts  of  the  world,  anl 
has  nothing  to  do  with  the  modi 
ficationsofcivilization,theaccou 
of  the  Hottentot  will  be  ne 
sarily  brief. 

In  shape  the  Hottentots  alt« 
strangely  according  to  tlieiraj;^ 
"When  children,  they  are  not  at  a 
agreeable  objects — at  least,  to  i 
unaccustomed  eye,  being  thin  iJ 
the  limbs,  with  an  oddly  projectinj 
stomach,  and  a  correspoiidinj;  faU 
in  the  back.     If  toleralily  \vtl| 
fed,  they  lose  this  strange  sli 
when  they  approach  tlie  peria 
of  youth,  and  as  young  men  asJ 
girls  are  almost  models  of  peij 
fection    in    form,    though  tlieij 
faces  are  not  entitled  to  as  mud 
praise. 

But  they  do  not  retain  ^ 
beauty  of  form  for  any  long  peaoi' 

some  few  years  generally  compw 

C/^ft.  ^ — 7   ^^^j^^^^^^s^^JSgtir,  ^  bending  its  beginning  anditsendJ 

^^  ^==-ae=      |i*Mi    '9«««%  „  jj^  gyg  jjj.  g^jj  yga^  after  theij 

HOTTENTOT  WOMAN.  arrival    at    womanhood,"  i»rit< 

Burchell,  "  the  fresh  plumpnesso 
youth  has  already  given  way  t 
the  wrinkles  of  age ;  and,  unless  we  viewed  them  with  the  eye  of  commiseration  anl 
philanthropy,  we  should  be  inclined  to  pronounce  them  the  most  disgusting  of  huniffl 
beings."  Their  early,  and,  it  may  be  said,  premalure  symptoms  of  age,  may  perhaps,  vritl 
much  probability,  be  ascribed  to  a  hard  life,  an  uncertain  and  irregular  supply;  of  fooo 
exposure  to  every  inclemency  of  weather,  and  a  want  of  cleanliness,  which  increase 
with  years.  These,  rather  than  the  nature  of  the  climate,  are  the  causes  of  this  quid 
fading  and  decay  of  the  bloom  and  grace  of  youth. 


SCIENTIFIC  PORTRAITURE. 


243 


The  appearance  of  an  ordinary  Hottentot  woman  can  been  seen  by  reference  to  the  accom- 
Djing  illustration,  taken  from  a  sketch  by  the  uutlior  wIioho  words  liuve  just  been 
oted.  The  subject  of  the  druwinp  looks  as  if  she  w«iio  sixty  years  old  at  the  very 
lit,  thou(;h,  on  account  of  the  early  deterioration  of  torni,  hIiu  luiglit  be  any  ase  from 
lenty-seven  upwcrds.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  tliat  so  short  a  pttriod  would 
ingethe  graceful  form  of  the  Hottentot  girl,  as  shown  on  page  246,  with  the  withered 
Jwrinkl^  hag  who  is  here  depicted,  but  such  is  really  the  case,  and  the  strangest  part 
I,  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  tell  whether  a  woman  be  thirty  or  sixty  years  of  age  by 
I  looks  alone. 

Not  the  least  remarkable  point  in  the  Hottentot  women  is  the  singular  modification  of 

s  to  which  they  are  often,  though  not  universally,  subject — a  development  of  which 

celebrated  "  Hottentot  Venus  '  affbrut-d  an  excellent  example.    A  very  amusing 

icription  of  one  of  these  women  is  given  by  Mr.  (jalton,  iu  his  well-known  work  on 

uAera  Africa : — 

"  Mr.  Hahn's  household  was  large.  There  was  an  interpreter  and  a  sub-interpreter,  and 

1  others,  but  all  most  excellently  well  behaved,  and  showing  to  great  advanta<,'e  t!  o 

ifluence  of  their  master.    These  servants  were  chiefly  Hottentots,  who  had  migrated  with 

[r.Habn  from  Hottentot-land,  and,  like  him,  had  picked  up  the  lang«i  ge  of  the  Damaro  :. 

"The  sub-interpreter  was  married  to  a  charming  person,  not  only  a  Hotten'  t  in 

e,  but  in  that  respect  a  Venus  among  Hottentots.    I  was  perfectly  aghast  tn  her 

brelopment,  and  made  inquiries  upon  that  delicate  point  as  far  as  I  dar^ri  amoug  my 

isionary  friends.    The  result  is,  that  I  believp  Mrs.  Petrus  to  be  thb  lady  w<  )  ranks 

Kond  among  all  the  Hottentots  for  the  beautiful  outline  that  her  back  affords,  Jonker's 

rife  ranking  as  the  first*  the  latter,  however,  was  slightly  pasa^e,  while  Mrs.  Petrus  Vdi 

iMtmhonpoint. 

"I  profess  to  be  a  scientific  man,  and  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  obta?'.i  <v curate 

isurement  of  her  shape ;  but  there  was  a  difficulty  in  doing  this.    I  did  tot  Know  a 

1  of  Hottentot,  and  cot^ld  never,  therefore,  explain  to  the  lady  what  the  object  of  my 

ot-nile  could  be ;  and  I  really  dared  not  ask  my  worthy  missionary  host  to  interpret  for 

w.  I  therefore  felt  in  a  dilemma  as  I  gazed  at  her  form,  that  gift  of  bounteous  nature  to 

favoured  race,  which  no  mantua-maker,  with  all  her  crinoline  and  stiifiing,  can  do 

lierwise  than  humbly  imitate. 

'  The  object  of  my  admiration  stood  under  a  tree,  and  was  turning  herself  ubout  to  all 

nints  of  the  compos,  as  ladies  who  wish  to  be  admired  usually  do.    Of  a  sudden  my  eye 

ell  upon  my  sextant;  the  bright  thought  struck  me,  and  I  took  a  series  of  observations 

■pon  her  figure  in  every  direction,  up  and  down,  croSsways,  diagonally,  and  so  forth,  and  I 

^tered  them  carefully  upon  an  outline  drawing  for  f'e^r  of  any  mistake.    This  being 

lone,  I  boldly  pulled  out  my  measuring  tape,  and  measured  the  distance  from  where  I  was 

)  the  place  she  stood,  and,  having  thus  obtained  both  base  and  "-igles,  I  worked  out  the 

suit  by  trigonometry  and  logarithms." 

This  remarkable  protuberance,  which  shakes  like  jelly  at  evciy  movement  of  the 

dy,  is  not  soft  as  might  be  imagined,  but  firm  and  hard.    Mr.  Christie,  who  is  rather 

jiiove  the  middle  size,  tells  us  that  he  has  sometimes  stood  upon  it  without  being  sup- 

erted  by  any  other  part  of  the  person.     The  scientific  name  ior  this  curious  development 

iSteatopyga.    It  does  i^ot  cause  the  least  inconveni-r  e,  and  the  women  find  it  rather 

menient  as  affording  a  support  whenever  they  wish  to  carry  an  infant. 

Another  peculiarity  in  this  curious  race  is  the  manner  in  which  the  hair  grows  on  the 
p»i  Like  that  of  the  negroes  it  is  short,  orisp,  and  woolly,  but  it  possesses  the  pecu- 
^ty  of  not  covering  the  entire  head,  but  growing  in  little  patches,  each  about  as  large 
88  pea.  These  patches  are  quite  distinct,  and  in  many  instances  are  scattered  so  sparingly 
TCr  the  head,  that  the  skin  can  be  plainly  seen  between  them.  Perhaps  this  odd  growth 
I  the  hair  affords  a  reason  for  the  universal  custom  of  wearing  a  cap,  and  of  covering  the 
Jiead  thickly  with  grease  and  mineral  powder.  The  original  maimers  and  customs  of 
he  Hottentots  have  entirely  vanished,  and,  unlike  the  fiercer  and  nobler  Kaffir  tribes, 
hey  have  merged  their  own  individuality  in  that  of  the  white  settlers.  They  always 
"  in  European  apparel,  but  it  has  been  noticed  by  those  who  have  lived  in  the 

k2 


^'1 


i 


I  •• 


U' 


■SAsJ 


244 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


country,  that  the  Hottentot,  though  fully  clothed,  is  far  less  modest  in  appearance  tlan 
the  Kaffir,  who  wears  scarcely  any  clothing  at  all.  In  this  point  seems  to  be  one  of  the 
great  distinctions  between  the  Hottentot  and  other  races.  It  is  quite  true  that  Le 
Vaillant  and  travellers  antecedent  to  him  have  written  of  the  Hottentots  in  the  most 
glowing  terms,  attributing  to  them  almost  every  virtue  that  uncivilized  man  is  hkely  to 
possess,  and  praising  them  for  the  absence  of  many  vices  that  disgrace  civilized 
humanity. 

Now,  the  fact  is,  that  Le  Vaillant  was  evidently  a  man  of  exceptional  abilities  in  the 
management  of  inferiors,  and  that  he  possessed  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  character  that 
is  very  seldom  to  be  found.    Consequently,  the  men  who  were  submissive,  docile,  and 

affectionate  under  his  firm'  yet 
determined  sway,  might  have' been 
captious,  idle,  and  insubordinate 
under  a  less  judicious  leader.  !niey 
looked  upon  him  as  a  being  in- 
finitely  superior  to  themselves,  un- 
touched by  the  impulsive  and 
unreasoning  motives  by  which 
these  children  of  nature  are  led, 
and  in  consequence  yielded  to  the 
subtle  and  all-poweiful  influence 
which  a  higher  nature  exercises 
over  a  lower. 

The  Hottentots  with  whom 
our  author  came  in  contact  were 
free  from  the  many  vices  which 
degrade  the  Hottentot  of  the 
present  day,  but  it  is  clear  that 
they  were  innocent  simply  because 
they  were  ignorant.  Those  of  the 
present  time  have  lost  all  their 
ancient*  simplicity,  and  have  con- 
trived to  imbue  themselves  with 
the  vices  in  which  the  advent  of 
the  white  men  enabled  them  to 
indulge,  without  at  the  same  time 
improving  their  intellectual  or 
social  condition. 

We  will  now  endeavour  to  see 
the  Hottentot  as  he  used  to  he 
before  he  was  conquered  by  the 
Kaffirs,  and  reduced  to  servitude 
by  the  European  colonists. 

The  general  appearance  of  the 
Hottentot  may  be  seen  by  refer- 
ence to  the  illustration,  which  re- 
presents a  young  man  named 
Klaas,  who  was  the  favourite  at- 
tendant of  Le  Vaillant,  and  of  I 
whom  the  traveller  speaks  in  the  highest  terms.  He  has,  therefore,  been  selected  as  a 
favourable  specimen  of  his  nation.  The  reader  will  understand  that  in  the  following 
account  of  the  Hottentot  tribes,  they  are  described  as  they  used  to  be,  and  not  as  they 
are  at  the  present  day. 

The  ordinary  dress  of  a  Hottentot  man  can  be  tolerably  imagined  from  the  portrait 
of  Klaas.     Over  his  shoulder  is  thrown  a  large  mantle,  or  kaross,  made  of  cow-hide  | 
tanned  and  softened,  and  worn  with  the  fur  inwards.     This  mantle  is  most  in  fashion 


.==^//^^-^, 


HOTTENTOT  IN  FULL  DRESa 


DRESS  AND  ORNAMENT. 


246 


1  ^hen  engaged  in  his  ordinary  occupations  the  Hottentot  throws  it  off,  so  as  to  be 
unencumbered. 

Around  his  waist  are  a  number  of  leathern  thongs,  mingled  with  strings  of  beads  and 
other  ornaments,  and  to  one  of  these  thongs  are  fastened  two  aprons,  one  in  front  and  the 
other  behind.  That  one  in  front  is  called  the  "  jackal,"  because  it  is  generally  made  of  a  piece 
of  iackal  skin  or  similar  fur.  The  second  apron,  if  it  may  be  so  named,  is  not  universally 
tfom  though  a  Hottentot  of  taste  does  not  consider  himself  dressed  without  it.  It  is 
simply  a  triangular  flap  of  leather,  barely  a  foot  in  length,  two  inches  in  width  at  the  top, 
where  it  joins  the  girdle,  and  widening  to  four  inches  at  the  bottom.  This  curious 
anpendage  is  ornamented  with  bits  of  metal,  steel,  beads,  and  other  decorations,  and  the 
owner  seems  to  take  a  great  pride  in  this  odd  article  of  dress.  Of  course  it  is  not  of  the 
least  use,  and  may  be  compared  to  the  tails  of  a  modern  dress-coat,  or  the  bag  attached  to 
the  collar  of  ^  court  suit. 

Some  fam.  ies  among  the  Hottentots  vaiy  the  shape  of  the  "  staart-rheim,"  as  the 
Dutch  colonists  call  it,  and  make  it  of  different  forms.  Some  have  it  square,  and  others 
ciicular  or  oblong,  while  some,  who  are  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  ingenuity,  make 
it  into  the  form  of  a  cresent  or  a  cross.  This  article  of  dress  still  survives  among  some  of 
the  AMcan  tribes,  as  will  be  seen  on  a  future  page. 


^h 


9*  '^ 


SANDALa 

Round  the  ankles  are  fastened  thongs  of  hide.  These  articles  gave  rise  to  the  ahsurd 
Btatement  that  Hottentots  wore  the  intestines  of  animals  until  they  became  softened  by 
putridity,  and  then  ate  them,  carefully  keeping  up  the  supply  by  adding  fresh  thongs  in 
the  place  of  those  which  were  eaten.  The  real  fact  is,  that  these  leathern  bands  act  as  a 
defence  against  the  thorns  among  which  the  Hottentots  have  to  walk,  and  for  that  purpose 
they  are  used  by  both  sexes. 

It  is  true  that,  in  some  cases,  the  wearers  have  been  reduced  to  such  a  state  of  starva- 
tion that  they  have  been  obliged  to  eat  the  hide  circlets  from  their  limbs,  and  eat  them 
with  the  aid  of  what  rude  cooking  could  bo  extemporised.  But  it  will  be  remarked  that 
the  Kaffir  soldiers  have  been  reduced  to  eat  their  shields  and  the  leathern  thongs  which 
bound  the  assagai-heads  to  the  shaft,  and  no  one  would  therefrom  infer  that  the  Kafiira 
made  their  shields  an  ordinary  article  of  diet. 

The  feet  are  protected  from  sharp  stones  and  thorns  by  a  simple  kind  of  shoe,  or  sandal, 
which  is  little  more  than  a  piece  of  stout  leather,  rather  larger  than  the  sole  of  the 
foot,  and  tied  on  by  thongs.  This  sandal,  however,  is  not  worn  when  the  Hottentot  is 
engaged  in  his  ordinary  vocations,  and  is  only  employed  when  he  is  on  a  journey,  and  the 


n 

1 

I  '• 


^  ,N 


"4'. 


*ii 


>'^ 


la'. 


i 


246 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


ground  which  he  has  to  traverse  is  exceptionally  rough  and  thorny.    These  sandals  a 
in  use  throughout  a  large  portion  of  Southern  Africa,  and  the  best  are  made  bv  tl^  i 
Bachapins,  a  sub-tribe  of  the  Bechuanas.  ^  '* ' 

The  dress  of  the  women  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  the  men,  although  it  is  m  i 
complicated,  and  there  is  more  of  it.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Kaffir,  the  children  of  botl 
sexes  wear  no  clothing  at  all  until  they  are  eight  or  nine  years  old,  and  then  the  oi  ] 
assume  the  little  leathern  apron  called  the  "  makk&bi."    This  portion  of  dress  is  soin 

what  similar  to  that   which  t 
worn  by  the  Kaffir  girls,  and  i,  i 
simply  a  flat  piece  of  leather  cut 
into  thin  strips. 

The  thongs  aregeneraJlyloDMr 
than  those  worn  by  the  Kaffir,  and 
sometimes  reach  nearly  to  the 
knea  Over  this  is  sometimes 
but  not  universally,  worn  a  seconi 
apron  of  skin,  ornamented  with  i 
beads,  bits  of  shining  metal,  and ' 
similar  decorations.  The  beads  are 
arranged  in  patterns,  an  idea  of  | 
which  can  be  gained  from  the 
accompanying  illustration,  \\hich 
represents  a  Gonaqua  Hottentot 
girl,  about  sixteen  years  of  age, 
This  girl  was  a  special  favourite 
of  Le  Vaillant's,  and  certainly  seems 
from  his  account  to  have  been  a 
singularly  favourable  instance  of 
unsophisticated  human  nature. 
The  attitude  in  which  she  is  de- 
picted is  a  very  characteristic  ore, 
being  that  which  the  Hottentot 
girls  are  in  the  habit  of  assuming. 
It  is  remarkable,  by  the  way, 
that  the  pleasing  liveliness  for 
.  which  the  Hottentot  youth  are 
notable  departs  toj^ether  with 
youth,  the  demeanour  of  the  men 
and  women  being  sedate  andalmost 
gloomy. 

Around  the  loins  is  fastened  a 
much  lary(;r  apron  witho*  any 
decoration.  This  is  of  variable 
size  and  shape,  but  the  usual  form 
is  that  which  is  shown  in  the 
illustration.  Its  name  is  "musesi," 
and,  like  the  "  staart/-rheim  "  of  the  men,  is  not  thought  to  be  a  necessary  article  of 
clothing,  being  put  on  more  for  ceremony  than  for  use.  This  apron  is  also  variable  in 
size,  sometimes  being  so  long  as  nearly  to  touch  the  ground,  and  sometimes  barely  reach- 
ing to  the  knee.  The  Dutch  settlers  call  these  aprons  the  "  Ibre-kaross,"  and  "hind-kaross," 
words  which  sufficiently  explain  themselves. 

The  bather  thongs  which  encircle  the  leg  are  mostly  ornamented  with  wire  twisted 
round  them,  and  sometimes  a  woman  will  wear  on  her  legs  one  or  two  rinjis  entirely 
composed  of  wire.  Sometimes  there  are  so  many  of  these  rings  that  the  leg  is  covered 
with  them  as  high  as  the  knee,  while  in  a  few  instances,  four  or  five  rings  are  even  worn 
above  the  knee,  and  must  be  extremely  inconvenient  to  the  wearer.    Heads  of  various 


t//j£^  n^^^ii^"^  -"^^"i;^^^^^ 


HOTTENTOT  GIRU 


DRESS  Am)  OENAMENT. 


247 


olonn  aw  also  worn  profiisely,  sometimes  strung  together  on  wire  and  hung  round  the 

gjlf  waist,  wrists,  and  ankles,  and  sometimes  sewn  upon  different  articles  of  apparel. 

'  Before  beads  were  introduced  from  Europe,  the  natives  had  a  very  iugenious  metliod 

f  making  ornaments,  and  even  after  the  introduction  of  beads,  the  native  ornament  was 

uch  prized.    It  was  made  by  laboriously  cutting  ostrich-shells  into  thin  circular  discs, 

rving  in  si?^  from  the  sixth  of  an  inch  to  nearly  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  pierced 

joh  the  middle.     Many  hundreds  of  these  discs  are  closely  strung  together,  so  as  to 

form  a  sort  of  circular  rope,  white  as  if  made  of  ivory.     Sometimes  this  rope  is  long 

lOugh  to  pass  several  times  round  the  body,  against  which  the  shining  white  discs 

■produced  a  very  good  effect. 

T  Burchell  mentions  a  curious  kind  of  ornament  which  was  worn  by  a  young  Hottentot 

Lj  and  which  seemed  to  be  greatly  prized  by  her.    It  consisted  of  three  pieces  of  ivory 

jbottt  the  size  and  shape  of  sparrow's  eggs,  each  tied  to  the  end  of  a  thong,  and  so 


<  ;i 


M 


FRONTLKT. 


arranged  that  one  of  them  hung  over  the  nose  and  another  on  each  cheek.  As  she  moved 
her  head  in  conversation  these  ivory  beds  swung  about  from  side  to  side,  and  in  her 
estimation  produced  a  very  telling  effect.  I  have  in  my  collection  a  good  specimen  of  a 
similar  frontlet,  which  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration. 

It  consists  of  a  leathern  thong  three  feet  in  length,  at  each  end  of  which  is  a  cowrie 
shell.  One  foot  in  length  of  its  centre  is  composed  of  a  double  row  of  the  ostrich  egg- 
rope  which  has  just  been  described,  so  that,  when  the  frontlet  is  tied  on  the  head,  the 
white  egg-shell  ropes  cross  the  forehead.  From  the  exact  centre  fall  six  short  thongs,  at 
the  end  of  each  of  which  is  an  ornament  of  pearly-shell  or  toitoise-shell.  Four  of  these 
thongs  are  covered  with  native  beads,  made  from  the  bone  of  the  ostrich,  and  are  further 
ornamented  with  a  large  scarlet  seed  in  the  middle.  At  each  end  of  the  egg-shell  rope 
are  two  shell-clad  thongs,  exactly  like  those  which  have  been  described,  and  when  the 
frontlet  is  in  its  place,  these  ornaments  hang  upon  each  cheek.  The  illustration  shows  the 
frontlet  as  it  appears  when  bound  upon  the  head  of  a  Hottentot  belle.  Tliis  excellent 
specimen  was  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  E.  Wilkinson. 


^-  -, 


*:  \ 


248 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


I: '  ■ 


The  dress  of  the  married  woman  is,  of  course,  more  elahorate  than  that  of  the  yon  J 
girl.    Although  they  sometimes  appear  with  a  very  slight  costume,  they  usually  p^fertS 
Be  tolerably  well  clad.    With  married  women  both  the  aprons  are  larger  than  vith  M 
gills,  and  they  wear  besides  a  shorter  apron  over  the  breast    Their  kaross,  too,  is 
comparatively  large  siza 

The  Hottentot  females  always  wear  a  cap  of  some  kind,  the  usual  material  beinJ 
leather,  which  is  dressed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  skin  of  which  the  kaross  andtlii 
aprons  are  made. 

The  hair  is  plentifully  imbued  with  grease,  in  which  has  been  mixed  a  quantity  t 
the  metallic  powder  of  which  the  Hottentots  are  immoderately  fond,  and  which  is  calleu 
by  the  Dutch  colonists  "  Black-klip,"  or  Shining  Eock,  on  account  of  its  glittering  appeal 
ance.  The  natives  call  it  by  the  name  of  Sibilo,  which  is  pronounced  as  if  it  venl 
written  Sibeelo.  I 

The  sibilo  is  extremely  local,  being  only  known  to  exist  in  one  part  of  Africa,  andisl 
dug  from  a  rock  called  Seusavan.  It  seems  to  be  a  very  friable  kind  of  iron  ore,  plentifullyl 
interspersed  with  minute  particles  of  mica,  the  union  of  these  two  substances  giving  it  the  I 
appearance  which  is  so  much  admired  by  the  natives 

This  substance  is  a  "  shining,  powdery  iron  ore^  of  a  steel-grey  or  bluish  lustre,  l.. 
and  greasy  to  the  touch,  its  particles  adhering  to  the  hands  or  clothes,  and  staining  them  I 
of  a  dark  red  or  ferruginous  lustra  The  skin  is  not  easily  freed  from  these  glossy  particles,  I 
even  by  repeated  washings,  and  whenever  this  substance  is  used  everything  becomes  con^ 
taminated,  and  its  glittering  nature  betrays  it  on  every  article  which  the  wearer  handles,"  I 
Burchell  goes  on  to  say  that  oxidization  gives  to  the  iron  ore  that  peculiar  rust-ted  of  | 
which  the  Hottentots  are  so  fond,  while  the  micaceons  particles  impart  to  it  that  spai 
glitter  which  is  scalrcely  less  prized. 

To  the  Sensavan  rock  come  all  the  surrounding  tribes  for  a  supply  of  this  pieciom  I 
substance,  and  those  who  are  nearest  are  in  the  habit  of  digging  it,  and  using  it  as  a  means 
of  barter  with  more  distant  tribes.  By  d^irees  the  rock  has  b«en  quarried  so  deeply  that 
a  series  of  caverns  have  been  worked  into  it,  some  penetrating  for  a  considerable  distance. 
Burchell  relates  an  anecdote  of  a  party  of  Hottentots  who  were  engaged  in  digging  the 
sibilo,  and  who  were  overwhelmed  by  the  fall  of  the  cavern  in  which  they  were  working. 
The  various  caverns  are  never  without  inhabitants,  for  by  day  they  are  full  of  bats,  and 
by  night  they  form  the  resting-place  of  pigeons. 

Besides  the  sibilo,  another  substance  called  Buchu  is  in  universal  use  among  the 
Hottentots.  This  is  also  a  powder,  but  it  is  of  vegetable,  and  not  of  mineral  origin.  It 
is  not  nearly  as  valuable  as  the  sibilo,  although  considered  to  be  nearly  as  necessaiy  an 
article  of  adornment,  so  that  any  one  who  is  not  bedaubed  with  sibilo,  and  peri'umed 
with  buchu,  is  considered  unworthy  of  entrance  into  polite  society.  Sibilo,  as  the  reader 
may  remember,  is  to  be  obtained  oidy  from  one  spot,  and  is  therefore  a  peculiarly  valuable 
material,  whereas  the  buchu  can  be  obtained  from  several  sources,  and  is  accordingly  held 
in  lower  esteem. 

Buchu  (pronounced  BooJcoo)  is  mostly  obtained  from  a  species  of  Diosma,  and  is  made 
by  reducing  the  plant  to  a  powder.  It  possesses  a  strong  odour,  which  to  the  nostrils  of 
a  Hottentot  is  extremely  agreeable,  but  which  has  exactly  the  opposite  effect  upon  the 
more  sensitive  organs  of  an  European.  When  a  number  of  Hottentots  are  assembled  in 
one  of  their  rude  huts,  the  odour  of  the  buchu,  with  which  the  karosses  as  well  as  the 
hair  of  the  natives  are  plentifully  imbued,  is  so  exceedingly  powerful,  that  no  one  except 
a  native  can  breathe  in  such  an  atmosphere. 

The  Hottentots  have  a  wonderful  veneration  for  this  plant,  and  use  it  for  various  pur- 
poses. It  is  thought  to  form  an  admirable  application  to  a  woiind,  and  for  this  purpose 
the  leaves  of  the  plant  are  infused  in  strong  vinegar,  and  are  generally  steeped  for  so  long 
a  time  tliat  they  form  a  kind  of  mucilage. 

Tliere  are  several  species  of  plants  from  which  the  indispensable  buchu  is  made,  and 
one  of  them  is  a  kind  of  fragrant  croton,  named  by  Burchell  Croton  gratissimum,  from  its 
pleasant  aromatic  odour.  It  is  a  handsome  bushy  shrul^  from  four  to  seven  feet  in  height. 
Both  flowers  and  leaves  possess  an  agreeable  Bceat^  and  the  buchu  is  made  by  drying  sai 


TANNING. 


249 


jiding  the  latter,  which  are  lance-shaped,  green  above,  and  whitish  below.  The  powder 
i'ased  as  a  perfume,  which  to  the  nostrils  of  the  Hottentot  is  highly  agreeable,  but  to  the 
jaropean  is  simply  abominable,  especially  when  mingled  with  the  odour  of  rancid  grease 
odloiog-worn  skin  dresses. 

Skins  are  prepared  in  some  places  after  a  different  manner  to  that  which  has  been 
scribed  when  treating  of  the  Kaffirs,  and  undergo  a  kind  of  tanning  process.  When  a 
rfottentot  wishes  to  make  a  leathern  robe,  or  other  article  of  di-ess,  he  deprives  the  skin 
[its  hair  by  rolling  it  up  with  the  furry  side  inwards,  and  allowing  it  to  undergo  a  partial 
flttefiwjtion-  In  the  meanwhile  he  prepares  his  tanning-vat,  by  fixing  four  stakes  into 
Je  ground,  connecting  their  tops  with  cross-bars,  and  lashing  a  tolerably  large  hide  loosely 
a.  so  as  to  form  a  rude  kind  of  basin  or  tub. 


M 


m 


HOTTENTOTS  FBEFARINQ  HIDES. 


A  quantity  of  the  astringent  bark  of  the  karroo  thorn  is  placed  in  the  vat  together 
Iwith  the  skin,  and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  ley  is  poured  over  them  until  the  vessel  is  full. 
JThe  bark  of  this  acacia  not  only  possesses  a  powerful  tanning  principle,  but  at  the  same 
jtime  imparts  to  the  leather  that  reddish  hue  which  is  so  much  admired  by  Hottentots, 
land  which  is  afterwards  heightened  by  the  sibilo  and  buchu  which  are  rubbed  upon  it. 
I  Mr.  Raines  is,  however,  of  opinion  that  this  mode  of  preparing  skins,  primitive  as  it 
Imajr  appear,  is  not  the  invention  of  the  Hottentot  race,  but  is  due  to  the  superiority  of  the 
Iwhite  settlers.  The  tanning- vat  of  hide  appears  simple  enough  to  have  been  invented  by 
la  savage  race,  but,  as  it  is  only  used  near  European  settlements,  the  idea  has  probably  been 
Iborrowed  by  the  Hottentots.  In  places  remote  from  the  white  settlers,  and  where  their 
iMuence  is  not  felt,  the  Hottentots  do  not  tan  the  hides  by  steeping  them  in  ley,  but 
[prepare  them  by  manual  labour  in  a  manner  somewhat  similar  to  that  which  is  used  by 
{the  Kaffir. 

When  a  large  cow-hide  is  to  be  prepared,  several  men  take  part  in  the  proceeding,  and 
jraake  quite  a  festival  of  it.  They  sit  in  a  circle,  with  the  hide  in  their  midst,  and  work 
jit  with  their  hands,  occasionally  rubbing  in  some  butter  or  other  grease.    They  sing  songs 

the  while,  and  at  regular  intervals  they  gra-sp  the  hide  with  both  hands,  and  give  it  a 

violent  pull  outwards,  so  as  to  stretch  it  equally  in  every  direction. 


J 


*     r.'"" 


f , 


i- 


■^r 


Uh?-va 
'^  W  r  V.i 


250 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


The  cord  or  string  of  which  the  Hottentots  make  so  much  rise  is  twisted  in  a 
simple  manner. 

The  bark  of  the  ever-useful  acacia  is  stripped  from  the  branches,  and  divided ., 
fibres  by  being  steeped  in  water,  and  then  pounded  between  two  stones.    SometimestL 
Tope-maker  prefers  to  separate  the  fibres  by  chewing  the  bark,  which  is  thought  to  \^ 
an  agreeable  flavour.  i 

When  a  sufficient  quantity  of  fibre  has  been  prepared,  the  workwoman  seats  heiselj 
on  the  ground,  takes  two  yarns  of  fibre,  and  rolls  them  with  the  palm  of  her  hand  upo 
the  thigh.  She  then  brings  them  together,  gives  them  a  quick  roll  in  the  opposite  dir« 
tion,  and  thus  makes  a  two-stranded  rope  with  a  rapidity  that  could  hardly  be  conceive 
seeing  that  no  tools  of  any  kind  are  used.  If  any  of  my  readers  should  happen  to  L 
skilled  in  nautical  affairs,  they  will  see  that  this  two-stranded  rope  made  by  the  Hots 
tentots  is  formed  on  exactly  the  same  principle  as  the  "  knittles  "  which  are  so  importanU 
in  many  of  the  nautical  knots  and  splices.  ] 

Rope-making  is  entirely  a  woman's  business,  and  is  not  an  agreeable  one.  ProhblJ 
it  is  remitted  to  the  women  for  that  very  reason.  The  friction  of  the  rope  against  tW 
skin  is  apt  to  abrade  it,  and  makes  it  so  sore  that  the  women  are  obliged  to  relieve  theml 
selves  by  rolling  the  rope  upon  the  calf  of  the  leg  instead  of  the  thigh,  and  by  the  timJ 
that  the  injured  portion  has  recovered  the  other  is  sore ;  and  so  the  poor  women  have  tol 
continue  their  work,  alternating  between  one  portion  and  another,  until  by  long  practice! 
the  skin  becomes  quite  hard,  and  can  endure  the  friction  without  being  injured  by  it 

Among  all  the  tribes  of  Southern  Africa  the  taste  for  hide  ropes  is  universal.  B(^.. 
of  some  £nd  are  absolutely  necessary  in  any  country,  and  in  this  paH  of  the  \irorld,'as| 
veil  as  in  some  others,  ropes  made  of  hide  are  very  much  preferred  to  those  vhich  aiel 
formed  from  any  other  material.  The  reason  for  this  preference  is  evidently  owing  to  thel 
peculiarities  of  the  country.  There  are  plenty  of  fibrous  plants  in  Southern  Africa  which! 
would  fumiah  ropes  quite  equal  to  those  which  are  in  use  in  Europe,  but  ropes  formed  of) 
vegetable  fibre  are  found  to  bo  unsuitable  to  the  climate,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,! 
they  have  been  abandoned  even  br  European  colonists.  j 

The  mode  of  preparing  the  hide  ropes  varies  but  UtUe,  except  in  unimportant  details,  I 
and  is  briefly  as  follows : — 

The  first  process  is  to  prepare  a  vessel  full  of  ley,  which  is  made  by  steeping  tliel 
ashes  of  several  plants,  known  under  the  generic  title  of  Salsola.    The  young  shoots  of  | 
these  plants  are  collected  for  the  purpose,  burned,  and  the  ashes  carefully  collected.  AYJienl 
an  ox  is  killed,  the  hide  is  cut  into  narrow  strips,  and  these  strip  ?  are  placed  in  the  tub  I 
of  ley  and  allowed  to  soak  for  some  four-and-twenty  hours.    At  the  expiration  of  tht| 
time,  a  sufficient  number  of  the  strips  are  joined  together,  loosely  twisted,  and  passi 
over  the  horizontal  branch  of  a  tree,  a  heavy  weight  being  suspended  from  each  end, 
as  to  keep  the  thongs  always  on  the  stretch.    A  couple  of  natives  then  set  to  work,  one  I 
stationing  himself  at  each  end  of  the  rope,  and  twisting  it  by  means  of  a  short  sticic 
passed  between  the  st'^ands,  while  by  the  aid  of  the  sticks  they  drag  the  rope  backwards  and 
forwards  over  the  bough,  never  allowing  it  to  rest  on  the  same  spot  for  any  length  of  time, 
and  always  twisting  the  sticks  in  opposite  directions.     The  natural  consequence  is,  tliat 
the  rope  becomes  very  pliant,  and  at  the  same  time  is  equally  stretched  throughout  its 
length,  the  regularity  of  the  twist  depending  on  the  skill  of  the  two  rope-makers.  No  otlier 
treatment  is  required,  as  the  powerful  liquid  in  which  the  raw  thongs  have  been  steeped 
enacts  the  part  of  the  tanning  "  fat,"  and  the  continually  dragging  over  the  branch  senes 
to  make  it  pliant,  and  to  avoid  the  danger  of  "  kinking." 

The  use  of  this  rope  among  the  European  settlers  affords  a  good  example  of  tk 
reaction  that  takes  place  when  a  superior  race  mingles  with  an  inferior.  The  white  men 
have  taught  the  aborigines  many  useful  arts,  but  at  the  same  time  have  been  obliged  to 
them  for  instruction  in  many  others,  without  which  they  could  not  maintain  their  hold 
of  the  country. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  the  hide  ropes  are  made  by  men,  because  they  are  formed 
from  that  noble  animal,  the  ox,  whereas  ropes  made  of  ignoble  vegetable  fibre  are  handed  | 
over  to  the  women. 


BOWLS  AND  JAES. 


251 


A  remarkable  substitute  for  a  spoon  is  used  by  this  people.  It  consists  of  the  stem 
a  fibrous  plaut,  called  Uraphombo,  and  is  made  in  the  following  manner.  The  stem, 
A  is  flattish,  and  about  an  inch  in  width,  is  cut  into  suitable  lengths  and  soaked  in 
a,  It  is  then  beaten  between  two  stones,  until  the  fibres  separate  from  each  other, 
1)19  to  form  a  sort  of  brush.  This  is  dipped  in  the  liquid,  and  conveys  a  tolerable 
rtion  to  the  mouth. 

Ibe  mention  of  this  brush-spoon  recalls  a  curious  method  of  catching  flies.  The  reader 
„  remember  that  in  Southern  Africa,  as  well  as  in  other  hot  parts  of  the  world,  the 
3  are  so  numerous  as  to  become  a  veritable  plague.  They  come  in  swarms  into  the 
ises,  and  settle  upon  every  article  of  food,  so  that  the  newly-arrived  traveller  scarcely 
lOffs  how  to  eat  his  meals.  Being  thii-sty  creatures,  they  especially  affect  any  liquid, 
„  will  plunge  into  the  cup  while  its  owner  is  in  the  act  of  drinking. 
The  natives  contrive  to  lessen  this  evil,  though  they  cannot  entirely  rid  themselves 
[it,  and  mostly  do  so  by  the  following  ingenious  contrivance : — 
Tliey  first  shut  the  doors  of  the  hut,  and  then  dip  a  large  wisp  of  hay  in  milk,  and 
fiatr  it  tc  the  roof  All  the  flies  are  attracted  to  it,  and  in  a  few  seconds  nothing  can  be 
!en  but  a  large,  seetliing  mass  of  living  creatures.  A  bag  is  then  gently  passed  over 
iem,  and  a  smart  shake  given  to  the  trap,  ^-hich  causes  all  the  flies  to  fall  in  a  mass  to 
he  bottom  of  the  bag,  Tlie  bag  is  then  removed,  so  as  to  allow  a  fresh  company  of  ilies 
)  settle  on  the  hay  wisp,  and  by  the  time  that  the  first  batch  of  flies  is  killed,  another  is 
jiy  for  immolation.  Sometimes  nearly  a  bushel  of  flies  will  be  thus  taken  in  a  day. 
it  is  most  likely  that  the  natives  were  led  to  this  invention  by  seeing  the  flies  cluster 
loiind  their  brush-spoons  when  they  had  been  laid  aside  after  use. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  the  flies  are  captured  by  means  of  the  branches  of  a  bush 
jeipnging  to  the  genus  Eoridula.  This  is  covered  with  a  glutinous  secretion,  and,  when- 
Iver  the  flies  settle  upon  it,  they  are  held  fast  and  cannot  escape.  Branches  of  this  useful 
Want  are  placed  in  different  parts  of  the  hut,  and  are  very  effective  in  clearing  it  of  the 
Ktttle  pests.  Many  of  these  flies  are 
Identical  with  the  common  house-fly  of 
flijland,  but  there  are  many  other 
ecies  indigenous  to  the  country. 
The  Hottentot  is  a  tolerably  good 
arver  in  wood,  not  because  he  has 
nuch  idea  of  art,  but  because  he  has 
pimitable  patience,  and  not  the  least 
idea  of  the  value  of  time. 

Bowls  and  jars  are  carved  from 
Iwood,  mostly  that  of  the  willow  tree, 
jgnd  the  carver  prefers  to  work  while  the 
Isap  is  still  in  the  wood.  A  kind  of 
Iwilloff  grows  by  the  water  side,  as  is 
Ithe  case  in  this  country,  and  this  is  cut  down  with  the  odd  little  hatchets  which  are  used 
jin  this  part  of  the  world.  These  hatchets  are  made  on  exactly  the  same  principle 
las  the  hoes  which  have  been  so  often  mentioned,  and  which  are  represented  on  pages 
|a3, 91,  &c.  The  head,  however,  is  very  much  smaller,  and  the  blade  is  set  in  a  line  with 
Ithe  handle  instead  of  transversely.  They  are  so  small  and  feeble,  that  the  labour  of  several 
I  men  is  required  to  cut  down  a  tree  only  eighteen  inches  or  so  in  diameter;  and  the  work 
phich  an  American  axeman  would  complete  in  a  few  minutes  occupies  them  a  day  or  two. 
When  the  trunk  has  been  at  last  severed,  it  is  cut  into  convenient  lengths  by  the  same 
jlaborious  process,  and  the  different  portions  are  mostly  shaped  by  the  same  axe.  If  a  bowl 
J  is  the  article  to  be  made,  it  is  partly  hollowed  by  the  axe,  and  the  remainder  of  the  work 
is  done  with  a  knife  bent  into  a  hook -like  shape,  as  is  seen  in  the  accompanying  illus- 
Itration.    These  bowls  are,  on  the  average,  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 

Making  bowls  is  a  comparatively  simple  business,  but  the  carving  of  a  jar,  such  as 
I  seen  by  the  bowl,  is  a  most  laborious  task.     In  making  jars,  the  carver  is  forced  to 
depend  almost  entirely  upon  the  bent  knife,  and  from  the  shape  of  the  article  it  is  evident 


KNIFE,  JAB,  AND  BOWL. 


I  '■*! 


w^^^v 


\m 


m 


't'^:. 


262 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


that,  when  it  is  hollowed,  the  carver  tniist  work  in  a  very  constrained  manner.  Sti 
as  time  is  of  no  value,  the  jar  is  at  last  completed,  and,  like  the  bowl,  is  well  rubK 
with  fat,  in  order  to  prevent  it  from  splitting.    Generally,  these  jars  hold  about  a  ffall!, 
but  some  of  them  are  barely  a  quarter  of  that  size,  while  others  are  large  enough  to  c 
tain  five  gallons.    An  European,  with  similar  tools,  would  not  be  able  to  make  the  smi 
sizes  of  these  jars,  as  he  would  not  be  able  to  pass  his  hand  into  the  interior.    The  hu 
of  the  Hottentot  is,  however,  so  small  and  delicate,  that  he  finds  no  ditficulty  ia  the  I 
The  jar  is  called  Bambus  in  the  Hottentot  language. 

Unlike  the  Kaffirs,  the  Hottentots  are  rather  a  nomad  race,  and  their  huts  are  so  mat, 
that  they  can  be  taken  to  pieces  and  packed  for  transportation  in  less  than  an  hour  vbil 
a  couple  of  hours'  labour  is  all  that  is  required  lor  putting  them  up  afresh,  even  whti 
the  architect  works  aS  deliberately  as  is  always  the  case  among  uncivilized  natives.  Qq,. 
sequently,  when  a  horde  of  Hottentots  travels  from  one  piece  to  another,  a  village  seen 
to  spring  up  almost  as  if  by  magic,  and  travellers  who  have  taken  many  Hottentots 
their  train  have  been  very  much  astonished  at  the  sudden  transformation  of  tho  scenft 
In  general  construction,  the  huts  are  made  on  the  same  principle  o  those  of ! 
Kaffir,  being  formed  of  a  cage-like  framework,  covered  with  lighter  matevial.  The  Kt^ 
however,  interweaves  the  withes  and  reeds  of  which  the  hut  is  meu:  among  the  ftm 
work,  and  binds  them  together  with  ropes,  when,  if  he  is  going  to  settle  determinatelvL 
one  spot,  or  if  he  builds  a  hut  in  a  well-established  kraal,  he  p  ers  the  interior  with  dau 
80  as  to  make  the  structure  firm  and  impervious  to  weather.  '1 

The  Hottentot,  on  the  contrary,  covers  his  hut  with  reed  mats,  which  look  very  mm 
like  the  sleeping-mats  of  the  Kaffirs,  and  can  be  easily  lashed  to  the  framework,  and  i 
easily  removed.  These  mats  are  made  of  two  species  of  reed,  one  of  which  is  soft,  an. 
can  be  easily  manipulated,  while  the  other  is  hard,  and  gives  some  trouble  to  the  mtk^l 
But  the  former  has  the  disadvantage  of  being  very  liable  to  decay,  and  of  lasting  but  i| 
short  time,  whereas  the  latter  is  remarkable  for  its  powers  of  endurance.  Th  jse  plantil 
are  called  respectively  the  Soft  Keed  and  the  Hard  lieed,  and  their  scientific  titles  an  I 
Cyperus  textUis  and  8criptus  tegctalis.  I 

The  method  of  making  the  mats  is  somewhat  similar  to  that  which  is  employed  br I 
the  Kaffirs.    The  reeds  are  cut  so  as  to  measure  six  feet  in  length,  and  are  placed  in  a  I 
heap  by  the  side  of  the  mat-maker,  together  with  a  quantity  of  the  bark-string  which  hajl 
already  been  mentioned.    He  then  pierces  them  with  a  bone  or  metal  needle,  or  \ntlial 
mimosa  thorn  if  he  does  not  possess  a  needle,  and  passes  the  string  through  the  holes,! 
so  as  to  fasten  the  reeds  together.    Even  considering  the  very  slow  and  deliberate  mannet 
in  which  the  Hottentot  works,  the  mats  can  be  made  with  considerable  rapidity,  and 
it  is  needless  to  observe  that  three  Hottentots  do  not  get  through  nearly  as  much  vork 
as  an  average  Englishman. 

In  some  cases,  the  Hottentot  substitutes  the  skins  of  sheep  or  oxen  for  mats,  bat  the  I 
latter  are  most  generally  in  use — probably  because  the  skins  are  too  valuable  as  articles  of  I 
apparel  to  be  employed  for  the  mere  exterior  of  a  house.  Owing  to  the  manner  in  which  j 
these  huts  are  made,  they  are  more  impervious  to  weather  than  those  of  the  Kaffir,  and,  ai 
a  necessary  consequence,  are  less  capable  of  letting  out  the  smoke.  An  European  can,  on 
a  pinch,  exist  in  a  Kaffir  hut,  but  to  do  so  in  a  skin-covered  Hottentot  house  is  ahiioit| 
impossible. 

To  a  restless  and  ever-moving  people  like  the  Hottentots,  these  mats  are  a1 
neccessaries.    A  hut  of  ordinary  size  can  be  packed  on  the  back  of  an  ox,  while  another  I 
ox  can  carry  all  the  simple  furniture  and  utensils,  together  with  the  young  children;  and 
thus  a  whole  family  can  be  moved  at  a  few  minutes'  notice,  without  much  inconvenience, 
The  huts  are,  in  fact,  nothing  but  tents  made  of  mats,  and  resemble,  in  many  particulars, 
the  camel-hair  tents  of  the  equally  nomad  Arabs. 

No  one — not  even  the  owner — knows,  on  seeing  a  Hottentot  hut,  whether  he  will  find 
it  in  the  same  place  after  a  few  hours  have  elapsed.    Sometimes,  a  Hottentot  wife  will  set 
to  work,  pull  the  hut  to  pieces,  but,  instead  of  packing  it  on  the  back  of  an  ox,  rebuild 
her  house  within  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  its  original  locality.    The  object  of  this  strange  | 
conduct  is  to  rid  herself  and  family  from  the  fleas,  which,  together  with  other  vermin, 


w 


^---\... 

^\^. 


swarm  excecdi: 
related. 

These  unpl 
sheepskins,  ma 
a  stick.  Suffi( 
seen,  they  forci 


Ir-  .:."■  ^ 


SIMPLE  MODE  OF  AVOIDING  VERMIN. 


•  263 


'**=  X 


""*~"~^^w»«i(Pi 


*'-i..iiifi3« 


^*yfk»,      s 


.  ^tj,^  -..»• '  ;,'■? J 


iilKTfM 

.fv> 'V 

TV*  •S.*',*  V 

-p^i 

'^■^^ 

Bi^a*r«;::  >;-,/? 

^^^■^1 

!l-i#^^^B^if 

,M 


\  r 


1 


,.,,^^-Mr^ 


!^.fi 


'•lUrf 


-^S^^K-- 


f 

». 

^^^B — .'— '^'~"  " 

_^  «^* '  — "-- 

r^ 

^i 

^ 

^-A--     a| 

^  ^1 

HOTTENTOT  KRAAU 


swarm  exceedingly  in  a  Hottentot's  house,  and  drive  the  inmates  to  escape  in  the  manner 
related. 

These  unpleasant  parasites  are  generallj''  attacked  in  the  early  morning,  the  mantles, 
flhcepskins,  mats,  and  other  articles,  being  taken  outside  the  hut,  and  beaten  soundly  with 
ft  stick.  Sufficient,  however,  remain  to  perpetuate  the  breed,  and'  at  last,  as  has  been 
seen,  tiiey  force  the  Hottentot  fairly  to  remove  the  house  altogether. 


»i 


*  1^: 


264' 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


IF  ■  ' 

IHI 

*•"' 

^1 

w^^ 

II 

1 

1 

»'  ■■ 

%. 

"*  ■, 

^1 


I 


As  to  the  Hottentots  themselves,  they  suffer  but  comparatively  little  inconveni  J 
from  the  bites  of  these  creatures,  against  which  thu  successive  coatings  of  grease  Li  y 
and  sibilo  act  as  a  partial  defence.  But,  whenever  the  insects  are  fortunate  enoJi  i 
attack  a  clean-skinned  European,  they  take  full  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and  drivj 
him  half  mad.  Gordon  Gumming  relates  an  amusing  account  of  a  small  adventure  wh  | 
happened  to  himself  in  connexion  with  these  insecta  He  was  extremely  tired,  and  f  i 
asleep  among  his  followers,  one  of  whom  compassionately  took  off  the  kaross  which  I 
was  wearing,  and  spread  it  over  him.  Presently  the  sleeper  started  up  in  a  state  of  L 
bearable  irritation  from  the  bites  of  the  numerous  parasites  with  which  the  karosa  ^ 
stocked.  He  was  obliged  instantly  to  remove  every  single  article  of  apparel,  and  \m 
them  all  beaten  and  oetirched  before  he  could  again  resume  them. 

As  may  be  seen  by  inspection  of  the  illustration,  the  huts  are  not  of  quite  the  sanl 
shape  as  those  belonging  to  the  Kaffirs,  the  ends  being  flattened,  and  the  apertures  sq 
instead  of  rounded,  the  door,  in  fact,  being  simply  made  by  ihe  omission  of  one  mij 
The  nomad  life  of  the  Hottentots  is  necessitated  by  their  indolent  habits,  and  their  utteil 
want  of  forethought  The  Kaffir  is  not  remarkable  foi*  the  latter  quality,  as  indeed 
the  case  with  most  savage  nations.  But  the  Kaffir  is,  at  all  events,  a  tolerable  aericulJ 
turist,  and  raises  enough  grain  to  supply  his  family  with  food,  besides,  in  many  caseJ 
inclosing  patches  of  ground  in  which  to  plant  certain  vegetables  and  fruits.  The  Hot^ 
tentot,  however,  never  had  much  notion  of  agriculture,  and  what  little  he  attempts  is  i 
the  rudest  deaoription. 


DIGOINCHmCK. 


T1  e  unwieldy  h  'e  with  which  the  Kaffir  women  break  up  the  ground  is  a  Bufficiectlyl 
rude  I  ind  clumsy  instrument,  but  it  is  perfection  itself  when  compared  with  the  diggii 
stick  of  the  Hottentot.  This  is  nothing  more  than  a  stick  of  hard  wood  shaipened  at  onel 
end,  and  weigh  ed  by  means  of  a  perforated  stone  through  which  it  is  passed,  and  vhicbl 
is  held  in  its  place  by  a  wedge.  With  this  rude  instrument  the  Hottentot  can  break  up  I 
the  ground  faster  than  might  be  imagined,  but  he  oftener  uses  it  for  digging  up  wild  I 
plants,  and  unearthing  sundry  burrowing  animals,  than  for  any  agricultural  purposes.     I 

The  life  of  a  Hottentot  does  not  tie  him  to  any  particular  spot.  A  sub-tribe  or  horde, 
which  tolerably  corresponds  with  the  kraal  of  the  Kaffir,  settles  down  in  some  localit}' 
which  they  think  will  supply  nourishment,  and  which  is  near  water.  Here,  if  the  spot 
be  favourable,  they  wiU  sometimes  rest  for  a  considerable  time,  occasionally  for  a  space  of 
several  years.  Facility  for  hunting  has  much  to  do  with  the  length  of  time  that  a  horde 
remains  in  one  spot,  inasmuch  as  the  Hottentots  are  admirable  hunters,  and  quite  rival 
the  Kaffirs  in  this  respect,  even  if  they  do  not  excel  them.  They  are  especially  notable  | 
for  the  persevering  obstinacy  with  which  they  will  pursue  their  game,  thinking  a  whole  day 
well  bestowed  if  they  succeed  at  last  in  bringing  down  their  prey. 


-  -^i 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


IfliPOM  0»  TH«  HOTTKNTOT  AND  THKIR  VtK — HIS  VOBACITT,  AND  CAPABILTTT  OF  BBABINO  HtWOKB 
^KOSI    OF  COOKING — FOWRR   OF    BLRRP — DISTINCTION    BETWKBN    UOTTRNTOT0   AND   KAFFIRS — 

CATTLB  AND   THKIB   USES — THE    BAKEtEYB    OB   FIOUTINO    OXEN A  "OTTBNTOt'B    lUHOBY   FOB  A 

dOY^KABBIAOB — POLYGAMY    NOT    OFTEN    FBACTI8ED WANT    OF   III  >.IUION — LANOUAOB   OF   TUB 

B0TTBNTOT8 THB  CHABACTEBI8TI0  "  CLICKS  " AUUBEMENTS  OF  TUB  UOTTENTOTS BINOINO  AND 

BANCINO— SUBJECT  OF  THEIB  BONOS — THB  HAN's  DANCB — ALL  AMU8EUENTB  BBBTBIOTED  TO  NIOHT 

— THK  UELON  DANCB "  CABD-PLAYING  " — LOVB  OF  ▲  PBACTICAL  JOKB — INABILITY  XO  laEAflUIlB 

TQIS— WABFABB — BICKNKB8,  DEATH,  AND  BCBIAL. 


i 


I  The  weapons  which  the  Hottentots  use  are  mostly  the  bow  and  arrow.  These  weapons 
lin  almost  identical  with  those  employed  by  the  Bosjesmans,  and  will  be  described  in  a 
liiituie  page.  They  also  employ  the  assagai,  but  do  not  seem  to  b^  particularly  fond  of  it, 
I  lacking  the  muscular  strength  which  enables  the  Kaffir  to  make  such  terrible  use  of  it. 
{Moreover,  the  Hottentot  does  not  carry  a  sheaf  of  these  weapons,  but  contents  himself 
|ffith  a  single  one,  which  he  does  not  throw  until  he  is  at  tolerably  close  quarters. 

Heis,  nowever,  remarkable  for  his  skill  in  throwing  the  knoo-kerry,  which  is  always 
I  of  the  short  form,  so  that  he  can  carry  several  of  them  in  his  belt  In  fact,  he  uses  the 
keny  much  as  the  Kaffir  uses  the  assagai,  having  always  a  quantity  of  them  to  his  hand,  and 
hurling  them  one  after  the  other  with  deadly  accuracy  of  aim.  With  these  weapons,  so 
useless  in  the  hands  of  an  ordinary  European,  he  can  match  himself  against  most  of  the 
ordinary  animals  of  Southern  Africa,  excepting,  of  course,  the  larger  elephants,  rhinoceros, 
and  hippopotamus,  and  the  predacious  felido),  such  as  the  lion  or  leopard.  These,  how- 
ever, he  can  destroy  by  means  of  pitfalls  and  other  ingenious  devices,  and  if  a  Hottentot 
hunter  sets  himself  determinedly  to  kill  or  capture  any  given  animal,  that  creature's 
I  chances  of  life  are  but  small. 

When  he  has  succeeded  in  killing  game,  his  voracity  is  seen  to  equal  his  patience. 
Hunger  he  can  endure  with  wonderful  indifference,  t-'4litening  his  belt  day  by  day,  and 
contriving  to  support  existence  on  an  almost  inappreciable  quantity  of  food.  But,  when 
he  can  onlv  procure  meat,  he  eats  with  a  continued  and  sustained  voracity  that  is  almost 
incredible.  For  quality  he  cares  but  little,  and  so  that  he  can  obtain  unlimited  supplies  of 
meat,  he  does  not  trouble  himself  whether  it  be  touj^h  or  tender.  "Whenever  one  of  a  horde 
of  Hottentots  succeeds  in  killing  a  large  animal,  such  as  an  elephant  or  hippopotamus,  and 
it  happens  to  bo  at  a  distance  from  the  kraal,  the  inhabitants  prefer  to  strike  their  tent- 
like houses  and  to  remove  them  to  the  animal  rather  than  trouble  themselves  by  making 
repeated  journeys  to  and  fro.  The  chief  reason  for  this  strange  conduct  is,  that  if  they 
took  the  latter  alternative,  they  would  deprive  themselves  of  one  of  the  greatest  luxuries 
which  a  Hottentot  can  enjoy.  Seldom  tasting  meat,  they  become  semi-intoxicated  under 
its  influence,  and  will  gorge  themselves  to  the  utmost  limit  of  endurance,  sleeping  after 
the  fashion  of  a  boa-constrictor  that  has  swallowed  a  goat,  and  then  awaking  only  to 
gorge  themselves  afresh,  and  fall  asleep  again. 

There  is  an  excuse  for  this  extraordinary  exhibition  of  gluttony,  namely,  that  the  hot 
climate  causes  meat  to  putrefy  so  rapidly  that  it  must  be  eaten  at  once  if  it  is  eaten  at  all. 


1"^  j5k 


■   1  : 

TJ^mM 

4  c 

'-tII^I 

^tfCr^^^^^^H 

diH^IHife? 

->  1  ^HH^H 

^Hb^^^Hr^ 

^y^H 

'^Kisaas 

'■^^'im^ 

't^B|^H^ 

"^"'^1' 

'^^^I^HMNk^ 

iji  '^      t-^#f 

^^^p 

imJ 

256 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


t 
%'tf 


Even  u  it  is,  the  Hottentots  are  often  obliged  to  eat  meat  that  is  more  than  tainted  inji 
from  which  even  the  greatest  admirer  of  high  game  would  recoil  with  h  rror  Tho/d  I 
not,  however,  seem  to  trouble  themselves  about  such  trifles,  and  devoir,  lii,.  uintud  ■Lfl] 
as  eagerly  as  if  it  were  perfectly  fresh. 

Whatever  may  be  the  original  quality  of  the  meat,  it  owes  nothing  \,  '^e  h^^j  ■ 
which  it  is  dressed,  for  the  Hottentots  are  perhaps  the  very  worst  cooks  in  the  world.  They 
take  an  earthen  pot,  nearly  fill  it  with  water,  put  it  on  the  fire,  and  allow  it  to  boil  'fhtT 
then  cut  up  their  meat  into  lumps  as  large  as  a  man's  fist,  throw  them  into  the  pot,  and 
permit  them  to  remain  there  until  they  are  wanted.  Sometimes,  when  the  feuoterg  an 
asleep  themselves,  they  allow  the  meat  to  remain  in  the  pot  for  half  a  dav  or  so,  durim? 
whien  time  the  women  are  obliged  to  keep  the  water  continually  boiJmg,  it  may  M 
imagined  the  ultimate  resiUt  of  their  cooking  is  not  particularly  palatcablo. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  Hottentot  tribes  are  remarkable  for  theii 
appetite.    They  are  no  less  notable  for  their  power  of  sleep. 

A  thorough-bred  Hottentot  can  sleep  at  any  time,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  place 
him  under  conditions  in  which  he  will  not  sleep.  If  he  be  pinched  with  hunger,  and  can 
see  no  means  of  obtaining  food  either  by  hunting  or  from  the  ground,  he  lies  down,  roUi 
himself  up  in  his  kaross,  and  in  a  few  moments  is  wrapped  in  slumber.  Sleep  to  bin 
almost  answers  the  purpose  of  food,  and  he  can  often  say  with  truth  that "  he  who  gleru 
dines."    When  he  sleeps  his  slumber  is  truly  remarkable,  as  it  appears  more  like  a  | 

lethargy  than  sleep,  as  we  under- 
stand the  word.  A  gun  may  be  ] 
fired  close  to  the  ear  of  a  sleeping 
Hottentot  and  he  will  not  notice  it 
or,  at  all  events,  will  merely  turn 
himself  and  sink  again  to  repose. 

Even  in  sleep  there  isadistinc- 
tion  between  the  Kaffir  and  the 
Hottentot.  The  former  lies  at  full 
length  on  his  mat,  while  the  other 
coils  himself  up  like  a  human  hedge- 
hog. In  spite  of  the  evil  atmosphere 
of  their  huts,  the  Hottentots  are 
companionable  even  in  their  sleep, 
and  at  night  the  floor  of  a  hut  will 
be  covered  with  a  number  of  Hot- 
tentots, all  lying  fast  asleep,  and  so 
mixed  up  together  that  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  distinguish  the  various 
bodies  to  which  the  limbs  belong. 
The  cattle  of  the  Hottentots  have  several  times  been  mentioned.  These,  like  the 
Kafhr  oxen,  are  used  as  beasts  of  burden  and  for  riding,  and  are  accoutred  in  the  same 
manner,  i.e.  by  a  leathern  rope  passed  several  times  round  the  body,  and  hauled  tight  by 
men  at  each  end.  Perhaps  the  reader  may  remember  that  in  days  long  gone  by,  when  ihe 
Hottentots  were  a  powerful  nation  and  held  the  command  of  Southern  Africa,  their  kraals 
or  villages  were  defended  by  a  peculiar  breed  of  oxen,  which  were  especially  trained  for 
that  purpose,  and  which  answered  the  same  purpose  as  the  watch-dogs  which  now  beset 
the  villages. 

These  oxen  were  said  to  be  trained  to  guard  the  entrance  of  the  kraal,  and  to  know 
every  inhabitant  of  the  village,  from  the  oldest  inhabitant  down  to  the  child  which  could 
only  just  crawl  about  Strangers  they  would  not  permit  to  approach  the  kraal  except 
when  escorted  by  one  of  the  inhabitants,  nor  woiild  they  suffer  him  to  go  out  again  except 
under  the  same  protection. 

This  story  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  mere  fabrication,  and  possibly  may  be  so.  There 
is,  however,  in  my  collection  an  ox-horn  which  was  brought  from  Southern  Africa  by  the 
Kev.  Mr.  Shooter,  and  of  which  no  one  could  give  an  account.    It  is  evidently  very  old, 


HOTTENTOTS  ASLEKP. 


\ 


LANGUAGE  OF  THE  HOTTENTOTS. 


267 


I  although  the  horn  of  a  domesticated  variety  of  cattle,  is  auite  unlike  the  horns  of 
Eeoxen  which  belong  to  the  native  tribes  of  the  present  day,  oeina  twice  as  luij^o,  and 
rrioK  altogether  a  different  aspect.  It  is  just  such  a  horn  as  might  have  belonged  to  the 
U  aforesaid,  and,  although  it  cannot  be  definitely  said  to  have  grown  on  the  head  of 

of  these  animals,  there  is  just  a  possibility  that  such  may  have  been  the  case. 

Like  the  KatQr,  the  Hottentot  has  a  wonderful  recollection  of  an  ox.   If  he  but  sees  one 

r  a  minute  or  two  he  will  remember  that  ox  again,  wherever  it  may  be,  and  even  after 

i  lapse  of  several  years.  He  will  recognise  it  in  the  midst  of  a  herd,  even  in  a  strange 
Me  where  he  could  have  no  expectation  of  meeting  it,  and  he  will  remember  its 
lipoor,"  and  be  able  to  trace  its  footsteps  among  the  tracks  of  the  whole  herd.  He  has 
lea  been  known  to  discover  a  stolen  cow  by  seeing  a  calf  which  she  had  produced  after 
L  was  stolen,  and  which  he  recognised  from  its  likeness  to  its  mother. 

The  marriages  of  the  Hottentots  are  very  simple  ail'airs,  and  consist  merely  in  paying 
Icertain  price  and  taking  the  bride  home.  In  Kolben's  well-known  work  there  is  a  most 
laborate  and  circumstantial  description  of  a  Hottentot  marriage,  detailing  with  needless 

cision  a  number  of  extraordinary  rites  performed  by  the  priest  over  the  newly-wedded 

Now,  inasmuch  as  the  order  of  priests  is  not  known  to  hove  existed  among  the 

Hottentots,  and  certainly  did  not  exist  in  Kolben's  time,  the  whole  narrative  falls  to  the 

ound    The  fact  is,  that  Kolben  found  it  easier  to  describe  secondhand  than  to  investi- 

Lte  for  himself,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  the  Dutch  colonists,  from  whom  he 

Ued  his  information,  amused  themselves  by  imposing  upon  his  credulity. 

Polygamy,  although  not  prohibited  among  tl»e  Hottentots,  is  but  rarely  practised. 
lome  men  have  several  wives,  but  this  is  the  exception,  and  not  the  rule. 

As  they  have  no  priests,  so  have  they  no  professional  doctors.  They  are  all  adepts  in 
ke  very  slight  amount  of  medical  and  surgical  knowledge  which  is  required  by  them,  and 
Eive  no  idea  of  a  separate  order  of  men  who  practise  the  healing  art.  Unlike  the  Kaflirs, 
fho  are  the  most  superstitious  of  mankind,  the  Hottentots  are  entirely  free  from  superstition, 
lasmuch  as  they  have  not  the  least  conception  of  any  religious  sentiments  whatsoever. 
Ibe  present  world  forms  the  limit  of  all  their  ideas,  and  they  seem,  so  far  as  is  known,  to 

equaUy  ignorant  of  a  Creator  and  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 

The  language  of  the  Hottentot  races  is  remarkable  for  a  peculiarity  which  is,  I 
jelieve,  restricted  to  themselves  and  to  the  surrounding  tribes,  who  have  evidently  learned  it 
om  them.  This  is  the  presence  of  the  "  click,"  which  is  found  in  almost  all  the  tribes 
at  inhabit  Southern  Africa,  with  the  exception  of  the  Amazulu,  who  are  free  from  this 
lirions  adjunct  to  their  language,  and  speak  a  tongue  as  soft  as  Italian. 

There  are  three  of  these  "  clicks,"  formed  by  the  tongue,  the  teeth,  and  the  palate,  and 
ich  of  them  alters  the  signification  of  the  word  with  which  it  is  used. 

The  tirst,  which  is  in  greatest  use,  is  made  by  pressing  the  tip  of  the  tongue  against  the 
bper  front  teeth,  and  then  smartly  disengaging  it  The  sound  is  exactly  like  that  which 
[produced  by  some  persons  when  they  are  annoyed. 

The  second  click  is  formed  by  pressing  the  tongue  against  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  and 
ten  sharply  withdrawing  it,  so  as  to  produce  a  sound  like  that  which  is  used  by  grooms 
pn  urgmg  a  horse.    It  has  to  be  done,  however,  with  the  least  possible  force  that  will 

duce  the  effect,  as  otherwise  the  click  and  the  syllable  to  which  it  is  joined  cannot 
!  sounded  simultaneously. 

The  last  click  is  much  louder  than  the  others,  and  is  formed  by  drawing  the  tongue 
£k  as  far  as  possible,  and  pressing  the  tip  against  the  back  of  the  palate.  It  is  then 
jrced  rapidly  towards  the  lips,  so  as  to  produce  a  much  deeper  and  more  sonorous  sound 
an  can  be  obtained  by  the  two  former  modes. 

In  the  few  words  which  can  be  given  to  this  branch  of  the  subject,  we  will  distinguish 
lese  several  sounds  by  the  titles  of  "  clack,"  "  click,"  and  "  cluck."  The  reader  will  find 
I  very  difficult  to  produce  either  of  these  sounds  simultaneously  with  a  part  of  a  word, 
pt,  if  he  should  desire  to  make  himself  understood  in  the  Hottentot  dialect,  it  is  abso- 
[tely  necessary  that  he  should  do  so.  How  needful  these  curious  adjuncts  are  has  been 
11  shown  by  Le  Vaillant.  For  instance,  the  word  Aap,  without  any  click  at  all,  signi- 
ts  a  horse,  but  with  the  click  it  signifies  an  arrow,  and  with  the  clack  it  becomes  the 

I  VOL  L  g 


11 


I 


i.     ^ 


"     ^'      I 


'  >         T 

5    -    ^ 


T     -^ 


258 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


name  of  a  river.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  reduce  this  language  to  any  hnm 
alphabet,  and  the  necessary  consequence  is  that  hardly  any  two  travellers  who  hi 
written  accoimts  of  the  Hottentot  tribes  have  succeeded  in  spelling  words  so  that  thJ 
should  be  recognised,  or  in  such  a  manner  that  the  reader  should  be  able  to  pronoun 
them.  The  general  mode  of  expressing  these  clicks  is  by  prefixing  the  letters  ts  on 
to  the  word,  and  the  reader  may  find  a  very  familiar  example  in  the  word  Gnoo,  vthll 
ought  really  to  be  spelt  without  the  g,  and  with  some  prefix  which  would  denote  t 
kind  of  click  which  is  used  with  it. 

The  amusements  of  the  Hottentots  consist  chiefly  of  singing  and  dancing,  tonefl 
with  playing  on  a  curious  instrument  called  the  Goura.  This  instrument,  howevl 
belongs  rather  to  the  Bosjesman  group  of  the  Hottentot  race,  and  will  therefore  bedesciilx 
in  a  future  page. 

Their  songs  are  also  evidently  derived  from  the  same  source,  and  their  melodies  u 
identical  Examples  of  Bosj  esman  songs  will  be  presently  given,  together  with  the  descril 
tiou  of  the  Goura.  In  the  words  of  the  songs,  however,  the  Hottentots  have  the  advantaif 
as  they  always  have  some  signification,  whereas  those  of  the  Bosjesmans  have  not  evj 
the  semblance  of  meaning,  and  are  equivalent  to  the  do,  re,  mi,  &c.  of  modem  music 

Le  Vaillant  mentions  that  the  subject  of  the  songs  which  the  Hottentots  sane 
almost  always  some  adventure  which  had  happened  to  themselves,  so  that,  like  theneVv 
they  can  sing  throughout  the  whole  night,  by  the  simple  expedient  of  repeating  the  ni 
of  their  song  over  and  over  again.  They  prefer  the  night  to  the  day  for  this  puiposj 
because  the  atmosphere  is  cooler,  and  the  tasks  of  the  day  are  over.  1 

"  When  they  are  desirous  of  indulging  in  this  amusement,  they  join  hands  and  foml 
circle  of  greater  or  less  extent,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  male  and  female  danceii 
who  are  always  mixed  with  a  kind  of  symmetry.  When  the  chain  is  made,  they  tuil 
round  from  one  side  to  another,  separating  at  certain  intervals  to  mark  the  measure,  an! 
from  time  to  time  clap  their  hands  without  interrupting  the  cadence,  while  with  M 
voices  they  accompany  the  sound  of  the  instrument,  and  continually  chant '  Hoc !  Hoo] 
This  is  the  general  burden  of  their  song. 

"  Sometimes  one  9f  the  dancers  quits  the  circle,  and  going  to  the  centre,  performs  tlieJ 
alone  a  few  steps  after  the  English  manner,  all  the  merit  and  beauty  of  which  consist  i| 
performing  them  with  equal  quickness  and  precision,  without  stirring  from  the  sp 
where  he  stands.  After  this  they  all  quit  each  other's  hands,  follow  one  another  carelessJ 
with  an  air  of  terror  and  melancholy,  their  heads  leaning  to  one  shoulder,  and  their  eya 
cast  down  towards  the  ground,  which  they  look  at  with  attention ;  and  in  a  moment  afta 
they  break  forth  in  the  liveliest  demonstration  of  joy,  and  the  most  extravagant  merrimenl 

"  They  are  highly  delighted  with  this  contrast  when  it  is  well  performed.  All  tliisi 
at  bottom  but  an  alternate  assemblage  of  very  droll  and  amusing  pantomime.  It  mm 
be  observed  that  the  dancers  nake  a  hollow  monotonous  kind  of  humming,  which  neva 
ceases,  except  when  they  join  the  spectators  and  sing  the  wonderful  chorus  '  Hoo !  HooJ 
which  appears  to  be  the  life  and  soul  of  this  magnificent  music. 

"  They  usually  conclude  with  a  general  ball ;  that  is  to  say,  the  ring  is  broken  andthei 
all  dance  in  confusion  as  each  chooses,  and   upon  this  occasion  they  display  all  tliei 
strength  and  agility.     The  most  expert  dancers  repeat,  by  way  of  defiance  to  each  oflieij 
those  dangerous  leaps  and  musical  quivers  of  our  grand  academies,  which  excite  lauglii 
as  deservedly  as  the  '  Hoo  !  Hoo  ! '  of  Africa." 

Whether  for  singing,  dancing,  or  other  relaxation,  the  Hottentots  never  assemblJ 
except  by  night,  the  day  being  far  too  precious  for  mere  amusement.    During  the  day  tti 
men  are  engaged  in  the  different  pursuits  of  their  life,  some  being  far  from  their  home  oij 
the  track  of  some  animal  which  they  are  hunting,  and  whose  flesh  is  devoted  to  tin 
support  of  themselves  and  tl  At  families.     Others  are  laboriously  making  snares,  diagini 
pitfalls,  or  going  the  rounds  of  those  which  are  already  made,  so  that  animals  \vliic3 
have  been  captured  may  be  removed,  and  the  snares  reset.    They  have  also  to  make  theiil 
bows,  arrows,  spears,  and  clubs,  operations  which  absorb  much  time,  partly  because  tlieiij 
tools  are  few  and  imperfect,  and  partly  because  all  their  work  is  undertaken  with  adeg 
of  deliberation  which  is  exceedingly  irritating  to  a  Europe  an  spectator. 


SINGING  AND  DANCING. 


259 


hich  consist  jHrards 


me  women,  too,  are  engaged  in  their  own  occupations,  which  are  infinitely  more  labo- 
tban  those  of  the  men,  and  consist  of  all  kinds  of  domestic  work,  including  taking 
n  and  putting  up  the  huts,  collecting  wood  for  the  evening  fires,  and  preparing  the 
j  for  the  men  when  they  return  home. 
iWith  the  shades  of  evening  all  attempts  at  industry  are  given  up,  and  the  Hottentots 
Lse  themselves  throughout  nearly  the  entire  night.  The  savage  does  not  by  any  means 
1  to  bed  with  the  birds  and  arise  with  them,  as  is  popularly  supposed,  and  almost 
kariably  is  an  incorrigible  sitter-up  at  night,  smoking,  talking,  singing,  dancing,  and 
Lwise  amusing  himself,  as  if  he  had  done  nothing  whatever  all  day, 
IPerhaps  he  may  owe  the  capability  of  enduring  such  constant  dissipation  to  the  fact  that 
lean  command  sleep  at  will,  and  that  his  slumber  is  so  deep  as  to  be  undisturbed  by 
jclamour  that  is  going  on  around  him.  If,  for  example,  a  Hottentot  has  been  hunting 
jdav  and  has  returned  home  weary  with  the  chase  and  with  carrying  the  animals, 
[wiil  not  think  of  sleeping  until  he  has  had  his  supper,  smoked  his  pipe,  and  enjoyed 
hour  or  two  of  dancing  and  singing.  But,  as  soon  as  he  feels  disposed  to  cease  from 
I  amusements,  he  retires  from  the  '  'cle,  rolls  himself  up  in  his  kaross,  lies  down,  and  in 
lev  seconds  is  fast  asleep,  unheeding  the  noise  which  is  made  close  to  his  ears  by  his 
jpanions  who  are  still  pursuing  their  revels. 

[There  is  a  singular  dance  which  is  much  in  vogue  among  the  young  Hottentot  girls, 
I  which  is,  as  far  as  I  know,  peculiar  to  them.  As  a  small  melon  is  the  chief  object  of 
sport,  it  goes  by  the  name  of  the  Melon  Dance,  and  is  thus  performed  : — 
In  the  evening,  when  the  air  is  cool,  the  girls  assemble  and  choose  one  of  their  number 
8  leader.  She  takes  a  small  round  melon  in  her  hands,  and  begins  to  run  in  a  circle, 
iving  her  arras  and  flinging  about  her  limbs  in  the  wildest  imaginable  way.  The  others 
;ow  her  and  imitate  her  movements,  and,  as  they  are  not  impeded  by  many  trammels  of 
IS,  and  only  wear  the  ordinary  cap  and  girdle  of  leathern  thongs,  their  movements  are 
of  wild  grace. 

As  the  leader  runs  round  the  course,  she  flings  the  melon  in  the  air,  catches  it,  flings 

igain,  and  at  last  stoops  suddenly,  leaps  into  the  air,  and  throws  the  melon  beneath  her 

the  girl  who  follows  her.     The  object  of  this  dance  is  twofold.    ITie  second 

has  to  catch  the  melon  without  ceasing  from  her  course,  and  the  first  has  to  throw  it 

len  she  fancies  that  the  second  is  off  her  guard.     Consequently,  she  makes  all  kinds  of 

is,  pretending  to  throw  the  melon  severed  times,  and  trying  to  deceive  by  every  means 

her  power.    If  the  second  girl  fails  in  catching  the  melon  the  first  retains  her  leader- 

ip,  but  if  she  succeeds  she  becomes  leader,  and  goes  through  the  same  niarceuvres. 

Jn  th's  way  the  melon  goes  round  and  round,  and  the  sport  is  continued  until  the 

icers  are  too  fatigued  to  continue  it. 

From  the  above  description  some  persons  might  fancy  that  this  dance  oifends  the  sense 

decorum.    It  does  not  so.     It  is  tnie  that  the  style  of  clothing  which  is  worn  by  the 

cers  is  not  according  to  European  notions,  but,  according  to  their  own  ideas,  it  is 

ivenient  and  according  to  usage.     Neither  is  there  anything  in  the  dance  itself  which 

ht  to  shock  a  rightly  constituted  mind.     It  is  simply  an  ebullition  of  youthful  spirits, 

has  nothing  in  common  with  dances  in  many  parts  of  the  world  which  are  avowedly 

intendedly  licentious,  and  which,  whether  accompanied  by  more  or  less  clothing  than 

worn  by  these  Hottentot  girls,  are  repulsive  rather  than  attractive  to  any  one  who 

!sses  any  amount  of  self-respect. 

In  this  instance  the  dance  is  conducted  in  perfect  innocence,  and  the  performers  have 
more  idea  of  impropriety  in  the  scanty  though  graceful  and  artistic  dress  they  wear, 
m  has  an  English  lady  at  appearing  with  her  face  unveiled.  As  long  as  clothing  is  not 
nipted,  it  does  not  seem  to  be  required,  but,  when  any  portion  of  European  clothing  is 
lunied,  the  whole  case  is  altered.  Mr.  Baines  narrates  a  little  corroborative  incident. 
was  travelling  in  a  wagon,  accompanied,  as  usual,  by  Hottentots  and  their  families. 
le  latter,  mostly  females,  were  walking  by  the  side  of  the  wagon,  wearing  no  costume 
'  the  slight  leathern  girdle. 

It  so  happened  that  some  old  shoes  were  thrown  out  of  the  wngon,  and  immediately 
Topriated  by  the  women,  who  have  an  absurd  hankering  after  European  apparel    No 

s2 


260 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


sooner  had  they  put  on  shoes  than  they  looked  naked.  They  had  not  done  so  teforp 
even  that  slight  amount  of  civilized  clothing  seemed  to  suggest  that  the  whole  bod  ' 
to  be  clothed  also,  and  so  strong  was  this  feeling  that  Mr.  Baines  found  nieans  of  reml 
the  obnoxious  articles  of  apparel. 

The  Hottentots  have  a  remarkable  game  which  they  call  by  the  name  of  Card-pL 
apparently  because  no  cards  are  used  in  it.    This  game  is  simply  an  exhibition  of  actii 
and  quickness  of  hand,  being  somewhat  similar  in  principle  to  our  own  boy's  game  of 
and  Even.    It  is  thus  described  by  Burchell : — 

"  At  one  of  the  tires  au  amusement  of  a  very  singular  and  nearly  unintelligible 
was  the  source  of  great  amusement,  not  only  to  the  performers  themselves,  but  to  a 


"^■-^.^i 


G^ 


CABD-PLAYINa 


bystanders.  I'hey  called  it  Card-playing,  a  word  in  this  instance  strangely  misapplj 
Two  Hottentots,  seated  opposite  each  other  on  the  ground,  were  vociferating,  as  if? 
rage,  some  particular  expressions  in  their  own  language :  laughing  violently,  throw 
their  bodies  on  either  side,  tossing  their  arms  in  all  directions — at  one  moment  witht 
hands  close  together,  at  another  stretched  out  wide  apart ;  up  in  the  air  at  one  tima 
in  an  instant  down  to  the  ground  ;  sometimes  with  them  closed,  at  other  times  exMbi^ 
them  open  to  their  opponent. 

"Frequently  in  the  heat  of  the  game  they  started  upon  their  knees,  falllLgl 
immediately  on  the  ground  again;  and  all  this  in  such  a  quick,  wild,  extraotdim 
manner,  that  it  was  impossible,  after  watching  their  motions  for  a  long  time,  to  dis 
the  nature  of  their  game,  or  to  comprehend  the  principle  on  which  it  was  founded,  i 
more  than  a  person  entirely  ignorant  of  the  moves  at  chess  could  learn  that  by  mei 
looking  on. 

"  This  is  a  genuine  Hottentot  game,  as  every  one  would  certainly  suppose,  on  i 
the  uncouth  manner  in  which  it  is  played.     It  is,  they  say,  of  great  antiquity,  i 
present  practised  only  by  such  as  have  preserved  some  portion  of  their  original  cu 
and  they  pretend  that  it  is  not  every  Hottentot  who  possesses  the  talent  necessaiyj 
playing  it  in  perfection. 

"I  found  some  difficulty  in  obtaining  an  intelligible  explanation,  but  learned  atl 
that  the  principle  consists   in   concealing  a  small   piece   of  stick  in  one  baDd 


INABILITY  TO  MEASURE  TIME. 


291 


mnsly  that  the  opponent  shall  not  be  able,  when  both  closed  hands  are  presented  to 

to  distinguish  in  which  it  is  held,  while  at  the  same  time  he  is  obliged  to  decide  by 

jjgn  or  motion  either  on  one  or  the  other.    As  soon  as  the  opponent  has  gained  a 

M  number  of  guesses,  he  is  considered  to  have  won  a  game,  and  it  then  becomes  his 

,to  take  the  stick,  and  display  his  ingenuity  in  concealing  it  and  in  deceiving  the 

•in  this  manner  the  games  are  continued  alternately,  often  the  whole  night  long,  or 

L[^g  players  are  exhausted  with  fatigue.    In  the  course  of  them  various  little  inci- 

s  either  of  ingenuity  or  of  -mistake,  occur  to  animate  their  exertions,  and  excite  the 

harmless  mirth  of  their  surrounding  friends."  The  reader  wUl  probably  see  the  close 

Iffliblance  between  this  game  played  by  the  Hottentots  of  Southern  Africa  and  the  well- 

luffnirame  of  "  Morro,"  that  is  so  popular  in  several  parts  of  Southern  Europe. 

J  The^Hottentot  seems  to  be  as  fond  of  a  practical  joke  as  the  Kaffir,  and  to  take  it 

Ijood-liumouredly.    On  one  occasion,  when  a  traveller  was  passing  through  Africa  with 

ffe  party,  several  of  the  Hottentots,  who  ought  to  have  been  on  the  watch,  contrived  to 

to  near  the  fire,  and  to  fall  asleep.    Some  of  their  companions  determined  to  give  them 

Ihoiough  fright,  and  to  recall  to  their  minds  that  they  ought  to  have  been  watching  and 

sleeping.    Accordingly,  they  went  ofif  to  a  little  distance,  and  shot  a  couple  of  Bosjes- 

I  arrows  close  to  the  sleepers. 

jDeep  as  is  a  Hottentot's  slumber,  he  can  shake  off  sleep  in  a  moment  at  the  approach 

[dancer,  and,  although  the  loudest  sound  will  not  wake  him,  provided  that  it  be  of  a 

J^  character,  an  almost  inaudible  sound  will  reach  his  ears,  provided  that  it  pre- 

er.    As  soon  as  the  sleeping  Hottentots  heard  the  twang  of  the  bow,  they  sprang 

'in  alwrn,  which  was  not  decreased  by  the  sight  of  the  arrows  falling  close  to  them, 

r  to  the  wagon  for  their  arms,  and  were  received  with  a  shout  of  laughter. 

However,  they  soon  had  their  revenge.  One  dark  evening,  the  young  men  were  ar msing 

selves  with  setting  fire  to  some  dried  reeds  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  camp. 

iOe  they  were  enjoying  the  waves  of  fire  as  they  rolled  along,  driven  by  the  wind, 

Hottentots  stole  behind  the  reeds,  and  with  the  shell  of  an  ostrich  egg  imitated  the 

rof  aa  approaching  lion  so  accurately,  that  the  young  men  began  to  shout  in  order 

j  drive  the  lion  away,  and  at  last  ran  to  the  camp  screaming  with  terror.     Of  course 

[e  songs  that  were  sung  in  the  camp  that  night  were  full  of  reference  to  Bosjesmaus 

[d  lions. 

The  Hottentot  has  a  constitutional  inability  to  compute  time.    A  traveller  can  never 

over  the  age  of  a  Hottentot,  partly  because  the  man  himself  has  not  the  least  notion 

'  his  age,  or  indeed  of  annual  computation  at  all,  and  partly  botnuse  a  Hottentot  looks 

I  old  at  thirty-five  as  at  sixty-five.     He  can  calculate  the  time  r>;  day  by  the  positioii  of 

ismi  with  regard  to  the  meridian,  but  his  memory  will  not   v.i-ve  him  so  far  as  to 

lable  him  to  compute  annual  time  by  the  height  of  the  Gun  ebove  the  ho':izon. 

A8  is  the  case  with  most  savage  races,  his  unit  of  time  is  the  Vivw  moon,  and  he  makes 

his  reckonings  of  time  to  consist  of  so  many  moons.     An  amusing  instance  of  this 

leficiency  is  given  by  Dr.  Lichtenstein,  in  his  "  Travels  in  South  Africa  :'  — 

"A  Hottentot,  in  particular,  engaged  our  attention  by  liiu  simplicity  \^ii.h  which  he 
^Id  his  story. 
"After  he  had  harangued  for  a  long  time  in  broken  Dutch,  we  collected  so  wiuch  as 
at  he  had  agreed  with  a  colonist  to  serve  him  for  a  certain  time,  at  fixed  wages,  as 
jeiidsman,  but  before  the  time  expired  they  had  parted  by  mutual  agreement.  The  dis- 
ute  was  how  much  of  the  time  remained  ;  consequently,  how  much  wages  the  master  had 
[right  to  deduct  from  the  sum  which  was  to  have  been  paid  for  the  whole  time. 

"To illustrate  this  matter,  the  Hottentot  gave  us  the  following  account: — 'My  Baas,' 
iidhe,  'wiU  have  it  that  I  was  to  serve  so  long '  (and  here  he  stretched  out  ?\i3  left  arm 
ad  hand,  and  laid  the  little  finger  of  his  right  hand  directly  under  the  arm) ;  'but  I  say 
bat  I  only  agreed  to  serve  so  long,'  and  here  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  tl'ie  joint  of  the 
eft.  Apparently,  he  meant  by  this  to  signify  that  the  proportion  of  the  time  h"-  Had  served 
ph  that  he  had  agreed  to  serve  was  the  same  as  the  proportion  of  what  he  pointed  out 
'  the  arm  to  the  whole  length  of  it.    At  the  same  time  he  showed  us  a  small  square 


•■\W..i 

p  ■■■■  if  1 
1  m 


i'«*'p 


1 


'.J 


262 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


M  )•: 


1^^ 


stick,  in  which,  at  every  full  moon,  he  had  made  a  little  notch,  with  a  double  one  at 
lull  moon  when  he  quitted  the  colonist's  service.  ' 

"  As  the  latter  was  present,  and  several  of  the  colonists  and  Hottentots,  who  attenl 
as  auditoi-s,  could  ascertain  exactly  the  time  of  entering  on  the  service,  the  concln 
was,  as  is  very  commonly  the  case,  that  both  the  master  and  the  servant  were  somen 
in  the  wrong  ;  that  the  one  reckoned  too  much  of  the  time  expired,  the  other  too  Htt 
and  that,  according  to  the  Hottentot's  mode  of  measuring,  the  time  expired  came  to  i 
the  knuckle. 

"  The  Hottentots  understand  no  other  mode  of  mea.suring  time  but  by  lunar  m 
and  days ;  they  have  no  idea  of  the  division  of  the  day  into  hours.    If  a  man  f 
Hottentot  how  far  it  is  to  such  or  such  a  place,  he  either  makes  no  answer,  or  poil 
to  a  certain  spot  in  the  heavens,  and  says : '  The  sun  will  be  there  when  you  get  to  it" 

Warfare  among  the  Hottentots  scarcely  df^serves  the  name,  because  we  can  k 
use  such  a  term  as  warfare  where  there  is  no  distinction  of  officer  or  private,  wl 
there  is  no  commander,  and  no  plan  of  action.    The  men  who  are  able  to  wield 
bow  and  arrow  advance  in  a  body  upon  the  enemy,  and  are  led  by  any  one  who  thjl 
himself  brave  enough  to  take  the  command.     When  they  come  to  close  quarters  u 
the  enemy,  every  one  tights  in  the  way  that  suits  himself  best,  without  giving  support] 
those  of  his  own  side,  or  expecting  it  from  his  comrades.    Even  the  chief  man  of  a  horl 
is  not  necessarily  the  leader,  and  indeed  his  authority  over  the  horde  is  more  nomil 
than  real     A  mere  boy  may  assume  the  leadership  of  the  expedition,  and,  if  M 
courageous  enough  to  take  the  lead,  he  may  keep  it  until  some  still  braver  warrior  com 
to  the  front. 

It  is  evident  that  such  warfare  is  merely  a  succession  of  skirmishes  or  duels,  mill 
as  was  the  case  in  the  days  of  Hector  and  Achilles,  each  soldiei  selecting  his  own  paj 
cular  adversary,  and  fighting  him  until  one  of  the  two  is  killed,  runs  away,  or  rendJ 
himself  prisoner.  1 

As  far  as  is  known,  the  Hottentots  never  made  war,  according  to  the  usual  acceptatiJ 
of  the  word.  If  insulted  or  aggrieved  by  having  their  cattle  stolen,  they  woiild  go  oBaJ 
make  reprisals,  but  they  had  no  idea  of  carrying  on  a  war  for  any  political  object.  Thi 
is  probably  the  reason  why  they  were  so  completely  overcome  by  the  Kaffir  tribes,  wU 
had  some  knowledge  of  warfare  as  an  art,  and  who  drove  them  further  and  further  awi 
from  their  own  domains,  until  their  nationality  was  destroyed,  and  they  were  reduced  I 
a  mere  aggregation  of  scattered  tribes,  without  ''.xiity,  and  consequently  without  power. 

Howuver  nationally  unwarlike  the  Hottentot  may  be,  and  however  incapable  he  nal 
be  of  military  organization,  he  can  be  made  into  a  soldier  who  is  not  only  useful,  bi[ 
unapproachable  in  his  own  peculiar  line.  Impatient,  as  a  rule,  of  military  discipline,  b 
hates  above  all  things  to  march  in  step,  to  go  through  the  platoon  exercise,  and  to  perfon 
those  mechanical  movements  which  delight  the  heart  of  a  drill-sergeant. 

He  is,  as  a  rule,  abhorrent  of  anything  like  steady  occupation,  and  this  tendency  i 
mind  incapacitates  him  from  being  an  agriculturist,  while  it  aids  in  qualifying  him  foi 
the  hunter's  life.  Now,  as  a  rule,  a  good  hunter  makes  a  good  soldier,  especially  of  ttil 
irregular  kind,  and  the  training  which  is  afforded  by  the  pursuit  of  the  fleet,  powerful] 
and  dangerous  beasts  of  Africa,  makes  the  Hottentot  one  of  the  best  ii-regular  soldiers  ia 
the  world. 

But  he  must  be  allowed  to  fight  in  his  own  way,  to  choose  his  own  time  for  attack, 
to  make  it  in  the  mode  that  suits  him  best,  and  to  run  away  if  flight  happens  to  stiil 
hira  better  than  battle.     He  has  not  the  least  idea  of  getting  himself  killed  or  woimdet 
on  mere  points  of  honour  ;  and  if  he  sees  that  the  chances  of  war  are  likely  to  go  ffiMcliI 
against  him,  he  quietly  retreats,  and  "  lives  to  tight  another  day."    To  this  mode  of  actionl 
he  is  not  prompted  by  any  feeling  of  fear,  but  merely  by  the  common-sense  view  of  1 
case.     His  business  is  to  kill  the  enemy,  and  he  means  to  do  it.    But  that  desirable  objeetl 
cannot  be  attained  if  he  allow.s  them  to  kill  him,  and  so  he  guards  himself  against  tkej 
latter  event  as  mucli  a«  possible. 

Indeed,  if  he  is  wounded  when  he  mii,'ht  liave  avoided  a  wound,  he  feels  heartilyl 
ashamed  of  himself  for  having  committed  such  an  error;  and  if  he  suceeeds  in  killing  orj 


TENACITY  OF  LIFE. 


268 


^diog  SQ  enemy  without  suffering  damage  himself,  he  glories  in  his  superior  ingenuity, 
j  makes  merry  over  the  stupidity  of  his  foe. 

Fear— 88  we  understand  the  word — has  very  little  influence  over  the  Hottentot  soldier, 

letherbe  be  trained  to  fight  with  the  white  man's  fire-arms,  or  whether  he  uses  the  bow 

2IX0W  of  his  primitive  life.    If  he  must  fight,  he  will  do  so  with  a  quiet  and  dogged 

ilour,  and  any  enemy  that  thinks  to  conquer  him  will  find  that  no  easy  task  lies 

^ore  him. 

jlr.  Christie  has  narrated  to  xn".  several  incidents  which  show  the  obstinate  courage 

iitb  which  a  Hottentot  can  fight  w  len  pressed.    One  of  them  is  as  follows  :    ' 

"During  the  Kaffir  war  of  184  ,  a  body  of  Hottentots  were  surrounded  by  a  large 

jty  of  Kaffirs,  and,  after  a  severe  struggle,  succeeded  in  cutting  their  way  through  their 

irk  foes.    One  of  the  Hottentots,  however,  happened  to  be  wounded  near  the  spine,  so 

jatbe  lost  the  use  of  his  legs,  and  could  not  stand.    Even  though  suffering  under  this 

kere  injury,  he  would  not  surrende    but  dragged  himself  to  an  ant-hill,  and  supported 

iback  against  it,  so  that  his  arms     ei'e  at  liberty. 

"In  this  position  he  continued    )  load  and  fire,  though  completely  exposed  to  the 
Inllets  and  assagais  of  the  Kaffirs.    }~ )  true  was  his  aim,  even  under  these  circumstances, 
tat  he  killed  and  wounded  a  consi  lerable  number  of  them ;  and,  when  a  reinforcing 
•tvcame  to  their  help,  the  brave  f(  low  was  at  the  point  of  death,  but  still  breathing, 
Itough  his  body  was  completely  riddk  d  with  bullets,  and  cut  to  pieces  with  spears." 

This  anocdote  also  serves  to  show  the  extraordinaiy  tenacity  of  life  possessed  by  this 
jgce— a  tenacity  which  seems  to  rival  that  of  the  lower  reptiles.  On  one  occasion,  Mr. 
Christie  was  in  a  surgeon's  house  in  Graharastown,  when  a  Hottentot  walked  in,  and 
isked  the  surgeon  to  look  at  his  head,  which  had  been  damaged  on  the  previous  night 
ij;  a  blow  from  a  knob-kerry. 

He  took  off  his  hat  and  the  handkerchief  which,  according  to  custom,  was  wrapped 
■ound  his  head,  and  exhibited  an  injury  which  would  have  killed  most  Europeans  on  the 
Ipot,  and  certainly  would  have  prostrated  them  utterly.  On  the  crown  of  his  head  there 
ifas  a  circular  wound,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  more  than  Jialf  an  inch  deep,  the 
one  having  been  driven  down  on  the  brain  by  a  blow  from  the  heavy  knob  of  the 
ifeapon. 

The  depressed  part  of  the  skull  was  raised  as  well  as  could  be  done,  and  the  re- 
nainder  cut  away.  The  operation  being  over,  the  man  replaced  his  hat  and  handkerchief, 
land  walked  away,  apparently  little  the  worse  for  his  accident,  or  the  operation  which 
Bucceeded  it. 

On  another  occasion,  the  same  fjentleman  saw  a  Hottentot  wagon-driver  fall  from  his 
Jseat  under  the  wheels.  One  of  tho  fore-wheels  passed  over  his  neck,  and,  as  the  v.-agon 
(was  loaded  with  some  two  tons  of  firewood,  it  might  be  supposed  that  the  man  was 
on  the  spot.  To  the  surprise  of  the  beholder,  he  was  not  only  alive  when  free  of 
Ithe  wheel,  but  had  }:;  jsence  of  mind  to  roll  out  of  the  way  of  the  hind  wheel,  which 
jotherwise  must  have  gone  over  him.  Mr.  Christie  ran  to  him,  and  helped  him  to  his  feet. 
Iln  answer  to  anxious  questions,  he  said  that  he  was  not  much  hurt,  except  by  some 
Ismail  stones  which  had  been  forced  into  his  skin,  and  which  he  asked  Mr.  Christie  to 
jreniove.  Indeed,  these  men  seem  not  only  to  be  tenacious  of  life,  but  to  suffer  very  little 
Ipaiufrom  injuries  that  would  nearly  kill  a  white  man,  or  at  all  events  would  cause  him 
Ito  be  nearly  dead  with  pain  alone. 

I    Yet,  callous  as  they  are  to  bodily  injuries,  thej'  seem  to  be  peculiarly  susceptible  to 
jpoison  that  mixes  with  the  blood,  and  if  bitten  by  a  snake,  or  wounded  by  a  poisoned 
jarrow,  to  have  very  nmch  less  chance  of  life  than  a  European  under  similar  conditions. 
I    We  will  conclude  this  history  of  the  Hottentots  with  a  few  remarks  on  their  treatment 
[of  sickness  and  their  burial  of  the  dead. 

When  Hottentots  are  ill  they  obey  the  instinct  which  seems  to  be  implanted  equally 

I  in  man  and  beast,  and  separate  themselves  from  their  fellows.    Sometimes  they  take  the 

trouble  to  have  a  small  hut  erected  at  a  distance  from  the  kraal,  but  in  all  cases  they  keep 

themselves  aloof  as  far  as  possible,  and  do  not  mix  with  their  companions  until  their 

health  is  restored.  Of  professional  physicians  they  know  nothing,  and  have  in  this  respect 


■jli  ''If 


'W 


,  iT 


/ 

'I 

'A 

4 

^ 

Wp 

ifi 

tj.'.'iL 

»4i' 

^  ■ 


ft 

v|hM^^Hm| 

"i 

iU 

fe' 

;'~™|ffl 

^1^ 

K* 

'     t   ijt- ft' 

•i 

m^ 

M^ 

>i^/,(if  "m^ 

t 

■MB&     -^ 

'A 

^^■r^  "    '         ^t  v^i 

i-^ 

mM 

am-^       '><> 

264 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


i&iH-  i: 


Is.,' 


a  decided  advantage  over  the  KafArs,  who  are  horribly  tormented  in  their  hours  of  sickna 
by  the  witch-doctur,  who  tries,  by  all  kinds  of  noisy  incantations,  to  drive  out  the 
spirit  which  is  tormenting  the  sick  man. 

There  are  certainly  some  men  among  them  who  possess  a  kind  of  knowledoe  on 
pharmacy,  and  these  men  are  liberal  enough  of  their  advice  and  prescriptions.  BuUheJ 
do  not  form  a  distinct  order  of  men,  nor  do  they  attempt  to  work  cures  by  superhun 
means.  They  are  mbre  successful  in  treating  wounds  and  bodily  injuries  than  in  th4 
management  of  diseases,  because  in  the  former  case  there  is  something  tangible  vithi 
which  they  can  cope,  whereas  they  cannot  see  a  disease,  nor  can  they  produce  any  inuQe.! 
diate  aod  visible  effect,  as  is  the  case  with  a  bodily  injury. 

Sometimes  a  curious  kind  of  ceremony  seems  to  be  performed,  which  is  proW 
analogous  to  the  shampooing  that  is  in  vogue  in  many  parts  of  the  earth.  The  patientl 
lies  prostrate  while  a  couple  of  women,  one  on  either  side,  pound  and  knead  him  witj 
their  closed  fists,  at  the  same  time  uttering  loud  cries  close  to  his  ear.  This  apparentlrl 
rough  treatment  seems  to  have  some  amount  of  efficacv  in  it,  as  Sparrman  mentions  tliatl 
he  has  seen  it  practised  on  the  apparently  lifeless  body  of  a  young  man  who  eventuaHyl 
recovered.  I 

Of  all  diseases  the  Hottentots  dread  nothing  so  much  as  the  small-pox ;  and  if  asinnlel 
member  of  the  horde  be  taken  with  it  they  leave  him  in  his  hut,  strike  all  their  habiLl 
tioia.  ciiid  move  off  mto  the  desert,  where  they  remain  until  they  think  that  the  danoerisl 
past  All  ties  of  relationship  and  affection  are  broken  through  by  this  dread  malady,  fui| 
wh-  1  they  know  no  cure,  and  which  always  rages  with  tenfold  violence  among  savacej.! 
Tu  1  idband  will  abandon  his  wife,  and  even  the  mother  her  children,  in  the  hope  ofl 
«heckuig  the  spread  of  the  disorder,  and  the  wretched  sufferers  are  left  to  perish  either! 
iVom  i '  i  disease  itself  or  from  privation.  I 

Wion  a  Hottentot  dies  the  funeral  is  conducted  without  any  ceremony.  The  body  \i\ 
ilisa  !  ia  as  small  a  compass  as  possible, —indeed,  into  tiie  attitude  that  is  assuniejl 
duji;  '  ieep,  and  the  limbs  and  head  are  iirmly  tied  together.  A  worn-out  kaross  is  I 
then  loiied  round  the  body,  and  carefully  arranged  so  as  to  conceal  it  entirely.  The  place  I 
of  burial  is,  with  certain  exceptions,  chosen  at  a  distance  from  the  kraal,  and  the  corpse  is  | 
then  placed  in  the  gmve,  which  is  never  of  any  great  depth. 

Earth  is  then  thrown  on  the  body ;  and  if  there  are  any  stones  near  the  spot,  they  are  I 
mixed  with  the  earth,  and  heaped  above  the  grave  in  order  to  defend  it  from  the  hyienasl 
and  jackals,  which  are  sure  to  discover  that  an  interment  has  takon  place.  If  stones  I 
cannot  be  found,  thorn-bushes  are  used  for  the  same  purpose.  Generally,  the  grave  is  so  I 
shallow,  and  the  stones  are  so  few,  that  the  whole  process  of  burial  is  practically  rendered  I 
nugatory,  and  before  another  day  has  dawned  the  hysenas  and  jackals  have  scattered  tiie  I 
frail  defences,  dug  up  the  body,  and  devoured  it. 

Should  the  head-man  of  the  kraal  die,  there  are  great  wailings  throughout  the  kiaal  I 
These  cries  are  begun  by  the  family,  taken  up  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  village,  and  the 
whole  night  is  spent  in  loud  bowlings  and  lamentation.     His  body  is  usually  buried  in 
the  middle  of  the  cattle-pen,  as  it  is  a  safe  place  as  long  as  the  cattle  are  in  it,  which  are 
watched  throughout  the  night,  and  over  his  remains  a  considerable  pile  of  stones  is  I 
raised. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OB  BUSHMAN. 


'•   I 


or  THB  KAHK — THBOBtKS  SK^PECTINO  THEIR  OBIOIK — THBIB  LAKGUAOB  Ain>  ITS  FECTT- 
jjABIXnS  —  THE  OESTUBB-LANOUAGE — SMALL  8IZB  OF  THB  B08JE9HAN8 — THEIR  COMPLEXION 
AND  aKNBBAL  APPEABANCB — A  BTBANOE  VI8IT0B — THB  BOSJESMAN'b  PIPE  AND  MODE  OF  SMOKING 
_8AID  TO  HAVE  NO  NAMES,  AND  NO  DISTINCTIONS  OF  BANK  —  SOCIAL  L!FB  AMONG  THB 
B0UK8UANS — MATRIMONY  AtfD  ITS  TROUBLES — INOmDUALITT  OF  THE  BOSJESMAN — HIS  INDIF- 
FBBKMCB  TO  PAIN — A  CULPRIT  ADD  HU  PUNISHMENT — DBE88  OF  BOTH  BBXB8 — THR  BOBJBSMAM 
nOM  INFANCY  TO  AQB.  .  . 


<We  novir  come  to  a  singular  race  of  human  beings,  inhabiting  various  parts  of  Southern 
Africa,  and  being  evidently  allied  to  the  Hottentots.  They  are  called  Bosjesiuans  by 
the  Dutch  settlers.  This  word  is  pronounced  Bushes-man,  and  is  popularly  contracted 
into  Bushman, — a  word  which  is,  indeed,  an  exact  translation  of  the  Dutch  title.  As, 
however,  several  groups  of  savages  in  different  parts  of  the  world  are  called  Bushmen,  we 
vill  letain  the  original  Dutch  nama 

Respecting  the  precise  relationship  there  are  three  distinct  theories.  The  first  is,  that 
they  are  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  upon  whom  the  Hottentots  have  improved ;  the  second 
is,  that  they  are  degenerate  offshoots  of  the  Hottentot  race ;  and  the  third  is,  that  they 
form  a  totally  distinct  group  of  mankind.  On  the  whole,  I  am  inclined  rather  to  accept 
the  theory  that  they  ai-e  a  variety  of  the  Hottentot  race,  which  they  closely  resemble  iu 
many  particulars.  The  peculiar  form  of  the  countenance,  the  high  cheek-bones,  the  little 
contracted  eyes,  and  the  long  narrow  chin,  are  all  characteristics  of  the  Hottentot  race. 
The  colour  of  the  skin,  too,  is  not  black,  but  yellow,  and  even  paler  than  that  of  the 
Hottentot,  and  the  women  are  notable  for  that  peculiarity  of  form  which  has  already  been 
noticed. 

Their  language  much  resembles  that  of  the  Hottentots  in  sound,  the  characteristic 
"click"  being  one  of  its  peculiarities.  But,  whereas  the  Hottentots  generally  content 
themselves  with  one  click  in  a  word,  the  Bosjesman  tribes  erriploy  it  with  every  syllable, 
and  have  besides  a  kind  of  croaking  sound  produced  in  the  throat,  which  is  not  used  by 
the  Hottentots,  and  which  they  find  the  greatest  difficulty  in  imitating. 

But  though  their  tongue  resembles  the  langiiage  of  the  Hottentots  in  sound,  the  words 
of  the  two  languages  are  totally  different,  so  that  a  Hottentot  is  quite  as  much  at  a  loss  to 
understand  a  Bosjesman  as  would  be  ^a  European.  Even  the  various  tribes  of  Bosjesmans 
differ  much  in  their  language,  each  tribe  having  a  dialect  of  their  own,  and  even  changing 
their  dialect  in  the  course  of  a  few  years.  This  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the 
hordes  or  families  of  Bosjesmans  have  but  little  intercourse  with  each  otliti,  and  remain 
as  widely  separated  as  pobsible,  so  that  they  shall  not  interfere  with  the  hunting-grounds 
of  their  fellow-tribesmen. 

In  their  conversation  among  each  other  also,  they  are  continually  inventing  new 
words.    Intellectually,  they  are  but  children,  and,  like  children,  the  more  voluble  conde- 


266 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


W. . , 


scend  to  the  weakness  of  those  ^t^ho  cannot  talk  as  well  as  themselves,  and  accept  the' 
imperfect  words  as  integral  parts  of  their  language.    So  imperfect,  indeed,  is  tho  laniniaw 
of  the  Bosjesmans,  that  even  those  of  the  same  horde  often  find  a  difficulty  in  und 
standing  each  other  without  the  use  of  gesture ;  and  at  night,  when  a  party  of  BosiesniaT  I 
are  smoking,  dancing,  and  talking,  they  are  obliged  to  keep  up  a  fire  so  as  to  be  able  bv 
its  light  to  see  the  explanatory  gestures  of  their  companions.  '  | 

Like  many  other  savage  nations,  they  possess  a  gesture-language  which  is  univer 
sally  understood,  even  where  words  are  quite  unintelligible,  and  by  means  of  this  lanmiaia 
a  European  can  make  himself  iinderstood  by  them,  even  though  he  does  not  kuowa 


'■I 


GKOUF  07  BOSJESUANS  AlO)  CAHP. 


word  of  their  spoken  language.  When  a  Bosjesman  is  speaking,  he  uses  a  profusion  of 
gestures,  animated,  graphic,  and  so  easily  intelligible  that  a  person  who  is  wholly  ignorant 
of  the  language  can  readily  follow  his  meaning.  I  have  heard  a  Bosjesman  narrate  the 
manner  in  which  he  hunted  different  animals,  and,  although  the  precise  v/ords  which  he 
employed  were  unknown  to  me,  the  whole  process  of  the  chase  was  rendered  perfectly 
intelligible.  Perhaps  some  of  my  readers  may  remember  that  the  late  Gordon  Cuniininj,' 
was  accompanied  by  a  Bosjesman  named  Ruyter.  This  little  man  survived  the  perils  of 
the  desert,  he  escaped  from  the  claws  of  a  lion  which  dragged  his  companion  from  the 
blanket  in  which  the  two  were  rolled,  and  lived  for  some  years  in  England.  He  was  an 
admirable  actor,  and  would  sometimes  condescend  to  display  his  wonderful  powers.  It  is 
scarcely  possible  to  imagine  anything  more  graphic  than  Ruyter's  acted  description  of  a 
lion  stealing  into  the  camp,  and  the  consternation  of  the  different  animals  which  found 
themselves  in  such  close  proximity  to  their  dreaded  enemy.    The  part  of  each  animal  was 


COMPLEXION  AND  GENERAL  APPEARANCE 


m 


enaciou  in  turn  by  Ruvter,  whose  oest  rdles  were  those  of  the  lion  himself  and  a  tame 
liaboon— 'the  voices  and  action  of  both  animals  being  imitated  with  startling  accuracy. 

The  Bosjesmans  differ  from  the  true  Hottentots  in  point  of  size,  being  so  snuill  as  to 
deserve  the  name  of  a  nation  of  pigmies,  being,  on  the  average,  venr  little  above  five  feet 
in  height,  while  some  of  the  women  are  seven  or  eight  inches  snorter.  This  does  not 
apply  to  the  Kora  Bosjesmans,  who  are  about  five  feet  four  or  five  inches  in  height.  Still, 
tDUiU  as  they  are,  there  is  no  proof  either  that  they  have  degenerated  from  the  ancient 
jlock,  which  is  represented  by  the  true  Hottentot,  or  that  they  represent  thb  ciginal 
ttocki  on  which  tne  Hottentots  have  improved,  and  it  is  more  likely  that  they  simply 
coustitute  a  group  of  the  Hottentot  race. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  their  colour  is  rather  more  yellow  than  dark.  This  curioua 
fairness  of  complexion  in  a  South  African  race  is  even  more  stronglv  marked  than  is  the 
case  among  the  Hottentots,  although  in  their  native  state  it  is  scarcely  so  conspicuous. 

The  fact  is,  that  the  Bosjesmans  think  fresh  water  far  too  valuable  to  be  used  for 
ablutions,  and,  by  way  of  a  succedaneum  for  a  bath,  rub  themselves  with  grease,  not 
removing  the  original  layer,  but  adding  a  fresh  one  whenever  they  make  their  toilets. 
Tims  they  attract  the  smoke  of  the  fire  over  which  they  love  to  crouch  at  night,  and  when 
tjiey  are  performing  the  operation  which  they  are  pleased  to  consider  as  cooking,  the 
smoke  settles  on  their  bodies,  and  covers  them  with  a  sooty-black  hue  that  makes  them 
appear  nearly  as  dark  as  the  Kaffirs. 

There  is  generally,  however,  a  tolerably  clean  spot  under  each  eye,  which  is  caused  by 
tlie  How  of  tears  consequent  on  snufT-taking. .  But  when  well  washed,  their  skins  are 
wonderfully  fair,  and  therefore  the  Bosjesmans  who  visit  this  country,  and  who  are  obliged 
to  wash  themselves,  give  very  little  idea  of  the  appearance  of  these  curious  beings  in  their 
'Dative  state. 

Of  the  ordinary  appearance  of  the  Bosjesman  in  his  normal  state,  a  good  description 
is  given  by  Dr.  Lichstenstein,  in  his  well-known  work  on  Southern  Al'rica : — 

"After  some  hours  two  Bosjesmans  appeared,  who  saluted  us  with  their  T'aheh,  asked 
for  tobacco,  and  having  received  it,  seated  themselves  behind  a  bush,  by  a  little  fire,  to 
revel  at  their  ease  in  the  delights  of  smoking.  I  devoted  a  considerable  time  to  observing 
tiiese  men  very  accurately,  and  cannot  forbear  saying  that  a  Bosjesman,  certainly  in  hia 
mien  and  all  his  gestures,  has  more  resemblance  to  an  ape  than  a  man. 

"  One  of  our  present  guests,  who  appeared  about  fifty  years  of  age,  had  grey  hair  and 
a  bristly  beard ;  his  forehead,  nose,  cheeks,  and  chin  were  all  smeared  over  with  black 
grease,  having  only  a  white  circle  round  the  eye,  washed  clean  with  the  tears  occasioned 
by  smoking.    This  man  had  the  true  physiognomy  of  the  small  blue  ape  of  Kaffraria. 

"  What  gave  the  more  verity  to  such  a  comparison  was  the  vivacity  of  his  eyes,  and 
the  flexibility  of  his  eyebrows,  which  he  worked  up  and  down  with  every  change  of 
countenance.  Even  his  nostrils  and  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  even  his  very  ears  moved 
involuntarily,  expressing  his  hasty  transitions  from  eager  desire  to  watchful  distrust 
tliere  was  not,  on  the  contrary,  a  single  feature  in  his  countenance  that  evinced  a 
consciousness  of  mental  powers,  or  anything  that  denoted  emotions  of  the  mind  of  a 
milder  character  than  belongs  to  man  in  his  mere  animal  nature. 

"  When  a  piece  of  meat  was  given  him,  half  rising,  he  stretched  out  a  distrustful  artn, 
snatched  it  hastily,  and  stuck  it  immediately  into  the  fire,  peering  around  with  his  little 
keen  eyes,  as  if  fearing  lest  some  one  should  take  it  away  again.  All  this  was  done  with 
such  looks  and  gestures,  that  any  one  must  have  been  ready  to  swear  that  he  had  taken 
the  example  of  them  entirely  from  an  ape. 

"  He  soon  took  the  meat  from  the  embers,  wiped  it  hastily  upon  his  left  arm,  and  tore 
out  with  his  teeth  large  half-raw  bits,  which  I  could  see  going  entire  down  his  meagre 
tliroat.  At  length,  when  he  came  to  the  bones  and  sinew,  as  he  »;ould  not  manage  these 
with  his  teeth,  he  had  recourse  to  a  knife  which  was  hanging  vound  his  neck,  and  with 
this  he  cut  off'  the  piece  which  he  held  in  his  teeth,  close  to  the  mouth,  without  touching 
Ills  nose  or  eyes — a  feat  of  dexterity  which  a  person  with  a  Celtic  countenance  could  not 
easily  have  performed.       • 

"  When  the  bone  was  picked  clean,  he  stuck  it  again  into  the  fire,  and,  after  beating 


I 


0 


M' 


<§ 


'    V.      I 


'V"#.^. 


268 


THE  HOTTENTOT. 


it  between  two  stones,  sucked  out  the  marrow.  This  done,  he  inmediately  filled  the 
emptied  buue  with  tobacco. 

"  I  offered  him  a  clay  pipe,  which  he  declined,  and,  taking  the  thick  bone  a  loni?  way 
into  ijis  mouth,  he  drew  in  the  smoke  by  long  draughts,  his  eyes  sparkling  like  those  of  a 
person  who,  wi.  h  more  than  usual  pleasure,  drinks  a  glass  of  costly  wino.  After  three  or 
four  draughts,  htr  handed  the  bone  to  his  countryman,  who  inhaled  three  -r  four  month. 
fuls  in  like  manner,  and  then  stuck  it,  still  burning,  into  his  pouch,  to  oe  reserved  for 
£u^"»^  occasions." 

liiis  very  simple  pipe  is  preferred  by  the  Busjesman  to  any  other  ^  .(iV)al:)ly  becaruehe 
can  take  in  a  larger  quantity  of  smoke  at  a  single  inhalation  than  could  Ic  the  coae  if  he 
were  to  use  the  small-bored  pipe  of  civilization.  Reeds,  hollow  sticks,  and  similar  objects 
are  used  for  the  same  purpose.  Sometimes  the  Bosjesnian  inhales  the  uhnle  of  the  sriiuko 
into  his  lungs,  ainl  tako  draught  after  draught  with  such  eagerness,  that  he  falls  down  ia 
a  state  of  insensibility,  and  has  to  be  restored  to  consciousness  by  being  rolled  on  the 
ground,  and  having  water  thrown  over  him. 

This  is  certainly  an  cc' iiomical  mode  of  consuming  the  tobacco,  as,  la  this  manner,;, 
single  pipeful  will  serve  to  intoxicate  several  smokoi-s  in  succession.  As  is  the  case  with 
other  savages,  the  Fo.sjosman  has  but  little  idea  of  using  a  luxury  in  moderation.  The 
chief  value  of  tobat  ;o  is,  iu  a  Bosjesman's  eyes,  its  intoxicating  power,  and  he  therefore 
smokes  with  the  avowed  i<  tentiuti  of  being  intoxicated  as  soon  as  possible,  and  with  the 
lea.st  expenditure  of  matti  iL 

It  is  stated  by  old  travellers  who  have  had  much  intercourse  with  the  Bosjesman8,that 
they  have  no  nunes  by  which  difJerent  individuals  are  distinguished.  This  may  possibly 
be  t!ie  case,  an  f  so,  it  denotes  ,i  depth  >f  degradation  which  can  scarcely  be  conceived. 
But  ■  the  liosjesinans  are  not  without  the  avernf,'*'  share  of  intellect  which,  in  their  pecu- 
liar conditions,  they  could  ?  •  expected  to  possess,  it  is  possible  that  the  statement  may 
be  rather  too  .sweeping.  It  is  well  known  that  among  many  savage  nations  in  different 
pai ;  s  of  the  oarth,  there  is  a  great  disinclination  to  allow  the  name  to  be  known. 

As  has  already  been  mentioned,  the  Kaffirs  will  not  allow  a  stranger  to  hear  their 
true  names,  and,  if  asked  for  their  n^uies.  will  only  entrust  him  with  their  titles,  hut  never 
with  their  true  nanios.  It  is tlierei'ore  very  probable  that  the  Bosjesmans  maybe  actuated 
by  similar  motives,  and  pretonil  to  have  no  names  at  all,  rather  than  take  the  trouble  of 
inventi  .g  fa)  onr-s.  They  have  not  the  least  objection  to  tiiVo  European  names,  mostly 
prefening  those  ol  "Dvi'.ch  parentage,  such  as  Ruyter,  Kleinboy,  Andries, Booy,  &c.;  and 
as  they  clearly  c  )mprchend  that  those  names  are  used  iu  order  to  distinguish  them 
from  their  fellows,  it  seems  scjmjely  possible  to  believe  that  they  have  not  some  nomen- 
clature among  themselves. 

Whatever  may  be  the  case  with  regard  to  their  names,  it  is  certain  that  the  Bosjes- 
mans have  no  idea  of  distinctions  in  rank,  differing,  however,  from  the  natives  which 
surround  them.  The  Kaffir  tribes  are  remarkable  jfor  the  elaborate  code  of  etiquette 
which  they  possess,  and  which  could  not  exist  unless  social  distinctions  were  definitely 
marked.  The  Hottentots  have  their  head-men,  who  possess  .  upreme  power  in  the  kraal, 
though  they  do  not  exhibit  any  external  mark  of  dignity.  But  the  Bosjesman  has  not 
the  least  notion  of  rank,  and  affords  the  most  complete  example  of  anarchic  hfe  that 
can  be  conceived. 

In  the  small  hordes  of  Bosjesmans  who  wander  about  the  country,  there  is  no  chief, 
and  not  even  a  head-uian.  E'^h  horde,  as  a  general  rule,  consists  of  a  single  family, 
unless  members  of  other  hordes  may  choose  to  leave  their  own  friends  and  join  it.  But 
the  father  of  the  family  is  not  recognised  as  its  head,  much  less  does  he  exercise  any 
power.  The  leadership  of  the  kraal  belongs  to  the  strongest,  and  he  only  holds  it  until 
some  one  stronger  than  himself  dispossesses  him. 

It  is  the  same  with  the  social  relations  of  life. 

Among  the  Kaffirs  and  Hottentots — especially  among  the  former — the  women  are 
jealously  watched,  and  infidelity  to  the  marriage  compact  is  severely  punished.  This, 
however,  is  not  the  case  with  the  Bosjesmans,  who  scarcely  seem  to  recognise  any  such 
compact,  the  marriage  tie  being  dissoluble  at  the  will  of  the  husband.    Al^ough  the  man 


.t'j 


WAGON-DKIVINO. 


adergone  no  change  for  many 
upon  him.   ,Tlie  Kaffira,  the 
iiitiy,  and  have  driven  him 
lurof  these  powerful  foes, 


kcin  divorce  his  wife  whenever  he  chooses,  the  woman  docs  not  possess  the  same 
[puwer— not  because  either  party  has  anv  regard  to  the  marriage  tie,  but  because 
'  fe  is  th)  stronger  of  the  two,  aud  would  beat  her  if  she  tried  to  go  away  without  liis 

permiMiou- 

Even  if  a  couple  should  be  pleased  with  each  other,  and  do  not  wish  to  separate,  they 
cannot  be  sure  that  they  will  be  allowed  to  remain  together ;  for  if  a  man  who  is  stronger 
than  the  husband  chooses  to  take  a  fancy  to  the  wife,  he  will  take  her  away  by  force,  and 
keep  her,  unless  some  one  still  stronger  than  himself  happens  to  think  that  she  will  suit 
his  tasta  As  to  the  woman  herself,  she  is  not  consulted  on  the  subject,  and  is  either 
mveu  up  or  retained  without  the  least  reference  to  her  feelings.  It  is  a  curious  fact,  that 
in  the  various  dialects  of  the  Bosjesmans,  there  are  no  words  that  express  the  distinction 
between  an  unmarried  girl  or  wife,  one  word  being  indiscriminately  used. 

In  this  extraordinary  social  conditio',  the  Bosjesman  seems  to  have  lived  for  centuries, 
and  the  earliest  travellers  in  Southern  Africa,  who  wrote  accounts  of  the  inhabitants  of 
that  strange  land,  have  given  descriptions  which  exactly  tally  with  narratives  which  have 
been  published  within  the  last  few  years. 

The  character  of  the  true  Bosjesman  seems  to  hn^ 
hundreds  of  years.     Civilization  has  made  no  impn 
Dutch,  and  the  English  have  in  turn  penetrated  into 
further  into  the  wilderness,  but  he  has  never  submittt 
Dorhas  he  condescended  to  borrow  from  them  any  of  the  arts  of  civilization. 

Both  Kaffirs  and  Hottentots  have  been  in  so  far  subjected  to  the  inroads  of  civilization 
that  they  have  placed  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  white  colonists,  and  have 
learned  from  them  to  substitute  the  blanket  for  the  kaross,  and  the  gun  for  the  spear  or 
aiTDv?.  They  have  also  acted  as  domestic  servants  to  the  white  men,  voluntarily  hiring 
themselves  for  pay,  and  performing  their  work  with  willingness.  But  the  Bosjesman  has 
preserved  his  individuality,  and  while  the  Hottentots  have  become  an  essentially  sub- 
servient race,  and  the  Kaffirs  have  preferred  vassalage  to  independence,  he  is  still  the  wild 
man  of  the  desert,  as  free,  as  untameable,  as  he  was  a  thousand  years  ago. 

Kaffirs,  Dutch,  and  English  have  taken  young  Bosjesmans  into  their  service,  llie 
two  former  have  made  them  their  slaves  ;  the  latter  has  tried  to  educate  them  into  paid 
servants.  Bat  they  have  been  equally  unsuccessful,  and  the  Bosjesman  servant  cannot, 
as  the  saying  is,  be  trusted  further  than  he  can  be  seen,  and,  by  a  wise  master,  not  so  far. 
His  wild  nature  is  strong  within  him,  and,  unless  closely  watched,  he  is  apt  to  throw 
off  all  appearance  of  civilization,  and  return  to  the  privations  and  the  freedom  of  his 
native  state. 

The  principal  use  to  which  a  Bosjesman  servant  is  put  is  to  serve  the  office  of  "  fore- 
louper,"  i.e.  the  guide  to  the  oxen. 

When  a  wagon  is  harnessed  with  its  twelve  or  fourteen  oxen,  the  driver  sits  on  the 
box— which  really  is  a  box — and  wields  a  most  formidable  whip,  but  has  no  reins,  his 
office  being  to  urge,  and  not  to  guide.  His  own  department  hi  fulfils  with  a  zest  all 
bis  own.  His  terrific  whip,  with  a  handle  like  a  salmon-rod,  and  a  lash  nearly  as  long 
as  its  line,  can  reach  the  foremost  oxen  of  the  longest  team,  and,  when  wielded  by  an 
experienced  driver,  can  cut  a  deep  gash  in  the  animal's  hide,  as  if  a  knife,  and  not  a 
whip,  had  been  used. 

A  good  driver  can  deliver  his  stroke  with  equal  certainty  upon  the  furthest  ox  or  upon 
those  that  are  just  beneath  him,  and  so  well  are  the  oxen  aware  of  this,  that  the  mere 
whistle  of  the  Plaited  cord  through  the  air,  or  the  sharp  crack  of  its  lash,  will  cause  every 
ox  in  the  teaiu  to  bend  itself  to  its  work,  as  if  it  felt  the  stinging  blow  across  its  back, 
and  the  hot  blood  trickling  down  its  sides. 

But  the  driver  will  not  condescend  to  guide  the  animals,  that  task  being  considered 
the  lowest  to  which  a  human  being  can  be  put,  and  which  is  in  consequence  handed  over 
to  a  Hottentot  boy,  or,  preferably,  to  a  Bosjesman.  The  "  fore-loupr'e  "  business  is  to 
walk  just  in  front  of  the  leading  oxen,  and  to  pick  out  the  track  which  is  most  suitable  for 
the  wheels.  There  is  now  before  me  a  beautiful  photograph  of  a  harnessed  wagon,  with 
the  driver  on  his  seat,  and  the  fore-louper  in  his  place  in  front  of  the  oxen.    He  is  a  very 


i 


^H^^^^^H|^  .^~  M^  _„ 

C!l 

.ffifiSflPttiiElP^ 

IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


-J^.^^i^ 


A* 


^     ^ 


^Z^ 

^4^ 


1.0 


1.1 


lis  ^^     i^B 

itt  I2ii   12.2 

12.0 


14^0 


M 


|l.25  ,1 U   ,  L6 

< 

6"     

► 

^ 


A* 


4 


Photografiiic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


-<^> 


^^^ 


79  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  145S0 

(716)S72-4S03 


'^ 


^ 


270 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


little  man,  about  four  feet  six  inches  in  height,  and,  to  judge  from  his  &ce,  may  be  of  m\ 
age  from  sixteen  to  sixty. 

How  the  fore-louper  will  sometimes  behave,  if  he  thinks  that  his  master  is  not  l. 
experienced  traveller,  may  be  seen  from  the  following  account  by  a  traveller  viho  ^\ 
already  been  quoted : —  I 

"  My '  leader '  (as  the  boy  is  called  who  leads  the  two  front  oxen  of  the  span),  on  nyl 
first  wagon  journey,  was  a  Bushman;  he  was  about  four  feet  high,  and  decidedly  thai 
ugliest  specimen  of  the  human  race  I  ever  beheld,  without  being  deformed  in  body  otl 
limbs ;  the  most  prominent  feature  in  his  face  was  the  mouth,  with  its  huge,  thick,  sensuil 
lips.  The  nose  could  scarcely  be  called  a  projection ;  at  all  events,  it  was  far  less  digtiQ.j 
guishable  in  the  outline  of  the  side  face  than  the  mouth ;  it  was  an  inverted  (or  concave)  I 
Boman, — ^that  is  to  say,  the  bridge  formed  a  curve  inwards ;  the  nostrils  were  very  wide! 
and  open,  so  that  you  seemed,  by  means  of  them,  to  look  a  considerable  distance  into! 
his  head. 

"  With  regara  to  the  eyes,  I  am  guilty  of  no  exaggeration  when  I  assert  that  yon 
could  not  see  the  eyeballs  at  all  as  you  looked  at  his  profile,  but  only  the  hollows  which 
contained  them ; '  it  was  like  looking  at  a  mask  when  the  eyes  of  the  wearer  are  far  re- 
moved from  theinOrifices  cut  for  them  in  the  pasteboard.  The  cheek-bones  were  immense, 
the  cheeks  thin  and  hollow ;  the  forehead  was  low  and  shelving — in  fact,  he  could  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  a  forehead  at  all.  He  was  two  or  three  shades  from  being  black,  and  he  I 
had  even  less  hair  on  his  head  than  his  countrymen  generally ;  it  was  composed  of  little  | 
tight  woolly  knots,  with  a  considerable  space  of  bare  skin  between  each. 

"  So  much  for  the  young  gentleman's  features.  The  expression  was  diabolically  bad, 
and  his  disposition  corresponded  to  it  I  firmly  believe  that  the  little  wretch  would  have 
been  guilty  of  any  villany,  or  any  cruelty,  for  the  mere  love  of  either.  I  found  the  only 
way  to  keep  him  in  the  slightest  control  was  so  inspire  him  with  bodily  fear— no  easy 
task,  seeing  that  his  hide  was  so  tough  that  your  arms  would  ache  long  before  you  pro- 
duced any  keen  sense  of  pain  by  thrashing  him. 

"  On  one  occasion  the  wagon  came  to  the  brow  of  a  hill,  when  it  wap  the  duty  of  the 
leader  to  stop  the  oxen,  and  see  that  the  wheel  was  well  locked.  It  may  readily  be 
imagined  that  a  wagon  which  requires  twelve  oxen  to  draw  it  on  level  ground  could  not 
be  held  back  by  two  oxen  in  its  descent  down  a  steep  hill,  unless  with  the  wheel  locked. 
My  interesting  Bushman,  however,  whom  I  had  not  yet  offended  in  any  manner,  no  sooner 
found  himself  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  than  he  let  go  the  oxen  with  a  yell  and  '  whoop,' 
which  set  them  off  at  a  gallop  down  the  precipitous  steep.  The  wagon  flew  from  side  to 
side  of  the  road,  destined,  apparently,  to  be  smashed  to  atoms  every  moment,  together  with 
myself,  its  lucldess  occupant.  I  was  dashed  about,  almost  unconscious  of  what  could  be 
the  cause,  so  suddenly  had  we  started  on  our  mad  career.  Heaven  only  knows  how  I 
escaped  destruction,  but  we  positively  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill  uninjured. 

"  The  Bushman  was  by  the  wagon-side  in  an  instant,  and  went  to  his  place  at  the 
oxen's  heads  as  coolly%nd  unconcernedly  as  if  he  had  just  perfonned  part  of  his  ordinary 
duties.  The  Hottentot  driver,  on  the  contrar}',  came  panting  up,  and  looking  aghast  with 
horror  at  the  fear  he  had  felt.  I  jumped  out  of  the  wagon,  seized  my  young  savage  by 
the  collar  of  his  jacket,  and  with  a  heavy  sea-cowhide  whip  I  belaboured  him  with  all 
my  strength,  wherein,  I  trust,  the  reader  will  think  me  justified,  as  the  little  wretch  had 
made  the  most  barefaced  attempt  on  my  life.  I  almost  thought  my  strength  would  be 
exhausted  before  I  could  get  a  sign  from  the  young  gentleman  that  he  felt  my  blows,  but 
at  length  he  uttered  a  yell  of  pain,  and  I  knew  he  had  had  enough.  Next  day  I  dropped 
him  at  a  village,  and  declined  his  further  services." 

Missionaries  have  tried  their  best  to  convert  the  Bosjesman  to  Christianity,  and  have 
met  with  as  little  success  as  those  who  have  endeavoured  to  convert  him  to  civilization. 
Indeed,  the  former  almost  presupposes  some  amount  of  the  latter,  and  whatever  may  be 
done  by  training  up  a  series  of  children,  nothing  can  be  done  with  those  who  have  once 
tasted  of  the  wild  ways  of  desert  life. 

The  dress  of  the  Bosjesman  bears  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Hottentot,  but  is, 
if  possible,  even  more  simple. 


DBESS  OF  BOTH  SEXES. 


271 


like  the  Hottentot,  tbe  Boa^jesman  likes  to  cover  his  head,  and  generally  wears  a  head* 

,.ess  made  of  skin.    Sometimes  he  pulls  out  the  scanty  tufts  of  hair  to  their  fullest 

itent— an  inch  at  the  most — and  plasters  them  with  grease  until  they  project  stiffly  from 

ie  head.   Sometimes  also  ht3  shaves  a  considerable  portion  of  the  head,  and  rubs  red 

bgy  and  grease  so  thickly  into  the  remaining  hair  that  it  becomes  a  sort  of  a  felt  cap. 

fothis  odd  head-dress  he  suspends  all  kinds  of  small  ornaments,  such  as  beads,  fragments 

f  ostrich  shells,  bright  bits  of  metal,  and  other  objects. 

When  a  Bosjesman  kills  a  bird,  he  likes  to  cut  off  the  head,  and  fasten  that  also  to 

hair-cap  in  such  a  manner  that  the  beak  projects  over  his  forehead.  Mr.  Baines  men- 
ions  two  Bosjesmans,  one  of  whom  wore  the  head  of  a  secretary  bird,  and  the  other  that 
;  a  crow.    One  of  these  little  men  seemed  to  be  rather  a  dandy  in  his  costume,  as 

also  wore  a  number  of  white  feathers,  cut  short,  and  stuck  in  his  hair,  where  they 
diated  like  so  many  curl-papers. 

As  for  dress,  as  we  understand  the  word,  all  that  the  Bosjesman  cares  for  is  a  kind 
|of  small  triangular  apron,  the  broad  end  of  which  is  suspended  to  the  belt  in  front,  and 
he  narrow  end  passed  between  the  legs  and  tucked  into  the  belt  behind.  Besides  this 
fiton,  if  it  may  be  so  called,  the  Bosjesman  has  generally  a  kaross,  or  mantle,  made  from 
he  skin  of  some  animal.  This  kaross  is  generally  large  enough  to  hang  to  nearly  the 
Ifeet  when  the  wearer  is  standing  upright,  and  its  chief  use  is  as  an  extemporized  bed. 
iike  the  Hottentot,  the  Bosjesman  rolls  himself  up  in  his  kaross  when  he  sleeps,  gathering 

elf  together  into  a  very  small  compass,  and  thus  covering  himself  completely  with 
|i  mantle  which  would  be  quite  inadequate  to  shelter  a  European  of  equal  size. 

As  to  the  women,  their  dress  very  much  resembles  that  of  the  Hottentot.    They  wear 

I  piece  of  skin  wrapped  round  their  heads,  and  the  usual  apron,  made  of  leather  cut  iuto 

now  thongs.    They  also  have  the  kaross,  which  is  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  men. 

These  are  the  necessities  of  dress,  but  the  female  sex  among  this  curious  race  are 
leqaally  fond  of  finery  with  their  more  civilized  sisters.  Having  but  little  scope  for  oma- 
Iment  in  the  apron  and  kaross,  they  place  the  greater  part  of  their  decoration  on  the  head, 
|and  ornament  their  hair  and  countenances  in  the  most  extraordinary  way.    Water,  as 

been  already  observed,  never  touches  their  faces,  which  are  highly  polished  with 

ise,  so  that  they  shine  in  the  sunbeams  with  a  lustre  that  is  literally  dazzling.  To 
jtheir  hair  they  suspend  various  small  ornaments,  like  those  which  have  been  mentioned 
las  forming  part  of  the  men's  dress.  Among  these  ornaments,  the  money-cowrie  is  often 
Iseen,  and  is  much  valued,  because  this  shell  does  not  belong  to  the  coast,  but  is  used  as 
I  money,  and  is  thus  passed  over  a  very  great  portion  of  Southern  Africa  as  a  sort  of 
Icuitency. 

A  curious  and  very  inconvenient  ornament  is  mentioned  by  Burchell,  and  the  reader 
[will  see  that  it  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  frontlet  which  is  drawn  on  page  247. 

The  girl  who  was  wearing  it  had  evidently  a  great  idea  of  her  own  attractions,  and 
ieed,  according  to  the  writer,  she  had  some  grounds  for  vanity.  She  had  increased  the 
JDower  of  her  charms  by  nibbing  her  whole  dress  and  person  thickly  with  grease,  while 
I  her  arms  and  legs  were  so  loaded  with  leathern  rings,  that  she  evidently  had  an  admirer 
who  was  a  successful  hunter,  as  in  no  other  way  could  she  obtain  these  coveted  decora- 
tions. Her  hair  was  clotted  with  red  ochre,  and  glittering  with  sibilo,  while  her  whole 
person  was  perfumed  with  buchu. 

Her  chief  ornament,  however,  was  a  frontlet  composed  of  three  oval  pieces  of  ivoty, 
about  as  large  as  sparrow's  eggs,  which  were  suspended  from  her  head  in  such  a  way  that 
one  fell  on  her  nose,  and  the  other  two  on  her  cheeks.  As  she  spoke,  she  coquettishly 
moved  her  head  from  side  to  side,  so  as  to  make  these  glittering  ornaments  swing  about 
in  a  manner  which  she  considered  to  be  very  fascinating. 

However,  as  the  writer  quaintly  observes,  "  her  vanity  and  affectation,  great  as  they 
were,  did  not,  as  one  may  sometimes  observe  in  both  sexes  in  other  countries,  elate  her, 
or  produce  any  alteration  in  the  tone  of  her  voice,  for  the  astonishing  quantity  of  meat 
which  she  swallowed  down,  and  the  readiness  with  which  she  called  out  to  her  attendants 
for  more,  showed  her  to  be  resolved  that  no  squeamishness  should  interfere  on  this 
occasion." 


H  IB 


7t 


■^^.J 


27S 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


u 

1 


As  is  the  case  with  the  Hottentots,  the  Bosjesman  female  is  slightly  and  delicatdi 
formed  while  she  is  young,  and  for  a  few  years  is  almost  a  model  of  symmetry.  Butt 
season  of  beauty  is  very  short,  and  in  a  few  years  after  attaining  womanhood  the  feati 
are  contracted,  sharpened,  and  wrinkled,  while  the  limbs  look  like  sticks  more  than  a.„ 
and  legs  of  a  human  being,  The  accompanying  illustration,  which  represents  a  Bogjei 
man  woman  with  her  child,  will  give  a. good  idea  of  the  appearance  which  these  peori 
present.  *^ 

Even  naturally,  the  bloom  of  youth  would  fade  quickly,  but  the  decay  of  yonth  i 
accelerated  by  constant  hardships,  uncertain  supply  of  food,  and  a  total  want  of  perswi 

cleanliness.  The  only  relic  of  beauty  tit 
remains  is  the  hand,  which  is  marvelloo&. 
small  and  delicate,  and  might  be  enviei 
by  the  most  refined  lady  in  civ 
countries,  and  which  never  become^  coai 
or  disfigured  by  hard  work. 

The  children  of  the  Bosjesn 
quite  as  repulsive  in  aspect  as  their  elden 
though  in  a  different  manner,  being 
stupendously  thick  in  the  body  as  theiij 
elders  are  shapelessly  thin.    Their  Wn 
eyes,  continually  kept  nearly  closed,  ^ 
order  to  exclude  the  sandflies,  look  as  i 
they  had  retreated  into  the  head,  so  con 
pletely  are  they  hidden  by  the  piojectin 
cheek-bones,  and  the  fat  that  surroundi 
them.     Their  heads  are  pretematuralljl 
ugly,  the  skull  projecting  exceedingly  1 
hind,  and  the  short  woolly  hair  growiii; 
80  low  down  on  the  forehead  that  thejl 
look  as  if  they  were  afflicted  with  hydto-l 
cephalus.    In  fact,  they  scarcely  seem  tol 
be  human  infants  at  all,  and  are  abso-l 
lutely  repulsive,  instead  of  being  viniiiiig| 
or  attractive.    They  soon  quit  this  stage  of  formation,  and  become  thin-limbed  and  potj 
bellied,  with  a  prodigious  udl  in  the  back,  which  is,  in  fact,  a  necessary  consequence  c 
the,  former  deformity. 

It  is  astonishing  how  soon  the  little  things  learn  to  lead  an  independent  life.  At  t| 
few  months  of  age  they  crawl  on  the  sand  l3ce  yellow  toads  of  a  larger  size  than  i 
and  by  the  time  that  they  are  a  year  old  they  run  about  freely,  with  full  use  of  anus  asl 
well  as  legs.  Even  before  they  have  attained  this  age,  they  have  learned  to  search  fotl 
water  bulra  which  lie  hidden  under  the  sand,  and  to  scrape  them  up  with  their  handsj 
and  a  short  stick. 

From  eight  to  fourteen  seems  to  be  the  age  at  which  these  people  are  most  attiac-l 
tive.  They  have  lost  the  thick  shapelessness  of  infancy,  the  ungainliness  of  chilOhooii| 
and  have  attained  the  roundness  of  youth,  without  having  simk  into  the  repiilsiYe| 
attributes  of  aga 

At  sixteen  or  seventeen  they  begin  to  show  i.  .:s  of  age,  and  from  that  time  to  ^e| 
end  of  their  life  seem  to  become  more  and  more  repulsive.  At  the  age  when  our  yo"^' 
begin  to  assume  the  attributes  of  manhood,  and  to  exhibit  finely-knit  forms  and  ^ 
developed  muscles,  the  Bosjesman  is  beginning  to  show  indications  of  senility.  Furrows  | 
appear  on  his  brow,  his  body  becomes  covered  with  wrinkles,  and  his  abdomen  fall 
in  successive  fold&  This  singularly  repulsive  development  is  partly  caused  by  the  natnnl 
of  the  food  which  he  eats,  and  of  the  inegularity  with  which  he  is  supplied.  He  is  always  I 
either  hungry  or  gorged  with  food,  and  me  natural  consequence  of  such  a  mode  of  life » I 
the  unsightly  formation  which  has  been  mentioned.  As  the  Bosjesman  advances  in  yean,  I 
the  wrinkles  on  his  body  increase  in  number  and  depth,  and  at  last  his  whole  body  is  n 


WOMAN  AMD  CHILD. 


PECULIABITY  OF  THE  SENSES. 


278 


J  with  hanging  folds  of  loose  skin,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  stranger  to 
0w  whether  he  is  looking  at  a  man  or  a  woman. 

Itlifls  abready  been  mentioned  that  the  eyes  of  the  Bosjesman  are  small,  deeply  sunken 
I  the  head,  and  kept  so  tightly  closed  that  they  are  scarcely  perceptible.  Yet  the  sight 
3  Bosjesman  is  absolutely  marvellous  in  its  penetration  and  precision  He  need^  no 
.ope,  for  his  unaided  vision  is  quite  as  effective  as  any  ordinary  telescope,  and  he  has 
_  known  to  decide  upon  the  precise  nature  of  objects  which  a  European  could  not 
^tify,  even  with  the  assistance  of  his  glass. 

Ibis  power  of  eyesight  is  equalled  by  the  delicacy  of  two  other  senses,  those  of  hearing 

1  smelL    The  Bosjesman's  ear  catches  the  slightest  sound,  and  his  mind  is  instantly 

dy  to  take  cognizance  of  it    He  understands  the  sound  of  ih.e  winds  aS  they  blow  over 

J  land,  the  ciy  of  birds,  the  rustling  of  leaves,  the  hum  of  *insects,  and  draws  his  own 

jclosions  &om  them    His  wide,  flattened  nostrils  are  equally  sensitive  to  odours,  and 

I  some  c&ses  a  Bosjesman  trusts  as  much  to  his  nose  as  to  his  eyes. 

Yet  these  senses,  delicate  as  they  may  be,  are  only  partially  developed.    The  sense  of 

lell,  for  example,  which  is  so  sensitive  to  odoius  whidi  a  civilized  nose  could  not  per- 

nre,  is  callous  to  the  abominable  emanations  from  his  own  body  and  those  of  his 

ades,  neither  are  the  olfactory  nerves  blunted  by  any  amount  of  pungent  snuff.    The 

3  of  taste  seems  almost  to  be  in  abeyance,  for  the  Bosjesman  will  eat  with  equal  relish 

;  which  has  been  just  killed,  and  which  is  tough,  stringy,  and  juiceless,  or  that  which 

I  been  killed  for  several  days,  and  is  in  a  tolerably  advanced  state  of  putrefaction. 

Mer  seems  to  have  little  effect  on  him,  and  the  sense  of  pain  seems  nearly  as  blunt 

I  it  is  m  the  lower  animals,  a  Bosjesman  caring  nothing  for  ii^uries  which  would  at 

3  prostrate  any  ordinary  European. 


ii'r 


fc'i 


CHAPTER   XXV. 


THE  BOSJESMAN— Conftniwrf. 


BOMBS    OP      THE   B08JB8MAN8 THB     HOCK-CAVE — THE    BCSM-HOUSK — TF.MPORARY    HABnATlOxi 

POOD,  AND  MODE   OP  OBTAININO   IT — HUNTING — CHASE   OP   THE   OSmiCH — A  8IN0IILAK  8TRaj.J 
OEM — 08TBICU   FEATHERS,    AND   METHOD   OP   PACKING   THEM — USES  OP  THE   OSmiCH  EOO-gBljl 

CUNNING  BOBBERS CATTLE-STEALING — WARPARE — PETTY   SKIRMISHING B08JRKMAN8  AT  BatT 

SWIMMING     POWERS    OP    THE     B08JESMANS THE    "  WOODEN     HORSE  " BENEVOLENT   CONnml 

OP   B0SJESMAN8 THB   WEAPONS    OP     THB     B08JE8MAN8 THE    ARROW,    AND    ITS    C()N8THUCT10K-.| 

HOW  ARROWS   ARE   CARRIED — POISON    WITH  WHICH  THE  ARROW  IS   COVERED — VABIors  HKTHOjjl 
OP  MAKING   POISON— IRRITATING   THB    SERPENT— THE   n'oWA,   k'aA,    OR   POISON   «ntB,  AND  inl 

TERRIBLR     EFFECTS THB     GRUB     IN    ITS    DIFFKBENT     STAGKS ANTIDOTE       POISONED    WATJJ^I 

UNEXPECTED   CONDUCT   OF   THB    B08JE8MAN8 — THE    QUIVEB,   SPEAR,   AND   KNIFE. 

Havino  now  glanced  at  the  general  appearance  of  the  Bosjesman,  we  will  rapidly  levii 
the  course  of  his  ordinary  li^. 

Of  houses  or  homes  he  is  nearly  independent.    A  rock  cavern  is  a  favourite 
with  the  Bosjesman,  who  finds  all  the  shelter  he  needs,  without  being  obliged  to  exert  m 
labour  in  preparing  it.    But  there  are  many  parts  of  the  country  over  which  lie  roani8,ij 
which  there  are  no  rocks,  and  consequently  no  caves. 

In  such  cases,  the  Bosjesman  imitates  the  hare,  and  makes  a  "  form  "  in  which  b 
conceals  himself  He  looks  out  for  a  suitable  bush,  creeps  into  it,  and  bends  the  bouglu 
down  so  as  to  form  a  tent-like  covering.  The  mimosa  trees  are  favourite  resorts  with  the 
Bosjesman,  and  it  has  been  well  remarked,  that  after  a  bush  has  been  much  used,  nnd  th« 
young  twigs  begin  to  shoot  upwards,  the  whole  bush  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  a  hum 
bird's  nest  The  resemblance  is  increased  by  the  habit  of  the  Bosjesman  of  lininj:;  these 
primitive  houses  with  hay,  dried  leaves,  wool,  and  other  soft  materials.  The  Tarcoimiitlinj 
forms  the  usual  resting-place  of  these  wild  men,  its  pliant  branches  being  easily  bent  into 
the  required  shape. 

These  curious  dwellings  are  not  only  used  as  houses,  but  are  employed  as  Itirking. 
places,  where  the  Bosjesman  can  lie  concealed,  and  whence  he  launches  his  tiiiy  but  (Ifcadlj 
arrows  at  the  animals  that  may  pass  near  the  treacherous  bush.  It  is  in  consequence  of 
this  simple  mode  of  making  houses  that  the  name  of  liosjesman,  or  Bushman,  has  been 
given  to  this  group  of  South  African  savages.  This,  of  course,  is  the  Dutch  title;  theii 
name,  as  given  by  themselves,  is  Saqua. 

In  places  where  neither  rocks  nor  bushes  are  to  be  found,  these  easily  contented  people 
are  at  no  loss  for  a  habitation,  but  make  one  by  the  simple  process  of  scratching  a  hole  in 
the  ground,  and  throwing  up  the  excavated  earth  to  windward.  Sometimes  they  become 
rather  luxurious,  and  make  a  further  shelter  by  fixing  a  few  sticks  in  the  ground,  ani 
throwing  over  them  a  mat  or  a  piece  of  hide,  which  will  answer  as  a  screen  ajjainst 
the  wind.  In  this  hole  a  wonderful  number  of  Bosjesmans  will  contrive  to  stow  them. 
selves,  rolling  their  kaross  round  their  body  in  the  peculiar  manner  which  has  already  Ixeii 


TEMPOIURY  CAMP. 


275 


»» -*^i 


L  r  ned    Tl»e  sliglit  screen  forms  their  only  protection  against  the  wind— the  kaross 
'"     ■  defence  against  the  rain. 

Wl  en  a  horde  of  Bosjesraans  has  settled  for  a  time  in  a  spot  which  promises  good 

ley  generally  make  tent-like  houses  by  fixing  flexible  sticks  in  the  ground, 

•  ■;:  -  jjjgm  ^0  aa  to  force  them  to  assume  a  cage-like  form,  and  then  covering  them  with 


■mats  made  of  reeds.    These  huts  are  almost  exactly  like  the  primitive  tents  in 
f  h  the  L'ipsifs  of  our  own  country  invariably  live,  and  which  they  prefer  to  the  most 

1 10U8  chamber  that  wealth,  luxury,  and  art  can  provide. 
"si'inuch  for  his  houses.    As  to  his  food,  the  Bosjesman  finds  no  difficulty  in  sup- 
■  ff  himself  with  all  that  he  needs.     His  wants  are  indeed  few,  for  there  is  scarcely 


,  which  a  human  being  can  eat  without  being  poisoned,  that  the  Bosjesman  does 
K  use  tor 


^ythin},  ■  — ^    jj^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^  jg^^  prejudice  against  any  kind  of  edible  substance 


TEMPORARY  CAHF. 


id,  provided  that  it  is  capable  of  affording  nourishment,  he  asks  nothing  more.  His 
ixuries  are  comprised  in  two  words — tobacco  and  brandy  ;  but  food  is  a  necessary  of 
le,  and  is  not  looked  upon  in  any  other  light. 

There  is  not  a  beast,  and  I  believe  not  a  bird,  that  a  Bosjesman  will  not  eat.  Snakes 
hd  otiier  reptiles  are  common  articles  of  diet,  and  insects  are  largely  used  as  food  by  this 
jople.  liOcnsts  and  white  ants  are  the  favourite  insects,  but  the  Bosjesman  is  in  no  wise 
fitidious,  and  will  eat  almost  any  insect  that  he  can  catch.  Roots,  too,  foi-m  a  larjie 
prtioii  of  the  Bosjesman's  diet,  and  lie  can  discover  tlie  water-root  without  the 
sistance  of  a  baboon. 

Thus  it  happens  that  the  Bosjesman  can  live  where  other  men  would  perish,  and  to 

I  the  wild  desert  is  a  congenial  lionie.  All  that  he  needs  is  plenty  of  space,  because 
I  never  cultivates  the  ground,  nor  breeds  sheep  or  cattle,  trusting  entirely  ibr  his  food  to 
|te  casual  productions  of  tlie  earth,  whetlier  they  be  animal  or  vegetable. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  Bosjesman  obtains  his  meat  by  hunting. 

Though  one  of  the  l)est  hunters  in  the  world,  the  Bosjesman,  like  the  Hottentot,  to 
|honi  he  is  nearly  related,  has  no  love  of  the  chase,  or,  indeed,  for  any  kind  of  exei-tion, 
Qd  would  not  take  the  ti;ouble  to  pursue  the  various  animals  on  which  he  lives,  if  he 

t2 


'''''! 

K  *!>« 


876 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


could  ohtain  their  flesh  without  the  trouble  of  hunting  them.  Yet,  when  he  hog  f  • 
started  on  tl»e  chase,  there  is*  no  nam  more  dogyedly  persevering;  and  even  the  Esqui.*" 
seal-hunter,  who  will  sit  for  forty-eight  hours  with  harpoon  iu  hand,  cannot  8urpaija7! 
in  endurntice. 

Small  as  he  is,  he  will  match  himself  against  the  largest  and  the  fiercest  ani 
of  Southern  Africa,  and  proceeds  with  perfect  equanimity  and  certainty  of  success  ti"!'] 
chase  of  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  the  lion,  and  the  leopanl.     The  former  ani',* 
whose  sking  are  too  tough  to  be  i)ierced  with  his  feeble  weapons,  he  entraps  by  sii' 
ingenious  devices,  while  the  latter  fall  victims  to  the  deadly  poison  with  which  his  arl 
are  imbued.     Tlie  skill  of  tlie  Bosjesman  is  severely  tested  in  the  chase  of  tlie  ostrid' 
bird  which  the  swiftest  horae  can  barely  overtake,  and  which  is  so  wary  as  well  as  s '' 
that  a  well-mounted  hunter,  armed  with  the  best  rifle,  thinks  himself  fortunate  wli™  i 
can  kill  one. 

The  little  Bosjesman  has  two  modes  of  killing  these  birds.    If  he  happens  to  find 
of  their  enormous  nests  while  the  parent  birds  are  away,  he  approaches  it  verj-  cautiniHj 
lest  his  track  should  be  seen  by  the  ever- watchful  ostrich,  and  buries  himself  in  thesa 
among  the  eggs.     The  reader  will  doubtless  remember  that  several  ostriches  deposit  tl  "l 
eggs  in  one  nest,  and  that  the  nest  in  question  is  simply  scraped  in  the  sand,  and  is 
enormous  dimensions. 

Here  the  tiny  hunter  will  lie  patiently  until  the  sun  has  gone  down,  when  he  kiio» 
that  the  parent  birds  will  return  to  the  nest.  As  they  approach  in  the  distiujce,  he  can 
fidly  ♦'ts  a  poisoned  arrow  to  his  bow,  and  directs  its  point  towards  the  advancin 
ostriciibS.  As  soon  as  they  come  within  range,  he  picks  out  the  bird  which  has  tS 
plumpest  form  and  the  most  luxuriant  plumage,  and  M'ith  a  single  arrow  seals  its  fate. 

The  chief  drawback  to  this  mode  of  hunting  is,  that  the  very  act  of  discharging  tK 
arrow  reveals  the  form  of  the  hunter,  and  frightens  the  other  birds  so  much  that  a  seconJ 
shot  is  scarcely  to  be  obtained,  and  the  Bosjesman  is  forced  to  content  himself  with  on 
dead  bird  and  the  whole  of  the  eggs. 

Forti?nately,  he  is  qjiite  indiflerent  as  to  the  quality  of  the  eggs.  He  does  not  vea 
much  care  if  any  of  them  should  be  addled,  and  will  eat  with  perfect  composure  an  e<d 
which  would  alarm  an  European  at  six  paces  distance.  Neither  does  he  object  to  the  ei^ 
if  they  should  be  considerably  advanced  in  hatching,  and,  if  anything,  rather  fancies  h^ 
self  fortunate  in  procuiing  a  young  and  tender  bird  without  the  trouble  of  chasine  aui 
catching  it  Then  the  egg-shells,  when  the  contents  are  removed,  are  most  valuable  M 
many  purposes,  and  specidly  for  the  conveyance  of  water.  ] 

For  this  latter  purpose  they  are  simply  invaluable.  The  Bosjesmans  always  contrivJ 
to  have  a  supply  of  water,  but  no  one  except  themselves  has  the  least  notion  where  it  isi 
stored.  If  a  Bosjesman  kraal  is  attacked,  and  the  captives  interrogated  as  to  the  isi4| 
where  the  supply  of  water  has  been  stored,  they  never  betray  the  precious  secret,  Imtl 
always  pretend  that  they  have  none,  and  that  they  are  on  the  point  of  dyin<;  witJ 
tliirst.  Yet,  at  some  quiet  hour  of  the  night,  a  little  yellow  woman  is  tolerably  lure  tol 
creep  to  their  sides,  and  give  them  a  plentiful  diaught  of  water,  while  their  captors  are! 
trying  to  lull  their  thirst  by  sleep. 

How  they  utilize  their  egg-shells  of  water,  the  reader  will  see  in  another  place. 
The  eyes  of  the  ostrich  are  keen  enough,  but  those  of  the  Bosjesman  are  keener,  a,, 
if  the  small  hunter,  perched  on  his  rocky  observatory,  happens  to  catch  a  ylimpse  of] 
a  number  of  ostriches  in  the  far  distance,  he  makes  up  his  mind  that  in  a  few  houral 
several  of  those  birds  will  have  fallen  before  the  tiny  bow  and  the  envenomed  arrow! 
which  it  projects. 

He  immediately  creeps  back  to  his  apology  for  a  hut,  and  there  finds  a  complete  I 
hunter's  suit,  which  he  has  prepared  in  readiness  for  such  an  occasion.  It  consists  of  the 
skin  of  an  ostrich,  without  the  le;;s,  and  having  a  stick  passed  up  the  neck.  The  skin 
of  the  body  is  stretched  over  a  kind  of  saddle,  which  the  maker  has  adapted  to  his  own  | 
shoulders. 

He  fi?-Rt  nib«f  his  yellow  lees  with  white  chalk,  and  then  fixes  the  decoy  skin  on  liij  | 
buck,  taking  care  to  dp  it  iu  such  a  uianuer,  that  although  it  is  quite  firm  as  loug  as  it 


OSTRICH  HUNTING. 


277 


itobfl 


worn,  it  can  be  thrown  off  in  a  moment    The  reason  for  this  precaution  will 


vf^t^pn  takes  his  bow  and  arrows,  find  sets  off  in  pursuit  of  the  ostriches,  using  all 

Diiins  to  approach  them  in  such  a  direction  that  the  wind  may  blow  from  them 

^  Were  he  to  neglect  this  precaution,  the  watchful  birds  would  soon  detect  him 

qpent  and  dash  away  where  he  con  Id  not  possibly  follow  them. 


He 

flible 


A  soon  as  the  ostriches  see  a  strange  bird  approaching,  they  cease  from  feeding, 


%'m. 


OSTRICH  HUNTINO. 


gather  together,  and  gaze  *au?piciously  at  their  supposed  companion.  "Were  the  disguised 
hunter  to  approach  at  once,  the  birds  would  take  the  alarm,  so  he  runs  about  here  and 
there,  lowering  the  head  to  the  ground,  as  if  in  the  act  of  feeding,  but  always  contriving 
to  decrease  the  distance  between  himself  and  the  birds.  At  last  he  manages  to  come 
within  range,  and  when  he  has  crept  tolerably  close  to  the  selected  victim,  he  suddenly 
!  allows  the  head  of  the  decoy-skin  to  fall  to  the  ground,  snatches  up  an  arrow,  speeds  it 
!  on  its  deadly  mission,  and  instantly  raises  the  head  again. 

The  stricken  bird  dashes  off  in  a  fright  on  receiving  the  wound,  and  all  its  com- 
panions nm  with  it,  followed  by  the  disguised  Bosjesman.  Presently  the  wounded  bird 
begins  to  slacken  its  speed,  staggers,  and  falls  to  the  groimd,  thus  allowing  the  hunter  to 
come  up  to  the  ostriches  as  they  are  gai!ng  on  their  fallen  conipanion,  and  permitting  him 
to  secure  another  victim.  Generally,  a  skilful  hunter  will  secure  four  out  of  five  ostriches 
by  this  method  of  hunting,  but  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  birds  dis^cover  that  there 
is  something  wrong,  and  make  an  attack  on  the  apparent  stranger.    An  assault  from  so 


I  "jfi 


278 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


11  ? 


If, 


powerful  a  bird  is  no  trifle,  as  a  Mow  from  its  leg  is  enoi^li  to  break  the  limb  of  a  po^erf 
man,  much  more  of  so  small  and  feeble  a  personage  as  a  Hosjesman  hunter. 

Tlien  conies  the  value  of  the  precaution  which  has  just  been  mentioned.    As  gnon 
he  finds  the  fraud  discovered,  the  hunter  runs  round  on  the  windward  side  of  the  ostricii"' 
so  as  to  give  them  his  scent.     They  instantly  take  the  alarni,  and  just  in  that  mome^' 
when  they  pause  in  their  contemplated  attack,  and  meditate  immediate  flij,'ht,  the  hogj 
man  flinps  off  the  now  useless  skin,  seizes  his  weapons,  and  showers  his  arrows  ^ 
marvellous  rapidity  amony  the  frightened  birds.  "' 

In  this  way  are  procured  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  ostrich  feathers  which  are  8«nll 
to  the  European  niarket,  and  tlie  laily  who  admires  the  exquisite  contour  and  beantiM 
proportions  of  a  good  ostrich  plume,  has  seldom  any  idea  that  it  was  procured  by  a  ijtt] ' 
yellow  man  disguised  in  an  ostrich  skin,  with  bow  and  arrows  in  his  hand,  and  his  jg  * 
rubbed  with  chalk.  ^ 

After  he  has  plucked  the  feathers,  he  has  a  very  ingenious  mode  of  preservinsj  them 
from  injury.  He  takes  hollow  reeds,  not  thicker  than  an  ordinary  drawing  pencil,  ami 
pushes  the  feathers  into  them  as  fur  as  they  will  go.  He  then  taps  the  end  of  the  reed. 
against  the  ground,  and,  by  degrees,  the  feather  works  its  own  way  into  the  iirotpctii,,, 
tube.  In  this  tube  the  feathers  are  carried  about,  and  it  is  evident  that  a  consideralile 
number  of  them  can  be  packed  so  as  to  make  an  easy  load  for  a  man. 

When  they  kill  an  ostrich,  they  prepare  from  it  a  substance  of  a  rather  remarkalile 
character.  Before  the  bird  is  dec*'.,  they  cut  its  throat,  and  then  tie  a  ligature  firniiy 
over  the  wound,  so  as  to  prevent  any  blood  from  escaping.  The  wretched  bird  thus  bleeds 
inwardly,  and  the  flow  of  blood  is  promoted  by  pressing  it  and  rolling  it  from  side  to 
side.  Large  quantities  of  mixed  blood  and  fat  are  thus  collected  in  the  distensible  crop 
and,  when  the  bird  happens  to  be  iu  particularly  good  condition,  nearly  twenty  pounds  ot 
this  substance  are  furnished  by  a  single  ostrich.  The  natives  value  this  strange  mixture 
very  highly,  and  think  that  it  is  useful  in  a  medicinal  point  of  view. 

The  shell  of  the  ostrich  egg  is  nearly  as  valuable  to  the  Bosjesman  as  its  contents,  and 
in  some  cases  is  still  more  highly  valued.  Its  chief  use  is  as  a  water  vessel,  for  which  it 
is  admirably  adapted.  The  women  have  the  task  of  filling  these  shells ;  a  task  which  is 
often  a  very  labourious  one  when  the  water  is  scanty. 

In  common  with  many  of  the  kindred  tribes,  they  have  a  curious  method  of  obtaininc 
water  when  there  is  apparently  nothing  but  mud  to  be  found.  They  take  a  Ion"  tpmi" 
and  tie  round  one  end  of  it  a  quantity  of  dried  grass.  This  they  push  as  deeply  as  they 
conveniently  can  into  the  muddy  soil,  and  allow  it  to  remain  there  until  the  water  has 
penetrated  through  the  primitive  filter,  and  has  risen  in  the  tube.  They  then  apply  their 
lips  to  the  tube,  and  draw  into  their  mouths  as  much  water  as  they  can  contain,  and  then 
discharge  it  into  an  empty  egg-shell  by  means  of  another  reed ;  or,  if  they  tlo  not  possess 
a  second  reed,  a  slight  stick  will  answer  the  purpose  if  managed  carefully. 

When  filled,  the  small  aperture  that  has  been  left  in  each  egg  is  carefully  closed  hy 
a  tuft  of  grass  very  tightly  forced  into  it,  and  the  women  have  to  undertake  the  labour  of 
carrying  their  heavy  load  homewards. 

There  is  one  mode  of  using  these  egg-shells  which  is  worthy  of  mention. 

The  Bosjesmans  are  singularly  ingenious  in  acting  as  spies.  They  will  travel  to  great 
distances  in  order  to  find  out  if  there  is  anything  to  be  stolen,  and  they  have  a  method 
of  communicating  with  each  other  by  means  of  the  smoke  of  a  fire  that  constitutes  a  veiy 
perfect  telegraph.  The  Australian  savage  has  a  similar  system,  and  it  is  really  remarkable 
that  two  races  of  men,  who  are  certainly  among  the  lowest  examples  of  humanity,  should 
possess  an  accomplishment  which  implies  no  small  amount  of  mental  capability. 

Property  to  be  worth  stealing  by  a  Bosjesman  must  mean  something  which  can  be 
eaten,  and  almost  invariably  takes  the  shape  of  cattle.  Thus,  to  steal  cattle  is  perhaps 
not  so  difficult  a  business,  but  to  transport  them  over  a  wide  desert  is  anything  but 
easy,  and  could  not  be  accomplished,  even  by  a  Bosjesman  without  the  exercise  of  much 
forethought. 

In  the  first  place,  the  Bosjesman  is  very  careful  of  the  direction  in  which  he  makes 
his  raids,  and  will  never  steal  cattle  in  places  whence  he  is  likely  to  be  followed  by  the 


CATTLE  STEALING. 


279 


ii  -  ^«ifc 


I  n\vr\cr<*.   Be  prefers  to  carry  off  animald  that  are  separated  from  his  ovna  district 

^'"Tv  uml  tliirsty  desert,  over  which  liorses  cannot  pass,  and  which  will  tire  out  any 

f^'  *  ,    on  l'u"t-  because  they  cannot  carry  with  them  enough  water  for  the  journey. 

\Vh*n  liis  plans  are  laid,  and  his  line  of  march  l  .tied,  lie  sends  the  women  along  it, 

u    lers  to  Itury  ostrich  egg-shells  full  of  water  at  stated  distances,  the  locality  of  each 

■  "'■.riiified  hy  certain  marks  which  none  but  himself  can  read.    Aa  soon  as  this  pre- 

*'"^'  *'^s  taken,  ho  starts  oft'  at  his  best  pace,  and,  being  wonderfully  tolerant  of  thirst, 

I'""'''  This  companions  reach  their  destination  without  making  any  very  great  diminution 

I  I    stock  of  water.    Tliey  then  conceal  themselves  until  nightfall,  their  raids  never 

IS  place  i"tl»e  day-time. 


SnOOTINO  CATTLB. 


In  the  dead  of  night  they  slink  into  the  cattle  pen,  silently  killing  the  watchman,  if 
one  should  be  on  guard,  and  select  the  best  animals,  which  they  drive  off.  The  whole  of 
the  remainder  they  either  kill  or  maim,  the  latter  being  the  usual  plan,  as  it  saves  their 
arrows.  But,  if  they  should  be  interrupted  in  their  proceedings,  their  raid  is  not  the  less 
fatal,  for,  even  in  the  hurry  of  flight,  they  will  discharge  a  poisoned  arrow  into  every 
animal,  so  that  not  one  is  left. 

We  will  suppose,  however,  that  their  plans  are  successful,  and  that  they  have  got 
fairly  off  with  their  plunder. 

They  know  that  they  cannot  conceal  the  tracks  of  the  cattle,  and  do  not  attempt  to 
do  so,  but  push  on  as  fast  as  the  animals  can  be  urged,  so  as  to  get  a  long  start  of  their 
pursuers.  When  they  are  fairly  on  the  track,  some  of  their  number  go  in  advance,  to 
the  first  station,  dig  up  the  water-vessels,  and  wait  the  arrival  of  the  remainder.    The 


51-" 


<f 


Ml 

Pi) 


rTf'T^ 


U 
h 


280 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


cattlo  are  stippHod  with  as  much  water  as  can  bo  spared  for  them,  in  order  to  eivR  ti 
strength  and  willingness  for  the  journey;  the  empty  vessels  are  then  tied  on  tluir  1,  11 
and  they  are  again  driven  forward.  In  this  manner  they  pass  on  from  station  to  st  t  j 
until  they  arrive  at  their  destination.  '"■ 


Should,  however,  the  pursuers  come  up  with  them,  they  abandon  the  cnttlo  at  o 
invariably  leaving  a  poisoned  arrow  in  each  by  way  of  a  parting  «.ift,  and  take  to  fl"!! 
with  such  rapidity,  that  the  pursuers  know  that  it  is  useless  to  follow  them.  '*> 

The  needless  destruction  which  they  work  among  the  cattle,  which  to  a  Ilottentnt 
a  Kaffir  are  almost  the  breath  of  life,  has  exasperated  both  these  iwonle  to  such  a  dm  ' 
that  they  will  lay  aside  for  a  time  their  differences,  and  unite  in  attacking  the  Hosipst  ' 
who  is  equally  hated  by  both.  This,  however,  they  do  with  every  precaution,  knowin  "f,  i^ 
well  the  dangerous  character  of  the  enemies  ogninst  whom  they  are  abotit  to  udvaucir,  i 
not  attempting  any  expedition  unless  their  nruiibcrs  are  very  strong  indeed.  ' "  ] 

Of  systematic  warfare  the  Hosjesmans  know  nothing,  although  they  are  porhnps  tJ 
most  dangerous  enemies  that  a  man  can  have,  his  first  knowledge  of  their  presence  \mni 
the  clang  of  the  bow,  and  the  sharp  whiiTing  sound  of  the  arrow.  Sometimes  a  hank  i 
Bosjesmans  will  take  offence  at  some  Hottentot  or  Kaffir  tribe,  and  will  keep  \m 
desultory  sort  of  skirmish  for  years,  during  which  time  the  foe  knows  not  what  a  quJij 
night  means.  i 

The  Bosjesmans  dare  not  attack  their  enemies  in  open  day,  neither  will  they  ventiJ 
to  match  themselves  in  fair  warfare  ngninst  any  considerable  number  of  antagonists.  M 
not  a  man  dares  to  stray  from  the  protection  of  the  huts,  unless  accompanied  by  arnieiB 
comrades,  knowing  that  the  cunning  enemies  are  always  lurking  in  tlie  neiphhourhnoiM 
and  that  a  stone,  or  bush,  or  tree,  will  allord  cover  to  a  IJosjt'smaa  These  tiny  iJ 
formidable  warriors  will  even  conceal  themselves  in  the  sand,  if  they  fancy  that  strajiiilerJ 
may  pass  in  that  direction,  and  the  pufl-udder  itself  is  not  more  invisible,  nor  its  fen^ 
.  more  deadly,  than  the  lurking  Bosjesmau.  " 

On  the  bare  cliffs  they  can  conceal  themselves  with  marvellous  address,  their  yellow 
skins  being  so  like  the  colour  of  the  rocks  that  they  are  scarcely  visible,  even  when  there! 
is  no  cover.    Moreover,  they  have  a  strange  way  of  huddling  themselves  up  in  a  luiidkl 
so  as  to  look  like  conical  heaps  of  leaves  and  sticks,  without  a  semblance  ui'  huuiauitTi 
about  them.  I 

Open  resistance  they  seldom  offer,  generally  scattering  and  escaping  in  all  directions  if  I 
a  direct  charge  is  miule  at  them,  even  if  they  should  be  assailed  by  one  solitary  iiicmyl 
armed  only  with  a  stick.  But  they  will  hang  about  the  outskirts  of  the  hostile  tribe  fori 
month<<  together,  never  gathering  themselves  into  a  single  band  which  can  be  assnultedl 
and  conquered,  but  separating  themselves  into  little  parties  of  two  or  three,  a<,'ainst  whom  I 
it  would  be  absurd  for  the  enemy  to  advance  in  force,  which  cunnot  be  con(iuiied  by  equal 
numbers,  and  yet  which  are  too  formidable  to  be  left  unmolested.  I 

The  trouble  and  annoyance  which  a  few  Bosjesmans  can  inflict  upon  a  large  body  of  I 
enemies  is  almost  incredible.     The  warriors  are  forced  to  be  always  on  the  watch,  and 
never  venture  singly  without  their  camp,  while  the  women  and  children  have  sm  li  a 
dread  of  the  Bosjesmans,  that  the  very  mention  of  the  name  throws  them  into  paroxysms 
of  terror. 

The  difficulty  of  attacking  these  pertinacious  enemies  is  very  much  increased  by  the 
nomad  character  of  the  Bosjesmans.  The  Hottentot  tribes  can  move  a  village  in  half  a 
day,  but  the  Bosjesmans,  who  can  exist  without  fixed  habitations  of  any  kind,  and  whose 
most  elaborate  hou-ses  are  far  simpler  than  the  worst  specimens  of  Hottentot  architecture, 
can  remove  themselves  and  their  habitations  whenever  they  choose ;  and,  if  neccssaiy, 
can  abolish  their  rude  houses  altogether,  so  as  not  to  allbrd  the  least  sign  of  tlieir 
residence. 

Sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  the  Kaffirs,  exasperated  by  repeated  losses  at  the  hands 
of  theBosjesmaiis.have  determined  to  trace  the  delinquents  to  their  home,  and  to  extiq)at« 
the  entire  community.  The  expedition  is  one  which  is  fraught  with  special  danijcr,  as 
there  is  no  weapon  which  a  Kaffir  dreads  more  than  the  poisoned  arrow  of  the  Ikisjtsnian. 
In  such  cases  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  assailants  and  the  absolute  necessity 


COURAGE  OF  THE  ROSJESMANS. 


981 


.  ^ijjpii  they  hftve  set  themselves,  are  sure  to  lead  to  ultimate  success,  and  neither 
'     r  women  are  Hparod. 

^Th .  verv  younj;  children  arc  sometimes  carried  off  and  made  to  act  as  slaves,  but,  as 
\  mo,  *'»"  KuHlrs  look  upon  the  Rosjesmans  much  as  if  they  were  a  set  of 

'  ^*'"**''i9  siTPtitit". '"'•'  kill  them  all  with  as  little  compunction  as  thoy  would  feel  itt 

"""'•ini!  ft  fii"'''y  *'f  co^'™"  or  p" A'- adders. 
hhiis  Itf'cn  mentioned  that  the  Boajcsmans  will  seldom  offer  any  resistance  in  open 
k     SonK'tiniea  iiowever,  they  will  ilo  so,  but  only  in  case  of  being  driven  to  bay, 
f  rrinii  usuiiUy  to  lie  in  wait,  and  in  the  dead  of  nij,dit  to  steal  upon  their  foes,  send 

[/   loisotu'd  arrows  among  them,  and  steal  away  under  cover  of  the  darkness. 


KAFFmS  AKD  POSJESMAXa 


Yet  when  flight  is  uselefss,  and  they  are  fairly  at  bay,  thoy  accept  the  position,  and 

lecomc  as  tfrrihlc  foes  as  can  bo  met;  losing  all  sense  of  fear,  and  fighting  with  desperate 

cur.ige.    A  small  band  of  them  has  often  been  known  to  figlit  a  large  party  of  enemies, 

nJ  to  continue  their  stniggles  until  every  man  has  been  killed.     On  one  such  occasion, 

I  had  been  liillcd  except  one  man,  who  liad  ensconcetl  himself  so  closely  behind  a  stone 

khat  his  enemies  could  not  m.inage  to  inllict  n  moi-tal  wound.     With  his  bow  he  drew 

kovanls  liini  tlie  unspent  arrows  of  his  fallen  kinsmen,  and,  though  exhausted  by  loss 

bf  blood  from  many  wounds  on  bis  limbs,  be  continued  to  hurl  the  arrows  at  his  foes, 

icconipanying  each  witli  some  abusive  epithet.     It  was  not  until  many  of  his  enemies 

|had  fallen  by  his  hand,  that  he  exposed  himself  to  a  mortal  blow. 

On  reference  to  tlie  illustrntion,  the  reader  will  see  that  several  of  the  fallen  wan'iora 
jiave  arrows  stuck  in  tlieir  head-dress.  Tins  is  a  curious  custom  of  the  Bosjesman, 
ifiio  likes  to  have  his  arrows  ready  to  hand,  and  for  this  purpose  carries  them  in  his 


\' ' 

.;f^ 

]'i 

iP 

'T 

Tffi 

1 

VI 

»)  1 

v"     Vj 

n. 

A   . 


'  'n 


1 

/I 


a\ 


M' 


282 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OB  BUSHMAN. 


It 


head-dress,  just  as  an  old-fashioned  clerk  carries  his  pen  behind  his  ear.  GenemiiJ 
he  keeps  them  in  his  quiver  with  their  points  reversed,  but,  when  he  is  actively  eiw  " 
in  fighting,  he  takes  them  out,  turns  the  points  with  their  poisoned  ends  outw  I" 
and  arranges  them  at  each  side  of  his  head,  so  that  they  project  like  a  couple  of  skeh  j 
fans.  '^ 

They  give  a  most  peculiar  look  to  the  features,  and  are  as  sure  an  indication  of  jon 
as  the  spread  hood  of  the  cobra,  or  the  menancing  "  whirr  "  of  the  rattlesnake.    He  m  [ 
great  use  of  them  in  the  war  of  words,  which  in  Southern  Africa  seems  invariabl  I 
accompany  the  war  of  weapons,  and  moves  them  just  as  a  horse  moves  his  ears.   wJil 
one  movement  of  the  head  he  sends  them  all  forward  like  two  horns,  and  with  anotl 
he  shakes  them  open  in  a  fan-like  form,  accompanying  each  gesture  with  rapid  frnJ" 
like  those  of  an  angry  baboon,  and  with  a  torrent  of  words  that  are  eloquent  enoivrh " 
those  who  understand  them.  ° 

He  does  not  place  all  his  an-ows  in  his  headdress,  but  keeps  a  few  at  hand  in  tiJ 
quiver.  These  he  uses  when  he  has  time  for  a  deliberate  aim.  But,  if  closely  press  1 
he  snatches  arrow  after  arrow  out  of  his  head-dress,  fits  them  to  the  string,  and  slionS 
them  with  a  rapidity  that  seems  almost  incredible.  I  have  seen  a  Bosjesman  send  thr3 
successive  arrows  into  a  mark,  and  do  it  so  quickly  that  the  three  were  dischaiwd  J 
less  than  two  seconds.  Indeed,  the  three  sounds  followed  one  another  as  rapidly  as  tin 
blows  could  have  been  struck  with  a  stick. 

Traversing  the  country  imceasingly,  the  Bosjesman  would  not  be  fit  for  his  ordinn 
life  if  he  could  be  stop'pcd  by  such  an  obstacle  as  a  river ;  and  it  is  accordingly  found  M 
they  can  all  swim.  As  the  rivers  are  often  swift  and  strong,  swimming  across  them  il 
a  straight  line  would  be  impossible  but  for  an  invention  which  is  called  "  Houte-paardJ 
or  wooden  horse.  This  is  nothing  more  than  a  piece  of  Mood  six  or  seven  feet  in  kmu 
with  a  peg  driven  into  one  end.  When  the  swimmer  crosses  a  stream,  he  places  thisi 
against  his  right  slioulder  so  that  tlie  wood  is  under  his  body,  and  helps  to  support  it.  HnJ 
this  machine  works  may  be  seen  from  the  following  anecdote  by  Dr.  Ijchstensteinvhipi 
not  only  illustrates  the  point  in  question,  but  presents  the  Bosjesmans  in  a  nioi-e  amiaba 
light  than  we  are  generally  accustomed  to  view  them.  " 

"  A  hippopotamus  had  been  killed,  and  its  body  lashed  to  the  bank  with  leathcri 
ropes.  The  stream,  however,  after  the  fashion  of  African  streams,  had  risen  suddenU 
and  the  current  swept  downwards  with  such  force,  that  it  tore  asunder  the  ropes  i 
question,  and  carried  off  the  huge  carcase.  Some  Bosjesmans  went  along  the  bank  I 
discover  the  lost  animal,  and  at  last  found  it  on  the  other  bank,  and  havui"  crossed  tL 
river,  carrying  with  them  the  €nds  of  some  stout  ropes,  they  tried  unsuccessfully  to  m 
the  dead  animal  to  the  other  sida 

"  Some  other  means  of  accomplishing  th^  proposed  end  were  now  to  be  devised  i 
many  were  suggested,  but  none  found  practicable.  The  hope  of  retrieving  the  pna 
however,  induced  a  young  colonist  to  attempt  swimming  over;  but,  on  account  of  tiievai 
force  of  the  stream,  he  was  constrained  to  return  ere  he  had  reached  a  fourth  part  of  thi 
way.  In  the  meantime,  the  two  Bosjesmans  who  had  attained  the  other  side  of  the  wat«^ 
having  made  a  large  fire,  cut  a  quantity  of  the  fat  off  the  monster's  back,  which  w 
baked  and  ate  most  voraciously. 

"  This  sight  tempted  five  more  of  the  Bosjesmans  to  make  a  new  essay.  Each  to( 
a  light  flat  piece  of  wood,  which  was  ..latened  to  the  right  .shoulder,  anc'  under  the  am, 
when  in  the  water  the  point  was  placed  directly  across  the  stream,  so  that  the  great  fon 
of  water  must  come  upon  that,  while  the  swimmer,  with  the  left  arm  and  the  fee 
struggled  against  the  stream,  in  the  same  manner  as  a  ship  with  spread  sails,  whei 
according  to  the  sailor's  language,  it  sails  before  the  wind.  They  arrived  quicker  tk 
the  first,  and  almost  without  any  effort,  directly  to  the  opposite  point,  and  immediatJ 
applied  all  their  strength,  though  in  vain,  to  loosening  the  monster  from  the  rock  i 
which  it  hvn^. 

"  In  the  meantime,  a  freed  slave,  belonging  to  the  Governor's  train,  an  eafjer,  spiritJ 
young  fellow,  and  a  veiy  expert  swimmer,  had  the  boldness  to  attempt  following  t 
savages  without  any  artificial  aid,  and  got,  though  slowly,  very  successfully  about  Iia 


'Jnm 


SWIMMING  POWERS. 


283 


Here  however,  his  strength  failed  him ;  he  was  carried  away  and  sunk,  but 
if  "'^"ftgain  above  the  water,  struggling  with  his  little  remaining  powers  to  reach  the 
jippeareci^^^^^j.^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^ .  j^^  ^^  forced  to  abandon  himself  to  the  stream ;  but 

P"^     i  a  turu  in  the  river,  which  soon  presented  itself,  he  was  carried  to  the  land 

|ackily>  ai'  * 

^^Je^e  Bosjesnians,  when  they  saw  his  situation,  quitted  their  fire,  and  hastening  to  his 

."   *     aiTived  at  the  spot  just  as  he  crawled  on  shore,  exhausted  with  fatigue,  and 

ff   4  with  cold.     It  was  a  truly  affecting  sight  to  behold  the  exertions  made  by  the 

tn  recover  him.    Tliey  threw  their  skins  over  him,  dried  him,  and  rubbed  him 
gviiges  10  ic  ....  ...  .  ........  . 

he 
fire" that  he  might  be  thoroughly  warmed,  rubbing  his  benumbed  limbs  over  with 


•  1,  thpir  hands,  and,  when  he  began  somewhat  to  revive,  carried  him  to  the  fire  and 

im 
efii 

f  r  tiie  entire  restoration  of  the  unfortunate  adventurer,  it  was  necessary  for  the 


, .  '  jq^q  by  it.    They  then  made  him  a  bed  with  their  skins,  and  put  more  wood 
vfflted  fat  of  the"  river-horse.     But  evening  was  now  coming  on,  and,  in  order  to 


I  1, 1  mrty  to  resolve  on  passing  the  night  where  they  were.     Some  of  the  Bosjesmans 
tUs  side  exerted  themselves  to  carry  the  poor  man's  clothes  over  to  liim,  that 


Ihe  m 


rlit  not  be  prevented  by  the  cold  from  sleeping,  and  recovering  strength  for 

'"Early  the  next  morning  the  Bosjesmans  were  seen  conducting  theh protegS  along  the 
I M  of  the  stream,  to  seek  out  some  more  convenient  spot  for  attempting  to  cross  it. 

V  soon  arrived  at  one  where  there  was  a  small  island  in  the  river,  which  would  of 

■e  much  diminish  the  fatigue  of  crossing ;  a  quantity  of  wood  was  then  fastened 
lhi!ether  on  which  he  was  laid,  and  thus  the  voyage  commenced. 

"  The  young  man,  grown  timid  with  the  danger  from  which  he  had  escaped,  could  not 
1     jjjjgr  the  water  again  without  great  apprehension ;  he  with  the  whole  party,  however, 

ived  very  safely  and  tolerably  quick  at  the  island,  whence,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
P  friend?,  he  commenced  the  second  and  most  toilsome  part  of  the  undertaking.    Two 
f  the  Bosjesmans  kept  on  each  side  of  the  bundle  of  wood,  while  the  young  man  himself 
exerted «"  his  remaining  powers  to  push  on  his  float 

•'  When  they  reached  a  bank  in  the  river,  on  which  they  were  partially  aground, 
Jiavin"  water  only  up  to  the  middle,  he  was  obliged  to  stop  and  rest  awhile ;  but  by  this 
dime  he  was  so  completely  chilled,  and  his  limbs  were  so  benumbed  with  the  cold,  that  it 
teemed  almost  impossible  for  him  to  proceed.  In  vain  did  his  comrades,  who  looked 
Anxiously  on  to  see  the  termination  of  the  adventure,  call  to  him  to  take  courage,  to  make, 
ifithout delay,  yet  one  more  effort;  he,  as  well  as  an  old  Bosjesman,  the  best  swimmer  of 
he  set,  seemed  totally  to  have  lost  all  thought  or  presence  of  mind. 

« At  this  critical  moment^  two  of  the  Bosjesmans  who  had  remained  on  our  side  of  the 

irater  were  induced,  after  some  persuasion,  to  undertake  the  rescue  of  these  unfortunate 

dveaturerfl.    A  large  bundle  of  wood  was  fastened  together  with  the  utmost  despatch ;  on 

Jie  eud  of  this  they  laid  themselves,  and  to  the  middle  was  fastened  a  cord ;  this  was 

held  by  those  on  shore,  so  that  it  might  not  fall  into  the  water  and  incommode  them  iu 

imming. 

« It  was  astonishing  to  see  with  what  promptitude  they  steered  directly  to  the  right 
ot,  and  carao,  notwithstanding  the  rapidity  of  the  sti-eam,  to  the  unfortunate  objects  they 
iou"ht.  The  latter  had  so  far  lost  all  coolness  and  presence  of  mind,  that  they  had  not  the 
lense  immediately  to  lay  hold  of  the  cord,  and  their  deliverers  were  in  the  utmost  danger 
jiif  being  carried  away  the  next  moment  by  the  stream.  At  this  critical  point,  the  third, 
irho  was  standing  on  the  bank,  seized  the  only  means  remaining  to  save  his  companions. 
He  pushed  thorn  before  him  into  the  deep  water,  and  compelled  them  once  more,  in 
onjunction  with  him,  to  put  forth  all  their  strength,  while  the  other  two  stniggled  with 
heir  utmost  might  against  the  stream.  In  this  manner  he  at  length  succeeded  in  making 
hem  catch  hold  of  the  rope,  by  means  of  which  all  five  were  ultimately  dragged  in  safety 
I  the  shore." 

We  will  now  proceed  to  the  weapons  with  which  the  Bosjesman  kills  his  prey  and 
finhts  his  enemies. 

The  small  but  terrible  arrows  which  the  Bosjesman  uses  with  such  deadly  efifect  are 


"fill 


1' 
'I 


I  it 


6 

'  jM^jS^ 

1 

H     iffl 

' 

1"  ^k 

284 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


II 


Mi 


ii  ■*' 


constructed  with  very  great  care,  and  the  neatness  -mth  which  they  are  made  is  reali  I 
surprising,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  singularly  inefficient  tools  which  I 
used. 

The  complete  arrow  is  ahout  eighteen  inches  in  length,  and  it  is  made  of  four  ^u:  ^ 
parts.  First,  we  have  the  shaft,  wliich  is  a  foot  or  thirteen  inches  long,  and  not  as  tV  tl 
as  an  ordinary  black-lead  penciL  This  is  formed  from  the  common  Kaffir  reed  whul 
when  dry,  is  both  strong  and  light  At  either  end  it  is  bound  firmly  with  the  split  nj 
flattened  intestine  of  some  animal,  which  is  put  on  when  wet,  and  when  dry,  shrink? 
closely,  and  is  very  hard  and  stiff  One  end  is  simply  cut  off  transversely,  and  the  oth  I 
notched  in  order  to  receive  the  bowstring.  "' 

Next  comes  a  piece  of  bone,  usually  that  of 
ostrich,  about  three  inches  in  length.  One  end  of 'li 
is  passed  into  the  open  end  of  the  shaft,  and  over  tl!  I 
other  is  slipped  a  short  piece  of  reed,  over  wliichi 
a  strong  "  wrapping  "  of  intestine  has  been  placeil 
This  forms  a  socket  for  the  true  head  of  the  arrow  J 
the  piece  of  ostrich  bone  being  only  intended  to  giwf 
the  needfid  weight  to  the  weapon.  **  " 

The  head  itself  is  made  of  ivory,  and  is  sli 
much  like  the  piecy  of  bone  already  described.   Onai 
end  of  it  is  sharpened,  so  that  it  can  be  slipped  int] 
the  reed  socket,  and  the  other  is  first  bound  Vm 
intestine,  and  then  a  notch,  about  the  eighth  of  sui 
inch  deep,  is  made  in  it.    This  notch  is  for  the  recprJ 
tion  of  the  triangular  piece  of  flattened  iron,  wLicli' 
we  may  call  the  blada 

The  body  of  the  arrow  is  now  complete,  and 
that  is  required  is  to  add  the  poison  whicli  niakesla 
so  formidable.     The  poison,  which  is  first  reduced  J 
the  consistency  of  glue,  is  spread  thickly  over  ih] 
entire  head  of  the  arrow,  including  the  base  of  tin 
head.     Before  it  has  quite  dried,  a  shoit  spike  of  itoi 
or  qxiill  is  pushed  into  it,  the  point  being  directtl 
backwards,   so   as  to  form  a  barb.     If  the  mU 
strikes  a  human  being,  and  he  pulls  it  out  of  thj 
wound,  the  iron  blade,  wb'ch  is  but  loosely  attadia 
to  the  head,  is  nearly  sure  to  come  off  and  rmaia 
in  the  wound.     The  little  barb  is  added  for  tho  sam] 
purpose,  and,  even  if  the  arrow  itself  be  inmiediatelyj 
extracted,  enough  of  the  poison  remains  in  the  wounilj 
to  cause  death. 

But  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  the  arrow  will  1 
extracted.  The  head  is  not  fastened  permanently  td 
the  shaft,  but  is  only  loosely  slipped  into  it.  Con-j 
sequently  the  shaft  is  pulled  away  easily  enough,  but 
the  head  is  left  in  the  wound,  and  aflbrds  no  handk 
whereby  it  can  be  extracted.  As  may  be  seen  frem 
the  illustration,  a  considerable  amount  of  the  p 
is  used  upon  each  arrow. 

This  little  barb,  or  barblet,  if  the  word  may  lie| 
used,  is  scarcely  as  large  as  one  nib  of  an  ordiiia 
quill  pen,  and  lies  so  close  to  the  arrow  tiiat  itl 
would  not  be  seen  by  an  inexperienced  eye.  In  form  it  is  triangular,  the  broader  end] 
being  pressed  into  the  poison,  and  the  pointed  end  directed  backwards,  and  lying  alinosU 
parallel  with  the  shaft.  It  hardly  seems  capable  of  being  dislodged  in  the  wound,  but] 
the  fact  is,  that  the  poison  is  always  soft  in  a  warm  climate,  and  so  allows  the 


BOSJESUAN  QUIVER  AND  ABROWS 


METHODS  OF  PROCURING  POISON. 


283 


.  ^gjy  slightly  inserted,  to  remain  in  the  wound,  a  poition  of  poison  of  course 

[gillienng.^  ^^^^  ^^^^^  structui-e  of  a  good  arrow,  but  the  weapons  are  not  exactly  alike. 

f  tl 
[not  """  jjjjj"ai.e  not  employed  in  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  game.     Hunting  arrows 


[vliich 
|ieri:_ 

^'"Vtliem  have  only  a  single  piece  of  bone  by  way  of  a  head,  while  many  are 

[Some  0       ^.^j^  ^j^^  triangular  blade.      Arrows  that  possess  this  blade  are  intended 

"I  and  are  not  employed  in  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  game.     Hunting  arrows 

*^ehead  shaped  much  like  a  spindle,  or,  to  speak  more  familiarly,  like  the  street 

cat,"'  t 
I^Vheii  not  in 


[have  t  le  '^"r^^gjjjg^toierably  thick  in  the  middle  and  tapering  to  a  point  at  each  end. 


I     '   "fftt     bein'^  tOieraoiy  iniUK  lu  lue  luiuuiu  auu   tupenuj^    lo   u,  puiiiii  ai  «auii    euu. 
\nnl»  Tiot  in  actual  use,  the  Bosjesman  reverses  the  head,  so  that  the  poisoned  end  is 
nto  the  hollow  shaft,  and  thus  is  debarred  from  doing  useless  harm.    These 
h    ]  are  uot  nearly  as  thick  as  those  which  are  used  for  war,  neither  do  they  need  as 

"The  specimens  which  are  shown  in  the  illustration  were  taken  from  the  dead  body  of 
lii,  •  owner,  and  were  kindly  sent  to  me  by  H.  Dermett,  Esq.  They  are  peculiarly 
I  I  able  because  they  are  in  all  stages  of  manufacture,  and  show  the  amount  of  labour 
l^'care  which  is  bestowed  on  these  weapons.  There  is  first  the  sin)ple  reed,  having  both 
I 'ds  carefully  bound  with  sinew  to  prevent  it  from  splitting.  Then  comes  a  reed  with  a 
"ce  of  bone  inserted  in  one  end.  On  the  next  specimen  a  small  socket  is  formed  at  the 
l^'d  of  the  bone,  iii  order  to  receive  the  ivory  head ;  and  so  the  arrows  proceed  until  the 

H'ect  weapon  is  seen. 
I     As  to  the  poison  which  is  used  in  arming  the  arrows,  it  is  of  two  kinds.    That  which 
Is  in  ordinary  use  is  maae  chiefly  of  vegetable  substances,  such  as  the  juice  of  certain 
I  nnhorbias,  together  with  the  matter  extracted  from  the  poison-gland  of  the  pufl'  adder, 
[fobra,  and  other  venomous  serpetits.    In  procuring  this  latter  substance  they  are  singularly 

[courageous. 

When  a  iUosjesman  sees  a  serpent  which  can  be  used  for  poisoning  arrows,  he  does  not 

.1  it  at  once,  but  steals  quietly  to  the  spot  where  he  is  lying,  and  sets  his  foot  on  his 
Ineck.  The  snake,  disturbed  from  the  lethargic  condition  which  is  common  to  nil  reptiles, 
[starts  into  fuiious  energy,  and  twists  and  struggles  and  hisses,  and  does  all  in  its  power  to 
I  inflict  a  wound  on  its  foe.  This  is  exactly  what  the  Bosjesnian  likes,  and  he  excites  the 
(gerwiit  to  the  utmost  pitch  of  fury  before  he  kills  it.  The  reason  of  this  conduct  is,  that 
Itbe  desire  to  bite  excites  the  poison-gland,  and  causes  it  to  secrete  the  venomous  substance 
I  in  large  quantities. 

The  Bosjesinans  say  that  not  only  is  the  poison  increased  in  volume,  but  that  its 
[venomous  properties  are  rendered  more  deadly  by  exciting  the  anger  of  the  reptile  before 
litis  killed.  The  materials  for  making  this  poison  are  boiled  down  in  a  primitive  kind  of 
[pot  made  of  a  hollowed  sandstone,  and  when  thoroughly  inspissated,  it  assumes  the  colour 
[lud  consistency  of  pitch.  It  is  put  on  very  thickly,  in  some  parts  being  about  the  eighth 
[of  an  inch  thick.  In  some  arrows,  the  little  triangular  head  is  only  held  in  its  place  by 
[the  poison  itself,  being  merely  loosely  slipped  into  a  notch  and  then  cemented  to  the  shaft 
[with  the  poison.  In  this  case  it  acts  as  a  barb,  and  remains  in  the  wound  when  the  arrow 
lis  withdrawn. 

In  this  climate  the  poison  becomes  hard,  and  is  exceedingly  brittle,  cracking  in  various 
Idirections,  and  being  easily  pulverized  by  being  rubbed  between  the  fingers.  But  in  the 
I  comparatively  hot  tempeiature  of  Southern  Africa  it  retains  its  soft  tenacity,  and  even  in 
[this  country  it  can  be  softened  before  a  fire  and  the  cracked  portions  mended.  It  is  very 
[bitter,  and  somewhat  aromatic  in  taste,  and  in  this  respect  much  resembles  the  dreaded 
[wourali  poison  of  tropical  Guiana. 

In  some  places  the  poison  bulb  is  common,  and  in  its  prime  it  is  very  conspicuous, 
[being  recognised  at  a  considerable  distance  by  the  blue  undulated  leaves  which  rise,  as 
[it  were,  out  of  thft  ground,  and  spread  like  a  fan.  8oon,  hoM'ever,  the  leaves  fall  off  and 
[dry  up,  and  nothing  is  seen  but  a  short,  dry  stalk,  which  gives  little  promise  ot  the  bulb 
[below. 

In  some  parts  of  the  Rosjosmans'  country,  the  juice  of  amaryllis  is  used  for  poisoning 
[arrows,  like  that  of  euphorbia,  and  is  tlien  mixed  with  the  venom  extrncted  from  a  large 
I  black  spider,  as  well  as  that  which  is  obtained  from  serpents.    An  antidote  for  this  mixed 


■  'L'        '''■.    Sii   ■  4 


I] 

'.  tl 


If 


4  m 


BSlT^t; 


lifpi 


■  111--    '  " 
.3     I 


m^ 


286 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


poison  is  not  at  present  known  to  white  men,  and  whether  the  Bosjesmans  are  acquaint 
with  one  is  at  present  unknown.  ^ 

It  would  be  a  Rreat  boon,  not  only  to  science,  but  to  the  inhabitants  of  tliat  part 
Africa,  if  a  remedy  could  be  discovered,  inasmuch  as  such  a  discovery  would  at 
deprive  the  Bosjesmans  of  the  only  means  whereby  he  can  render  himself  terribl.T 
those  who  live  in  his  nei^'hbourhood.     Property  would  then  be  rendered  cotnparativ  i 
safe,  and  the  present  chronic  state  of  irregular  warfare  would  be  exchanged  for  peace    l 
quiet.  ^ 

The  two-fold  nature  of  the  poison,  however,  renders  such  a  discovery  a  matter 
exceeding  difficulty,  as  the  antidote  must  be  equally  able  to  counteract  the  veoetall 
poison  as  well  as  the  animal  venom.  *     '* 

Terrible  as  is  this  mixed  poison,  the  Bosjesman  has  another  which  is  far  more  cm  I 


its  effects.     If  a  human  being  is  wounded  with  an  arrow  armed  with  this 

suiTers  the  most  intolerable  agony,  and  soon  dies 

should 

stone' 


m 


poison,  bg 


Even  if  a  small  portion  of  this  poj  J 
Id  touch  a  scratch  in  the  skin,  the  result  is  scarcely  less  dreadful,  and,  in  Livj*''' 
's  graphic  words,  the  sufferer  "  cuts  himself,  calls  for  his  mother's  breast,  as  it  he  J^'  > 
returned  in  idea  to  his  childhood  again,  or  flies  fi-om  human  habitations  a  ra^'injr  mauia^'" 
The  non  suffers  in  much  the  same  way,  raging  through  the  woods,  and  biting  the  trees  anH  I 
the  ground  in  the  extremity  of  his  pain. 

The  poison  which  produces  .such  ten-ible  effects  is  simply  the  juice  which  cxiules  fm 
a  certain  grub,  calle<l  the  N'gwa,  or  K'aa — the  former  title  being  used  by  Dr.  Livinoston 
and  the  latter  by  Mr.  Haines,  who  has  given  great  attention  to  this  dread  insect*  H^l 
account  of  the  insect  is  as  follows: —  ^' 

There  is  a  tree  called  the  Mariiru  papeeric,  which  is  about  the  size  of  an  or(linar\-  ein  ! 
but  which  has  its  stems  and  briuiches  covered  with  thorns.     The  wood  of  thi.s  treeu  f 
very  soft  texture.     Upon  the  Maruru  papeerie  aiv  found  the  poison  grubs,  which  areoV  f 
pale  flesh  colour,  sometiiing  like  that  of  the  silkworm,  and  about  thitre-quarters  of  aji  inch 
in  length. 

One  curious  point  in  its  habits  is  the  singular  covering  with  which  it  is  invested  I 
"  We  were  much  puzzled  by  a  covering  of  green  matter  siniilar  in  colour  to  the  leaf  t 
feeds  on.  At  first  we  thought  it  was  the  first  skin  peeling  off,  as  it  lay  in  loose  r.Il 
parallel  to  tlie  musclar  rings  of  the  body;  it  seemed  gradually  driven  for\vard  towanj! 
the  head,  where  it  for'ned  a  shieM  or  hood,  portions  breaking  off  cs  it  dried,  and  Win, 
replaced  by  fi-esh.  At  length  we  were  enabled  to  decide  that  it  must  be  the  excrement  of 
the  creature,  i.s.sning  not  only  in  the  usual  manner,  but  from  the  pores  that  are  scattered 
over  nearly  the  whole  of  its  IwJy. 

"  When  the  grub  atUiins  a  length  of  three-quarters  of  an  inch,  this  matter  is  more 
sparingly  distril)uted,  and  is  of  a  brownish  colour.  In  a  short  time  the  grub  drops  from 
tiie  tree,  and,  burying  itself  about  two  feet  below  the  surface,  fonns  its  cocoon  of  a  thin 
shell  of  earth  agglutinated  round  its  body.  Its  entrails,  or  rather,  the  whole  internal  juices  I 
are,  in  all  stages  of  its  grulMloin,  of  the  most  deadly  nature,  and  if  brought  in  contact  with 
a  cut,  or  sore  of  any  kind,  cause  tlie  mo.st  excruciating  agony." 

Throiigh  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Baines,  who  enriched  niycollectioa  I 
with  some  sju'cimens  of  the  N'gwa,  I  am  enabled  to  present  my 
readers  with  some  figures  of  this  dread  insect.    Fig.  1  shows  the  i 
N'gwa,   or   K'aa,   of  its  natural   size.      The  specimen  was  dr\- 
shrivelled,  and  hai-d,  but  a  careful  administration  of  moisture  car. .^ 
it  to  relax  its  stiffened  segments,  and  the  wrinkled  skin  to  become  i 
plump  as  in  life. 

^'i^,'-  1  sliows  the  under  surface  of  the  gnib,  as  it  appears  wVa 
lying  on  its  back,  and  exhibit.s  its  six  little  legs,  the  dark  head  and  thorax,  and  the  rowf,f  I 
spiracles,  or  breathing  ajK-rtures,  along  the  sides.    Fig  2  exhibits  the  same  grub,  as  it 
appears  when  coiled  up  inside  its  cocoon,  and  ser\'es  also  to  show  the  flattened  fornnd 
the  N'gwa  in  this  stage  of  existence. 

Fig.  3  represents  the  cocoon  UhM    This  domicile  is  made  of  grains  of  dark  bron 
earth  or  sond,  agglutinated  together  by  the  grub,  and  is  wonderfully  hard,  strong,  a:;d 


rOISON  GRUB 


?^'  -4 


THE  N'GWA,  OR  POISON  GRUR 


287 


f-Tularlv  over 


although  its  walls  are  exceedingly  thin.    When  entire,  it  is  so  strong  that  it  will 

""^fher  rou<»h  handling  without  injury,  but  when  it  is  broken,  it  tumbles  into 
*^  t&  almost  at  a  touch  The  specimens  are  represented  of  their  natural  size. 
Sc'IJ!  ij^g  Bosjesman  wislies  to  poison  an  arrow-head,  he  first  exaiuiues  his  hands  with 
•  test  care,  so  as  to  be  certain  that  his  skin  is  not  broken  even  by  a  sliglit  scratch. 
''*  '^"^'^takes  a  grub  between  his  fingers,  and  squeezes  it  so  as  to  force  out  the  whole 
'*  t  of  the  abdomen,  together  with  the  juices  of  the  body.  These  he  places  in  little 
iontent3  ^  the  arrow-point,  arranging  them  a  tolerably  r^ular  Higtance  from  each  other; 
^^'•hm  this  is  done,  the  dreadful  process  is  complete. 

h  no  wonder  that  people  who  wield  such  weapons  as  these  should  be  equally  feared 
I  ^^  ^  ijy  jji  around  them.  It  is  bad  enough  to  be  shot  with  arrows  which,  like  those 
L  )  Macoushies,  cause  certain  death,  but  the  terrors  of  the  poison  are  aggravated  a 
L  1  d-fold  when  it  causes  fearful  agony  and  absolute  mania  before  death  relieves  the 
The  accompanying  illustration  is  from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Baines,  showing  the 

.,,er  m  which  the  poison  is  placed  on  the  arrow. 

''t  Uve  also  one  of  the  arrows  poisoned  by  the  grub,  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the 
eminent  traveller  and  artist.     It  has,  however,  been  kept  in  a  damp  place,  and 

"*'      ...     -  -:-^u  has  liquefied,  and  the  little  spots  of  dried  juice  have  spread 
ivory  head.      In  the  illustration,  the  upper  figure  repi  scnts  the 
row  with  it3  iron  tip,  the  middle  fijnive  is  the  slender  hunting  arrow,  and  the  third 
1?"  the'saine  arrow-head,  reversed  in  the  hollow  shaft  for  safety. 
'^^'"^       -  naturally  arises,  namely,  the  existence  of  any  antidote  to  this  dreadful 

lere  is  an  antidote  to  every  poison  if  it  wei-e  but  known,  and  it  is 
It  1  tberefofe,  that  there  is  one  for  the  N'gwa.  The  Kaffirs  say  that  the  only  anti- 
L^  'is  fat  They  have  a  theory  that  the  N'gwa  requires  fat,  and  that  it  consumes  the 
If  if  the  wounded  beings  in  its  attempts  to  find  fat  Consequently,  when  a  person  is 
t  imled  with  a  poisoned  arrow,  they  saturate  the  wound  with  liquid  fat,  and  think 
hat  it  it  can  be  applied  in  time,  and  in  sutiicient  quantities,  it  satisfies  the  N'gwa,  and 
av^  the  man's  life. 

The  Bosjesraans  themselves  deny  that  there  is  any  antidote,  but  this  they  might  be 
irected  to  do,  from  their  natural  unwillingness  to  part  with  so  valuable  a  secret.  It  is 
in  li'lit  matter  to  possess  a  poison  which  keeps  every  enemy  in  terror,  as  well  it  may, 
(rhen  we  consider  its  effects.     Dr.  Livingstone  mentions  that  the  efficiency  of  this  poison 

80  (ntjat  that  it  is  used  against  t\ie  lion.  After  watching  the  lion  nidce  a  full  meal, 
iro  Bosjesman  hunters  creep  up  to  the  spot  where  the  animal  is  reposing,  according;  to  his 
iistom,  and  approaches  so  silently  that  not  even  a  cracked  stick  announces  the  presence 

'  an  enemy. 

One  of  them  takes  off  his  kaross,  and  holds  it  with  both  hands,  while  the  other  pre- 
Bres  his  weapons.  When  all  is  ready,  a  poisoned  arrow  is  sent  into  the  lion's  body,  and, 
imiiltaneously  with  the  twang  of  the  bowstring,  tie  kaross  is  flung  over  the  animal's 
Lj,  so  as  to  bewilder  him  when  he  is  so  unceremoniously  arou.sed,  and  to  give  the  bold 
nnters  time  to  conceal  themselves.     The  lion  shakes  off  the  blinding  cloak,  and  bounds 

in  terror,  which  soon  gives  w^ay  to  pain,  and  in  a  short  time  dies  in  convulsive 

nnJPS. 

When  the  N'gwa  is  used  for  poisoning  arrows,  no  other  substance  is  used,  and  in  con- 
quence  the  head  of  the  weapon  presents  a  much  neater  appearance  than  when  it  is 

ued  with  the  pitch-like  euphorbia  or  serpent  poison. 

This  substance  being  of  so  terrible  a  character,  its  possc^ors  would  naturally  be 
lixious  to  discover  some  antidote  which  they  might  use  in  case  of  being  accidentally 
ounded,  and  to  give  foreigners  the  idea  that  no  antidote  existed.  Consequently  Mr. 
'ms  and  his  companions  found  that  they  persistently  denied  that  they  knew  of  any 
|itiilote,  but  when  they  mentioned  the  very  name  of  the  plant  which  they  had  heard 

I  used  by  them  for  that  purpose,  the  Bosjesmans  yielded  the  point,  said  that  white  men 
iifw  ever)'tliiiig,  and  that  it  was  useless  to  conceal  their  knowledge. 

The  antidote  is  called  by  the  natne  of  Kala  ha«Hlwe,  and  is  chiefly  made  from  a  small 
kitstemiued  plant.    The  flower  is  yellovv,  star-shaped, and  has  five  petals.    The  stamens 


it! 


/^    '    ,»m 


1268 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


1 1 


if 


ff- 


are  numerous,  and  the  calyx  is  divided  into  two  sepals.    The  root  is  "  somethinjj  behp 
a  bulb  and  a  tuber,  rough  and  brown  outside,  and  when  cut  is  seen  marked  with 
centric  lines  of  light  reddish  brown  and  purple."    The  leaves  are  two  inches  and  a'^*"' 
in  length,  and  only  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide.    The  mid-rib  of  the  leaf  projects  on  ik 
under  surface,  and  forms  a  depression  on  the  upper.    There  are,  however,  two  other 
which  bear  the  same  title,  and  are  used  for  the  same  purpose.    One  of  them  has  a  i 
leaf  and  a  larger  flower,  and  tastes  something  like  sorrel,  while  the  third  has  a  va 
or  wrinkled  leaf 

When  the  KMa  ha^tlwe  is  used,  the  root  or  bulb  is  chewed  and  laid  on  the  won  h 
aud  is  followed  by  the  application  of  plenty  of  fat.  I  umy  heie  mention  that  the  *"!! 
"kila"  signifies  "  friend,"  and  is  therefore;  very  appropriate  to  the  plant.  "'' 

In  the  illustration  on  page  2G6,  a  Bosjesman  may  be  seen  as  he  appears  when  poisoni 
his  arrows.     He  is  seated  on  the  ground,  and  has  the  arrow  in  one  hand,  and  the  poign"' 
grub  in  the  other.    By  his  side  are  a  number  of  arrows  which  he  has  already  poisnnpSl 
and  which  he  has  ran<,'ed  upon  a  stick,  in  order  to  prevent  the  poison  from  touchinc  th* 
ground.    Behind  him,  and  slung  to  the  branch  of  a  tree,  is  his  bow-case.    This  consist! 
of  the  skin  of  some  small  antelope,  stripped  otf  and  prepared  in  such  a  way  tliat  it  Ion 
a  bag,  in  which  the  bow  and  quiver  can  lie  comforlnbiy.     ITie  legs  are  used  as  si 
and  serve  to  suspend  it  from  the  shoulders,  or  from  a  lough,  if  its  owner  is  resting. 

To  another  branch*of  the  same  tree  is  hung  the  water-bag,  which  is  generally  madtl 
out  of  the  paunch  of  some  animal  The  crop  of  the  ostrich  is  also  used  for  tliis  vxunmi 
Another  water  vessel,  namely,  the  shell  of  an  ostrich,  lies  on  the  ground,  tlie  opmiuJ 
being  filled  up  with  a  wisp  of  grass.  In  the  middle  distance  is  seen  the  tree  on  whiil 
the  poison-grub  feeds,  namely,  the  Mararu  papeerie,  with  its  scanty  foliage  aud  thora.! 
studded  trunk. 

Opposite  to  this  Bosjesman  is  another  who  has  succeeded  in  killing  an  ostrich,  and  in 
putting  the  feathers  into  hallow  reeds,  as  has  already  been  mentioned  on  pa};e2"8| 
Whenever  the  Bosjesman  offers  a  feather  for  sale,  he  always  draws  it  through  a  reed  befoijl 
presenting  it  for  inspection,  this  process  giving  it  a  glossy  appearance.  The  reader ijl 
especially  requested  to  notice  the  singular  curve  in  the  back  of  the  s'tting  Bosjesmaal 
This  is  peculiar  to  the  race,  and  in  some  instances  is  so  strongly  marked,  that  the  %\ 
jesman  appears  to  a  stranger  as  if  he  were  hump-backed.  The  arms  are  very  slender  \sA 
the  development  of  the  lower  limbs  is  disproportionately  large.  '    I 

A  favourite  attitude  of  the  Bosjesman  is  shown  in  the  recumbent  figure  who  ij| 
watching  his  companions.  For  the  sketch  of  this  illustration,  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  I 
Baines. 

This  is  not  the  only  use  which  they  make  of  poisons.    If  they  are  retreating  over  a  i 
district  which  they  do  not  intend  to  visit  for  some  time,  they  have  an  abominable  custom 
of  poisoning  every  water-hole  in  their  track.     Sometimes  they  select  one  fountain,  i 
mix  its  waters  with  poison  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  game. 

Mr.  Moffatt  nearly  fell  a  victim  to  this  custom.  After  a  long  and  tedious  ride  under  I 
*  the  hot  sunbeams,  he  approached  a  Bosjesman  village,  near  which  his  hoi-se  discovered  a  I 
small  pool  of  water  surrounded  with  bushes.  Pushing  his  way  through  them,  Mr.  Moilatt 
lay  down  and  took  a  long  draught  at  tlie  water,  not  having  understood  that  the  m- 
rounding  bushes  were  in  fact  a  fence  used  to  warn  human  beings  from  the  water.  ^  I 
soon  as  he  had  drunk,  he  perceived  an  unusual  taste,  and  then  found  that  the  water  Lad  | 
been  poisoned. 

The  effects  of  the  poison  were  rather  irritable,  though  not  so  painful  as  mii^lit  have  I 
been  imagined.    "  I  began  to  feel  a  violent  turmoil  within,  and  a  fulness  of  the  systim, 
as  if  the  arteries  would  burst,  while  the  pulsation  was  exceedingly  quick,  beint!  acccin- 
panied  by  a  slight  giddiness  in  the  head."    Fortunately,  a  profuse  perspiration  cuiue  on, 
and  he  recovered,  though  the  strange  sensations  lasted  for  several  days. 

To  the  honour  of  the  Bosjesmans,  it  must  be  said  that  they  displayed  tlie  grcatett  I 
solicitude  on  this  occasion.    One  of  them  came  running  out  of  the  village,  just  after  tlie 
water  harl  been  drunk,  and,  not  knowing  that  the  mischief  had  alreafly  been  done, 
tried  to  show  by  gestures  that  the  water  must  not  be  drunk.    They  then  ran  about  iu  all  I 


BOSJESMAN  AKROWS. 


289 


ARROW-UEAUS. 
1.  Barbtd  Am»*»ad,  fM  liu.  S.  Viibarbtd  ditto,  rtventd  <n  thaft 

8.  Ditto,  wM  polMMud  point  oitAMrd*.— 8m  page  287. 


Lhfictions  -^king  for  a  remedy ;  and  when  they  found  that  the  result  would  not  be  fatal, 
£v  showed  extravagant  joy. 

I    The  escape  was  a  very  narrow  one,  as  a  zebra  had  died  on  the  previous  day  from 
htinkinc  at  the  same  fountain. 

This  anecdote,  when  taken  in  conjunction  with  Dr.  Lichtenstein's  narrative,  shows 
I,.  J  f|,ig  despised  race  of  people  are  not,  as  some  seem  to  think,  devoid  of  all  human 
It  tions  and  thereby  degraded  below  the  level  of  the  brute  beasts.  Subjected,  as  they 
!*«.  to  oppression  on  eveiy  side,  and  equally  persecuted  by  the  Hottentots,  the  Kaffirs,  and 
Se  white  colonists,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  they  could  be  remarkable  for  the  bene- 
mlence  of  their  disposition,  or  their  kindly  feelings  towards  the  hostile  people  with  whom 
thev  are  surrounded ;  and,  whenever  they  find  an  opportunity  for  retaliation,  it  is  but 
Jatural  that  they  should  take  ad- 

Tgntage  of  i**-  ,         ,    ^,  * 

Small,  few,  and  weak,  they 

would  have  been  long  ago  exter- 
minated but  for  their  one  weapon, 

the  poisoned  arrow,  and,  through 

its  possession,  thoy  have  exacted 

from  their  many  foes  the  same 

feeling  of  respectful  abhorrence 

which  we   entertain  towards   a 

honiet  or  a  viper.    All  hate  and 

dread  the  Bosjesman,  but  no  one 

dares  to    despise    him.      How- 
[erer  powerful  may  be  a  tribe  of  Kaffirs  or  Hottentots,  or  however  carefully  an  European 

settlement  may  be  protected,  a  single  Bosjesman  will  keep  them  in  constant  alarm. 
{Sentries  are  almost  useless  when  a  Bosjesman  chooses  to  make  a  nocturnal  attack,  for  he 
lean  crawl  unseen  within  a  few  yards  of  the  sentinel,  lodge  a  poisoned  arrow  in  his  body, 
[and  vanish  as  imperceptibly  as  he  arrived.  As  to  finding  the  retreat  in  which  he  hides 
[himself  by  day,  it  is  almost  impossible,  even  to  a  Hottentot,  for  tlie  Bosjesman  is  mar- 
[vellously  skilful  in  obliterating  tracks,  and  making  a  false  spoor,  and  has  besides  the  art 
[of  packing  his  tiny  body  into  so  small  a  compass,  that  he  can  lie  at  his  ease  in  a  hole 
[which  seems  hardly  large  enough  to  accommodate  an  ordinary  rabbit. 
[  Yet,  though  he  is  hunted  and  persecuted  like  the  hornet  and  the  viper,  and,  like  those 
[creatures,  can  use  his  venomed  weapon  when  provoked,  it  is  evident  that  he  is  not  inca- 
[pable  of  gratitude,  and  that  he  can  act  in  a  friendly  manner  towards  those  who  treat  him 
[kindly.  Vindictive  he  can  be  when  he  thinks  himself  offended,  and  he  can  wreak  a  most 
[cruel  vengeance  on  those  who  have  incurred  his  wrath.  But  that  he  is  not  destitute  of 
[the  better  feelings  of  humanity  is  evident  from  the  above-mentioned  accounts,  and  we 
[ought  to  feel  grateful  to  the  writer  for  giving,  on  mndoubted  authority,  a  better  character 
[to  the  Bosjesman  than  he  was  thought  to  have  deserved. 

[  The  substance  that  is  used  for  poisoning  water  is  generally  of  a  vegetable  nature. 
[The  bulb  of  the  poison-root  (Amaryllia  toxicaria)  is  much  employed,  and  so  is  the  juice 
[of  the  euphorbia. 

[  The  shape  of  the  arrows,  together  with  the  want  of  feathers,  and  the  feeble  nature  of 
[the  bow,  implies  that  they  are  not  intended  for  long  ranges.  The  Bosjesman  is,  indeed,  a 
[very  poor  marksman,  and  does  not  care  to  shoot  at  an  object  that  is  more  than  thirty  or 
[forty  yards  from  him,  preferring  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  yards,  if  he  can  manage  to 
[creep  so  near.  In  order  to  test  the  Bosjesman's  marksmanship,  Mr.  Burchell  hung  on  a 
[pole  an  antelope-skin  kaross,  nearly  seven  feet  square.  One  of  the  men  took  his  bow 
land  arrows,  crept  towards  it  until  he  was  within  twenty  yards,  and  missed  it  with  his 
[first  arrow,  though  he  struck  it  with  the  second. 

The  quiver,  which  seems  to  be  a  necessary  accompaniment  to  the  bow  and  arrow  in  all 
[nations  which  use  these  weapons,  is  sometimes  made  of  wood,  and  sometimes  of  leather. 
[The  example  which  is  shown  on  page  284,  is  of  the  latter  material,  and  is  drawn  from 
[a  specimen  in  my  own  collection.     It  is  made  very  strongly,  and  is  an  admirable 

VOL  I.  Jf 


tvm 


'  1 '.   -- 1 


ft,     ' 


'    '-J 


i-lf 


■mm- 


!!'>     t-l',.' 


ii 


290 


TEE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


example  of  Bosjesman  workmanship.  The  hide  of  which  it  is  made  is  that  of  roio* 
large  animal,  such  as  the  ox  ol:  the  eland,  but  as  the  hair  has  been  carefully  removed,  do 
due  is  left  as  to  the  precise  animal  which  furnished  the  skin. 

The  wtxxlen  quivers  are  almost  invariably  made  from  one  of  the  aloes  (Aloe  diehotom\ 
which  has  therefore  received  from  the  Dutch  colonists  the  name  of  "  Kokerboom,"  oi 
Quiver-trea  Occasionally,  however,  they  are  made  from  the  karree  tree,  a  species  i 
Bhus,  which  grows  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  in  habits  and  appearance  much  resemblei 
the  English  willow. 

The  Bosjesman  has  a  very  ingenious  method  of  carrying  his  weapons  when  upon  a 
joumev,  the  bow,  quiver,  and  knob-kerry  being  tied  together,  and  the  whole  group  sluni 
over  the  back.  A  perfectly-equipped  Bosjesman,  however,  has  a  kind  of  skin  case,  q 
which  he  places  his  weapons.  Sometimes  it  is  merely  a  leathern  bag,  but  in  its  best 
form  it  is  composed  of  an  entire  antelope-skin,  the  body  of  which  forms  the  case,  and 
the  legs  acting  as  straps  by  which  it  can  be  hung  on  the  back.  One  of  these  bow-caset 
can  be  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  276. 

The  bow  is  extremely  small  and  simple,  inasmuch  as  the  Bosjesman  cares  little  aWt 
its  strength,  because  he  never  shoots  at  objects  at  more  than  a  few  yards'  distance.  It 
is  mostly  made  of  a  species  of  Tarchonanthus,  but  the  Bosjesman -is  not  particular  abont 
its  material,  so  that  it  be  tolerably  elastic.  Neither  is  he  fastidious  about  its  size,  \vhich 
is  seldom  more  than  four  feet  in  length,  and  often  less ;  nor  about  its  shape,  for  the 
curve  is  often  extremely  irregular,  the  thickest  portion  of  the  bow  not  having  been  kept 
in  the  centra  Any  little  boy  can  make,  with  a  stick  and  a  string,  a  bow  quite  as  good 
as  that  which  is  used  by  the  Bosjesman. 

In  using  it,  the  Bosjesman  does  not  hold  it  vertically,  after  the  manner  of  the  ordinal; 
long-bow,  but  horizontally,  as  if  it  were  a  cross-bow — a  fact  which  explains  the  extremely 
indifferent  aim  which  can  be  token  with  it.  The  Bosjesman  generally  carries  an  assagai, 
but  it  is  not  of  his  own  manufacture,  as  he  is  quite  ignorant  of  the  blacksmith's  art. 
Even  the  little  triangular  tips  which  are  placed  on  the  arrow-heads  are  hammered  vith 
infinite  labour,  the  iron  being  laid  cold  on  one  stone,  and  beaten  perseveringly  vith 
another,  until  it  is  at  last  flattened.  Of  softening  it  by  heat  the  Bosjesman  knows 
nothing,  nor  does  he  possess  even  tke  rude  instruments  which  are  necessary  for  heating 
the  iron  to  the  softening  point. 

The  assagai  is  usually  the  work  of  the  Bechuanas,  and  is  purchased  from  them  by 
the  Bosjesman.  Now  and  then,  an  ordinary  Kaffir's  assagai  is  seen  in  the  hand  of  the 
Bosjesman,  and  in  this  case  it  is  generally  part  of  the  spoils  of  war,  the  original  owner 
having  been  killed  by  a  poisoned  arrow.  From  the  same  source  also  is  derived  the  knife 
which  the  Bosjesman  usually  wears  hanging  by  a  thong  round  his  neck,  the  instrument 
being  almost  invariably  of  Bechuana  manufacture. 

The  Bosjesman,  indeed,  makes  nothing  with  his  own  hands  which  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  him.  The  assagai  and  the  knife  are  rather  luxuries  than  necessaries,  and 
^re  obtained  from  strangers.  The  bow  and  poisoned  arrow,  however,  with  which  he  fights 
human  enemies,  or  destroys  the  larger  animals,  nre  absolutely  necessary  to  him,  and  so  is 
the  knob-kerry,  with  which  he  obtains  the  smaller  animals  and  birds.  He  also  beats  his 
wife  with  it,  and  perhaps  considers  it  a  necessary  article  of  property  on  that  score  also. 
These,  therefore,  every  Bosjesman  can  make  for  lumsel^  and  considers  himself  sufficiently 
equipped  wher  he  possesses  them. 


OHAPTEE  XXVL 


THE  "BOaJESHAN— Concluded. 


■'•■  'fcl 
*    ill 

m 
tfli 

'-ij:t 

,MJDn 

'MM 

ij 

{td  AHTmmirrs  ov  thb  bobSsbhak — how  hb  sicokxb — ^ms  sancb — cttbious   ATTmn>i 

DANCINO-BATrLBS THB   VATEB-DBUH 8FECIMBN8    OF  BOSJE8HAN   HrSIC — ITS  8INOULAB  8CALB 

AND  OrrBBVALS — SUCCBDANBUK  FOB   A   UANOKBBCHIRF A  TBAVELLBB'b  OPINION   OF   THB  DANCE 

AND  BONO — ^THB  OOUBA — 1T8  C0N8TBUCTI0N,  AND  MODE  OF  USING  IT — QDAUTY  OF  THE  T0NE8 
PBODUCBD  BY  XT — A  B08JE8HAN  MELODY  AS  PRBFOBUBD  ON  THB  OOTntA — THB  JOVH-JOVM 
AND  THB  PBBFOBUBB — SOOTHING  EFFECT  OF  THB  INSTBCMENT — ABT  AMONO  THB  B08JE8UAN8 
^MB.  CHBISTIB's  DESCBIPTITB  SKETCH — TUB  BOSJESHAM's  BBUSH  AND  COLOUBS — HIS  APPBE- 
CUnON  OF  A  DBA  WING — ANECDOTES   OF   B08JE8HANS. 


The  amusements  of  the  Bosjesmans  are  very  similai;  to  those  of  the  Hottentots,  and  can 
be  generally  comprised  in  two  words,  namely,  singing  and  dancing.  Both  these  words 
are  to  be  understood  in  their  South  African  sense,  and  are  not  to  be  taken  in  our  European 

I  signification.  ^ 

Perhaps  smoking  ought  to  be  included  in  the  category  of  amusements.    How  a  Bos- 

I  jesman  smokes  after  a  meal  has  already  been  narrated.  But  there  are  seasons  when  he 
does  not  merely  take  a  few  whifis  as  a  conclusion  to  a  meal,  but  deliberately  sets  to  work 
at  a  smoking  festival  He  then  takes  the  smoke  in  such  quantities,  swallowing  instead 
of  ejecting  it,  that  he  is  seized  with  violent  coughing  fits,  becomes  insensible,  and  falls 
down  in  convulsions.    His  companions  then  take  upon  themselves  the  duty  of  restoring 

I  him,  and  do  so  in  a  rather  singular  manner. 

As  is  usual  in  smoking  parties,  a  supply  of  fresh  water  is  kept  at  hand,  together  with 

I  reeds,  through  which  the  smokers  have  a  way  of  discharging  the  smoke  and  water  after 
a  fashion  which  none  but  themselves  can  perfectly  accomplish.  When  one  of  their 
number  falls  down  in  a  fit  of  convulsions,  his  companions  fill  their  mouths  with  water, 
and  then  spirt  it  through  the  tube  upon  the  back  of  his  neck,  blowing  with  all  their  force, 
BO  as  to  produce  as  great  a  shock  as  possible.  This  rather  rough  treatment  is  efficacious 
enough,  and  when  the  man  has  fairly  recovered,  he  holds  himself  in  readiness  to  perform 

I  the  like  office  on  his  companions. 

The  dance  of  the  Bosjesman  is  of  a  very  singular  character,  and  seems  rather  oddly 

I  calculated  for  producing  amusement  either  in  performers  or  spectators.  "  One  foot," 
writes  Burchell,  "  remains  motionless,  while  the  other  dances  in  a  quick,  wild,  irregular 
manner,  changing  its  place  but  little,  though  the  knee  and  leg  are  turned  from  side  to  side 

I  as  much  as  the  attitude  will  allow.  The  arms  have  but  little  motion,  their  duty  being 
to  support  the  body. 

"The  dancer  continues  singing  all  the  while,  and  keeps  time  with  every  movement, 
sometimes  twisting  the  body  in  sudden  starts,  until  at  last,  as  if  fatigued  by  the  extent 

i  of  his  exertions,  he  drops  upon  the  ground  to  recover  breath,  still  maintaining  the  spirit 
of  the  dance,  and  continuing  to  sing  and  keep  time,  by  the  motion  of  his  body,  to  the 
voices  and  accompaniments  of  the  spectators.  In  a  few  seconds  he  stait-:i  up  again,  and 
proceeds  with  increased  vigour. 

U2 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


,i  I 


!•*  I 


n 


'.•■.T.    V 


"  When  one  foot  is  tired  out,  or  has  done  its  share  of  the  dance,  the  other  comes  f 
ward  and  performs  the  same  part ;  and  thus,  changing  legs  from  time  to  time,  it  aeeo'"^ 
as  though  lie  meant  to  convince  his  friends  that  he  could  dance  for  ever." 

When  the  Bosjesman  dances  in  a  house  he  is  not  able  to  stand  upright,  and  con».d 
quently  is  obliged  to  support  himself  between  two  sticks,  on  which  he  leans  with  his  l^ 
bent  forward.  Very  little  space  is  required  for  such  a  dance,  and  in  consequence  the  h  1 
is  nearly  filled  with  spectators,  who  squat  in  a  circle,  leaving  just  space  enough  in  tkl 
centre  for  the  dancer  to  move  in.  I 

In  order  to  assist  him  in  marking  time,  he  has  a  set  of  rattles  which  he  ties  round  hiil 
ankles.  These  rattles  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration.  They  are  made  off 
the  ears  of  the  spring-bok,  the  edges  being  sewn  together,  and  some  fragments  of  ostrichi 
shell  placed  loosely  ^u  the  interior.  As  may  be  seen  on  relereuce  to  the  drawing,  they  atel 
tied  on  the  outside  jf  the  ankle.  '         I 

The  dances  which  I  have  seen  performed  by  the  Bo^'esmans  resembled  those  describedl 
by  Burchell,  the  dancer  supporting  himself  on  a  long  stick,  though  he  was  in  the  open  air  I 

and  occasionally  beating  time  vithi 
the  stick  upon  the  ground  to  thel 
peculiar  Bosjesman  measure.  I 
The  spectators,  whether  men  otl 
women,  accompany  the  dancer  in  Ms  I 
song  by  a  sort  of  melody  of  their  own,  I 
and  by  clapping  their  hands,  or  beat- 
ing sticks  on  the  ground,  in  time  I 
with  his  steps. 

They  also  beat  a  shnple  instm- 
ment  called  the  Water-Drum.   TUjI 
is  nothing  more  than  a  wooden  bowl,  I 
or  "bambus,"  such  as  is  shown  oi 

Eage  251,  on  which  a  piece  of  skin 
as  been  tightly  stretched.  A  little 
water  is  previously  poured  into  the 
bowl,  and  by  its  aid  the  skin  is  kept 
continually  wet.  It  is  beaten  with 
the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  and  is  kept  to  the  proper  pitch  by  pressing  the  thumb 
and  forefinger  of  the  le^  hand  upon  the  skin. 

Not  being  skilled  in  the  Bosjesmans'  language,  I  was  unable  to  distinguish  a  single 
syllable  used  by  the  Bosjesman  in  dancing,  but  Mr.  Burchell  gives  them  as  follows, 
The  dancer  uses  the  word  "  Wawa-koo,"  repeated  continually,  while  the  spectators  sing 
"  Aye-0,"  separating  the  hands  at  the  first  syllable,  and  bringing  them  sharply  together 
at  the  second.  The  effect  of  the  combined  voices  and  dances  may  be  seen  by  the  following 
notation,  which  was  taken  by  BurchelL  This  strange  combination  of  sounds,  which  | 
f  is  so  opposed  to  our  system  of  music,  is  grateful  to  the  ear  of  most  South  Africans,  and 
in  principle  is  prevalent  among  many  of  the  tribes,  though  there  are  differences  in  tbeii 
modes  and  measures. 


I         _  A    f  iiiif   f.  I 


DANCING  BATTLES. 


Spbotatobs. 


Dahcbh. 


Watui-Diium. 


Wawa  koo  wawa  koo    wawa  koo  wawa  koo   wawa  koo  wawa  koo 


m 


^^ 


:*=|t 


^ 


1 — r 


r^tzjt 


ad  fo/ttittvN 


BOSJESMAN  MUSIO. 


293 


When  engaged  in  this  singular  performance,  the  dancer  seems  so  completely  wrapped 
I  IP  in  his  part,  that  he  has  no  thought  except  to  continue  his  performance  in  the  most 
ipproved  style.    On  the  occmion  above  mentioned,  the  dancer  did  not  interrupt  his 
DOV«ineat  for  a  single  moment  when  the  white  man  made  his  unexpected  entrance , 
into  the  hut,  and,  indeed,  seemed  wholly  unconscious  of  his  presence. 

Shaking  and  twisting  each  leg  alternately  until  it  is  tired  does  not  seem  to  our  eyes 
to  be  a  particularly  exhilarating  recreation,  especially  when  the  performer  cannot  stand 
apright,ui  obliged  to  assume  a  stooping  posture,  and  has  only  a  space  of  a  foot  or  two 
in  diameter  in  which  he  can  move.  But  the  Boi^esman  derives  the  keenest  gratificalion 
gom  this  extraordinary  amusement,  and  the  more  he  fatigues  himself,  the  more  he  seems 

to  enjoy  it  _  ^ . 

As  is  likely  in  such  a  climate,  with  such  exertions,  and  with  an  atmosphere  so  close 
ind  odorous  utat  an  European  can  scarcely  live  in  it,  the  perspiration  pours  in  streams 
from  the  performer,  and  has,  at  all  events,  the  merit  of  acting  as  a  partial  ablution.  By 
way  of  a  handkerchief,  the  dancer  carries  in  his  hand  the  bushy  tail  of  a  jackal  fastened 
to  a  stick,  and  with  this  implement  he  continuallv  wipes  his  countenance.  He  seems  to 
have  hoROwed  this  custom  from  the  Bechuanas,  who  take  great  pains  in  their  manufacture 
of  this  article,  as  will  be  seen  when  we  come  to  treat  of  their  habits. 

After  dancing  until  he  is  unable  even  to  stand,  the  Bosjesman  is  forced  to  yield  his 
place  to  another,  and  to  become  one  of  the  spectators.  Before  doing  so,  he  takes  off  the 
tattles,  and  passes  them  to  his  successor,  who  assumes  them  as  an  essential  to  the  dance, 
I  and  wears  them  until  he,  in  his  turn,  can  dance  no  longer. 

Here  is  another  dancing  tune  taken  down  by  Mr.  Burchell  on  the  same  evening:— 


taOoiaun. 


Dixon.    * 


WitorDtxm. 


^^ 


F==t 


Aye     0      aye      0 


$ 


f±< 


^ 


aye   0      aye    eh     aye  0       0      6 


^ 


WSSi 


^m 


i 


Lok      a     tay  Lok      a     tay  Lok      a     tay 


It  may  seem  strange  that  such  odd  music  could  have  any  charms  for  an  European 

I  who  knew  anything  of  music.  Yet  that  such  can  be  the  case  is  evident  from  the  words 
of  the  above-mentioned  traveller.  "  I  find  it  impossible  to  give,  by  means  of  mere 
description,  a  correct  idea  of  the  pleasing  impi-essions  received  while  viewing  this  scene, 

I  or  of  the  kind  of  effect  which  the  evening's  amusements  produced  upon  my  mind  and 

\  feelings.    It  must  be  seen,  it  must  be  participated  in,  without  which  it  would  not  be 

I  easy  to  imagine  its  force,  or  justly  to  conceive  its  nature. 

"Thei-e  was  in  this  amusement  nothing  which  can  make  me  ashamed  to  confess  that 
I  derived  as  much  enjoyment  from  it  as  the  natives  themselves.    There  was  nothing  in 

I  it  which  approached  to  vulgarity,  and,  in  this  point  of  view,  it  would  be  an  injustice  to 
these  poor  creatures  not  to  place  them  in  a  more  respectable  rank  than  that  to  which  the 
notions  of  Europeans  have  generally  admitted  them.  It  was  not  rude  laughter  and 
boisterous  mirth,  nor  drunken  jokes,  nor  noisy  talk,  which  passed  their  hours  away,  but 

[  the  peaceful,  calm  emotion  of  harmless  pleasure. 

"  Had  I  never  seen  and  known  more  of  these  savages  than  the  occurrences  of  this 
y,  and  the  pastimes  of  the  evening,  I  should  not  have  hesitated  to  declare  them  the 

j  happiest  of  mortals.    Free  from  care,  and  please^  with  a  little,  their  life  seemed  flowing 

I  on,  like  a  smooth  stream  gliding  through  flowery  meads. 

i  "Thoughtless  and  unreflecting,  they  laughed  and  smiled  the  hours  away,  heedless  of 
ftturity,  and  forgetful  of  the  past.    Their  music  softened  all  their  passions,  and  thus  they 


IM 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OB  BUSHMAN. 


lulled  themMlTM  into  that  mild  and  tranauil  itate  in  which  no  evil  thought*  apprntU 
the  mind.    The  soft  and  delicate  voices  of  the  girls,  instinctively  accordant  to  tho«e  ofl 


fire,  were  circumstances  so  combined  and  fitted  to  produce  the  most  soothing  efTecti  oq 
the  senses,  that  I  sat  as  if  the  hut  had  been  my  home,  and  felt  in  the  midst  of  tbia  hordil 
as  though  I  had  been  one  of  them ;  for  some  few  moments  ceasing  to  think  of  science  ml 
of  Europe,  and  forgetting  that  I  was  a  lonely  stranger  in  a  land  of  untutored  meo."        I 

Nor  is  this  a  solitaiv  example  of  the  eflTect  of  native  music  in  its  own  land,  for  otbtrl 
travellers  have,  as  we  shall  see,  written  in  equally  glowing  terms  of  the  peculiar  charm* 
ui  the  sounds  oroduced  by  the  rude  instruments  of  Southern  Africa,  accompanied  by  the 
human  voice. 

We  now  come  to  the  instrument  which  is,  par  eaxdUnce,  the  characteristic  instrument 
of  Southern  Africa. 

The  waterKlrum  is  a  rather  curious  musical  instrument,  but  there  is  one  even  mon 
remarkable  in  use  among  the  Busjesmans,  which  is  a  singular  combination  of  the  stri&gtd 
and  wind  principles.  In  general  form  it  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  the  Kaifir  baiubat 
it  has  no  gourd  by  way  of  a  sounding-board,  and  the  tones  are  produced  in  a  diffeKiit 
manner.    This  instrument  is  called  the  Ooura,  and  is  thus  described  bv  Le  YaiUant:-- 

"  The  goura  is  shaped  like  the  bow  of  a  savage  Hottentot.  It  is  of  the  same  8ize,iDd 
a  string  made  of  intestines,  fixed  to  one  of  its  extremities,  is  retained  at  the  other  by  t 
knot  in  the  barrel  of  a  quill  which  is  flattened  and  cleft  This  quill  being  opened,  forms 
a  very  long  isosceles  triangle,  about  two  inches  in  length ;  and  at  the  base  of  this  triangle 
the  hole  is  made  that  keeps  the  string  fast,  the  end  of  which,  drawn  back,  is  tied  at  the 
otlier  end  of  the  bow  with  a  very  thin  thong  of  leather.  This  cord  may  be  stretched  so 
as  to  have  a  greater  or  less  d^ree  of  tension  according  to  the  pleasure  of  the  muaiciao, 
but  when  sevejal  gouras  play  together,  they  are  never  in  unison. 


QTJIU,  or  OOUBA. 

« 

*'Such  is  the  first  instrument  of  a  Hottentot,  which  one  would  not  suppose  to  be  a 
wind  instrument,  though  it  is  undoubtedly  of  that  kind.  It  is  held  almost  in  the  same 
manner  as  a  huntsman's  horn,  with  that  end  where  the  quill  is  fixed  towards  the  pe^ 
former's  mouth,  which  he  applies  to  it,  and  either  by  aspiration  or  inspiration  draws  hm 
it  very  melodious  tonea  The  savages,  however,  who  succeed  best  on  this  instrument^ 
cannot  play  any  regular  tune ;  they  only  emit  certain  twangs,  like  those  drawn  in  a 
particular  manner  from  a  violin  or  violoncello. 

"  I  took  great  pleasure  in  seeing  one  of  my  attendants  called  John,  who  was  accotinted 
an  adepts  regale  for  whole  hours  nis  companions,  who,  transported  and  ravishec^  inta* 
rupted  him  every  now  and  then  by  exclaiming  '  Ah  I  how  charming  it  is ;  begin  that 
ag^'  John  began  again,  but  his  second  performance  had  no  resemblance  to  the  first: 
for,  as  I  have  said,  these  people  cannot  play  any  regular  tune  upon  this  instrument,  the 
tunes  of  which  are  only  the  effect  of  chance,  and  of  the  quali^  of  the  quilL 

"  The  best  quills  are  those  which  are  taken  from  the  wings  of  a  certain  species  oi 
bustard,  and  whenever  I  happened  to  kill  one  of  these  bird^  I  was  always  solicited  to 
make  a  small  sacrifice  for  the  support  of  our  orchestra." 

In  playing  this  remarkable  instrument,  the  performer  seats  himself,  brings  Hba  quiU 
to  his  mouth,  and  steadies  himself  by  resting  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  and  putting  the 
right  fbxefinger  into  the  conespoading  ear,  and  the  left  forefinger  into  his  wide  nostril 


PLAYING  THE  GOURA. 


295 


Aflwd  performer  uses  miich  exertion  in  order  to  bring  out  the  tones  properly,  tnd  it  is 
icarioua  fact,  that  an  accompliahed  plaver  contrives  tu  produce  octaves  bv  blowing  with 
icMied  strength,  just  as  is  done  wiw  the  flute,  en  instrument  on  which  the  sound  of 
ggoon  can  ha  tolerably  represented. 

121  jJ  21  ^1  II  ^1  M  i     ' 


The  same  traveller  contrived  to  write  down  the  air  which  was  played  by  a  celebrated 
«rformer,  and  found  that  he  always  repeated  the  same  movement   The  time  occupied  in 
Iplaying  it  through  was  seventy  seconds. 

I  "When  a  woman  plays  the  goura,  it  changes  its  name  merely  because  she  changes  the 
Inanner  of  playing  it,  and  it  is  then  transformed  into  ^^joum-joum,.  Seated  on  the  ground, 
|(he  places  it  perpendicularly  before  her, 
u  the  same  manner  as  a  harp  is  held 
jin  Europe.  She  keeps  it  firm  in  its 
Iposition  by  putting  her  foot  between 
e  bow  and  the  string,  taking  care  not 
|to  touch  the  latter. 

"With  thA  rght  hand  she  grasps  the 
llowin  the  mjddle,  and  while  she  blows 
vith  her  mouth  in  the  quill,  she  strikes 
the  string  in  several  placelf  with  a  small 
stick  five  or  six  inches  in  length,  which 
ihe  holds  in  the  other  hand.  This  pro« 
daces  some  variety  in  the  modulations, 
but  the  instrument  must  be  brought 
close  to  the  ear  before  one  can  catch 
dutjiictly  all  the  modulations  of  the 
Is.  This  manner  of  holding  the 
goura  struck  me  much,  especially  as  it 
greatly  added  to  the  graces  of  the  female 
who  performed  on  it." 

Hie  reader  will  see  from  this  descrip- 
tion that  the  tunes  of  the  goura  are  not 
unlike  those  of  the  Jew's-harp,  though 
inferior  both  in  volume  and  variety  to 
those  which  can  be  produced  fix)m  a 
tolerably  good  instrument    Both  the  Hottentots  and  Boejesmans  soon  learn  to  maaBg^ 


PLATINO  Cf'URA. 


ii:ff:;| 


m 


'^    ...  'iV 


.'It: 


296 


THE  BOSJESMAN  OR  BUSHMAN. 


the  jew's-harp,  and,  on  account  of  its  small  size  and  consequent  portability,  it  has  alnun 
superseded  the  native  ^ura. 

Two  more  musical  instruments  are  or  were  used  by  these  people. 

One  is  the  native  guitar,  or  Kabouquin,  which  somewhat  resembles  the 
"banjo"  of  the  negro.     It  consists  of  a  triangular  piece  of  board,  furnished  with  alaida 
over  which  are  stretched  three  strings,  made  of  the  twisted  intestines  of  animals.  % 
strings  ere  attached  to  pegs,  by  which  they  can  be  tightened  or  loosened  so  as  to  prodtL, 
the  required  note.    As  Le  Vaillant  quaintly  observes :  "  Any  other  person  might  perhaiiL 

Sroduce  some  music  from  it  and  render  it  agreeable,  but  the  native  is  content  \ni 
rumming  on  the  strings  with  his  fingers  at  random,  so  that  any  musical  effect  is 
a  matter  of  chance." 

The  last  instrument  which  these  natives  possess  is  a  kind  of  drum,  made  of  a  hollowed 
log  over  one  end  of  which  a  piece  of  tanned  skin  is  tightly  stretched.    The  drum  is  mm 
times  beaten  with  the  fists  and  sometimes  with  sticks,  and  a  well-made  drum  will  (Tivgi 
out  resonant  notes  which  can  be  heard  at  a  considerable  distance.    This  drum  is  callei 
by  the  name  of  Romelpot 

The  effect  of  native  music  on  an  European  ear  has  already  been  mentioned  on  page  293.1 
Dr.  Lichtenstein,  himself  a  good  musician,  corroborates  Burchell's  account,  and  speaks  n J 
less  highly,  though  in  more  technical  and  scientific  language,  of  that  music,  and  tl 
peculiar  scale  on  which  it  is  formed. 

"  We  were  by  degrees  so  accustomed  to  the  monotonous  sound  that  our  sleep  wajl 
never  disturbed  by  it ;  nay,  it  rather  lulled  us  to  sleep.  Heard  at  a  distance,  there  ]A 
nothing  unpleasant  in  it,  but  something  plaintive  and  soothing.  Although  no  more  than  I 
six  tones  can  be  produced  from  it,  which  do  not  besides  belong  to  pur  gamut,  but  fonsl 
intervals  quite  foreign  to  it,  yet  the  ^ind  of  vocal  sound  of  these  tones,  the  uncommoal 
nature  of  the  rhythm,  and  even  the  oddness,  I  may  say  wildness,  of  the  harmony,  give  to  I 
this  music  a  charm  peculiar  to  itself  I 

"  I  venture  to  make  use  of  the  term  'harmony,'  for  so  it  may  indeed  be  called,  since; I 
although  the  intervals  be  not  the  same  as  ours,  they  stand  in  a  proportion  perfectly  legukil 
and  intelligible,  as  well  as  pleasing  to  the  ear.  I 

"Between  the  principal  tones  and  the  octave  lie  only  three  intervals  ;  the  first  is  at  | 
least  somewhat  deeper  than  our  great  third ;  the  second  lies  in  the  middle,  between 
little  and  great  fifth ;  and  the  third  between  the  great  sixth  and  little  seventh ;  so  that  a  I 
person  might  imagine  he  hears  the  modulation  first  in  the  smallest  seventh  accord.  Yet  I 
every  one  lies  higher  in  proportion  to  the  principal  tone;  the  ear  feels  less  the  desire  of  | 
breaking  off  in  the  pure  triple  sound ;  it  is  even  more  satisfied  without  it. 

"  Practised  players  continue  to  draw  out  the  second,  sometimes  even  the  third,  interval,  I 
in  the  higher  octave.    Still  these  high  tones  are  somewhat  broken,  and  seldom  pure  octaves 
of  the  corresponding  deep  tones.     Melodies,  properly  speaking,  are  never  to  be  heard;  it 
is  only  a  change  of  the  same  tones  long  protracted,  the  principtif  tone  being  struck  hefon 
every  on&    It  deserves  to  be  remarked,  that  the  intervals  in  question  do  not  properly ! 
belong  to  the  instrument ;  they  are,  in  truth,  the  psalmodial  music  of  the  African  savages.' 

There  is  nothing  more  easy  than  to  theorize,  and  nothing  more  difficult  than  to  make 
the  theory  "  hold  water,"  as  the  saying  is.  I  knew  a  learned  philologist,  who  elaborated 
a  theory  on  the  structure  of  language,  and  illustrated  it  by  careful  watching  of  his  sue* 
cessive  children,  and  noting  the  mode  in  which  they  struggled  through  their  infantile 
lispings  into  expression. 

First  came  inarticulate  sounds,  which  none  but  the  mother  could  understand,  analogow 
to  the  cries  of  the  lower  animals,  and  employed  because  the  yet  undeveloped  mind  had 
not  advanced  beyond  the  animal  stage  of  existence.  Then  came  onomatopoeia,  or  imi- 
tative sounds,  and  so,  by  regular  degrees,  through  substantives,  verbs,  adjectives,  and  pro- 
nouns, the  powers  of  language  were  systematically  developed.  This  theory  answered  very 
well  with  the  first  two  children,  but  broke  down  utterly  with  the  third,  whose  first  utte> 
ance  was,  "  Don't  tease,  go  away." 

So  has  it  been  with  the  Bosjesman  race ;  and  while  they  have  been  described  as  the 
most  degraded  of  the  great  human  family,  signs  have  been  discovered  which  show  that  they 


PAINTINa 


297 


gome  knowledge  of  the  radiments  of  art    I  allude  here  to  the  celebrated  Bosjesman 

itiium  which  are  scattered  through  the  country,  mostly  in  caves  and  on  rocks  near  water 

nM^and  which  are  often  as  well  drawn  as  those  produced  so  plentifully  by  the 

^ican  Indians.    They  almost  invariably  represent  figures  of  men  and  beasts,  and  in 

loy  cases  the  drawing  is  sufficiently  good  to  enable  the  spectator  to  identify  the  par- 

X  animals  which  the  native  artist  has  intended  to  delineate. 

The  following  account  of  some  of 'these  drawings  is  taken  from  the  notes  of  Mr.  Christie, 

liich  he  has  liberally  placed  at  my  disposal  :— 

"I cannot  add  much  to  what  is  wr'  sn  of  them,  except  to  allude  to  what  are  termed 

__j  paintings,  found  in  caverns  aui*  on  flat  stone  surfaces  near  some  of  their  perma- 

jt  water  supplies.    I  have  only  met  with  two  instances  of  the  former  pointings,  and 

leywere  in  a  cave  in  the  side  of  a  krantz,  in  the  north  part  of  the  Zw^rt  Euggens.    I 

me  npon  them  while  hunting  koodoos. 

"One  side  of  the  cavern  was  covered  with  outlines  of  animals.    Only  the  upper  part 

distinguishable,  and  evidently  represented  the  wildebeest,  or  gnoo,  the  koodoo, 

wa,  &c.    The  figures  were  very  rudely  drawn,  and  the  colours  used  were  dull  red  and 

Oand  perhaps  white;  the  latter  ifiay  possibly  have  been  a  stalactite  deposition  from 

iter. 

"The  other  instance  was  near  an  outspan  place  on  the  Karroo  road  to  Graff  Eeinet, 

jown  as  Fickle  Fountain,  where  there  is  a  permaneui  spring  of  fresh  water,  near  the 

Cuise  of  an  ancient  stream  now  dry.   On  a  flat  piece  of  sandstone  which  had  once  formed 

„jof  the  bank  of  the  stream  were  the  remains  of  a  drawing,  Which  may  have  been  the 

latline  of  a  man  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  a  dog,  but  it  was  so  weather-worn  that  little 

note  could  be  made  out  than  the  fact  of  its  being  a  drawing.    The  colours  used,  as  in  the 

lave,  were  red  and  black. 

"At  the  time  of  my  seeing  the  drawings,  I  had  with  me  a  Bushman,  named  Booy  (who 

J  bom  near  what  is  marked  in  the  map  as  the  Commissioners'  Salt  Pan),  but  he  could 

tve  me  no  information  on  the  subject  of  the  paintings,  and  I  am  rather  inclined  to  think 

At  they  are  the  work  of  one  of  the  Hottentot  tribes  now  extinct. 

"My  Bushman  was  a  very  shrewd  fellow,  but,  although  I  had  been  at  that  time  for 

lome  years  among  the  natives,  I  had  not  become  aware  of  the  poverty  of  their  intellect. 

[  had  shown  them  drawings  numberless  times,  had  described  them,  and  listened  to  their 

smarks,  but  had  not  then  discovered  that  even  the  most  intelligent  had  no  idea  of  a 

picture  beyond  a  simple  outline.    They  cannot  understand  the  possibility  of  perspective, 

nor  how  a  curved  surface  can  be  shown  on  a  flat  sheet  of  paper." 

Together  with  this  account,  Mr.  Christie  kindly  transmitted  a  copy  of  a  similar 
Idrawing  found  in  a  cavern  in  the  George  district.  The  colour  used  in  the  dmwings  is  red, 
upon  a  yellow  ground — the  latter  tint  being  that  of  the  stone  on  which  they  were  de- 
llineated.    The  diagonal  marks  represent  veins  in  the  rocks. 


1 

1  t 

-! 

'  *f 

\4 

;l 

\' 

-Wife 

1*-' 


i , 


■; 


BOSJKSHAN  FAHITINO. 


■'J§^% 


'•"fe 


The  subject  of  the  drawing  is  rather  obscure.    The  figures  are  evidently  intended  to 
I  represent  men,  but  they  are  unarmed,  and  present  the  peculiarity  of  wearing  head-dresses, 


'  i 


1'  k  Y  T 


298 


THE  EOSJESMAN  OB  BUSHMAN. 


such  as  are  not  used  by  any  of  the  tribes  with  whom  the  Bosj^mans  could  have  come 
contact    They  might  have  often  seen  the  Kaffirs,  with  their  war  ornaments  of  featJ 
and  the  Hottentots,  with  their  rude  skin  caps,  but  no  South  African  tribe  wears  a  hn 
dress  which  could  in  any  way  be  identified  with  those  which  are  represented  in 
drawing. 

Partly  on  this  account,  and  partly  because  the  figures  are  not  armed  with  bows 
arrows,  as  is  usual  in  figures  that  are  intended  to  represent  Bosjesmans,  Mr.  Christie  iH 
opinion  that  many  years  ago  a  boat's  crew  may  have  landed  on  the  coast,  and  ' 
Bosjesmans  who  saw  them  recorded  the  fact  by  this  rock-picture. 

The  tools  of  the  Bosjesman  artist  are  simple  enough,  consisting  of  a  feather  d. 
grease,  in  which  he  has  mixed  coloured  days,  and,  as  Mr.  Baines  well  observes,  hrnevl 
rails  to  give  the  animals  which  he  draws  the  proper  complement  of  members.  likel 
child,  he  will  place  the  horns  and  ears  half  down  the  neck,  and  distribute  the  legs  J 
partially  along  the  body ;  but  he  knows  nothing  of  perspective,  and  has  not  the  least  idJ 
of  foreshortening,  or  of  concealing  one  limb  or  horn  behind  another,  as  it  would  m 
to  the  eya 

The  same  traveller  rather  differs  ftom  Mr.  Christie  in  his  estimation  of  the  „ 
powers  of  the  Bosjesman,  and  his  capability  for  comprehending  a  picture.    Accordiiigt 
nim,  a  Bosjesman  can  understand  a  coloured  drawing  perfectly.    He  can  name  any  tiei, 
bird,  animaX  or  insect,  that  has  been  drawn  in  colours,  but  does  not  seem  to  appreciate  j 
perspective  drawing  in  black  and  white.    "  When  I  showed  them  the  oil-painting  of  tl| 
Damaru  fiaunily,  their  admiration  knew  no  bounds.    The  forms,  dress,  and  ornaments  g 
the  figures  were  freely  commented  on,  and  the  distinctive  characteristics  between  thei 
and  the  group  of  Bushmen  pointed  out    The  dead  bird  was  called  by  its  name,  and.vk 
I  hardly  expected,  even  the  bit  of  wheel  and  fore  part  of  the  wagon  was  no  difficdtyt 
them.    They  ei^oyed  the  sketch  of  Kobis  greatly,  and  pointed  out  the  figures  in  the  groii 
of  men,  horses,  and  oxen  very  readily.    Leaves  and  flowers  they  had  no  difficulty  ^ 
and  the  only  thing  they  failed  in  was  the  root  of  the  markwhae.    But  when  it  is 
sidered  that  if  this,  the  real  blessing  of  the  desert,  were  lying  on  the  surface,  an  m 
perienced  Englishman  would  not  know  it  from  a  stone  at  a  litUe  distance,  this  is  nott 
be  wondered  at    The  dead  animals  drawn  in  perspective  and  foreshortened  weie  a 
named  as  fast  as  I  produced   them,  except  a  half-finished,  uncoloured  sketch  of  I 
brindled  gnoo.    They  had  an  idea  of  its  proper  name,  but,  said  they,  '  We  can  see  oiil]| 
one  horn,  and  it  may  bd  a  rhinoceros  or  a  wild  boar.' " 

The  following  anecdotes  have  been  kindly  sent  to  me  by  Captain  Diayson,  HA,  vloj 
was  engaged  in  the  late  Kaffir  war  :— 

"  The  haibits  of  the  Bushman  are  those  of  a  thoroughly  wild  hunter ;  to  him  cattle  i 
merely  an  incumbrance,  and  to  cultivate  the  soil  is  merely  to  do  himself  what  Nature  vil 
do  for  him.  The  country  in  which  he  resides  swarms  with  game,  and  to  kill  this  is  tol 
a  Bushman  no  trouble.  His  neighbours  keep  cattle,  and  that  is  as  a  last  resource  a  meansl 
of  subsistence ;  but,  as  the  Bushman  wanders  over  the  country,  and  selects  those  spots  inl 
which  the  necessaries  of  life  abound,  he  mrely  suffers  from  want  I 

"  If  a  young  Bushman  be  captured,  as  sometimes  happens  when  the  Dutch  Biterssetl 
out  on  an  expedition  against  these  thieves,  the  relatives  at  once  track  the  captive  to  ital 
prison,  and  sooner  or  later  recover  it  I  once  saw  a  Bushboy  who  had  been  eight  yean  I 
in  a  Dutchman's  family,  had  learned  to  speak  Dutch,  to  eat  with  a  knife  and  fork,  and  tol 
wear  clothes;  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  Bushboy  disappeared.  His  clothes  vetel 
found  in  the  stables  in  the  place  of  a  horse  which  he  had  taken  with  him.  The  spoor  I 
being  rapidly  followed,  was  found  to  lead  to  thd'Di^kensburg  Mountains,  among  the  fail 
nesses  of  wmch  the  Boers  had  no  fancy  to  follow,  for  from  every  cranny  and  inaccessible  I 
ridge  a  poisonous  arrow  might  be  discharged,  as  tiie  youth  had  evidently  rejoined  his  long'' 
lost  relatives. 

"  It  was  a  great  surprise  to  notice  the  effect  on  our  Dutch  sporting  companions  of  tlu 
intimation  of  'Bushmen  near.'    We  were  riding  on  an  elevated  spur  of  the  Draakensbiu^  I 
near  the  Mooi  Biver,  when  a  Boer  suddenly  reined  up  his  horse,  and  exclaimed: 


,4i  .1, 


AITECDOTES  OF  BUSHMEN. 


299 


•  Gess,  kek  die  spoor  von  verdamt  Boschmen ! ' 

"Jampiiig  off  his  horse  he  examined  the  ground,  and  then  said :  'A  man  it  is ;  one 

I  foot,  the  other  with  a  velschoen.'    The  whole  party  immediately  became  intensely 
_J,they  scattered  in  all  directions  like  a  pack  of  hounds  in  cover ;  some  galloped 
l^earest  ridge,  others  followed  on  the  spoor,  all  in  search  of  the  Bushman.    '  He  oas 
Lj»gone,'saidoneof  my  companions;  'be  ready.' 
T"^y  for  what  7 '  I  inquired 

"Beady  to  shoot  the  schelm. 

"Would  you  shoot  him  ? '  I  asked. 
I  ojost  so  as  I  would  a  snake.' 

"And  then  my  companion  explained  to  me  that  he  had  not  long  since  bought  at  a 
it  price  a  valuable  horse  which  he  had  taken  to  his  farm.  In  three  weeks  the  horse 
Jitolenby  Bushmen.  He  followed  quickly,  and  the  animal  being  fat,  begun  to  tire, 
[tfo  Bushmen  who  were  riding  it  jumped  off,  stabbed  it  with  their  arrows,  and  left  it. 
Kborse  died  that  night  Again,  a  neighbour  had  about  twenty  oxen  carried  off.  The 
Mhmen  were  the  thuves,  and  on  being  followed  closely  stabbed  all  the  jxen,  most  of 
hichdied. 

"Many  other  similar  tales  were  told,  our  informant  winding  up  with  these  remarks  i~~ 

'I  have  heard  that  every  creature  God  makes  is  useful,  and  I  think  so  too ;  but  it  is 
,,  nseful  in  its  place.  A  puff-adder  is  useful  where  there  are  too  many  toads  or  firogs ; 
iwben  he  comes  into  my  house  he  is  out  of  place,  and  I  kill  him.  A  Bushman  near 
r  jiim  is  out  of  place,  and  I  shoot  him;  for  if  I  let  him  alone  he  poisons  my  horses  and 
tde;  and  very  likely  me  too.' 
'Only  twice  did  I  ever  see  the  Bushman  at  home ;  on  the  first  occasion  it  was  just 

ra  fearful  storm,  and  they  had  sought  shelter  in  a  kloof  near  our  quarters.    They 
jged  about  300  yards  in  advance  of  us,  and  immediately  made  off  like  the  wind.    Not 
[be  unconventional,  we  sent  a  bullet  after  them,  but  high  over  their  head :  they  stayed 
t  for  another. 

"On  a  second  occasion  I  was  close  to  them,  and  was  first  made  aware  of  their  presence 
^consequence  of  an  arrow  striking  a  tree  near ;  not  aimed  at  me,  but  at  some  Daas,  or 

rabbits,  which  were  on  the  rocks  close  by.     With  no  little  care  and  some  speed  I 

it^  from  the  neighbourhood  of  such  implements  as  poisoned  arrows,  and  then  by  aid 
a  glass  saw  the  Bushmen  first  find  their  arrow  and  then  my  spoor,  at  which  latter  they 
nk  £^t^  and  disappeared  in  a  neighbonxing  kloot" 


P  I 


.1/ 


M  sufficient^ 
ient  custom^ 
tcfathers,  in  M 

f  nature,  80  ^ 
■   we| 

rfare 


CHAPTEE  XXVII. 


THE  KOBANNAS  AND  NAMAQUA& 


NOMAD   CBAAAOTIB  OV  THS  TBIBB — THBIB  OBNEBAX.  CHABACTBB — ^DISTINCT  FBOM  THB  B0& 

TBDB — THBIB  H0B8B8  AND   CATTLB — OOVBBNUBNT — DBBS8  OF  THB  KOBANNAS — BIMOUUb  HOdJ. 
OF  DAKOINO— DBBIBB  OF  OBTAININO  KNOWLBDOB — THK  MUSICAL  ALPHABET — "  ACLD  LANOgyiJj 

TBNAOIOVS  HKMOBY    OF    A   YOUNQ   KOBANNA — HI8   OBOTRSQUB  APPBABANCB— FONSMBSS 

MBDIOINB— THB  NAIIAQUA  TBIBB — CHABACTBB  OF  OBBAT  NAUAQUA-LAND— TICISSITCSBS  OF  1 
OLIMATB— BFFBOT  ON  THB  INHABITANTS — AFBICANBB,  AND  BIS    HI8T0BT — ^DBESS  OF  THB  HA]u| 
QITAS — THBIB    IDEAS    OF    BBLIOION — 8UPEB8TITI0N8 — 8T0BT    OF    A    NAHAQUA    HTmiEB  AND 
B08JB8MAir    WOHAN — BAIN-UAKINO — HEAUNO   THB    SICK — THB   OOCTOB^S  PANACEA— POLTQa] 
AND    DIVOBOB— >0ATTI.>-TBAININO— CBUBLTT   TOWABDS    THB    INFIBM  AND  AOBD— ADOPTIOH  i 
FABBNTS. 

In  accordance  with  the  plan  of  this  work,  we  will  now  glance  slightly  at  a  few  of  th 
more  conspicuous  tribes  which  inhabit  Southern  Africa  from  the  Cape  to  that  part  of  tin 
continent  which  is  occupied  by  the  negro  races. 

Among  the  offshoots  of  the  Hottentots  is  a  tribe  called  indifferently  Eora,  EoTaqnii] 
Eorans,  or  Korannas.    On  accoimt  of  their  nomad  habits,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  an;] 
particular  locality  for  them,  and  besides  it  often  happens  that  they  extend  their  pen 
grinations  into  the  territories  of  tribes  more  adherent  to  the  soil,  and  for  a  time  are  i 
completely  mixed  up  with  them  as  if  'hey  belonged  to  the  same  tribe.    Owing  to  theiil 
want  of  civilization,  and  general  manners,  some  travellers  have  considered  them  as  a  rudel 
tribe  of  Bosjesmans,  but  they  have  been  satisfactorily  proved  to  belong  to  the  Hottentokl 

They  seem  to  be  quiet  and  well-behaved,  and  possessed  of  much  curiosity.  Burchell 
relates  one  or  two  anecdotes  of  the  latt«r  quality,  and  gives  an  amusing  description  on 
their  astonishment  at  the  sight  of  a  coloured  drawing  which  he  had  made  of  a  yelloTJ 
fish.  One  of  them  had  struck  one  of  these  fishes,  and  Burchell  had  borrowed  it  ia  i  ' 
to  makb  a  coloured  drawing  of  it 

When  the  owner  came  to  take  it  back,  he  happened  to  glance  at  the  drawing,  and  vasl 
struck  dumb  with  amazement,  gazing  at  it  with  mouth  and  eyes  wide  open.  At  last  hel 
found  his  tongue,  and  called  his  companions  to  see  the  new  wonder.  At  the  sight  of  tliel 
drawing,  they  behaved  much  as  a  company  of  monkeys  might  be  supposed  to  conduct| 
themselves,  turning  the  paper  to  look  at  the  back  of  it,  feeling  it  with  their  fingers,  i 
being  quite  unable  to  comprehend  how  an  object  could  at  once  be  rounded  to  the  eje,| 
and  flat  to  the  touch. 

Of  the  general  character  of  the  Eoranna  Hottentots,  Dr.  lichtenstein  has  vmttenl 
80  adnurable  an  analysis  in  so  small  a  compass,  that  I  cannot  do  better  than  give  hit| 
own  words:— 

"  These  Koranfl  are  the  oldest  original  inhabitants  of  the  country ;  they  are  a  tolerably  I 
numerous  race,  mild,  and  well-disposed,  speaking  almost  the  same  language  that  wail 
formerly  spoken  by  the  Hottentot  tribes  within  the  colony,  but  which  has  not  hitherto  I 


_  "TheKor 
L  they  are  at 
Vb  and  Vaall 
Ltry.   Theyl 
[haiemankis  aiT 
)  Hottentots  I 
iolefaceismi 
"They  have  I 
■  peculiar  wile 
[[together  the  e 
«trulyavolu 
I  « Their  clotl 
Lir  cattle,  or 
fcrm  from  that 

wether.    A  fa 
■     imt 


indarms. 

"The  cattle 

jhese  creatures 

felebrated  for 

icknowledge  tl 

ftat  they  use  ft 

C^great  deal  of  | 

Biem;  'tis  suffii 

^mounts,  to  h 

)ol  by  degrees 

sheep's  or  a  g 

8  in  no  danger 

"The  Kora 

ipherical  huts, 

lind  mats,  on  ^ 

1  the  form  of 

nboo  canes, 

jiife  of  the  ] 

leather  bag,  or 

iking  fire. 

"Theyha\ 

arrying  with 

which  their  hi 

pall  compass 

Wd  in  full  mi 

kither  Hottent 

header  of  the ; 

jany  judicial 

lone  considers 

lever  pretend 

■against  a  foi 

Ithe  attack. 


GENERAL  CHABAOTEB  OF  THE  EOKANNAS. 


801 


gufSciently  known  by  the  Europeans  to  acquire  from  it  much  insight  into  the 

'^ient  customs  and  habits  of  the  people.    They  still  live,  after  the  manner  of  their 

r  fathers,  in  small  villages  or  kraals,  in  huts  of  a  hemispherical  form,  and  are  slothful 

I  nature,  so  that  they  are  not  so  successful  in  breediQg  cattle — ^though  their  couutnr 

ifextremely  well  adapted  to  it,  as  the  stronger  and  more  industrious  Kaffir  tribes.    With 

who  are  their  nearest  neighbours,  they  live  on  very  good  terms ;  but  a  perpetual 

iifaie  subsists  between  them  and  the  Bosjesmans;  the  latter  are  hated  by  them 


"The  Korans  have  hitherto  been  very  erroneously  confounded  with  the  Bosjesmans, 
y  they  are  a  totally  distinct  people,  having  their  principal  residence  on  the  banks  of  the 
Karb  and  Vaal  rivers,  north-east  from  where  we  now  were,  and  south  of  the  Bechuana 
nontry.   They  are  divided  into  several  tribes,  the  principal  of  which  are  called  the 

aremankis  and  the  Khuremankis.  In  their  size  and  corporeal  structure  they  resemble 
ihe  Hottentots  very  much,  but  the  cheek  and  chin  bones  are  less  prominent,  and  the 
Lhole  face  is  more  oval  than  some  other  of  the  Hottentot  tribes. 

"They  have  all  a  kind  of  voluptuous  expression  about  the  mouth,  which,  united  with 

peculiar  wild  roll  of  the  eye,  and  a  rough,  broken  manner  of  speaking,  give  them 
Uto^ther  the  appearance  of  intoxication,  nor  indeed  are  they  falsified  by  it,  since  they 

'truly  a  voluptuous  race,  deficient  in  bodily  strength,  and  destitute  of  martial  courage. 

"Their  clothing  consists  of  a  mantle  of  prepared  skin,  made  either  from  the  hides  of 
iieir  cattle,  or  from  those  of  the  antelopes  :  it  is  smaller,  and  of  a  somewhat  different 
Im  &om  that  worn  by  the  Bechuanas,  and  is  never  made  of  several  small  skins  sewed 

ether.  A  favourite  mode  with  them  is  to  scrape  figures  of  various  kinds  on  the  hairy 
tde  of  these  mantles.    Thr^  <>rade  with  the  Bechuanas  for  ornaments  for  the  ears,  neck, 

nd  arms.  # 

"The  cattle  are  held  in  high  estimation  by  them ;  they  take  much  more  care  of 
liese  creatures  than  the  other  tribes,  or  than  most  of  the  colonists.  They  are  so  much 
xlebrated  for  training  the  oxen  as  riding  and  draught  animals,  that  the  Bechuanas 
pledge  them  to  be  in  this  instance  their  masters,  and  purchase  of  them  those 
iiat  they  use  for  riding.  These  animals  go  an  exceedingly  good  trot  or  gallop,  and  clear 
1  in^t  deal  of  ground  in  a  very  short  time.  There  is  no  occasion  ever  to  be  harsh  with 
Ihem;  'tis  sufficient  to  touch  them  with  a  thin  osier.  The  rider  never  neglects,  when  he 
ismounts,  to  have  the  animals  led  about  slowly  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  that  he  may 
ol  by  degrees.  The  bridle  is  fastened  to  a  wooden  pin,  stuck  through  the  nose,  and 
eep's  or  a  goat's  skin  serves  as  a  saddle.  On  this  the  rider  has  so  firm  a  seat,  that  he 
i  m  no  danger  of  being  thrown  by  even  the  wildest  ox. 

"The  Korans  do  not  apply  themselves  at  all  to  agriculture ;  their  dwellings  are 
pherical  huts,  very  much  like  those  of  the  Koossas,  but  not  so  spacious.  Some  skins 
^nd  mats,  on  which  they  sleep,  some  leather  knapsacks,  and  a  sort  of  vessel  somewhat 
1  the  form  of  cans,  which  are  cut  out  of  a  piece  of  solid  wood,  with  some  calabashes  and 
oboo  canes,  compose  the  whole  of  their  household  furniture.  Most  of  them  wear  a 
nife  of  the  Bechuana  manufactory,  in  a  case  slung  round  their  necks,  with  a  small 
peather  bag,  or  the  shell  of  a  tortoise,  in  which  is  the  pipe,  the  tobacco,  and  the  flint  for 
king  fire. 

"They  have  no  fixed  habitation,  but  often  move  from  one  place  to  another,  always 

arrying  with  them,  as  is  the  custom  among  the  other  tribes,  the  staves  and  mats  of 

ffhich  their  huts  are  built.    All  the  goods  and  chattels  are  packed  together  within  a  very 

[small  compass  on  the  back  of  the  patient  ox ;  and  thus  a  whole  Koran  village  is  struck, 

and  in  full  march  in  a  few  moments.    Their  form  of  government  is  the  same  as  with  the 

other  Hottentot  tribes ;  the  richest  person  in  the  kraal  is  the  captain  or  provost ;  he  is  the 

[leader  of  the  party,  and  the  spokesman  on  all  occasions,  without  deriving  from  this  office 

Jany  judicial  right  over  the  rest.    His  authority  is  exceedingly  circumscribed,  and  no 

lone  considers  himself  as  wholly  bound  to  yield  obedience  to  him,  neither  does  he  himself 

lever  pretend  to  command  them.    Only  in  case  of  being  obliged  to  defend  themselves 

■against  a  foreign  enemy  he  is  the  first,  because,  being  the  richest,  he  suffer  most  from 

■the  attack. 


V 


803 


THE  KORANNAa 


'M»f<(Hi-| 


^     ,  "It, 


i  t0m 
I  '5 


I  .',  ^ 


ii  I  . 


"Pluraliiy  of  wires  is  not  contrary  to  their  institutions;  yet  I  never  heard 
anybody  who  had  more  than  one  wife.    They  are  by  nature  good-tempered •  buttlv 
ue  indolent,  and  do  not  take  any  great  interest  for  others;  less  cunning  thanl 
Hottentot,  therefore  easy  to  be  deceived  in  trafficking  with  them ;  and,  from  tU 
rimplicity,  easily  won  to  any  purpose  by  the  attraction  of  strong  liquors,  tobacco  and » 
like  luxuries."  '      ' 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  a  Korauna  chief  dressed  as  described 
liohtenatein.    The  kaross  worn  by  the  individual  from  whom  the  portrait  was  tak 

was  so  plentifully  bedaubed  wit| 
red  earth  and  grease,  that  it  y 
traces  of  his  presence  whewvi 
he  went,  and  if  the  wearer  hai 
penedto  lean  against  anything 
caused  a  stain  which  could  m 
easily  be  removed.  Suspended  ti 
his  neck  is  seen  the  all-pervadim 
Bechuana  knife,  and  exactly  i! 
front  is  the  shell  of  a  small  tortoi 
in  which  he  kept  his  snuff. 

The  leathern  cap  is  univeu 
among  them  as  among  other  Ifoi 
tentots,  and  as  the  fur  is  retaim 
it  can  be  put  on  with  somedei 
of  taste,  as. may  be  seen  by 
ference  to  the  portrait    The  ui 
of  sibilo  is  common  among  tl 
Korannas,   and,  like  other  Hoi 
tentot  tribes,  the  women  loadtliejji 
hair  so  thickly  with  this  substance; 
that  they  appear  to  be  wearing  i 
metal  cap.    Their  language  is  fi 
of  clicks,  but  not  so  thickly  studded! 
with  them  as  that  of  the  Hotten- 
tots, and  in  a  short  time  any  person 
who  understands  the  ordinary  Hot- 
tentot dialect  will  be  able  to  lean 
that  of  the  Korannas. 

These  tribes  have  a  dancewhich 
is  very  similar  to  that  of  Bosji* 
mans,  a  drum  being  used,  made 
of  a  joint  of  aloe  over  which  an 
undressed  sheepskin  is  stretched. 
The  women  sit  on  the  ground  in  a 
circle,  with  their  arms  stietched 
towards  the  dancer,  and  singing  a 
song  very  much  resembling  tiie 
"  Aye,  0,"  of  the  Bosjesmans.  The 


if.  ^' 


FOBTBATT  OF  KOBANNA  OHIBF. 


dancer  leans  against  two  sticks,  as  if  they  were  crutches,  twines  his  arms  around '. 
and  sways  himself  backwards  and  forwards,  bending  first  towards  one  of  the  Toinc.,! 
then  towards  anotlier,  until  he  loses  his  balance,  and  as  he  faUs  is  caught  in  the  out- 1 
stretched  arms  of  the  woman  who  happens  to  be  nearest  to  him. 

Of  course,  she  falls  on  the  groimd  with  the  shock,  and  as  soon  as  they  can  rise  to 
ihc.  '^^t  he  resumes  his  place  in  the  circle,  replaces  the  sticks  under  his  arms,  and 
dana  with  reaewed  vigour,  while  she  takes  her  seat  again,  in  order  to  catch  him  if  he 
should  happen  to  fall  again  in  her  direction. 

The  women,  by  the  way,  are  liable  to  that  extraordinary  conformation  which  ha3 


V,,     ^ 


MUSICAL  ALPHABET. 


808 


dy  been  mentioned  when  treating  of  the  Hottentot,  and  to  European  eyes  their  beauty 

lut  increased  by  it,  though  a  native  sees  nothing  remarkable  in  it.    It  is  a  curious  fact 

jit  this  development  should  occur  in  the  country  which  produces  an  analogous  fonnation 

I  the  sheep,  whose  bodies  are  thin  and  meagre,  but  whose  tails  are  of  enormous  size, 

d  little  but  masses  of  pure  fat 

Xheir  names  are,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  nicknames,  given  to  them  on  account 
'  any  remarkable  incident  that  may  have  happened  to  tiiem,  and  in  consequence, 
riable  from  day  to  day. 

Mr.  Moffatt,  speaking  as  a  missionary,  has  a  very  hijgh  opinion  of  the  Koranna  tribe. 

L,  found  them  docile,  good-tempered,  and  not  only  willing,  but  impatiently  desirous  of 

lining  knowledge.    After  preaching  and  attending  the  sick  all  day,  in  the  evening  he 

»raQ  to  teach  some  of  the  younger  Korannas  the  rudiments  of  learning,  when  some 

^'the  principal  men  heard  of  the  proceedings,  and  insisted  on  being  taught  aJso.    The 

lole  scene  which  followed  was  very  amusing. 

"It  was  now  late,  and  both  mind  and  body  were  jaded,  but  nothing  would  satisfy 
lem;  I  must  teach  them  also.  After  a  search,  I  found  among  some  waste  paper  a  large 
beet  alphabet  with  a  comer  and  two  letters  torn  off.  This  was  laid  on  the  ground,  when  all 
lelt  in  a  circle  round  it,  and  of  course  the  letters  were  viewed  by  some  just  upside  down. 
"I  commenced  pointing  with  a  stick,  and  when  I  pronounced  one  letter,  all  hallooed 
nt  to  some  purpose.  When  I  remarked  that  perhaps  we  might  manage  with  somewhat 
>S3  noise,  one  replied  that  he  was  sure  the  louder  he  roared,  the  sooner  would  his  tongue 
st accustomed  to  the  'seeds,'  as  he  called  the  letters. 

"As  it  was  growing  late,  I  rose  to  straighten  my  back,  which  was  beginning  to  tire, 
rhea  I  observed  some  young  folks  coming  dancing  and  skipping  towards  me,  who, 
rithout  any  ceremony,  seized  hold  of  me.  '  Oh  1  teach  us  the  ABC  with  music,*  every 
One  cried ;  giving  me  no  time  to  tell  them  it  was  too  late.  I  found  they  had  made  this 
covery  through  one  of  my  boys.  There  were  presently  a  dozen  or  more  surrounding 
ne,  and  resistance  was  out  of  the  question.  Dragged  and  pushed,  I  entered  one  of  the 
argest  native  houses,  which  was  instantly  crowded.  The  tune  of  *  Auld  Lang  Syne '  was 
pitched  to  A  B  0,  each  succeeding  round  was  joined  by  succeeding  voices  until  every 
igue  was  vocal,  and  every  countenance  beamed  with  heartfelt  satisfaction.  The  longer 
He  song,  the  more  freedom  was  felt,  and  '  Auld  Lang  Syne '  was  echoed  to  the  farthest 
jendof  the  village.  The  strains  which  inspire  pleasurable  emotions  into  the  sons  of  the 
^orth  were  no  less  potent  among  the  chil(h:en  of  the  South. 
"Those  who  had  retired  to  their  evening's  slumber,  supposing  that  we  were  holding 
night  service,  came ;  for  music,  it  is  said,  charms  the  savage  ear.  It  certainly  does, 
particularly  the  natives  of  Southern  Africa,  who,  however  degraded  they  may  have 
tome,  still  retain  that  refinement  of  taste  which  enables  them  to  appreciate  those  tunes 
nrhich  are  distinguished  by  melody  and  softness. 

"After  two  hours'  singing  and  puffiug,  I  obtained  permission,  though  with  some 
|difficulty  of  consent,  and  greater  of  egress,  to  leave  them,  now  comparatively  proficient. 
(It  was  between  two  and  three  in  the  morning.  Worn  out  in  mind  and  body,  I  laid 
nyself  down  in  my  wagon,  cap  and  shoes  and  all,  just  to  have  a  few  hours  sleep  pre- 
Iparatoiy  to  departure  on  the*  coming  day.  As  the  '  music-hall '  was  not  far  from  my 
Ipillow,  there  was  little  chance  of  sleeping  soundly,  for  the  young  amateurs  seemed 
Innwearied,  and  A  B  C  to  'Auld  Lang  Syne'  went  on  tiU  I  was  ready  to  wish  it  at 
|John  o'  Groat's  House. 

"The  company  at  length  dispersed,  and,  awaking  in  the  morning  after  a  brief  repose, 
11  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  hear  the  old  tune  in  every  comer  of  the  village.  The 
jmiids  milking  the  cows,  and  the  boys  tending  the  calves,  were  humming  the  alphabet 
lover  again."  Perhaps  this  fine  old  tune  may  be'  incorporated  into  Koranna  melodies,  just 
las  the  story  of  "  Jane  Eyre  "  has  taken  a  place  among  Arab  tales. 

I  During  this  sojourn  among  the  Korannas,  Mr.  Moffatt  observed  a  singular  instance  of 
jretentive  memory.  He  had  just  finished  a  sermon,  and  Was  explaining  portions  of  it  to 
poupa  of  hearers,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  young  man  who  \»'as  holding 
I  forth  to  a  crowd  of  attentive  hearers.    On  approaching  the  spot,  he  was  more  than 


i-*! 


>>'j| 


804 


THE  NAMAQUAS. 


snrprised  to  find  that  this  ^oung  man  was  preaching  the  sennon  second-hand  to  I 
audience,  and,  more  than  this,  was  reproducing,  with  astonishing  fidelity,  not  only 
words  of  ^a  discourse  which  he  had  heard  but  once,  but  even  the  gestures  of  the  spMk 
When  complimented  on  his  wonderful  powers  of  memory,  he  did  not  seem  at  all  flatten^ 
but  only  touched  his  forehead  with  his  finger,  saying,  that  when  he  heard  anyth 
great,  there  it  remained. 

This  remarkable  youth  died  soon  afterwards,  having  been  previously  conTertedi 
Christianity.  When  preaching,  he  presented  a  sin^ar,  not  to  say  grotesque  appea<^N 
being  dressed  in  part  of  one  leg  of  a  quondam  pair  of  trousers,  a  cap  made  of  the  sk 
stripped  from  a  zebra's  head,  with  the  ears  still  attached,  and  some  equally  fantag 
ornament  about  his  neck.  The  contrast  between  the  wild  figure  and  the  solemnity  oft 
subject,  which  he  was  teaching  with  much  earnestness,  was  most  remarkable. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  "ilix.  Motfatt  was  engaged  in  attending  upon  the  sick.  TbJ 
is  an  invariable  part  of  a  missionary's  duties,  as  the  natives  have  unbounded  faith  in  til 
medicinal  powers  of  all  white  men,  and  naturally  think  that  those  who  come  to  heal  thei 
souls  must  know  how  to  heal  their  bodies.     Fortunately,  their  faith  makes  them  excellei 
patients,  and  is  in  itself  the  best  cure  for  afiections  of  a  nervous  character,  to  which  i 
men  seem  liable,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  colour  of  their  skin. 

They  are  passionately  desirous  of  medicine,  and  it  is  impossible  to  mix  a  draught  tk 
can  be  too  nauseous  for  them ;  in  fact,  the  more  distasteful  it  is,  the  greater  they  tbini 
its  efficacy.    On  one  occasion,  a  woman  came  for  some  medicine  for  her  husband  who  wai 
ill,  and  two  very  little  doses  were  given  her,  one  to  be  taken  at  sunset  and  the  other  aL 
midnight.    However,  she  settled  that  point  by  immediately  taking  both  draughts  hcrselil 
stating  that  it  would  equally  benefit  her  husband  whether  he  or  she  happened  to  taiceil^  f 


THE  NAMAQUAS. 


The  termination  of  the  word  Namaquas  shows  that  it  is  a  Hottentot  term,  and  cowl 
qnently  that  the  people  who  bear  that  name  belong  to  the  Hottentot  nation.  The  suffiil 
Qua  is  analogous  among  the  Hottentots  to  the  prefix  Ama  among  the  Kaffir  trihes,  i 
signifies  "  mea"  Thus  the  terms  Namaqua,  Griqua,  Eoraqna,  Gonaqua,  &c.  signify  that  I 
those  tribes  are  branches  of  the  Hottentot  nation.  Namaquas  themselves,  however,  prefer  I 
to  be  called  by  the  name  of  Oerlam,  a  word  of  uncertain  derivatioa 

The  Namaquas,  unlike  the  Korannas,  can  be  referred  to  a  totally  distinct  locality,  their  I 
habitation  being  a  large  tract  of  country  on  the  south-west  coast  of  Africa,  lying  nortbl 
of  the  Orange  Kiver,  or  Gariep,  and  being  called  from  its  inhabitants  Great  Namaqua- 1 
land. 

It  is  a  wild  and  strange  country — dry,  barren,  and  rugged,  and  therefore  with  i 
very  thinly  scattered  population,  always  suffering  from  want  of  water,  and  at  times  I 
seeming  as  parched  as  their  own  land.    For  several  consecutive  years  it  often  happens 
that  no  rain  falls  in  a  large  district,  and  the  beds  of  the  streams  and  rivers  are  as  dry  as 
the  plains.    Under  these  circumstances,  the  natives  haunt  the  dried  water-courses,  anii, 
by  sinking  deep  holes  in  their  beds,  contrive  to  procure  a  scanty  and  precarious  supply  I 
of  water  at  the  cost  of  very  great  labour.    Sometimes  these  wells  are  dug  to  the  depth  of  | 
twenty  feet,  and  even  when  the  water  is  obtained  at  the  expense  of  so  much  labour,  iti 
in  comparatively  small  quantities,  and  of  very  inferior  quality.     Branches  of  trees  are  I 
placed  in  these  pits  by  way  of  ladders,  and  by  their  means  the  Namaquas  hand  up  the 
water  in  wooden  pails,  first  filling  their  own  water-vessels,  and  then  supplying  their  cattle 
by  pouring  the  water  into  a  trough.     This  scene  is  always  an  animated  one,  the  cattle,  [ 
half  mad  with  thirst,  bellowing  with  impatience,  crowding  round  the  trough,  and  thrusting  | 
one  another  aside  to  partake  of  its  contents.    A  similar  scene  takes  place  if  a  water-h 


AFRICANER. 


306 


IB  discovered  on  the  march.  A  strong  guard,  mostly  of  women,  is  placed  round  the 
lirecious  spot,  or  the  cattle  would  certainly  rush  into  it  in  their  eagerness  to  drink  what 
Ifiter  they  could  get,  and  trample  the  rest  into  undrinkable  mud. 

In  this  strange  country,  the  only  supplies  of  rain  are  by  thunderstorms,  and,  much 
III  the  natives  dread  the  lightning,  they  welcome  the  distant  rumble  of  the  thunder,  and 
llook  anxiously  for  its  increasing  loudness.  These  thunderstorms  are  of  terrific  vio^  '^e 
Ifhen  they  break  over  a  tract  of  country,  and  in  a  few  houra  the  dry  watercourses  .e 
ItoDverted  into  rushing  torrents,  and  the  whole  country  for  a  time  rejoices  in  abundant 

Inoisture. 

The  effect  on  vegetation  is  wonderful.  Seeds  that  have  been  lying  in  the  parched 
.jund  waiting  in  vain  for  ihe  vivifying  moisture  spring  at  once  into  life,  and,  aided  by 
lie  united  influence  of  a  burning  sun  and  moist  ground,  they  spring  up  with  marvellous 
liapidity.  Tiiese  storms  are  almost  invariably  very  partial^  falling  only  on  a  limited  strip 
■of  country,  so  that  the  traveller  passes  almost  at  a  step  out  of  a  barren  and  parched 
Icuuntry,  with  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass  or  a  leaf  of  herbage,  into  a  green  tract  as  Ixixuriaut 
LanKnglish  meadow. 

I  Tlie  geological  formation  is  mostly  granite,  and  the  glittering  quartz  crystals  are 
Littered  so  profusely  over  the  surface,  that  a  traveller  who  is  obliged  to  pursue  his  journey 
|at  noon  can  scarcely  open  his  eyes  sufiiciently  to  see  his  way,  so  dazzling  are  the  rays 
iTeflectedoa  every  side.  In  many  parts  the  ground  is  impregnated  with  nitre,  which  forms 
la  salt-like  incrustation,  and  crumbles  under  the  feet,  so  that  vegetation  is  scarcely  possible, 
leven  in  the  vicinity  of  water.  There  seem  to  be  few  inhabited  lands  which  are  more 
|depressing  to  the  traveller,  and  which  cause  more  wonder  that  human  beings  can  be  found 
|wlio  can  endure  for  their  whole  lives  its  manifold  discomforts.  Yet  they  appear  to  be 
happy  enough  in  their  own  strange  way,  and  it  is  very  likely  that  they  would  not  exchange 
|their  dry  and  barren  land  for  the  most  fertile  country  in  the  world. 

The  euphorbia  best  flourishes  in  the  ravines,  but,  from  its  poisonous  nature,  adds  little 
jto  the  comfort  of  the  traveller.  Even  the  honey  which  the  wild  bees  deposit  in  the  rocks 
|is  tainted  with  the  poison  of  the  euphorbia  flowers,  and,  if  eaten,  causes  most  painful 
jsensatioos.  The  throat  first  begins  to  feel  as  if  cayenne-pepper  had  been  incautiously 
hwallowed,  and  the  burning  heat  soon  spreads  and  becomes  almost  intolerable.  Even  in  a 
|cool  country  its  inward  heat  would  be  nearly  unendurable,  but  in  such  a  place  as  Namaqua- 
|land,  wliat  the  torture  must  be  can.  scarcely  be  conceived.  Water  seems  to  aggravate 
|instead  of  allaying  the  pain,  and  the  symptoms  do  not  go  off  until  after  the  lapse  of 
jgeveral  days. 

On  account  of  their  privations,  which  they  are  constantly  obliged  to  endure,  the 
linhabitants  are,  as  a  rule,  almost  hopelessly  ignorant,  and  without  the  martial  spirit  which 
|distinguishes  so  many  tribes  which  inhabit  Southern  Africa. 

Still,  the  celebrated  chief,  Africaner,  contrived  to  make  good  soldiers  out  of  the 
iNaraaquas,  and  under  his  leadership  they  made  his  name  dreaded  throughout  a  large 
|portion  of  South-western  Africa.  He  revolutionized  the  ordinary  system  of  warfare, 
|which  consisted  in  getting  behind  bushes  and  shooting  arrows  at  each  other,  by  which 
much  time  was  consumed  and  little  harm  done,  and  boldly  led  his  men  on  at  the  run, 
|driving  his  astonished  antagonists  out  of  their  sheltering  places.  In  this  way  he  subdued 
|the  neighbouring  tribes,  especially  the  Damaras,  who  looked  upon  him  as  a  sort  of  wild 
Ikast  in  human  form. 

Not  only  did  he  fight  against  native  enemies,  but  matched  himself  successfully  against 
Ithe  Dutch  boers,  in  this  case  having  recourse  ^o  stratagem  when  he  knew  he  could  not 
jsucceed  by  open  force  in  face  of  such  an  enemy .  On  one  occasion,  when  the  Dutch  forces 
jhad  made  a  raid  on  Africaner's  territory,  and  carried  off  all  his  cows,  he  pursued  them, 
jswara  a  river  at  dead  of  night,  fell  upon  the  unsuspecting  enemy  as  they  slept,,  killed 
jnuiubers  of  them,  and  recovered  all  his  own  cattle,  together  with  those  belonging  to  the 
lassailants.  It  will  be  seen  therefore  that  the  military  spirit  is  not  wanting  in  the 
jUamaqua  character,  but  that  it  merely  slumbers  for  want  of  some  one  to  awake  it. 

In  former  days  they  may  possibly  have  been  a  warlike  nation,  inasmuch  as  they 
■possessed  rather  peculiar  weapons,  namely,  the  bow  and  arrow,  and  an  enormous  shield 
VOL.  I.  .  X 


"  1 


'' '  ' ! 


■  if 

I        f 


\    Hit  .     ,?      h 


'^    J 


306 


THE  NAMAQUAS. 


1^1 


^%,\ 


made  of  the  entire  skia  of  an  ox,  folded  singly.    They  also  used  the  assagai,  but  in  thJ 
present  day  civilization  has  so  far  penetrated  among  them  that  the  only  weapon  whi  I 
they  use  is  the  gun,  and  it  is  many  years  since  a  Namaqua  has  been  seen  with  th 
ancient  weapons  of  his  nation. 

Like  other  Hottentots,  the  Namaquas  are  fond  of  wearing  European  apparel  and 

usual  in  such  cases,  look  very  bad  in  it    The  men  are  merely  transformed  from  resiiectl 

able  savages  into  disreputable  vagabonds,  and  to  them  it  is  not  so  very  unsuitable  but  I 

the  women  it  is  peculiarly  so,  owing  to  the  odd  manner  in  which  they  paint  their  fao 

A  girl,  dressed  in  her  little  skin  apron  and  ornamented  with  coils  of  leathern  thongs,  nial 

)aint  iier  face  as  much  as  she  pleases  without  appearing  grotesque.    But  nothing 

ook  more  ridiculous  than  a  girl  in  a  striped  cotton  dress,  with  a  red  handkerchief  round 

ler  Iiead,  and  the  outlines  of  her  cheeks,  nose,  and  eyelids  defined  with  broad  stripes 

)Iue  paint.    The  costume  of  the  men  resembles  that  of  the  women,  mmm  the  skin  apron 

the  place  of  which  is  taken  by  the  ends  of  the  leathern  thongs.    The  Namaquas  are  ven 

fond  of  bead-work,  and  display  some  taste  in  their  designs.    They  are  not  contented  wita 

buying  gloss  beads  from  Europe,  but  manufacture  thor^e  ornaments  themselves.  Tlii 

mode  of  manufacture  is  simple  enough.     A  resinous  gum  is  procured,  moistened  thoroiichly 

and  kneaded  with  charcoal.     It  is  then  rolled  between  the  hands  into  long  cylinden] 

which  are  cut  up  into  small  pieces,  and  again  rolled  until  a  tolerably  spherical  shape  il 

obtained.      They  also  have  a  great  love  for  glittering  ornaments  made  of  metal,  an| 

decorate  themselves  profusely  with  native  jewellery,  made  of  polished  iron,  brass,  and 

copper.    They  also  tattoo  their  skins,  and  make  great  use  of  the  buchu  perfumo.         1 

As  the  Namaquas  have  not  been  accustomed  to  exercise  their  minds  on  any  subjecl 
except  those  immediately  connected  with  themselves,  it  is  found  very  difficult,  to  urivi 
any  new  ideas  into  their  heads. 

Son-?  writers  say  that  mmy  of  them  have  no  names,  and  not  a  single  one  has  thJ 
least  idea  of  his  own  age,  or  of  counting  time  by  years.  Indeed,  counting  at  all  is  aa 
intellectual  exertion  that  is  positively  painful  to  them,  and  a  man  who  knows  the  numbeq 
of  his  lingers  is  scarcely  to  be  found  among  them.  Such  statements  are  often  the  resultl 
of  ignorance,  not  of  the  savages  but  of  their  visitors,  who  must  needs  live  among  then 
for  years,  and  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  language,  before  they  can  venture! 
generalize  in  so  sweeping  a  fashion.  Mr.  Moffatt,  who  did  live  amrrrj  the  Namaquas,  ani 
knew  their  language  intimately,  says  that  he  never  knew  a  man  who  had  not  a  name,  m 
that  mere  children  are  able  to  count  beyond  the, number  ten. 

Of  religion  they  appear  to  have  but  the  faintest  glimmering,  and  it  is  more  than! 
suspected  that  even  their  rude  and  imperfect  ideas  on  the  subject  are  corruptions  oif 
information  obtained  from  Europeans.  Superstitions  they  have  in  plenty,  some  of  tlieail 
resembling  those  which  are  held  by  the  tribes  which  have  already  been  mentioned. 

Thdir  idea  of  the  coming  of  death  into  the  world  is  one  of  these  odd  notious.  Itl 
seems  that  in  former  days,  when  men  were  first  made,  the  hare  had  no  cleft  iu  its  lip,[ 
The  moon  sent  a  hare  to  the  newly  created  beings  with  this  message,  "  As  I  die,  and  ami 
born  again,  so  you  shall  die.  and  be  born  again."  The  hare,  however,  delivered  the  messiigel 
wrongly,  "  As  I  die  and  am  not  born  again,  so  you  shall  die  and  not  be  bom  again."  Thel 
moon,  angry  at  the  hare's  disobedience,  threw  a  stick  at  it  as  it  fled  away  from  his  \mth,f 
and  split  its  lip  opea  Froiu  that  time  the  hare  has  a  cleft  lip,  and  is  always  I'unuiiigj 
away. 

In  consequence  of  this  legend,  the  Namaquas  will  not  eat  the  hare.  They  have  suial 
a  horror  of  it,  that  if  a  man  should  happen  even  to  touch  a  fire  at  which  a  hare  has  been! 
cooked  he  is  banished  from  his  community,  and  not  readmitted  until  he  has  paid| 
a  fine. 

During  the  terrible  thunderstorms  which  occasionally  pass  over  the  country,  tliel 
Namaquas  are  in  great  dread  of  the  lightning,  and  shoot  their  poisoned  arrows  at  the  | 
clouds  in  order  to  drive  it  away.  As  may  be  imagined,  there  is  no  small  danger  inthisj 
performance,  and  a  man  has  been  killed  by  the  lightning  flash,  which  was  attracted  by  liis  I 
pointed  arrow.  Other  tribes  have  a  similar  custom,  being  in  the  habit  of  throwing  stones  j 
or  other  objects  at  the  clouds. 


SUPEBSTITION. 


t9^ 


Ag  far  fts  can  be  ascertained,  their  only  notion  of  a  supreme  being  is  one  wlio  v   df 

tborof  deatli  and  inflicter  of  pain,  and  one  consequently  whom  they  ftur,  but  .       ot 

h  &  Still,  all  statements  of  this  nature  made  by  savages  must  be  rticeived  with  \  erf 

at  caution,  owing  to  the  invincible  repugnance  which  they  feel  towards  revealing 

y  portion  of  their  religious  system.    They  will  rather  state  anything  than  the  truth, 

d  will  either  invent  a  series  of  imaginative  stories  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  or  say 

Ciatcver  they  think  is  likely  to  please  their  interrogator.    Even  if  they  are  converted  to 

faristianity,  sufficient  of  the  old  nature  remains  to  render  them  averse  to  speaking  on 

to  former  supeistition,  and  they  will  mostly  fence  with  the  question  or  evade  it  rather 

itellthe  whole  truth. 


BHOOIINa  AT  THB  STORIL 


Being  superstitious,  they  have,  of  course,  sorcerers  in  plenty.  Besides  the  usual  pre- 
Itensions  of  such  personages,  they  claim  the  power  of  voluntary  transmigration,  and  their 
jfoUowers  implicitly  believe  that  they  can  assume  the  form  of  any  beaat  which  they 
Ichoose  to  select 

They  fancy,  however,  that  their  own  sorcerers  or  witch-doctors  share  this  power  with 
[the  Bosjesman  race.  Sir  J.  E.  Alexander  narrates  the  following  legend  in  support  of  this 
Istatement.  "  Once  on  a  time  a  certain  Namaqua  was  travelling  in  company  wi*h  a  Bush- 
jwomau  carrying  a  child  on  her  back.  They  had  proceeded  some  distance  on  cheir  journey 
phen  a  troop  of  wild  horses  (zebras)  appeared,  and  the  man  said  to  the  woman,  '  I  am 
IliungTy,  and  as  I  know  you  can  turn  yourself  into  a  lion,  do  so  now,  and  catch  us  a  wild 
Ihorse  that  we  may  eat.'    The  woman  answered,  '  You  will  be  afraid.' 

"'No,  no,'  said  the  man, '  I  am  afraid  of  dying  of  hunger,  but  not  of  you.' 


m 


806 


THE  NAMAQUAS. 


m    ■  * 


^ 


w 


"  Wliilst  he  was  speaking,  hnir  began  to  appear  at  the  back  of  the  woman's  necl  1 
nails  nsauinud  t)ie  appearance  of  claws,  and  liur  features  altered.     She  set  down  the  ch  iJ 

"  The  nmn,  alarmed  at  the  change,  clinubed  up  a  tree  close  >)y,  while  the  woman  cla 
at  him  fearfully  ;  and  going  to  one  side,  she  threw  off  her  skin  petticoat,  wht-n  a  perl 
lion  rushed  out  into  the  plain.     It  bounded  and  crept  among  the  bushes  towards  tl'e «! 
horses,  and,  springing  on  one  of  them,  it  fell,  and  the  lion  lapped  its  blued.    TIk  u 
then  came  buck  to  the  place  where  the  child  was  crying,  and  the  man  called  from  th 
tree,  '  Enough !  enough  I    Do  not  hurt  me.    Put  off  your  lion's  shape.    I  will  uevtn 
to  see  this  again.' 

"  The  lion  looked  at  him  and  growled.    •  I'll  remain  here  till  I  die ! '  exclaimed  th 
man, '  if  you  do  not  become  a  woman  again.'    The  mane  and  tail  began  to  disappear  tb 
lion  went  towards  the  bush  where  the  skin  petticoat  lay ;  it  was  slipped  on,  and  th 
woman  in  her  proper  shape  took  up  the  child.     The  man  descended,  partook  of 
horse's  Hesh,  but  never  agam  asked  the  woman  to  catch  game  for  him." 

Their  notions  about  the  two  chief  luminaiies  seem  rather  variable,  though  there  j 
certainly  a  connecting  link  between  them.  One  account  was,  that  the  sun  was  made  (. 
people  living  iu  the  sea,  who  cut  it  in  pieces  every  night,  fried  the  fragments,  put  theik 
togetlier  agam,  and  sent  it  afresh  on  its  journey  through  the  sky.  Another  stoiy,  as  toll 
to  Mr.  Anderson,  is  to  the  effect  that  the  sun  is  a  huge  lump  of  pure  fat,  and  that  wheil 
it  sinks  below  the  waves,  it  is  seized  by  the  chief  of  a  white  man's  ship,  who  cuts  off  i 
piece  of  it,  and  then  gives  it  a  kick  which  throws  it  into  the  sky  again.  It  is  CTidein 
that  this  story  has  at  all  events  received  some  modiBcation  in  recent  times. 

As  to  worship,  the  Namaquas  seem  to  have  little  idea  of  it  ^They  are  very  mncll 
afraid  of  a  bad  spirit,  but  have  no  conception  of  a  good  one,  and  therefore  have  nj 
worship.  Of  praise  they  have  not  the  least  conception.  So  far  are  they  from  feelind 
gratitude  to  a  supreme  being,  that  their  language  does  not  possess  a  word  or  a  phrase  M 
which  they  can  express  their  thanks  to  their  feUow-creatures.  Some  travellers  who  havi 
lived  among  them  say  that  they  not  only  do  not  express,  but  do  not  feel  gratitude,  non 
feel  kindness,  and  that,  although  they  will  feign  friendship  for  a  superior  in  order  to  geJ 
whnt  they  can  from  him,  they  will  desert  him  as  soon  as  he  can  give  no  moi-e,  anl 
ridicule  him  for  his  credulity.  In  sliort,  "  they  possess  every  vice  of  savages,  and  uontl 
of  their  noble  qualities." 

This,  however,  seems  rather  too  sweeping  an  assertion,  especially  as  it  is  contTadictedl 
by  others  of  equal  experience,  and  we  may  theiefore  calculate  that  the  Jfamaqtul 
Hottentot  is,  in  his  wild  state,  neither  worse  nor  better  than .  the  generality  of  savages,] 
and  that  higher  feelings  cannot  be  expected  of  him  until  they  have  been  implanted  iol 
him  by  contact  with  a  higher  raca  I 

Rain-making  is  practised  by  Namaqua  witch-doctors,  us  well  as  by  the  prophets  of  the! 
Eaf&r  tribes,  and  we  whole  process  is  very  similar,  deriving  all  its  efficacy  from  thel 
amount  of  the  fee  which  the  operator  receives.  These  men  also  practise  the  art  of| 
healing,  and  really  exercise  no  small  amount  of  ingenuity.  They  nave  a  theory,  i 
like  theorists  in  general,  they  make  their  practice  yield  to  their  theory,  which  is,! 
that  the  disease  has  insinuated  itself  into  the  patient  in  the  guise  of  some  small  reptile,  [ 
and  must  be  expelled.  They  seem  to  be  clever  conjurers,  for  they  perform  the  task  ofj 
exorcism  with  such  ingenuity  >hat  they  have  deceived,  not  only  the  credulous,  but  tk  [ 
sharper  gaze  of  Europeans. 

One  such  performance  was  witnessed  by  a  Dutchman,  who  fully  believed  that  thel 
operation  was  a  genuine  one.  A  sheep  was  killed  as  soon  as  the  doctor  arrived,  and  thel 
sinews  of  the  back  rolled  up  and  made  into  a  kind  of  pill,  which  was  administered  to 
the  patient,  the  rest  of  the  animal  being  the  fee  of  the  dd  '  or.  The  mysterious  pill  was 
then  left  for  a  day  or  two  to  transform  the  disease  into  a  visiiil<  shape,  so  that  it  could  be 
removed  before  the  eyes  of  the  spectators.  On  the  return  of  t  le  doctor,  he  solemnly  cut 
some  little  holes  in  the  stomach  of  the  patient,  from  which  there  issued,  firet  a  small 
snake,  then  a  lizard,  and  then  a  whole  series  of  smaller  creatures. 

As  is  the  case  among  the  Kaffirs,  the  richer  a  patient  is,  the  larger  is  the  animal 
required  for  the  production  of  the  sacred  pill.    If  he  be  a  man  of  no  particular  couse- 


HEALINO  THE  SICK 


(Dce,  t  goot  or  a  iheep  will  work  the  charm,  while,  if  he  should  happen  to  be  a  chief, 
itdiseitiW  will  condescend  to  ossunio  bodily  form  unless  instigated  oy  an  ox  or  a  cow. 
Die  witch-doctors  have  another  theory  of  disease,  namely,  that  a  great  snake  has  shot 
liorisible  arrow  into  the  sufferer.  Of  course,  this  ailment  has  to  be  treated  in  a  similar 
inner.  The  reader  may  perhaps  call  to  mind  the  very  similar  superstition  which  once 
j^  in  our  own  country,  namely,  that  cnttlo  were  sometimes  shot  with  fairy  arrowa, 
jch  had  to  be  extracted  by  the  for(;o  of  counter  charms. 

The  great  panacea  for  diseases  is,  however,  a  sort  of  charm  which  requires  several 

for  its  production,  and  which  has  the  property  of  becoming  more  powerful  every 

When  a  man  is  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  art,  he  puts  on  a  cap,  which  he 

_j  continually.     In  the  course  of  time  it  becomes  saturated  with  grease,  and  is  iu  a 

iribly  filtl>y  condition.     Not  until  1 1  ten  is  it  thought  to  possess  healing  properties  ;  but 

ten  it  is  in  such  a  state  that  no  one  with  ordinary  feelings  of  cleanliness  would  touch 

the  hidden  virtues  are  supposed  to  be  developed.    The  mode  of  administering  the 

jniedy  is  by  washing  a  little  portion  of  the  cap,  and  giving  the  patient  the  water  to 

nnk.   One  of  the  chiefs,  named  Amral,  assured  Mr.  Anderson  that  he  possessed  a  cap 

'  this  kind,  which  was  absolutely  infallible.     He  would  not  use  it  unless  every  other 

nedy  failed,  but,  whenever  he  did  so,  the  cure  was  certain. 

The  Namaquas  have  great  faith  in  amulets  and  charms  of  various  kinds,  the  strangest 
/which  is  a  rather  curious  one.  When  a  chief  dies,  cattle  are  sacrificed,  in  order  to 
nroish  a  great  feast  One  of  the  sons  of  the  deceased  succeeds  his  father  in  the  chieftain- 
ihip,and,  in  recognition  of  his  new  rank,  the  fat  and  other  choice  ])ortions  are  brought  to 
lim  as  they  had  been  to  his  father  in  his  lifetime.  The  young  chief  places  the  fat  on  his 
d,  and  allows  it  to  remain  there  until  the  fat  has  been  melted  out  of  it  by  the  sun's 
lays,  and  only  the  inclosing  membrane  remains,  dry  and  shrivelled.  This  is  thought  to 
le  a  powerful  charm,  and  is  held  in  great  estimation.  The  reader  will  notice  the  fact 
hat  there  seems  to  be  in  the  mind  of  the  Namaquas  some  connexion  between  the  head 
od  the  power  of  charming. 

On  the  tombs  of  chief's  the  Namaquas  have  a  habit  of  flinging  stones,  each  throwing 
Lne  stone  upon  it  whenever  he  passes  by.  Why  they  do  so,  they  either  cannot  or  will 
hot  tell— probably  the  latter ;  but  in  process  of  time,  the  heap  attains  a  considerable  sizot 
^his  is  the  only  superstition  which 
;ive8  any  indication  of  their  belief 
1  a  future  life,  for  thgy  have  a 
Ud  of  dim  notion  about  an  in- 
e,  but  potent  being,  whom 
they  name  Heitjeebib,  or  Heit- 
[ekobib,  who,  they  think,  is  able 
grant  or  withhold  prosperity. 
^rit  though  he  be,  they  localize 
kirn  in  the  tombs,  and  the  casting 
bf  stones  has  probably  some  re- 
lerence  to  him. 

Like  other  savage  nations,  they 
lave  certain  ceremonies  when  their 
fouth  attain  manhood,  and  at  that 
lime  the  youth  is  instructed  in  the 
frecepts  which  are  to  govern  his 
life  for  the  future.  Tliese  are  rather 
pf  a  negative  than  a  positive  na- 
ure,  and  two  very  important  en- 
actments are,  that  he  must  never 
pt  the  hare,  and  must  cease  from 

sucking  the  goats.    The  latter  injunction  requires  a  little  explanation.    As  long  as  the 

Namaquas  are  children,  they  are  accustomed  to  visit  the  female  goats,  drive  away 

he  kids,  and  take  their  place.      This,  however,  is  considered  to  be  essentially  a 


tUCKINO  GOAT& 


I     r  * 


5    ^M 


''■m 


^1    f 


210 


THE  NAMAQUAS. 


M% 


m  I 


?    1 


M    ■? 


cldldish  occupation,  to  be  abandoned  for  ever  when  the  boy  seeks  to  be  admitted  amoiul 
the  men.  ^ 

As  far  as  is  known,  there  are  few,  if  any,  matrimonial  ceremonies  among  the  Namannji 
Hottentots.  When  a  man  wishes  to  marry  any  particular  woman,  he  goes  to  her  pareltJ 
and  simply  demands  her.  If  the  demand  is  acceded  to,  an  ox  is  killed  outside  the  dooH 
of  the  bride's  house,  and  she  then  goes  home  to  her  new  husband.  Polygamy  is  r^A 
mitted  among  this  people,  and,  as  is  the  case  in  other  countries,  has  its  draM'backs  as  LuL 
as  its  advantages.  In  a  country  where  the  whole  of  the  manual  labour  is  performed  b^J 
the  women,  such  al  state  is  necessary,  each  woman  being  a  sort  of  domestic  servant,  andl 
in  no  sense  the  equal  companion  of  the  man.  Its  drawbacks  may  be  summed  up  in  the! 
word  "jealousy,"  that  being  a  failing  to  which  the  Namaqua  women  are  very  subject  i 
which  generally  finds  its  vent  in  blows. 

If  a  man  becomes  tired  of  his  wife,  he  needs  no  divorce  court,  but  simply  cuts  the! 
conjugal  knot  by  sending  the  woman  back  to  her  family.     She  has  no  redress ;  and,  h 
ever  much  she  and  her  parents  may  object  to  the  proceeding,  they  cannot  prohibit  it. 

In  peaceful  arts  they  have  some  skill,  especially  in  training  oxen.  This  is  a  difficoltl 
process,  and  is  managed  with  great  cara  The  young  animal  is  first  induced  to  step  into! 
the  noose  of  a  rope  which  is  laid  on  the  ground,  and  as  soon  as  it  has  done  so,  a  numbetl 
of  men  seize  the  other  end  of  the  rope,  and,  in  spite  of  his  struggles,  hold  the  animall 
tightly.  Sometimes  the  infuriated  animal  charges  at  them,  and  in  that  case  they  let  ml 
the  rope  and  scatter  in  all  directions,  only  to  renew  their  hold  when  the  fuiy  of  the  I 
animal  is  exhausted.  I 

Another  rope  is  then  thrown  over  his  horns,  and  by  sharply  pulling  this  and  his  tail,  I 
and  at  the  same  time  jerking  his  leg  off  the  ground,  the  trainers  force  the  animal  to  falil 
His  head  is  then  held  on  the  ground,  and  a  sharp  stick  thrust  through  his  nostrils, a| 
tough  leathern  thong  being  then  attached  to  each  end  of  the  stick,  and  acting  as  I 
a  bridle. 

The  more  an  ox  struggles  and  fights,  the  more  docile  he  becomes  afterwards,  and  the 
more  is  he  valued,  while  an  ox  which  is  sulky,  especially  if  he  lies  down  and  declines  to| 
rise,  is  never  of  much  use.    Loads,  carefully  graduated^  are  then  fastened  on  his  back, 
bf^ginning  with  a  simple  skin  or  empty  bag,  and  ending  with  the  full  burden  which  nn  ox  | 
is  supposed  to  carry.     The  hide  rope  with  which  the  burden  is  lashed  on  the  back  of  the 
ox  is  often  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,,  and  consequently  passes  round  and  | 
round  the  body  of  the  animal 

The  chief  difficulty  is,  to  train  an  ox  that  will  act  as  leader.  'The  ox  is  naturally! 
gregarious  animal,  and  when  he  is  associated  with  his  fellows,  he  never  likes  to  walk  for  I 
any  distance  unless  there  is  a  leader  whom  he  can  follow.  In  a  state  of  nature  the  leader 
would  be  the  strongest  bull,  but  in  captivity  he  finds  that  all  are  very  much  ahke  in 
point  of  strength,  while  their  combative  powers  have  been  too  much  repressed  to  allow 
any  one  animal  to  fight  his  way  to  the  leadership.  Very  few  oxen  have  the  quahties 
which  enable  them  to  be  trained  as  leaders,  but  the  Namaquas,  who  have  excellent  eyes 
for  the  chief  points  of  an  ox,  always  select  for  this  purpose  the  animals  of  lightest  build 
and  most  sprightly  look,  so  that  they  may  keep  their  followers  at  a  brisk  pace  when  on 
the  march.  Their  activity  would  naturally  induce  them  to  keep  ahead  of  their  companions,  | 
so  that  the  Namaquas  merely  assist  nature  when  they  select  such  animals  to  m 
leadens. 

The  dreadful  practice  of  abandoning  the  aged  prevails  in  Namaqualand.  A  slight  | 
fence  is  built  round  the  unfortunate  victim  of  so  cruel  a  custom,  who  is  then  abandoned, 
having  been  furnished  with  a  little  food,  fire,  and  water,  which  are  destined  to  play  the 
part  of  the  bread  and  water  placed  in  the  tomb  of  an  offending  vestal.  Travellers 
through  this  country  sometimes  come  upon  the  remains  of  a  small  fence,  within  wiiich 
are  a  heap  of  ashes,  the  remains  of  a  water  vessel,  and  a  heap  of  whitened  bones,  and  they 
know  that  these  are  the  memorials  of  an  old  Namaqua  who  has  been  left  to  perish  with 
hunger  and  thirst  Such  persons  must  be  very  old  when  they  succumb  to  such  a  death, 
for  some  have  been  known  to  live  to  the  age  of  ninety,  and  now  and  then  a  centenarian 
is  found. 


"3 


ADOPTION  OF  PARENTS. 


811 


Tl 


It  is  hardly  credible,  thougli  true,  that  the  Namaquas  are  so  used  to  this  parricidal 
I  stom  that  they  look  at  it  with  indifference.    They  expect  no  other  fate  if  they  them- 

,3  should  happen  to  live  until  they  are  so  old  as  to  be  an  encumbrance  to  their 

lie  and  the  strangest  tiling  is  the  acquiescence  with  which  those  who  are  thus 

»jdoned  resign  themselves  to  their  fate.  Mr.  Muffatt  mentions  an  instance  where  an 
I'ld  woman,  whom  he  found  in  a  most  pitiable  state  of  suffering,  refused  to  be  taken  away 
iL  him  and  fed.  It  was  the  custom' of  the  tribe,  she  said ;  she  was  already  nearly  dead, 
li  did  not  want  to  die  twice. 

Their  amusements  are  so  similar  to  those  which  have  already  been  mentioned  that  there 
is  no  need  to  describe  them  separately.  As  to  work,  the  men  do  little  or  nothing,  preferring 
to  lounge  about  in  the  sun  for  days  together,  and  will  sit  half  dead  with  hunger  and  thirst, 
mther  than  take  the  trouble  to  go  and  look  for  food  and  water.  They  have  an  odd\way 
of  comparing  a  man  who  works  with  the  worms  of  the  ground,  and  that  comparison  is 

light  to  be  a  sufficient  reason  why  a  man  should  not  work. 

One  very  curious  custom  prevails  among  the  Namaquas.  Those  who  visit  them  are 
expected  to  adopt  a  father  and  mother,  and  the  newly-made  relations  are  supposed  to 
have  their  prdperty  in  common.  This  is  probably  a  native  practice,  but  the  Namaquas 
have  had  no  scruples  in  extending  it  to  Europeans,  finding  that  in  such  cases  a  community 
of  goods  becomes  rather  a  lucrative  speculation. 


1 
> 


I    i 


*'VS 


AFRICAN  AXE  IX)S  CHOPPmG  WOOIX 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


THEm     NAMB    AND    I.AN01TA0E — THKIB    DBSSS — SKILL    IN    THE   ABTS    OF    PEACE — THE   BKCHTASaI 

KNIFR SKILL     IN    CAHVING — TUB     BECHVANA   ASSAGAI,    OB     "KOVEH" INQEMIOUS  BKLLOis-l 

A   METAL    APBON — DBBSS    OF   THE   VOHEN,    AND    THEIR   FONDNESS    FOB  HBTALLIO   OBNAMEMTS- 1 
CHABACTEB   OP   THE    BECHUANAS — THEIB  TENDENCY  TOWARDS  LYINO  AND  THIEVING — DISREQABD 

FOB   HUMAN   LIFE BEDEEMINO    QUALITIES    OF     THE     BECHUANAS — MODE    OF   OOVEBNMKNT— TBI 

NATIVE    FABLIAMENT MB.    MOFPATT's   ACCOUNT    OP    A    DEBATE — CUSTOMS   AFTEB  BATTLE— THB 

ORDEB  OP  THE  SCAB,  AND  MODE  OF  CONPEBBINQ  IT — A  DISAPPOINTED   WABBIOB — AN  I'NPLEABASI  | 
CEBBHONY— HODS   OP  MAKING  WAR — THE   BBCHUANA  BATTLE-AXE. 

We  now  leave  the  Hottentot  race,  and  take  a  passing  glance  at  the  appearance  of  a  few 
other  tribes.    Chief  among  these  is  the  veiy  large  tribe  called  by  the  name  of  Bechuana, 
which  includes  a  considerable  number  of  sub-tribes.    Just  as  the  Hottentot  names  are 
recognised  by  the  affix  Qua,  so  are  the  Bechuanas  by  the  prefix  Ba.    Thus,  the  Bakwains, 
Barolongs,  Batlapis,  and  Bahurotsi,  ali  belong  to  the  great  Bechuana  tribe.    It  is  rather 
curious  that  in  this  language  prefixes  are  used  where  suffixes,  or  even  separate  words, 
might  be  expected.    Thus,  a  man  will  speak  of  himself  as  Mochuana,  i.e.  a  Chuanaman; 
the  tribe  is  called  Bechuanan,  i.e.  the  Chuana  men,  and  they  speak  Sichuana,  i.e.  the  Chuana  I 
language.    Nearly  every  syllable  ends  with  a  vowel,  which  gives  the  language  a  softness ' 
of  pronuiiciation  hardly  to  be  expected  in  such  a  countiy.    The  love  of  euphony  ami 
the  Bechuana  tribes  causes  them  to  be  very  indifferent  about  substituting  one  letter  for  1 
,  another,  provided  that  by  so  doing  a  greater  softness  of  pronunciation  can  be  obtained.    I 

In  appearance  they  are  a  fine  race  of  men,  in  some  respects  similar  to  the  Kaffirs, ! 
with  whom  they  have  many  customs  in  common.     Their  dress  is  not  very  remarkable, 
except  that  they  are  perhaps  the  best  dressers  of  skins  that  ar3  to  be  found  in  Africa,  the 
pliancy  of  the  slun  and  the  neatness  of  the  sewing  beijg  unrivalled.  They  are  good  workers 
in  metal,  and  supply  many  of  the  surrounding  tribes  both  with  ornaments  and  weapons, 

Perhaps  the  Bechuana  knife  is  the  most  common  of  all  the  implements  made  by  this 
ingenious  tribe.  The  general  form  of  this  knife  may  be  seen  from  the  two  figures  on  page 
313,  one  of  which  was  taken  from  a  specimen  in  my  own  collection.  It  is  ten  inches  in 
length  inclusive  of  the  handle,  and  the  blade,  which  is  double-edged,  is  nearly  flat,  beinga 
little  thicker  along  the  middle  than  at  the  edges.  In  fact,  it  is  simply  a  spear-liead  inserted 
into  a  handle.  The  sheath  is  made  of  two  pieces  of  wood,  hollowed  just  sufficiently  to 
receive  the  blade  tightly,  and  then  lashed  firmly  together  with  sinews.  On  one  side  of  the 
sheath  a  kind  of  loop  is  carved  out  of  the  solid  wood,  through  which  the  wearer  can  pass 
the  string  by  which  he  hangs  it  to  his  neck. 

The  ordinary  forms  are  simply  a  handle,  sheath,  and  blade,  all  without  any  ornament, 

but  the  ingenious  smith  often  adds  a  considerable  amount  of  decoration.     One  favourite 

^  mode  of  doing  so  is  to  make  the  handle  of  ivory,  and  carve  it  into  the  form  of  some 

animal.     My  own  specimen  represents  a  hysena,  and,  in  spite  of  the  rudeness  of  the 


<  ■•■! 


THE  BECHUANA  KNIFE. 


313 


plptnre,  no  naturalist  could  posp'My  mistake  the  animal  for  which  it  is  intended.    The 

uidle  is  often  cut  into  the  form  ot  the  hippopota  nus  or  the  giraffe,  and  in  all  cases  the 

laracter  of  the  animal  is  hit  off  exactly  by  the  native  carver.    Along  the  sheath  is 

wnerally  »  pattern  of  some  nature,  and  in  many  instances  it  is  really  of  an  artistic 

Karacter,  worthy  to  be  transferred  to  European  weapons.     A  thong  of  leather  passes 

"  igthe  opposite  sile  of  the  sheath,  and  is  attached  by  the  same  sinews  which  bind  the 

n  halves  of  the  sheath  together.     All  the  Hottentot  and  Bosjesman  tribes  use  this 

jculiar  knife,  as  do  sundry  other  inhabitants  of  Southern  Africa.    They  always  suspend 

ttotheirnecks,  and  use  it  for  a  variety  of  purposes,  the  chief  of  which  is  cutting  up 

t  when  they  are  fortunate  enough  to  procure  any. 


■  ■  mi 


-THB  BKCHTJASA 
IWU8  BEU0V8- 
•IC   OBNAMENTS- 

nNO DISREQABJ 

)VEBNMENT— iHg 
EB  BATTI,K-IHJ 
-AN  I'NPlEASiKI 


t^nm  Colona  lana  Fox'i  CottietUm.) 


BECHUANA  KNIVKS. 


a. 


■hi 


{Fron  my  own  ^teintn. 


PI 
P. 


\m.f  'fit,'! 


The  carved  work  of  the  knife,  sheath,  and  handle  is,  however,  not  done  with  this  kind 
bf  knife,  but  with  one  which  has  a  very  short  blade  and  a  tolerably  long  handle.  One  of 
Ihese  knives  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  314,  and  in  this  instance  the  handle 
|3  made  of  the  end  of  an  antelope's  horn.  With  this  simple  instrument  are  cut  the 
Various  patterns  with  which  the  Bechuanas  are  so  fond  of  decorating  their  bowls,  spoons, 
pnd  other  articles  of  daily  use,  and  with  it  are  carved  the  giraffes,  hyaenas,  and  other 
limals,  which  serve  as  hilts  for  their  dagger- knives,  and  handles  to  their  spoons, 

Sometimes  the  bowls  of  the  spoons  are  covered  on  the  outside  with  carved  patterns  of 
I  singularly  artistic  character,  some  of  them  recalling  to  the  spectator  the  ornaments  on 
pld  Etruscan  vases.    They  have  a  way  of  bringing  out  the  pattern  by  charring  either  the 


c      ^'l 


wW' 


-:M 


314 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


plain  surface  or  the  incised  pattern,  so  that  in  the  one  case  the  pattern  is  white  on 
Mack  ground,  and  sometimes  vice  versd.    The  pattern  is  generally  a  modification  of  till 
zigzag,  but  there  are  many  instances  where  curved  lines  are  used  without  a  single  ansli 
them,  and  when  the  curves  are  traced  with  equal  truth  and  freedom. 

One  of  the  best  specimens  of  Bechuana  art  is  a  kind  of  assagai  which  they  forge  a 
Trhich  is  equally  to  be  praised  for  its  ingenuity  and  execrated  for  its  abominable  cnieltvl 


KNIFE  AND  ASSAGAI  HEADS. 


Two  forms  of  this  dreadful  weapon  are  given  in  the  accompanying  illustration.  Thel 
upper  figure  shows  the  eutiie  head  of  the  assagai  and  parts  of  the  shaft,  while  the  oihetl 
are  representation^  of  the  barbs  on  a  larger  scale.  I 

On  examining  one  of  these  weapons  carefully,  it  is  seen  that  the  neck  of  the  assagai! 
has  first  been  forged  square,  and  then  that  the  double  barbs  have  been  made  by  cuttingl 
diagonally  into  the  metal  and  turning  up  the  barbs  thus  obtained.  This  is  very  cleatl 
with  the  upper  assagai,  and  is  still  better  seen  in  the  enlarged  figure  of  the  same  weapoal 
But  the  other  is  peculiarly  ingenious,  and  exhibits  an  amoimt  of  metallurgic  skill  which  I 
could  hardly  be  expected  among  savage  nations.  I 

These  assagais  bear  a  curious  resemblance  to  some  arrows  which  are  made  in  Central  I 
Africa,  and  which  will  be  figured  in  a  future  page.  Indeed,  the  resemblance  is  so  great,! 
that  an  arrow  if  enlarged  would  serve  admirably  as  an  assagai.  This  resemblance-! 
unknown  to  Mr.  Burchell — confirms  his  idea  that  the  art  of  making  these  weapons  camel 
from  more  northern  tribes.  I 

The  use  to  which  these  terrible  weapons  are  put  is,  of  course,  to  produce  certain  death,  I 
as  it  is  impossible  that  the  assagai  can  tiu  ler  be  drawn  out  of  the  wound,  or  removed  hn 
being  pushed  through  it,  as  done  with  other  barbed  weapons.  As,  however,  the  temporary  I 
loss  of  the  weapon  is  necessarily  involved  in  such  a  case,  the  natives  do  not  use  it  except  I 
on  special  occasions.  The  native  name  for  it  is  "k6veh,"  and  it  is  popularly  called  the  I 
"  assagai  of  torture."  It  is  generally  used  by  being  thrust  down  the  throat  of  the  victim  | 
— generally  a  captured  chief — who  is  then  left  to  perish  miserably. 

The  bellows  used  by  the  Bechuana  blacksmith  are  singularly  ingenious.    In  all  I 
skin  bellows  used  by  the  natives  of  Southern  Africa  there  is  one  radical  defect,  namely,  I 
the  want  of  a  valve.     In  consequence  of  this  want  the  bellows  cannot  be  worked  quickly, 
as  they  would  draw  the  fire,  or,  at  all  events,  suck  the  heated  air  into  their  interior,  and 
so  destroy  the  skin  of  which  they  are  made.    The  Bechuana,  however,  contrives  to  avoid  | 
this  difficulty.    The  usual  mode  of  making  a  bellows  is  tu  skin  a  goat,  then  sew  up  i 
skin,  so  as  to  make  a  bag,  insert  a  pipe — usually  a  horn  one — into  one  of  the  legs,  t 
then  use  it  by  alternately  inflating  and  compressing  the  bag. 

Bellows  of  this  kind  can  be  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  98. 


•  i  ft 


METALLIC  ORNAMENTS. 


316 


mm 


The  Bechuana  smith,  however,  does  not  use  a  closed  bag,  but  cuts  it  completely  open 

ne  side,  and  on  either  side  ^f  the  slit  he  fastens  a  straight  stick.    It  is  evident  that 

Larating  these  sticks  he  can  admit  the  air  into  the  bag  without  drawing  the  fire  into' 
He  tube,  and  that  when  he  wants  to  eject  the  air,  he  has  only  to  press  the  sticks  together. 
Vs  ingenious  succedaneum  for  a  valve  allows  the  smith  to  work  the  bellows  as  fast  as 

hands  can  move  them,  and,  in  consequence,  he  can  produce  a  much  fiercer  heat  than 

1  be  obtained  by  the  ordinary  plan. 

The  accompanying  figure  is  an  example  of  the  skill  with  which  they  can  work  in 

metals.   It  is  a  woman's  apron,  about  a  foot  square,  formed  of  a  piece  of  leather  entirely 

[overed  with  beads.    But,  instead  of 

liflff  ordinary  glass  beads,  the  maker 

5  preferred  those  made  of  metal 
,  ^e  creater  part  of  the  apron  is  formed 
}  iron  beads,  but  those  which  pro- 
l(iace  the  pattern  are  made  of  brass, 
Ijnd  when  worn  the  owner  took  a 
iride  in  keeping  the  brass  beads 
,_  ed  as  brilliantly  as  possible. 
lin  shape  and  general  principle  of 
itnicture,  this  apron  bears  a  close 
liesemblance  to  that  which  is  shown 

page  25,  fig.  2.  This  specimen  is 
lin  the  collection  of  Col.  Lane  Fox. 

In  the  same  collection  is  an  orna- 
_  it  ingeniously  made  from  the 
spoils  of  slain  monkeys.  A  part  of 
[the  upper  jaw,  containing  the  incisive 
jnd  canine  teeth,  has  been  cut  off, 
[cleaned,  and  dried.  A  whole  row  of 
ese  jaws  has  then  been  sewn  on 
a  strip  of  leather,  each  overlapping 
its  predecessor,  so  as  to  form  a  con- 
[tinuous  band  of  glittering  white 
Iteeth. 

As  to  dress,  the  Bechuanas,  as  a 
[rale,  use  more  covering  than  many 
ofthe  surrounding  tribes.  The  women 
especially  wear  several  aprons.  The 
Ifiist  is  made  of  thongs,  like  those 
|of  the  Kaffirs,  and  over  that  is  gene- 
1II7  one  of  skin.  As  she  can  afford 
it  she  adds  others,  but  always  con- 
Itrives  to  have  the  outside  apron  deco- 
ited  with  beads  or  other  adornments. 

This  series  of  aprons,  however,  is 
ill  that  a  Bechuana  woman  considers 
necessary  in  the  way  of  dress,  the  kaross  being  adopted  merely  as  a  defence  against  the 
weather,  and  not  from  any  idea  that  covering  to  the  body  is  needed  for  the  purpose  of 
lelicacy.  In  figure  they  are  not  so  prepossessing  as  many  of  the  surrounding  tribes,  being 
[usually  short,  stout,  and  clumsy,  which  latter  defect  is  rendered  still  more  conspicuous  l)y 
he  quantities  i)f  beads  which  they  hang  in  heavy  coils  round  their  waists  and  necks,  and 
'  multitude  of  metal  rings  with  which  they  load  tlreir  arms  and  ankles.  They  even  load 
heir  hair  as  much  as  possible,  drawing  it  out  into  a  series  of  little  twists,  and  dressing 
hem  so  copiously  with  grease  and  sibilo,  that  at  a  few  yards  they  look  as  if  their  heads. 
ere  covered  with  a  cap  composed  of  metallic  tags,  and  at  a  greater  distance  as  if  they 
ere  wearing  bands  of  polished  steel  on  their  heads. 


AFBON. 


ORNAMENTS  MADB 
OF  MONKEYS'  TEETH. 


t    •! 


316 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


I 


!  •»t<f#7g 


They  consider  a  plentiful  smearing  of  grease  and  red  ochre  to  be  the  very  ncme  of 
fashionable  toilet,  and  think  that  washing  the  body  is  a  disgusting  custom.    Women  it 
the  smokers  of  the  tribe,  the  men  preferring  snuff,  and  father  despising  the  pipe  a* 
woman's  implement  ' 

The  Bechuanas  can  hardly  be  selected  as  exa.nples  of  good  moral  character.  No  oni 
who  knows  them  can  believe  a  word  that  they  say,  and  they  will  steal  everythiuo  th^ 
they  can  carry.  They  are  singularly  accomplished  taieves,  and  the  habit  of  stealing  jg 
ingrained  in  their  nature,  that  if  a  man  is  detected  in  the  very  act  he  feels  not  the  leai 
shame,  but  rather  takes  blame  to  himself  for  being  so  inexpert  as  to  be  found  out.  Stiau 
articles  they  steal  in  a  most  ingenious  manner.  Should  it  be  hanging  up,  they  contriJ 
to  handle  it  carelessly  and  let  it  fall  on  the  ground,  and  then  they  begin  active  operationi 
Standing  near  the  coveted  article,  and  tiying  to  look  as  if  they  were  not  aware  of  iti 
existence,  they  quietly  scrape  a  hole  in  the  sand  with  one  of  their  feet,  push  the  object  ol 
their  desire  into  the  hole,  cover  it  up  again  with  sand,  and  smooth  the  surface  so  as  tcl 
leave  no  trace  that  the  ground  has  been  disturbed.  I 

They  steal  each  other's  goods,  whenever  they  can  find  an  opportunity,  but  they  arel 
only  too  glad  to  find  an  opportunity  of  exercising  their  art  on  a  white  man,  whose  pro.! 
perty  is  sure  to  be  worth  stealing.  A  traveller  in  their  country  has  therefore  a  hard  life,! 
for  he  knows  that  there  is  not  a  single  article  in  his  possession  which  will  not  vanish  ifl 
he  leaves  it  unguarded  for  a  few  minutes.  Indeed,  as  Mr.  Baines  well  observes,  there  isl 
not  an  honest  nerve  or  fibre  in  a  Bechuana's  body ;  from  the  root  of  his  tongue  to  the  tips! 
of  his  toes,  every  muscle  is  thoroughly  trained  in  the  art  of  thieving.  If  they  merely  sitl 
near  an  article  of  moderate  s.ze,  when  they  move  off  it  moves  off  with  them,  in  a  manneil 
that  no  wearer  of  trousers  can  conceive.  I 

Even  Mr.  Moffatt,  who  had  a  singular  capacity  for  discovering  good  qualities  vhicli| 
had  lain  latent  and  unsuspected,  writes  in  very  forcible  terms  respecting  the  utter  dis-l 
honesty  of  the  Bechuanas : —  I 

"  Some  nighu ,  or  rather  mornings,  we  had  to  record  thefts  committed  in  the  course  oil 
twenty-four  hours,  ia  our  houses,  our  smith-shop,  our  garden,  and  among  o  ir  cattle  inthel 
field.  These  they  have  more  than  once  driven  into  a  bog  or  mire,  at  a  late  hour  informing  I 
us  of  the  accident,  as  they  termed  it ;  and,  as  it  was  then  too  dark  to  render  assistance,! 
one  or  more  would  fall  a  prey  to  the  hyaenas  or  hungry  natives  One  night  they  entered  I 
our  cattle-fold,  killed  one  of  our  best  draught  oxen,  and  carried  the  whole  away,  except  I 
one  shoulder.  I 

"  We  were  compelled  to  use  much  meat,  from  the  great  scarcity  of  grain  and  vege-l 
tables;  our  sheep  we  had  to  purchase  at  a  distance,  and  very  thankful  might  yrn  be  if  I 
out  of  twenty  we  secured  the  largest  half  for  ourselves,    They  would  break  their  legs, cut 
off  their  tails,  and  more  frequently  carry  off  the  whole  carcase. 

"  Tools,  such  as  saws,  axes,  and  adzes,  were  losses  severely  felt,  as  we  could  not  at  tliat 
time  replace  them,  when  there  was  no  intercourse  whatever  with  the  colony.  Some  of  out 
tools  and  utensils  which  they  stole,  on  finding  the  metal  not  what  they  expected,  they 
would  bring  back  beaten  into  all  shapes,  and  offer  them  in  exchange  for  some  other  article 
of  value.  Knives  were  always  eagerly  coveted ;  our  metal  spoons  they  melted ;  and  when 
we  were  supplied  with  plated  iron  ones,  which  they  found  not  so  pliable,  they  supposed 
them  lewitched. 

"  V'jry  often,  when  employed  working  at  a  distance  from  the  house,  if  there  was  no 
one  in  whom  he  could  confide,  the  missionary  would  be  compelled  to  carry  them  all  to 
the  place  where  he  went  to  seek  a  draught  of  water,  well  knowing  that  if  they  were  left  | 
they  would  take  wings  before  he  could  return. 

"  The  following  ludicrous  circumstance  once  happened,  and  was  related  to  the  writer  I 
by  a  native  in  graphic  style.    Two  men  had  succeeded  in  stealing  an  iron  pot.    Having  ] 
just  taken  it  from  the  fire,  it  was  rather  warm  for  handing  conveniently  over  a  fence, 
by  doing  so  it  fell  on  a  stone,  and  was  cracked.    '  It  is  iron,'  said  they,  and  off  tliey  went 
with  their  booty,  resolving  to  make  the  best  of  it:  that  is,  if  it  would  not  serve  for  cooking, 
they  would  transform  it  into  knives  and  spears. 
.      "After  some  time  had  elapsed,  and  the  hue  and  cry  about  the  missing  pot  had  nearly 


DISREGARD  FOR  HUMAN  LIFE. 


317 


died  away,  it  was  brought  forth  to  a  native  smith,  who  had  laid  in  a  stock  of  charcoal  for 
Iaj  occasion.  The  pot  was  further  broken  to  make  it  more  convenient  to  lay  hold  of 
Ifith  the  tongs,  whiclr  are  generally  made  of  the  bark  .of  a  tree.    The  native  Vulcan,  unac- 

ihited  with  cast  iron,  having  with  his  small  bellows,  one  in  each  hand,  produced  a  good 

it,  drew  a  piece  from  the  fire.    To  his  utter  amazement,  it  flew  into  pieces  at  the  first 

J  of  his  little  hammer.    Another  and  another  piece  was  brought  urder  the  action  of 

like  fire,  and  then  under  the  hammer,  with  no  better  success.  Both  the  thief  and  the  smith, 
Icazing  with  eyes  and  mouth  dilated  on  the  fragments  of  iron  scattered  round  the  stone 
[J„vil°declared  their  belief  that  the  pot  was  bewitched,  and  concluded  pot-stealing  to  be 
I  a  bad  speculation." 

I  To  the  thieving  propensities  of  these  people  there  was  no  end.  They  would  peep 
{into  the  rude  hut  that  was  used  for  a  church,  in  order  to  see  who  was  preaching,  and  would 

I  go  off  to  the  preacher's  house,  and  rob  it  at  their  ease.  When  the  missionaries,  at 
I  the  expense  of  great  labour,  made  a  series  of  irrigating  canals,  for  the  purpose  of  watering 
I  their  gardens,  the  women  would  slily  cut  the  banks  of  the  channels,  and  divert  the  water. 
I  They  even  broke  down  the  dam  which  led  the  water  from  the  river,  merely  for  the  sake 
I  of  depriving  sorebody  of  something;  and  when,  in  spite  of  all  their  drawbacks,  some 
es  had  been  grown,  the  crops  were  stolen,  even  though  a  constant  watch  was  kept 
lover  them. 

Thgse  accomplished  thieves  have  even  hecr\  known  to  steal  meat  out  of  the  pot  in 
I  which  it  was  being  boiled,  having  also  the  insolence  to  substitute  a  stone  for  the  pilfered 
I  meat  One  traveller  found  that  all  his  followers  were  so  continually  robbed  by  the 
|5echuanas,that  at  last  he  ceased  from  endeavouring  to  discover  the  thieves,  and  threatened 
[  to  punish  any  man  who  allowed  an  article  to  be  stolen  from  him.  They  do  not 
I  even  spare  their  own  chief,  and  would  rob  him  with  as  little  compunction  as  if  he  were 
I  a  foreigner. 

Dr.  lichtenstein,  who  certainly  had  a  better  opinion  of  the  Bechuanas  than  they 
I  deserved,  was  once  cheated  by  them  in  a  very  ingenious  manner.  He  had  purchased  three 
I  ivory  rings  with  some  tobacco,  but  when  he  left  the  place  he  found  that  the  same  rir^?; 

1  been  sold  to  him  three  successive  times,  the  natives  behind  him  having  picked  his 
I  pocket  with  the  dexterity  of  a  London  thief,  and  then  passed  the  ring  to  their  companions 
I  to  be  again  offered  for  sale. 

Altogether,  the  character  of  the  Bechuanas  does  not  seem  to  be  an  agreeable  one,  and 
I  even  the  missionaries  who  have  gone  among  them,  and  naturally  are  inclined  to  look  on 
I  the  best  side  of  their  wild  flocks,  have  very  little  to  say  in  their  favour,  and  plenty  to  say 
[against  them.  They  seem  to  be  as  heartless  towards  the  infirm  and  aged  as  the  Nam  aquas, 

if  one  of  their  number  is  ill  or  wounded,  so  that  he  cannot  wait  upon  himself,  he  is 
[carried  outside  the  camp,  and  there  left  until  he  recovers  or  dies.  A  small  and  frail  hut 
is  built  for  him,  a  portion  of  food  is  given  to  him  daily,  and  in  the  evening  a  fire  is  made, 
and  fuel  placed  near  so  that  it  may  be  kept  up.  On  one  occasion  the  son  of  the  chief  was 
wounded  by  a  buffalo,  and,  according  to  ancient  custom,  was  taken  out  of  the  camp.  The 
lire  happened  to  go  out,  and  in  consequence  a  lion  came  and  carried  off  the  wounded  man 
I  in  the  night. 

It  was  once  thought  that  this  cruel  custom  arose  from  the  fear  of  infection,  but  this 
I  is  evidently  not  the  case,  as  persons  afflicted  with  infsctious  diseases  are  not  disturbed  as 
[long  as  they  can  help  themselves.     Superstition  may  probably  be  the  true  reason  for  it. 

They  have  but  little  regard  for  human  life,  especially  for  that  of  a  woman,  and  a 
husband  may  kill  his  wife  if  he  likes,  without  any  particular  notice  being  taken  of  it 
One  traveller  mentions  that  a  husband  became  angry  with  his  wife  about  some  trifling 
matter,  seized  his  assagai,  and  killed  her  on  the  spot.  The  body  was  dragged  out  by  the 
J  heels,  and  thrown  into  the  bush  to  be  devoured  by  the  hytenas,  and  there  was  an  end  of  the 
[whole  business.  The  traveller,  bemg  horrified  by  such  an  action,  laid  an  information 
before  the  chief,  and  was  only  laughed  at  for  his  pains,  the  chief  thinking  that  for  any 
one  to  be  shocked  at  so  ordinary  an  occurrence  was  a  very  good  joke. 

Still,  the  Bechuana  has  his  redeeming  qualities.  They  are  not  quarrelsome,  and 
Burchell  remarks  that,  during  all  the  time  which  he  spent  among  them,  he  never  saw  two 


318 


THE  BECHUANAa 


Lf  1 


h 


^M 

Hi 

ifw^aH 

* 

'i" 

li|L 

iiiij 

J 

men  openly  quarrelling,  nor  any  pnblic  breach  of  decorum.    They  are  perseventiff  and 
industiious  in  the  arts  of  peace,  and,  as  has  been  seen,  learn  to  work  in  iron  and  to°carv 
wood  with  a  skill  that  can  only  be  attained  by  long  and  careful  pructice.    They  a' 
more  attached  to  the  soil  than  many  of  the  neighbouring  tribes,  cultivating  it  caretui|!l 
and  in  this  art  far  surpassing  the  Kaffirs.     Their  houses,  too,  are  of  elaborate  coiistructionj 
and  built  with  a  care  and  solidity  which  show  that  the  inhabitants  are  not  nomads  bud 
residents  on  one  spot. 

The  government  of  the  Bechuanas  is  primarily  monarchical,  but  not  entirely  desnotkl 
The  king  has  his  »own  way  in  most  matters,  but  his  chiefs  can  always  exercise  a  checkl 
upon  him  by  summoning  a  parliament,  or  "  Picho,"  as  it  is  called.  I 

The  Picho  affords  a  truly  wild  and  picturesque  spectacle.  The  warriors  in  their  funl 
panoply  of  war,  seat  themselves  in  a  circle,  in  the  midst  of  which  is  the  chair  of  thekinfff 
The  various  speakers  take  their  turns  at  addressing  the  assembly,  and  speak  with  " 
greatest  freedom,  not  even  sparing  the  king  himself,  but  publicly  arraigning  him  for  i.„ 
shortcomings,  real  or  fancied,  and  sometimes  gaining  their  point.    As  to  the  king  himscil 


BECHUANA  PABUAMENT. 


he  generally  opens  the  parliament  with  a  few  sentences,  and  then  remains  silent  vntil  all 
the  speeches  have  been  delivered.  He  then  answers  those  that  have  been  made  against 
himself,  and  becomes  greatly  excited,  leaping  about  the  ring,  brandishing  his  spear  and 
shield,  and  lashing  himself  into  an  almost  frantic  state.  This  is  the  usual  procedure 
among  savages,  and  the  more  excited  that  a  man  becomes,  the  better  he  is  supposed  to  | 
speak  afterwards. 

An  extract  from  Mr.  Moffatt's  account  of  a  Picho  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the  pro- 1 
ceedings : — 

"  Although  the  whole  exhibits  a  very  grotesque  scene,  business  is  carried  on  with  tie  I 
most  perfect  order.  There  is  but  little  cheering,  and  still  less  hissing,  while  every  speaker 
fearlessly  states  his  own  sentiments.  The  audience  is  seated  on  the  giound  (as  represented 
in  the  accompanying  sketqh),  each  man  having  before  him  his  shield,  to  which  is  attached 
a  number  of  spears.  A  quiver  containing  poisoned  arrows  is  hung  from  the  shoulder, 
and  a  battle-axe  is  held  in  the  right  hand.    Many  were  adorned  with  tiger-skins  and  tails, 


MR  MOFFATTS  ACCOUNT  OF  A  DEBATE. 


319 


I  J  ),jyj  plumes  of  feathers  waving  on  their  heads.    In  the  centre  a  sufficient  space  was 
for  the  privileged — those  who  had  killed  an  enemy  in  battle — to  dance  and  sing,  in 
„icb  tliey  exhibited  the  most  violent  and  fantastic  gestures  conceivable,  which  drew 
Iforth  from  the  spectators  the  most  clamorous  applause. 

]  « When  they  retire  to  their  seats,  the  speaker  commences  by  commanding  silenca 
•Be  silent,  ye  Batlapis,  be  silent,  ye  Barolongs,'  addressing  each  tribe  distinctly,  not  ex- 
Jeepting  the  white  people,  if  any  happen  to  be  present,  and  to  which  each  responds  with 
It  groan.  He  then  takes  from  his  shield  a  spear,  and  points  it  in  the  direction  in  which 
Le  enemy  is  advancing,  imprfecatkig  a  curse  upon  ^'  ^,  and  thus  declaring  war  by  re- 
Ittatedly  thrusting  his  spear  in  that  direction,  as  u  plimging  it  inta  an  enemy.  This 
Imeivea  a  loud  whistling  sound  of  applause.  He  next  directs  his  spear  towards  the 
iBashman  country,  south  and  south-west,  imjaecating  also  a  curse  on  those  '  ox-eaters,'  as 
ey  818  called. 

"The  king,  on  this,  as  on  all  similar  occasions,  introduced  the  businf^ss  of  the  day  by 
J'Ye  sons  of  Molchabanque ' — ^viewing  all  the  influential  men  present  as  the  friends  or 
Itllies  of  his  kingdom,  which  rose  to  more  than  its  former  eminence  under  the  reign  of 
Ithat  monarch,  his  father — '  the  Mantatees  are  a  strong  and  victorious  people ;  they  have 
loverwhelraed  many  nations,  and  they  are  approaching  to  destroy  us.  We  have  been 
Lpprised  of  their  manners,  their  deeds,  their  weapons,  and  their  intentions.  We  cannot 
Istand  against  the  Mantatees  ;  we  must  now  concert,  conclude,  and  be  determined  to  stand. 
iTIie  case  is  a  great  one.  ... 

I  '"I  now  wait  to  hear  what  the  general  opinion  is.  Let  everyone  speak  his  mind, 
Lnd  then  I  shall  speak  again.'  Mothibi  manoeuvred  his  spear  as  at  the  commence- 
Iment,  and  then  pointing  it  towards  heaven,  the  audience  shouted. '  Pula '  (rain),  on  which 
Ihe  sat  down  amidst  a  din  of  applause.  Between  each  speaker  a  part  or  verse  of  a 
Iwarsong  is  sung,  the  same  antics  are  then  performed,  and  again  xmiversal  silence  is 
Icoinraanded.  .  .  . 

"When  several  speakers  had  delivered  their  sentiments,  chiefly  exhorting  to 
lunanimity  and  courage,  Mothibi  resumed  his  central  position,  and  after  the  usual  gesti- 
Iciilations,  commanded  silence.  Having  noticed  some  remarks  of  the  preceding  speakers, 
iLe  added :  '  It  is  evident  that  the  best  plan  is  to  proceed  against  the  enemy,  that  they 
jcome  no  nearer.  Let  not  our  towns  be  the  seat  of  war ;  let  not  our  houses  be  the  scenes 
lof  bloodshed  and  destruction.  No  !  let  the  blood  of  the  enemy  be  spilt  at  a  distance  from 
jour  wives  and  children.'  Turning  to  the  aged  chief,  he  said :  '  I  hear  you,  my  father ;  I 
luBderstand  you,  my  father ;  your  words  are  true,  they  are  good  for  the  ear ;  it  is  good 
Ithat  we  be  instructed  by  the  Makooas ;  I  wish  those  evil  who  will  not  obey;  I  wish  that 
I  they  may  be  broken  in  pieces.' 

"Then  addressing  the  warriors, '  There  are  many  of  you  who  do  not  deserve  to  eat 
t  of  a  bowl,  but  only  out  of  a  broken  pot ;  think  on  what  has  been  said,  and  obey 
[without  murmuring.  I  command  you,  ye  chiefs  of  the  Batlapis,  Batlares,  Bamairis, 
J  Barolongs,  and  Bakotus,  that  you  acquaint  all  your  tribes  of  the  proceedings  of  this  day; 
I  let  none  be  ignorant ;  I  say  again,  ye  warriors,  prepare  for  the  battle ;  let  your  shields  be 
Istrong,  your  quivers  full  of  arrows,  and  your  battle-axes  as  sharp  as  hunger.'  '  Be  silent, 
lye  kidney-eaters'  (addi-essing  the  old  men),  *ye  are  of  no  farther  use  but  to  hang  about 
I  for  kidneys  when  an  ox  is  slaughtered.  If  your  oxen  are  taken,  where  will  you  get  any 
more?'  Turning  to  the  women,  he  said, '  Prevent  not  the  warrior  from  going  out  to  battle 
I  by  your  cunning  insinuations.  No,  rouse  the  warrior  to  glory,  and  he  will  return  with 
J  honourable  scars,  fresh  marks  of  valour  will  cover  his  thighs,  and  we  shall  then  renew 
[the  war  song  and  dance,  and  relate  the  story  of  our  conquest.'  At  the  conclusion  of  this 
[speech  the  air  was  rent  with  acclamations,  the  whole  assembly  occasionally  joining  in  the 
J  dance;  the  women  frequently  taking  the  weapons  from  the  hands  of  the  men  and 
[brandishing  them  in  the  most  violent  manner,  people  of  all  ages  using  the  most 
[extravagant  and  fmntie  gestures  for  nearly  two  hours  " 

In  explanation  of  the  strange  word,  "  kidney-eaters,"  the  reader  must  be  made  aware 
that  kidneys  are  eaten  only  by  the  old  of  both  sexes.  Young  people  will  not  taste  them 
on  any  account,  from  the  superstitious  idea  that  they  can  ^have  no  children  if  they  do  so. 


,4 


*}i 


'  UP 


?'•  f 


I;  !»-' 


I  1;' 

I) 


320 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


-•p~ 


w 


f; 

:         i 

1'' 

P 

it        ■ 

m"t 

'^h:;  ; 

Ijrt 

JiB^^i- 

The  word  of  applause,  "  pula,"  or  rain,  is  used  metaphorically  to  signify  that  the  word* 
the  speaker  are  to  the  hearers  like  rain  on  a  thirsty  soil.  ' 

In  the  last  few  lines  of  the  king's  speech,  mention  is  made  of  the  "  honourable 
upon  the  thighs."     He  is  here  alluding  to  a  curious  practice  among  the  Bechuanas. 

After  a  battle,  those  who  have  killed  an  enemy  assemble  by  night,  and,  after  exhibjtiu 
the  trophies  of  their  prowess,  each  goes  to  the  prophet  or  priest,  who  takes  a  sharp  i 
and  makes  a  long  cut  from  the  hip  to  the  knee.    One  of  these  cuts  is  made  for  end 
enemy  that  has  been  slain,  and  some  distinguished  warriors  have  their  legs  absolute^ 
striped  with  scars.    As  the  wound  is  a  tolerably  deep  one,  and  as  ashes  are  plentifuliJ 
rubbed  into  it,  the  scar  remains  for  life,  and  is  more  conspicuous  than  it  would  be  in  j 
European,  leaving  a  white  track  upon  the  dark  skin. 

In  spite  of  the  severity  of  the  wound,  all  the  successful  warriors  join  in  a  danct 
which  is  kept  up  all  night,  and  only  terminates  at  sunrise.  No  one  is  allowed  to  mak] 
the  cut  for  himself,  and  any  one  who  did  so  would  at  once  be  detected  by  the  jealoui 
eyes  of  his  companions.  Moreover,  in  order  to  substantiate  his  claim,  each  warrior  k, 
obliged  to  produce  his  trophy — a  small  piece  of  flesh  with  the  skin  attached,  cut  frotJ 
the  body  of  his  foe.  I 

When  the  ceremony  of  investiture  with  the  Order  of  the  Scar  takes  place,  a  laige  fin) 
is  made,  and  around  it  is  built  a  low  fence,  inside  which  no  one  may  pass  except  thJ 
priest  and  those  who  can  show  a  trophy.  On  the  outside  of  the  fence  are  congregated! 
the  women  and  all  the  men  who  have  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  distinguish  then.! 
reives.  One  by  one  the  warriors  advance  to  the  priest,  show  the  trophy,  have  it  approved! 
and  then  take  their  place  round  the  fire.  Each  man  then  lays  the  trophy  on  the  glovlnir! 
coals,  and,  when  it  is  thoroughly  roasted,  eats  it  This  custom  arises  from  a  notion  that| 
the  courage  of  the  slain  warrior  then  passes  into  the  body  of  the  man  who  killed  Lin,} 
and  aids  also  in  making  him  invulnerable.  I 

The  Bechuanas  do  not  like  this  custom,  but,  on  the  contrary,  view  it  with  nearly  aal 
much  abhorrence  as  Europeans  can  du,  only  yielding  to  it  from  a  desire  not  to  controvertl 
the  ancient  custom  of  their  nation.  I 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  this  ceremony  incites  the  warriors,  both  old  and  yonne  I 
to  distinguish  themselves  in  battle,  in  order  that  they  may  have  the  right  of  entering  I 
the  sacred  fence,  and  bis  publicly  invested  with  the  honourable  scar  of  valour.  On  one! 
such  occasion,  a  man  who  was  well  known  for  his  courage  could  not  succeed  in  kiilinol 
any  of  the  enemy,  because  their  njumbers  were  so  comparatively  small  that  all  had  been  I 
killed  before  he  could  reach  them.  I 

At  night  he  was  almost  beside  himself  with  anger  and  mortification,  tlnd  positively  I 
wept  with  rage  at  being  excluded  from  the  sacred  enclosure.  At  last  he  sprang 
away  from  the  place,  ran  at  full  speed  to  his  house,  killed  one  of  his  own  servauts, 
and  returned  to  the  spot,  bringing  with  him  the  requisite  passport  of  admittance,  k 
this  act  hQ  was  held  to  be  perfectly  justified,  because  the  slain  man  was  a  captive  takes 
in  war,  and  therefore,  according  to  Bechuanan  ideas,  his  life  belonged  to  his  master,  and  | 
could  be  taken  whenever  it  might  be  more  useful  to  him  than  the  living  slave. 

In  war,  the  Bechuanas  are  but  cruel  enemies,  killing  the  wounded  without  mercy, : 
even  butchering  the  inoffensive  women  and  children.     The  desire  to  possess  the  coveted  I 
trophy  of  success  is  probably  the  cause  of  their  ruthlessness.     In  some  divisions  of  the 
Bechuana  tribes,  such  as  the  Bachapins,  the  successful  warriors  do  not  eat  the  tropliy, 
but  dry  it  and  hang  it  round  their  necks,  eating  instead  a  portion  of  the  liver  ot  tlie 
slain  man.    In  all  cases,  however,  it  seems  that  some  part  of  the  enemy  has  to  be  I 
eaten. 

The  weapons  used  in  war  are  not  at  all  like  those  which  are  employed  by  the  Kaffin  I 
The  Bechuanan  shield  is  much  smaller  than  that  of  the  Kaffirs,  and  on  each  side  a 
semicircular  piece  of  leather  is  cut  out.  The  reader  may  remember  that  in  the  Kaffir 
sliield,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  illustration  page  111,  there  is  a  slight  depression  on  each 
side.  In  the  Bechuanan  shield,  however,  tms  depression  is  scooped  out  so  deeply  that  the 
shield  is  almost  like  an  hour-glass  in  shape. 

The  assagai,  which  has  already  been  described,  is  not  intended  to  be  used  as  a  missile, 


-Hi 


BATTLE.i\XEa 


821 


Itnit  as  a  weapon  for  hand-to-hand  comliut.  Indeed,  the  amonnt  of  labour  which  is 
Itotowed  upon  it  renders  it  too  valuable  to  be  flung  at  an  enemy,  who  might  avoid  the 
\%fli  and  then  seize  the  spear  and  keep  it 

I  The  Bechuanas  have  one  weapon  which  is  very  effective  at  close  quarters.  This  is 
I  the  battle-axe,  several  examples  of  which  are  given  in  the  accompanying  illustration. 
I  Various  as  are  the  shapes  of  the  heads,  the  reader  will  see  that  they  are  all  made  on  one 
iDrinciple.  and  that,  in  fact,  an  nxe  is  nothing  more  than  an  enlai^ed  spear-head  fixed 
ILnsvoTsely  on  the  handle.  The  ordinary  battle-axes  have  their  heads  fastened  to 
IrooJea  handles,  but  the  best  examples  have  the  handles  made  of  rhinoceros  horn. 
I  A  remarkably  fine  specimen  of  these  battle-axes  is  now  before  me.  It  is  simply  a 
Iknob-kerry  made  of  rhinoceros  horn,  through  the  knob  of  which  the  shank  of  the  head 
||ig3  been  passed.  The  object  of  this  construction  is  twofold.  In  the  first  place,  the 
liicTeased  thickness  of  the  handle  prevents,  in  a  great  measure,  the  liability  to  split  when 
li  severe  bluw  is  struck ;  and  secondly,  the  increased  weight  adds  force  to  the  stroke. 
lib  some  of  these  axes  the  knob  at  the  end  of  the  handle  seems  disproportionately  laif;e. 
iTbe  axe  is  carried,  together  with  the  shield,  in  the  left  hand,  while  the  right  is  at  liberty 
Itohold  the  assagai  But,  if  the  warrior  is  driven  to  close  quarters,  or  if  his  spear  should 
Ibe  broken,  he  snatches  the  axe  from  the  shield,  and  is  then  armed  anew. 


.■  ■  ■  i  ■ 


r  'M 


m 


TOLl 


i.JmMcluppingwetidi  t,S,4.  BMU am. 
Y 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


BEOHUANAS— ConcZiwfei. 


BBLIOIOlf  AWD  BirPFRSTinOW — A  KATIVB   CONJUBOB,   AND  HIS    BFTCTEBmr— CTTBINO  A  BTCK  IfAR—  j 
THR  UAOIO  DICK — AHVLBTB — SPARTAN  PRACTICES — THE  QIRl/s  ORDEAL — A  HINOUI.AB  PniVILEOI 

FOOD    or     THR    BR0HUANA8 — THR     MILK -BAG — MUSIC     AND     DANCING THR    BEKD     Pipg,   OB 

LICHAKA — THE   BRCHDANAN   DANOB — BEMARKABLB   CAP   WOBN   BY   TUB  PSBF0BUEU8— THK  81'B- 

anruTB  for  a   ba..ui£ebchibf — arcuitectubb   of   thk   bkchuanas,   and   its  ELABOBATI 

OHABACTEB — CONSTRUCTION    OF    THK    ROUSBS — CONCENTBIO    MODE    OF   BUILDING — MB.  BAINI8I 
^ISIT  TO  ▲  BBOHUANA  OHIBF — BURIAL   OF  THB  DEAD,  AND  ATTENDANT  OSBSMONIES. 


Op  religion  the  Eechuanas  know  nothing,  though  they  have  plenty  of  superstition,  and  are 
as  utter  slaves  to  their  witch-doctors  as  can  well  be  conceived.  The  life  of  one  of  these 
personages  is  full  of  danger.  He  practises  his  arts  with  the  full  knowledge  that  if  he 
should  foil  death  is  nearly  certain  to  be  the  result.  Indeed,  it  is  very  seldom  that  a 
witch-doctor,  especially  if  he  should  happen  to  be  also  a  rain-maker,  dies  a  natural  death, 
he  generally  falling  a  victim  to  the  clubs  of  his  quondam  followers. 

These  men  evidently  practise  the  art  of  conjuring,  as  we  understand  the  word,  and 
they  can  perform  their  tricks  with  gi'eat  dexterity.  One  of  these  men  exhibited  several 
of  his  performances  to  Mr.  Baines,  and  displayed  no  small  ingenuity  in  the  magic  art. 

Uis  first  trick  was  to  empty,  or  to  appear  to  empty,  a  skin-bag  and  an  old  hat,  and 
then  to  shako  the  bag  over  the  hat,  when  a  piece  of  meat  or  hide  fell  from  the  formet 
into  the  latter.  Another  performance  was  to  tie  up  a  bead  necklace  in  a  wisp  of  grass, 
and  hand  it  to  one  of  the  white  spectators  to  bum.  He  then  passed  the  bag  to  the  most 
incredulous  of  the  spectators,  allowed  him  to  feel  it  and  prove  that  it  was  empty,  while 
the  hat  was  being  examined  by  Mr.  Baines  and  a  friend.  Calling  out  to  the  holder  of 
the  bag,  he  pretended  to  throw  something  through  the  air,  and,  when  the  bag  was  duly 
shaken,  out  fell  the  beads  into  the  hat. 

Tliis  was  really  a  ciever  trick,  and,  though  any  of  my  readers  who  have  some  practical 
;acquaintanoe  vrith  the  art  of  legerdemain  can  see  how  it  was  done,  it  is  not  a  little 
surprising  to  see  such  dexterity  possessed  by  a  savage.  The  success  of  this  trick  vns 
the  more  remarkable  because  the  holder  of  the  bag  had  rather  unfairly  tried  to  baulk  the 
performer. 

On  a  subsequent  occasion,  however,  the  conjuror  attempted  the  same  triclc,  varying  it 
by  requesting  that  the  beads  should  be  broken  instead  of  burned.  The  holder  of  the 
beads  took  the  precaution  of  marking  them  with  ink  before  breaking  them,  and  in 
consequence  all  the  drumming  of  the  conjuror  could  not  reproduce  them  until  after  dark, 
when  another  string  of  beads,  precisely  similar  in  appearance,  was  found  under  the 
wagon.  Being  pressed  on  the  subject,  the  conjuror  admitted  that  they  were  not  the  same 
beads,  but  said  that  they  had  been  sent  supernaturally  to  replace  those  which  bad  been 
broken. 


MAGIC  DICE 


The  same  operator  was  tolerably  clever  at  tricks  with  cord,  but  had  to  eonfesa  that  a 
nautical  education  conferred  advantages  in  that  respect  to  which  his  supernatural  powers 
wf>re  oblii,'(^d  tu  yield.  He  once  invited  Mr.  Baines  to  see  hitn  exhibit  his  skill  in  the 
eveniu''.  "  A  circle  of  girls  and  women  now  surrounded  the  wizard,  and  commenced  a 
pleasing  hut  monotonous  chant,  clapping  their  hands  in  unison,  while  he,  seated  alternately 
on  a  carved  stool  and  on  a  slender  piece  of  reed  covered  with  a  skin  to  prevent  its 
hurting  him,  kept  time  for  the  hand-clapping,  and  seemed  trying  to  work  himself  up  to 
the  required  state  of  inspiration,  till  his  whole  flesh  quivered  like  that  of  a  person  iu 

the  ague. 

"  A  few  preparatory  anointings  of  the  joints  of  all  his  limbs,  his  breast  and  forehead, 
03  well  as  uf  those  of  his  choristers,  followed ;  shrill  whistlings  were  interchanged 
with  spasmodic  gestures,  and  now  I  found  that  the  exhibition  of  the  evening  was  a  bond 
fjk  medical  operation  on  the  pereon  of  a  man  who  lay  covered  with  skin  t  outside  of  the 
circle.  The  posterior  portion  of  the  thigh  was  chosen  for  scarification,  but,  as  the  fire 
mve  no  light  in  that  direction,  and  the  doctor  and  the  relatives  seemed  not  to  like  my 
touching  the  patient,  I  did  not  ascertain  how  deep  the  incisions  were  made.  Most 
probably,  from  the  scara  I  have  seen  of  former  operations  of  the  kind,  they  were  merely 
deep  enough  to  draw  blood. 

"The  singing  and  hand-clapping  now  grew  more  vehement,  the  doctor  threw  himself 
upon  the  patient,  perhaps  sucked  the  wound,  at  all  events  pretended  to  inhale  the  disease. 
Strong  convulsions  seized  him,  and,  as  he  was  a  man  of  powerful  frame,  it  required  no 
little  strength  to  hold  him.  At  length,  with  upturned  eyes  and  face  exp-it:.:sive  of  suffoca- 
tion, he  seized  his  knife,  and  thrusting  it  into  his  mouth,  took  out  a  large  piece  apparently 
nf  hide  or  flesh,  which  his  admiring  audience  supposed  him  to  have  previously  drawn 
from  the  body  of  the  patient,  thus  removing  the  cause  of  the  disease." 

Sometimes  the  Bechuana  doctor  uses  a  sort  of  dice,  if  such  a  term  may  be  Uocd  when 
speaking  of  objects  totally  unlike  the  dice  which  are  used  in  this  country,     in  form  they 
are  pyramidal,  and  ure  cut  from  the 
cloven  hoof  of  a  small  antelope. 

These  articles  do  not  look  very  vabi- 
a))le,  but  they  are  held  in  the  highest 
estimation,  inasmuch  as  very  few  know 
how  to  prepare  them,  and  they  are 
handed  down  from  father  to  son  through 
successive  generations.  The  older  they 
are,  the  more  powerful  are  they  sup- 
posed to  be,  and  a  man  who  is  for- 
tunate enough  to  possess  them  can 
scarcely  be  induced  to  part  with  them. 
Those  which  are  depicted  in  the  illus- 
tration are  taken  from  specimens  that 

were,  after  a  vast  amount  of  bargaining,  purchased  by  Dr.  lichtenstein,  at  the  price  of  an 
IX  for  each  die. 

These  magic  dice  are  used  when  the  proprietor  wishes  to  know  the  result  of  some 
undertaking.  He  smooths  a  piece  of  ground  with  his  hand,  holds  the  die  between  his 
fingers,  moves  his  hands  up  and  down  several  times,  and  then  allows  them  to  fall.  He 
then  scans  them  carefully,  and  judges  from  their  position  what  they  foretell  The  reader 
may  remember  the  in.stance  where  a  Kaffir  prophet  used  the  magic  necklace  for  the  samo 
purpose,  and  in  a  similar  manner.  The  characters  or  figures  described  on  the  surface  have 
evidently  some  meaning,  but  what  their  signification  was  the  former  possessor  either 
did  not  know,  or  did  not  choose  to  communicate. 

The  children,  when  they  first  begin  to  trouble  themselves  and  their  parents  by  the 
process  of  teething,  are  often  furnished  with  a  kind  of  amulet,  which  is  shown  in  the 
illustration  on  page  324.  It  is  made  of  a  large  African  beetle,  called  scientifically, 
Brachycerus  apienis.  A  number  of  them  are  killed,  dried,  and  then  strung  ou  leathern 
thongs,  so  as  to  be  worn  round  the  neck.    These  objects  have  been  mistaken  for  whistles. 

y2 


MAGIC  DIOB. 


324 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


'It    { 


m 

\m ' 


m" 


m 


I7.'  if' 


i-lf:':;; 


fS;T    11 


The  Bechuanas  have  great  faith  in  their  powers  when  used  for  teething;  and  think  that 
they  are  efficacious  in  preventing  various  infantine  disorders. 

Like  the  Kaffirs,  the  Bechuanas  make  use  of  certain  religious  ceremonies  before,  thev 
go  to  war.  One  of  these  rites  consists  in  laying  a  charm  on  the  cattle,  so  that  they  shall 
not  be  seized  by  the  enemy.  The  oxen  are^  biought  singly  to  the  priest,  if  we  may  so 
",all  him,  who  is  furnished  with  a  pot  of  black  paint,  and  a  jackal's  tail  by  way  of  a  brush 
With  this  primitive  brush  he  makes  a  certain  mark  upon  the  hind  leg  of  the  animal 
while  at  the  same  time,  an  assistant,  who  kneels  belund  him,  repeats  the  mark  in 
miniature  upon  his  back  or  arms.  , 

To  this  ceremony  they  attribute  great  value ;  and,  as  war  is  almost  invariably  made 
for  the  sake  of  cattle,  the  Bechuanas  may  well  be  excused  for  employing  any  rite  which 
they  fancy  will  protect  such  valued  possessions. 

Among  one  branch  of  the  Bechuana  tribe,  a  veiy 
remarkable  ceremony  is  observed  when  the  boys  seek 
to  be  admitted  into  the  rank  of  men.  The  details 
are  kept  very  secret,  but  a  few  of  the  particulars  have 
been  discovered.  Dr.  Livingstone,  for  example,  hap. 
pened  once  to  witness  the  second  stage  of  the  ccTe< 
monies,  which  last  for  a  considerable  time. 

A  number  of  boys,  about  fourteen  years  of  age, 
without  a  vestige  of  clothing,  stood  in  a  row,  and 
opposite  those  was  an  equal  number  of  men,  each 
having  in  his  hand  a  long  switch  cut  from  a  bush  )be- 
longing  to  the  genus  Grewia,  and  called  in  the  native 
language  moretloa.  The  twigs  of  this  bush  are  very 
strong,  tough,  and  supple.  Both  the  men  and  boys 
were  engaged  in  an  odd  kind  of  dance,  called  "  koha," 
which  the  men  evidently  enjoyed,  and  the  boys  had 
to  look  as  if  they  enjoyed  it  too.  Each  boy  was 
furnished  with  a  pair  of  the  ordinary  hide  sandals, 
which  he  wore  on  his  hands  instead  of  his  feet. 

At  stated  intervals,  the  men  put  certain  questions 
to  the  boys,  respecting  their  future  life  when  admitted 
into  the  society  of  men.    For  example : 

"  Will  you  herd  the  cattle  well  ? "  asks  the  man. 
"  I  will,"  answers  the  boy,  at  the  same  time  lifting 
his  sandalled  hands  over  his  head. 

The  man  then  leaps  forward,  and  with  his  full  force 
strikes  at  the  boy's  head.  The  blow  is  received  on 
the  uplifted  sandals,  but  the  elasticity  of  the  long 
switch  causes  it  to  curl  over  the  boy's  head  with  such 
force  that  a  deep  gash  is  made  in  his  back,  some 
twelve  or  eighteen  inches  in  length,  from  which  the  blood  spirts  as  if  it  were  made  with 
a  knife. 

Ever  afterwards,  the  lesson  that  he  is  to  guard  the  cattle  is  supposed  to  be  iudeiibly 
impressed  on  the  boy's  mind. 

Then  comes  another  question,  "  Will  you  guard  the  chief  well  ? " 
"  I  will,"  replies  the  boy,  and  another  stroke  impresses  that  lesson  on  the  boy's  mind. 
And  thus  they  proceed,  untU  the  whole  series  of  questions  has  been  asked  and  properly 
answered.  The  worst  part  of  the  proceeding  is,  that  the  boys  are  obliged,  under  penalty 
of  rejection,  to  continue  their  dance,  to  look  pleased  and  happy,  and  not  to  wince  at  the 
terrible  strokes  which  cover  their  bodies  with  blood,  and  seam  their  backs  with  scars  that 
last  throughout  their  lifetime. 

Painful  as  this  ordeal  must  be,  the  reader  must  not  think  that  it  is  nearly  so  formid- 
able to  the  Bechuanas  as  it  would  be  to  Europeans.  In  the  first  place,  the  nervous 
system  of  an  European  is  £Eff  more  sensitive  than  that  of  South  African  natives,  and 


AMULETS  FOR  CHILDRBN. 


SPARTAN  PRACTICES. 


926 


injuries  vhich  would  lay  him  prostrate  have  but  little  effect  upon  them.  Moreover, 
4eir  skin,  from  constant  exposure  to  the  elements,  is  singularly  insensible,  so  that  the 
gtripes  do  not  inflict  a  tenth  part  of  the  pain  that  they  \rould  if  sufiered  by  an 


Only  the  older  men  are  allowed  to  take  part  in  this  mode  of  instruction  of  the  boys, 
ind  if  any  man  should  attempt  it  who  is  not  qualified,  he  is  unpleasantly  reminded  of 
his  presumption  by  receiving  on  his  own  back  the  stripes  which  he  intended  to  inflict  on 
tiie  boys,  the  old  men  being  in  such  a  case  simultaneously  judges  and  executioners.    No 


■Af} 


i 


SPARTAN  PRACTICES. 

elevation  of  rank  will  allow  a  man  to  thus  transgress  with  impunity,  and  on  one  occasion, 
Sekomi  himself,  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  received  a  severe  blow  on  the  leg  fiom  one  of  his 
own  people. 

This  kind  of  ordeal,  called  the  Sechu,  is  only  practised  among  three  tribes,  one  of 
which  is  the  Bamangwato,  of  which  Sekomi  was  the  chief. 

The  reader  will  probably  see  that  the  ceremony  is  rather  of  a  civil  than  a  religious 
character.  The  other  stage  of  the  rite,  which  is  called  by  the  general  name  of  Boguera, 
is  also  of  a  secular  character. 

It  takes  place  every  six  or  seven  years,  so  that  a  large  number  of  boys  are  collected. 
These  are  divided  into  bands,  each  of  which  is  under  the  command  of  one  of  the  sons  of 
the  chief,  and  each  member  is  supposed  to  be  a 'companion  of  his  leader  for  life.  They 
are  taken  into  the  woods  by  the  old  men,  where  they  reside  fpr  some  time,  and  where,  to 
judge  from  their  scarred  and  seamed  backs,  their  residence  does  not  appear  to  be  of  the 
most  agreeable  description.  When  they  have  passed  through  the  different  stages  of  the 
Ixiguera,  each  band  becomes  a  regiment  or  "  mopato,"  and  goes  by  its  own  name. 


r      1 
>     4 


■  MS 


a26 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


mi:- 


According  to  Dr.  Livingstone,  "they  recoftnise  a  sort  of  equality  and  partial  com. 
munion  atterwards,  and  address  each  other  by  the  name  of  Molekane,  or  comrade.  In 
cases  of  offence  against  their  rules,  as  eating  alone  when  any  of  their  comrades  are  within 
call,  or  in  cases  of  dereliction  of  duty,  they  may  strike  one  another,  or  any  member  of  at 
vouiiger  mopato,  but  never  one  of  an  older  band ;  and  when  three  or  four  companiej 
have  been  made,  the  oldest  no  longer  takes  the  field  in  time  of  war,  but  remains  asa 
guard  over  the  women  and  children.  When  a  fugitive  comes  to  a  tribe,  he  is  directed  to 
the  mopato  analogous  to  that  to  which  in  his  own  tribe  he  belongs,  and  does  duty  at 
a  member."  *     ' 


1^ 


THB  OIBLSr  OBDBAIfc 

The  girls  have  to  pass  an  ordeal  of  a  somewhat  similar  character  befoi-e  they  an 
admitted  among  the  women,  and  can  hope  to  attain  the  summit  of  an  African  girl's 
hopes,  namely,  to  be  married.  If  possible,  the  details  of  the  ceremony  are  kept  even 
more  strictly  secret  than  is  the  .case  with  the  boys,  but  a  part  of  it  necessarily  takes  place 
in  public,  and  is  therefore  well  known. 

The  girls  are  commanded  by  an  old  and  experienced  woman,  always  a  stem  and 
determined  personage,  who  carries  them  off  into  the  woods,  and  there  instructs  them  in 
all  the  many  arts  which  they  will  have  to  practise  when  married.  Clad  in  a  strange 
costume,  composed  of  ropes  made  of  melon-seeds  and  bits  of  quill,  the  ropes  being  passed 
over  both  shoulders  and  across  their  bodies  in  a  figure-of-eight  position,  they  ai-e  drilled 
into  walking  with  lai^e  pots  of  water  on  their  heads.  Wells  are  purposely  chosen  which 
are  at  a  considerable  distance,  in  order  to  inure  the  girls  to  fatigue,  and  the  monitress 
always  chooses  the  most  inclement  days  for  sending  them  to  the  greatest  distance. 

They  have  to  carry  heavy  Ijads  of  wood,  to  handle  agricultural  tools,  to  build  houses, 
and,  in  fact,  to  practise  before  marriage  those  tasks  which  are  sure  to  fall  to  their  lot 


MILK-BAG& 


827 


((tenrardfl.  Capability  of  enduring  pain  is  also  insisted  upon,  and  the  nonitress  tetits 
their  powers  by  scorching  their  arms  with  burning  charcoal  Of  course,  aU  these  severe 
labours  require  that  the  hands  should  be  hard  and  homy,  and  accordingly,  the  last  test 
irhich  the  girls  have  to  endure  is  holding  in  the  hand  for  a  certain  time  a  piece  of 


hot  iron. 


Bough  and  rude  as  this  school  of  instruction  may  be,  its  purport  is  judicious  enough ; 
isasiauch  as  when  the  girls  are  married,  and  enter  upon  their  new  duties,  they  do  so  with 
a  fall  and  practical  knowledge  of  them,  and  so  escape  the  punishment  which  they  would 
issoredly  receive  if  they  were  to  fail  in  their  tasks.    The  name  of  the  ceremony  is  called 


Daring  the  time  that  it  lasts,  the  girls  enjoy  several  privileges,  one  of  which  is  highly 
prized.  If  a  boy  who  has  not  passed  through  his  ordeal  should  come  in  their  way, 
he  is  at  once  pounced  upon,  and  held  down  by  some,  while  others  bring  a  supply  of  thorn- 


h   'IS 

j 


?'■  r  ■;: ' 


DANCINO-CAP  AND  MILK-BAO. 


branches,  and  beat  him  severely  with  this  unpleasant  rod.  Should  they  be  in  sufficient 
numbers,  they  are  not  very  particular  whether  the  trespasser  be  protected  by  the  boguera 
or  not;  and  instances  have  been  known  when  they  have  captured  adult  men,  and  dis- 
ciplined them  so  severely  that  they  bore  the  scars  ever  afterwards. 

In  their  feeding  they  are  not  particularly  cleanly,  turning  meat  about  on  the  fire  with 
their  lingers,  and  then  rubbing  their  hands  on  their  bodies,  for  the  sake  of  the  fat  which 
adiieres  to  them.  Boiling,  however,  is  the  usual  mode  of  cooking ;  and  when  eating  it, 
they  place  a  lump  of  meat  in  the  mouth,  seize  it  with  the  teeth,  hold  it  in  the  left  hand  so 
as  to  stretch  it  as  far  as  possible,  and  then,  with  a  neat  upward  stroke  of  a  knife  or  spear- 
head, cut  off  the  required  morsel.  This  odd  mode  of  eating  meat  may  be  found  among 
the  Abyssinians  and  the  Esquimaux,  and  in  each  case  it  is  a  marvel  how  the  men  avoid 
catting  off  their  noses. 

Here  is  a  representation  of  one  of  the  milk-bags.  It  is  made  from  the  skin  of  some 
large  animal,  such  as  an  ox  or  a  zebra,  and  is  rather  more  than  two  feet  in  length,  and 
one  m  v/idth.  It  is  formed  from  a  tough  piece  of  hide,  which  is  cut  to  the  proper  shape, 
and  then  turned  over  and  sewn,  as  shown  in  the  illustration ;  the  seams  being  particularly 
firm  and  strong.  The  hide  of  the  quagga  is  said  to  be  the  best,  as  it  gives  to  the  milk  a 
peculiar  flavour,  which  is  admired  by  the  natives.  The  skin  is  taken  from  the  back  of  the 
animal,  that  being  the  strongest  part.  It  is  first  stretched  on  the  ground  with  wooden 
pegs,  and  the  hair  scraped  off  with  an  adze.  It  is  then  cut  to  the  proper  shape,  and 
soaked  in  water  until  soft  enough  to  be  worked    Even  with  care,  these  bags  are  rather 


-t-1.3^ 


Z2f 


THE  BECHUANAa 


perishable  articles ;  and  when  tused  for  water,  they  do  not  last  so  long  as  when  fher  aiel 
employed  for  milk.  I 

A  rather  laige  opening  is  left  at  the  top,  and  a  small  one  at  the  bottom,  both  of  whichl 
are  closed  by  conical  plugs.  Through  the  upper  oriBce  the  milk  is  poured  into  the  Ua\ 
in  a  fresh  state,  and  removed  when  coagulated ;  and  through  the  lower  aperture  the  w^l 
is  drawn  off  as  wanted.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Katlir  milk-baskets,  the  Bechuana  milk.  I 
baffs  are  never  cleaned,  a  small  amount  of  sour  milk  being  always  left  in  them,  so  as  to  I 
aid  in  coagulating  the  milk,  which  the  natives  never  drink  in  a  fresh  state.  I 

When  travellmg,  the  Bochuanas  hang  their  milk-bags  on  the  backs  of  oxen;  and  it  I 
sometimes  happens  that  the  jolting  of  the  oxen,  and  consequent  shaking  of  the  bag,  caiises 
the  milk  to  be  partially  churned,  so  that  small  pieces  of  butter  are  found  floating  in  ij 
The  butter  is  very  highly  valued ;  but  it  is  not  eaten,  being  reserved  for  the  more  impor- 
tant office  of  greasing  the  hair  or  skia 

The  spoons  which  the  Bechuanas  use  are  often  carved  in  the  most  elaborate  manner. ' 
In  gener^  shape  they  resemble  those  used  by  the  Kaffirs — ^who,  by  the  way,  sometimes  1 
purchase  better  articles  from  the  Bechuanas — but  the  under  surface  of  the  bowl  is  entirely 
covered  with  designs,  which  are  always  effective,  and  in  many  cases  are  absolutely  artistic 
from  the  boldness  and  simplicity  of  the  designs.  I  have  several  of  these  spoons,  in  all  of 
which  the  surface  has  first  been  charred  and  polished,  and  then  the  pattern  cut  rather 
deeply,  so  as  to  leave  yellowish  white  lines  in  bold  contrast  with  the  jetty  black  of  the  I 
uncut  portion. 

Sometimes  it  happens  that,  when  they  are  travelling,  and  have  no  spoons  with  them, 
the  Bechuanas  rapidly  scoop  up  their  broth  in  the  right  hand,  throw  it  into  the  palm  of 
the  left,  and  then  fling  it  into  the  mouth,  taking  care  to  lick  the  hands  clean  after  the 
operation. 

Music  is  practised  by  the  Bechuana  tribes,  who  do  not  use  the  goum,  but  merely 
employ  a  kind  of  reed  pipe.  The  tunes  that  are  played  upon  this  instrument  are  of  a 
severely  simple  character,  being  limited  to  a  single  note,  repeated  as  often  as  the  per- 
former chooses  to  play  it.  A  very  good  imitation  of  Bechuanan  instrumental  music  may  be 
obtained  by  taking  a  penny  whistle,  and  blowing  it  at  intervals.  In  default  of  a  whistle, 
a  key  will  do  quite  as  well. 

Vocal  music  is  known  better  among  the  Bechuanas  than  among  the  preceding  trihes- 
or,  at  all  events,  is  not  so  utterly  opposed  to  European  ideas  of  the  art.  The  melody  is 
simple  enough,  consisting  chiefly  of  descending  and  ascending  by  thirds ;  and  they  have  a 
sufficient  appreciation  of  harmony  to  sing  in  two  parts  without  producing  the  continuous 
discords  which  delight  the  soul  of  the  Hottentot  tribes. 

These  reed  pipes,  called  "  lich3,ka,"  are  of  various  lengths,  and  are  blown  exactly  like 
Pandean  pipes,  i.e.  transversely  across  the  orifice,  which  is  cut  with  a  slight  slope.  Each 
individual  has  one  pipe  only,  and,  as  above  stated,  can  only  play  one  note.  But  the 
Bechuanas  have  enough  musical  ear  to  tune  their  pipes  to  any  required  note,  which  they 
do  by  pushing  or  withdrawing  a  moveable  plug  which  closes  the  reed  at  the  lower  end. 
When  a  number  of  men  assemble  for  the  purpose  of  singing  and  dancing,  they  tune  their 
pipes  beforehand,  taking  great  pains  in  getting  the  precise  note  which  they  want,  and 
being  as  careful  about  it  as  if  they  belonged  to  an  European  orchestra.  The  general  effect 
of  these  pipes,  played  together,  and  with  certain  intervals,  is  by  no  means  inharmonioui^ 
and  has  been  rather  happily  compared  to  the  sound  of  sledge  or  wagon  bells. 

The  correct  method  of  holding  the  pipe  is  to  place  the  thumb  againsi  the  cheek,  and 
the  forefinger  over  the  upper  lip,  while  the  other  three  fingers  hold  the  instrument  firmly 
in  its  place.    These  little  instruments  run  through  a  scale  of  some  eleven  or  twelve  notea 

The  dances  of  the  Bechuanas  are  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  the  Amakosa  aud  other 
Kaffirs ;  but  they  have  the  peculiarity  of  using  a  rather  remarkable  head-dress  when  they 
are  in  full  ceremonial  costume. 

This  is  made  from  porcupine  quills,  arranged  in  a  bold  and  artistic  manner,  so  as  to 
form  a  kind  of  coronet.  None  of  the  stiff  and  short  quills  of  the  porcupine  are  used  for 
this  purpose,  but  only  the  long  and  slender  quills  which  adorn  the  neck  of  the  animal,  and, 
in  consequence  of  their  great  proportionate  length,  bend  over  the  back  in  graceful  curvea 


SUBSTITUTE  FOR  HANDKERCHIEF. 


329 


head-dresses  are  xtrom  hj  the  men,  who  move  themselves  about  so  as  to  cause  the 
tauills  to  wave  backwards  and  forwards,  and  so  contrive  to  produce  a  really  graceful 
'  The  head-diess  is  not  considered  an  essential  part  of  the  dance,  but  is  used  on 

_j  occasions. 

f^en  dancing,  they  arran^  themselves  in  a  ring,  all  looking  inwards,  but  without 
Mine  themselves  about  their  number  or  any  particular  arrangement.    The  size  of  the 

-tdeMiids  entirely  upon  the  number  of  dancers,  as  they  press  clo-sely  together.  Each  la 

[fbeity  to  use  any  step  which  he  may  think  proper  to  invent,  and 

Iblov  his  reed  pipe  at  any  intervals  that  may  seem  m.ost  agi^eable 

IhinL  But  each  man  contrives  to  move  very  slowly  in  a  slanting 

Lction,  so  that  the  whole  ring  revolves  on  the  same  spot,  making, 

UnaTwage,  one  revolution  per  minute. 

f  lie  direction  in  which  it  moves  seems  perfectly  indifferent,  as 

lone  time  it  will  revolve  from  right  to  left,  and  then,  without  any 

nuent  reason,  the  motion  is  reversed.    Dancers  enter  and  leave 

ging  just  as  they  feel  inclined,  some  of  the  elders  only  taking 

jtin  the  dance  for  a  few  minutes,  and  others  dancing  for  hours 

Lccession,  merely  retiring  occasionally  to  rest  their  wearied  limbs. 

L  dancers  scarcely  speak  at  all  when  engaged  in  this  absorbing 

CLemeat,  though  they  accompany  their  leed  whistles  with  native 

Bound  the  dancers  is  an  external  ring  of  women  and  girls,  who 
r  them  as  thoy  revolve,  and  keep  time  to  their  movements  by 

lapping  their  bands. 

As  is  usual  in  this  country,  a  vast  amount  of  exertion  is  used  in 
J  dance,  and,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  the  dancers  are  bathed 
fperspiration,  and  further  inconvenienced  by  the  melting  of  the 

ease  with  which  their  heads  and  bodies  are  thickly  covered.    A 

ndkerchief  would  be  the  natural  resort  of  an  European  under  such 

Kuinstances ;  but  the  native  of  Southern  Africa  does  not  possess 
^h  an  article,  and  therefore  is  obliged  to  make  use  of  an  implement 

lich  seems  rather  ill  adapted  for  its  purpose.    It  is  made  from 

;  bushy  tail  of  jackals,  and  is  prepared  as  follows :  The  tails  are 

noved  from  the  animals,  and,  while  they  are  yet  fresh,  the  skin  is 
[ripped  from  the  bones,  leaving  a  hollow  tube  of  fur-clad  skin.  Three 
j[  four  of  these  tails  are  thus  prepared,  and  through  them  is  thrust 
[stick,  generally  about  four  feet  in  length,  so  that  the  tail  forms  a 
lirt  of  kige  and  very  soft  brush.  This  is  used  as  a  handkerchief, 
lot  only  by  the  Bechuanas,  but  by  many  of  the  neighbouring  tribes, 
\ii  is  thought  a  necessary  part  of  a  Bechuana's  wardrobe.   The  stick 

1  which  they  are  fixed  is  cut  from  the  very  heart  of  the  kameel- 
jorn  acacia,  where  the  wood  is  peculiarly  hard  and  black,  and  a 
m  great  amount  of  labour  is  expended  on  its  manufacture.  The 
jame  of  this  implement  is  Kaval-klusi,  or  Kaval-pukoli,  according 
) the  animal  from  which  it  is  made;  the  "klusi"  being  apparently 
lie  common  yellow  jackal,  and  the  "pukoli"  the  black-tailed  jackal. 
[he  natives  fancy  that  the  jackal  possesses  some  quality  which 
jenefits  the  sight,  and  therefore  they  may  often  be  seen  drawing 
pe  kaval-klusi  across  their  eyes 

I  A  chief  will  sometimes  have  a  far  more  valuable  implement, 
pch  he  uses  for  the  same  purpose.     One  of  these  fans  or 

ndkerchiefs  is  represented  in  the  illustration.    Instead  of  being 

ide  of  mere  jackal  tails,  it  is  formed  from  ostrich  feathers.    It  was  the  property  of  the 
tug  of -the  Bechuana  tribe,  and  was  given  by  him  to  Dr.  Lichtenstein. 
I  The  remarkable  excellence  of  the  Bechuanas  in  the  arts  of  peace  has  already  been 
Mentioned.    They  are  not  only  the  best  fuiHli'essers  and  metal-workers,  but  tiliey  are  pre- 


CEATHSR  HANDKEB. 
CHIEF. 


*1 


-^  ft  I 


880 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


n        r'     ji 


eminent  among  all  the  tribes  of  that  portion  of  Africa  in  their  architecture.    Not  I 
nomad  people,  and  being  attached  to  the  soil,  they  have  no  idea  of  contenting  thec~. 
Mrith  the  mat-covered  cages  of  the  Hottentots,  or  with  the  simple  wuttle-and-daub  hil 
the  Kaffirs.    They  do  not  merely  build  huts,  but  erect  houses,  and  display  an  inrngJ 
in  their  construction  that  is  perfectly  astonishing.    Whence  they  derived  their  ansk 
tural  knowledge,  uo  one  knows.    Why  the  Kaffirs,  who  are  also  men  of  the  soil  g) 
not  have  learned  from  their  neighbours  how  to  build  better  houses,  no  one  can  tell 
fact  remains,  that  the  Bechuana  is  simply  supreme  in  architecture,  and  there  is  no  i 
bouring  tribe  that  ia  even  worthy  to  be  rajiked  in  the  second  class. 


,-  itf^WiLitj'. 


fv^'t:i''U^ 


-i-j^Wi' 


llvf.^ 


^?s»:;-= 


rSHALB  ABCHITBCra 


We  have  already  seen  that  the  house  of  Dingan,  the  great  Kaffir  despot,  was  exactlj 
like  that  of  any  of  his  subjects,  only  larger,  and  the  supporting  posts  covered  with  bea 
Now  a  Bechuana  of  verv  moderate  rank  would  be  ashamed  of  such  an  edifice  bv  wav  o 
a  residence ;  and  even  the  poor — if  we  may  use  the  word — can  build  houses  lor  them 
selves  quite  as  good  as  that  of  Dingan. 

Instead  of  being  round-topped,  like  so  many  wickerwork  ant-hills,  as  is  the  case  ml 
the  Kaffir  huts,  the  houses  of  the  Bechuanas  are  conical,  and  the  shape  may  be  rougWi 
defined  by  saying  that  a  Bechuana's  hut  looks  something  like  a  huge  whipping-top  m 
its  point  upwards. 

A  man  of  moderate  rank  makes  his  house  in  the  following  manner — or,  rather,  ordeij 
his  wives  to  build  it  for  him,  the  women  being  the  only  architects.    First,  a  number  o 
posts  are  cut  from  the  kameel-dom  acacia-tree,  their  length  varying  according  to  the  ( " 
which  they  have  to  fulfil.    Supposing,  for  example,  that  the  house  had  to  be  sixteen  oJ 
twenty  feet  in  diameter,  some  ten  or  twelve  posts  are  needed,  which  will  be  about  i 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  HOUSES. 


331 


lia  height  when  planted  in  the  ground.    Thesb  are  placed  in  a  circle,  and  firmly  fixed 
ile»bly  eq^*^^  distances. 

S^jt  comes  a  smaller  circle  of  much  taller  posts,  which,  wheA  fixed  in  the  ground, 
nie  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  in  height,  one  of  theni  being  longer  than  the  rest. 

^e  circles  of  posts  are  connected  with  beams  which  are  fastened  to  their  tops. 

i  next  process  is  to  lay  a  sufficient  quantity  of  rafters  on  these  posts,  so  that  they 
loeet  at  one  point,  and  these  are  tightly  lashed  together.  This  point  is  seldom  in  the 
V  centre,  so  that  the  hut  always  looks  rather  lop-sided.    A  roof  made  of  reeds  is  then 

I  apon  the  rafters,  and  the  skeleton  of  the  house  is  complete. 

)  thatch  is  held  in  its  place  by  a  number  of  long  and  thin  twigs,  which  are  bent, 
t  the  ends  thrust  into  the  thatch.  These  twigs  are  set  in  parallel  rows,  and  hold  the 
tch  finnly  together.    The  slope  of  the  roof  is  rather  slight,  and  is  always  that  of  a 

1  cone,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration. 
FNext  come  the  walls.  The  posts  which  form  the  outer  circle  are  connected  with  a 
lljometimes  about  six  feet  high,  but  frequently  only  two  feet  or  so. ,  But  the  wall 
jch  connects  the  inner  circle  is  eight  >r  *  ■  eet  in  height,  and  sometimes  reaches 
ri»  to  the  roof  of  the  house.  These  's  u-  -^nerally  made  of  t\n  n  ,  osa  thorns, 
1  are  80  ingeniously  woven  that  the  garmentb  v,x  those  who  pass  by  aiu  in  no  danger, 

they  effectually  prevent  even  the  smallest  animal  from  creeping  through.    The 
I  of  the  wall  is  strengthened  as  well  as  smoothed  by  a  thick  coating  of  clay.    The 


BECHUANA  HOUUB. 


ive  in  the  central  compartment  of  the  house,  while  the  servants  inhabit  the  outer 

brtion,  which  also  serves  as  a  verandah  in  which  the  family  can  sit  in  the  day  time,  and 

pjoy  the  double  benefit  of  fresh  air  and  shade. 

The  accompanying  illustration  gives   an  idea  of  the  ordinary  construction  of  a 

!cliuana  hut.    Around  this  house  is  a  tolerably  high  paling,  made  in  a  similar  fashion 

[  posts  and  thorns,  and  within  this  enclosure  the  cattle  are  kept,  when  their  owner  is 

kli  enoun;h  to  build  an  enclosure  for  their  especial  use. 

This  fence,  or  wall,  as  it  may  properly  be  called,  is  always  very  firmly  built,  and 

bmetiraes  is  of  very  strong  construction.    It  is  on  an  average  six  feet  high,  and  is  about 

Vo  feet  and  a  half  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  a  foot  or  less  at  the  top.    It  is  made  almost 

^tirely  of  small  twigs  and  bmnches,  placed  upright,  and  nearly  parallel  with  each  other, 

ut  so  firmly  interlaced  that  they  form  an  admirable  defence  against  the  assagai,  while 

•  the  bottom  the  wall  is  so  strong  as  to  stop  an  ordinary  bullet.    A  few  inches  from 

le  top,  the  wall  is  strengthened  by  a  double  baud  of  twigs,  one  band  being  outside,  and 

pe  other  in  the  interior. 

The  doorways  of  a  Bechuana  hut  are  rather  curiously  constructed.    An  aperture  is 

de  in  the  wall,  larger  above  than  below,  so  as  to  suit  the  shape  of  a, hum  an  being, 

I  shoulders  are  wider  than  his  feet.    This  formation  serves  two  purposes.    In  the 


m 


■  t. 


I 


832 


THE  BECHUANAS. 


first  place  it  lessens  the  size  of  the  aperture,  and  so  diminishes  the  atnoant  of  dnJ 
and,  in  the  next  place,  it  forms  a  better  defence  against  an  adversary  than  if  it  ^ 
larger  size,  and  reaching  to  the  ground. 

The  fireplace  is  situated  outside  the  hut,  though  within  the  fence,  the  Becli 
having  a  very  wholesome  dread  of  fire,  and  being  naturally  anxious  that  their  elaborl 
built  nouses  should  not  be  burned  down.  Outside  the  house,  but  within  the  enclosnl 
the  corn-house.  This  is  a  smaller  hut,  constructed  in  much  the  same  manner  ul 
dwelling-house,  and  containing  the  supply  of  com.  This  is  kept  in  jars,  one  of  ^y 
of  prodigious  size,  and  would  quite  throw  into  the  shade  the  celebrated  oil  jars  in  A 
the  "  Forty  Thieves "  hid  themselves.  There  is  also  a  separate  house  in  tvhich  I 
servants  sleep.  I 

This  com-jar  is  made  of  twigs  plaited  and  woven  into  form,  and  strengthened! 
sticks  thnist  into  the  ground,  so  that  it  is  irremovable,  even  if  its  hu^e  dimensiom  I 
not  answer  that  purposa  The  jar  is  plastered  both  on  the  outside  and  the  interiors 
clay,  so  that  it  forms  an  admirabk'  protection  for  the  corn.  The  height  of  these  jaiii 
sometimes  six  feet  in  height  and  th.'ee  in  width,  and  their  shape  almost  exactly  resetDH 
that  of  the  oil  jars  of  Europe.  The  best  specimens  are  raised  six  or  seven  inches  j 
the  ground,  the  stakes  which  form  their  scaffolding  answering  the  purpose  of 
Every  house  has  one  such  jar ;  and  in  the  chode  of  wealthy  persons  there  is  generally] 
lai^^e  jar  and  a  number  of  smaller  ones,  all  packed  together  closely,  and  soneti^ 
entirely  filling  the  store-house. 


Iv  '    ^i 


SKCTION  OF  A  BOOSB. 


As  is  the  case  with  the  Kaffirs,  the  Bechuanas  build  their  houses  and  walls  in  I 
circular  form,  and  have  no  idea  of  making  a  wall  or  a  fence  in  a  straiglit  lira 
Mr.  Burchell  accounts  for  it  by  suggesting  that  they  have  discovered  the  greater  capacia 
of  a  circle  compared  with  any  other  figure  of  equal  circumference,  and  that  they  mal 
circular  houses  and  cattle-pens  in  order  to  accommodate  the  greatest  number  of  mend 
cattle  in  the  least  possible  space.     I  rather  doubt  the  truth  of  this  theory,  because  the! 

geople  cannot  build  a  straight  wall  or  a  square  house,  even  if  they  wished  to  do  so,  w 
elieve  that  the  real  cause  must  be  looked  for  in  their  mental  conformation. 
We  will  now  examine  the  accompanying  illustrations,  which  exhibit  a  plcn  and) 
section  of  the  house  belonging  to  a  Bechuana  chief  named  Molemmi.    It  is  takeu  iioii 
Burchell's  valuable  work. 

Encircling  the  whole  is  the  outer. wall,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the  enclosure i 
divided  by  means  of  cross  walls,  one  of  which  has  a  doorway.  At  the  top  of  the  plani 
the  corn-house,  in  which  is  one  large  jar  and  one  of  the  smaller  sort.  The  shaded  portioJ 
represents  that  part  of  the  building  which  is  covered  by  the  roof.  The  servants'  house ijl 
also  separate,  and  may  be  seen  on  the  right  of  the  plan.  The  firepl.ce  is  shown  by  the! 
small  circle  just  below  the  cross  wall  on  the  right  hand  of  the  plan.  In  the  middle  ill 
the  house  itself,  with  its  verandahs  and  passages  covered  by  a  comrron  roof.  In  theveiyl 
centre  is  the  sleeping  place  of  the  family ;  immediately  outside  it  ie  the  passage  where  the! 
servants  sit,  and  outside  it  again  is  the  veraivdah.  The  little  circ1(»  upon  the  plan  itiiitii>| 
sent  the  places  occupied  by  the  posts. 


MR  BAINES'S  VISIT. 


333 


jve  is  t^^  section  of  the  same  house,  the  line  of  section  passing  nearly  through 
jti«  of  the  plan,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  On  the  left  is  the  eutrauce  into  the 
enclware,  and  next  we  see  the  successive  passages,  with  their  oddly-shaped  door- 
the  little  cjrlindrical  room  in  the  centre  being  the  sleeping-place  of  the  chief  The 
inse  occupies  the  extreme  right,  and,  as  may  be  seen,  tne  line  of  section  passes 
^ly  through  the  large  corn-jar. 

further  explanation  of  the  exceeding  care  that  a  Bechuana  bestows  on  his  house,  I 
[ye  a  portion  of  a  letter  kindly  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  T.  Baines,  the  eminent  African 

Jkr. 

pAbont  1850,  while  that  which  is  now 

ee  State  was  then  the  Orange  Biver 

mty,  my  friend  Joseph  Macabe  and 

lying  at  Coqui's  Drift  on  the  Vaal 

Fdlov-dun)  Biver,  and,  needing  com  and 

lies,  we  spanned-in  the  cattle  and 

jeH  to  the  village.     This  we  found 

[prettily  situated  among  bold  and  toler- 

f  well-wooded  hills,  against  whose  dark 

I  the  conical  roofs,  thatched  with  light 

Irish  reeds,  contrasted  advantageously. 

f  As  usual,  the  tribe  was  beginning  to  lay 

Ltfl  the  surrounding  country  by  reck- 

Uy  cutting  down  the  wood  around  their 

igs,  a  process  by  which  in  many  in- 

.1  they  nave  so  denuded  the  hills  that 

[jittlo  springs  that  formerly  flowed  from 

UK  no  longer  protected  by  the  overhang- 

e,  and  are  evaporated  by  the  fierce 

t  of  the  sun  upon  the  unsheltered  earth. 

I  this  process,  old  Lattakoo,  the  former 

idence  of  the  missionary  Moffatt,  is  a  nota- 

I  example,  and  it  is  proverbial  that  when- 

t  a  native  tribe  settles  by  a  little  rivulet,  the  water  in  a  few  years  diminishes  and 
jnp. 

["The  women  and  children,  as  usual  in  villages  out  of  the  common  path  of  travellers, 
ihalf  in  fear  and  half  in  timidity  at  our  approach,  and  peeped  coyly  from  behind  the 

i  of  mud  or  reeds  as  we  advanced. 

I  "We  left  our  wagon  in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  and  near  to  the  centre  found 

I  chief  and  his  principal  men  seated  beneath  a  massive  bower  or  awning  of  rough 

|iber,  cut  with  the  most  reckless  extravagance  of  material,  and  piled  in  forked  trunks 

1  standing  in  the  earth,  as  if  the  design  of  the  builders  had  been  to  give  the  least 

lible  amount  of  shade  with  the  greatest  expenditure  of  material. . . . 

["Most  of  the  men  were  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  karosses  or  skin-cloaks  from 

spoils  of  various  animals  killed  in  the  chase.    Some  were  braying  or  rubbing  the 

I  between  the  hands  to  soften  them,  others  were  scraping  the  inner  surface,  so  as  to 

!  the  nap  so  much  prized  by  the  natives,  and  others,  having  cut  the  skins  into  shape 

|th  their  knives  or  assagais,  were  slowly  and  carefully  sewing  them  together.    One  man 

I  tinkling  with  a  piece  of  stick  on  the  string  of  a  bow,  to  which  a  calabash  had  been 

i  in  order  to  increase  the  resonance,  and  all  looked  busy  and  happy.    Our  present  of 

**  was  received  with  intense  gratification,  but  very  few  of  them  were  extravagant 

iigh  to  inhale  the  precious  stimulant  in  its  pure  state,  and  generally  a  small  portion 

placed  upon  the  back  of  the  left  hand,  and  then  a  quantity  of  dust  was  lifted 

|h  a  small  horn  spoon,  carefully  mixed  with  the  snuff,  and  inhaled  with  infinite 

pisfaction. 

"Their  habitations  were  arranged  in  concentric  circles,  the  outermost  of  which  encloses 
noie  or  less  spacious  court  or  yard,  fenced  either  with  tall  straight  reeds,  or  with  a  wall 


FLAM  OF  H0U8& 


it:  I' 


I'i 


il'' 


I 


M 


THE  BECHUANAa 


ii    i 


V 


^  I 


t  i; 


li'      I 


of  fine  clay,  oatefViUy  smoothed  and  patted  up  by  the  hands  of  the  women.    It  jg 
wards  covered  with  transverse  lines,  the  space  between  which  are  variously  etched 
parallel  lines,  either  straight,  waved,  or  zigzag,  according  to  fancy.    The  floor  of 
court  is  (ilso  smoothed  with  clay,  and  elevations  of  the  same  material  in  the  f( 
segments  of  a  circle  serve  for  seats,  the  whole  being  kept  so  clean  that  dry  food 
eaten  from  the  floor  without  scruple. 

"  T*^    walls  of  the  hut  are  also  of  clay,  plastered  upon  the  poles  which  support 
conical  roof,  but  the  eaves  project  so  as  to  form  a  low  verandah  all  around  it.    L^ 
at  intervals  give  this  also  an  additional  support,  and  a  "  stoep  "  or  elevation,  about 
inches  high  and  three  feet  broad,  surrounds  the  house  beneath  it. 

"  The  doorway  is  an  arch  about  three  feet  hi^h.  The  inside  of  the  wall,  as  nav 
perceived  from  the  drawing,  is  scored  and  etched  into  compartments  by  lines  traced! 
the  fingers  or  a  pointed  stick.     Sometimes  melon  or  pumpkin  seeds  are  stuck  into 

clay  in  fanciful  patterns,  and  al 
wards  removed,  leaving  the  L 
lows  lined  with  their  sfightlTU 
trous  bark.  | 

"  Within  this  again  is  anotj 
wall,   enclosing  a  still  sBialj 
room,  which,  in  the  case  oft 
chief's  hut,  was  well  stored  i 
soft  skin  mantles,  and,  as  he  t 
must  have  been  most  ag 
warm  as  a  sleeping'  apartmenil 
the  cold  weather,  more  especiii 
as  the  doorway  might  be  wy| 
or   partially  closed  at  pb 
Pilasters  of  clay  were  wroui 
over  the  doorway,  raouldingai 
run  roimd  it,  and  zigzag  omaneij 
in  charcoal,  or  in  red  or  yi 
clay,  were  plentifully  used. 
circular    mouldings    seen  m 
what  maybe  called  the  ceiling  a 
really  the  bands  of  reeds  up 
the  underside  of  the  roof,  by  which  those  that  form  the  thatch  are  secured. 

"  The  space  between  the  inner  chamber  and  the  outer  wall  extended  all  round  the  hij 
and  in  it,  but  rather  in  the  rear,  were  several  jars  and  calabashes  of  outchualla,  or  natii 
beer,  in  process  of  fermentation.     My  first  impression  of  this  beverage  was,  that  it  i 
sembled  a  mixture  of  bad  table-beer  and  spoiled  vinegar,  but  it  is  regarded  both  as  fot 
and  drink  by  the  natives  and  travellers  who  have  become  accustomed  to  it.    A  host  coij 
aiders  that  he  has  fuliilled  the  highest  duties  of  hospitality  when  he  has  set  before  I 
guest  a  jar  of  beer.     It  is  thought  an  insult  to  leave  any  in  the  vessel,  but  the  guest  i 
give  to  his  attendants  any  surplus  that  remains  after  he  has  satisfied  himself." 

The  burial  of  the  dead  is  conducted  after  a  rather  curious  manner.  The  funeral  ( 
monies  actually  begin  before  the  sick  pei«on  is  dead,  and  must  have  the  effect  of  hai3teiiiii| 
dissolution.  As  soon  as  the  relations  of  the  sick  man  see  that  his  end  is  near,  they  tbn 
over  him  a  mat,  or  sometimes  a  skin,  and  draw  it  together  until  the  enclosed  individm 
is  forced  into  a  sitting,  or  rather  a  crouching  posture,  with  the  arms  bent,  the  head  bod 
and  the  knees  brought  into  contact  with  the  chin.  In  this  uncomfortable  position  t° 
last  spark  of  life  soon  expires,  and  the  actual  funeral  begins. 

The  relatives  dig  a  grave/  generally  within  the  cattle-fence,  not  shaped  as  is  the  i 
in  Europe,  but  a  mere  round  hole,  about  three  feet  in  diailleter.    The  interior  of  thi 
strangely-shaped  grave  is  then  rubbed  with  a  bulbous  root.    An  opening  is  then  madeii 
the  fence  surrounding  the  house,  and  the  body  is  carried  through  it,  still  enveloped  in  tin 
mat,  and  with  a  skin  thrown  over  the  head.    It  is  then  lowered  into  the  giave,  andp^ 


INTBIUOB  OF  OHIBF'S  HODSB. 


FUNERAL  RITES. 


835 


taken  to  place  it  exactly  facing  the  north,  an  operation  which  consumes  much 

but  which  is  achieved  at  last  with  tolerable  accuracy. 
fwben  they  have  settled  this  point  to  their  satisfaction,  they  bring  fragments  of  an 
Lull  which,  as  the  reader  may  remember,  is  the  best  and  finest  clay  that  can  be  pro- 
Tand  lay  it  carefully  about  the  feet  of  the  corpse,  ovpt  which  it  is  pressed  by  two 

who  stand  in  the  grave  for  that  purpose.  More  and  more  clay  is  handed  down  in 
Vd  bowls,  and  stamped  firmly  down,  the  operators  raising  the  mat  in  proportion  as  the 
^  rises.  They  take  particular  care  that  not  even  the  smallest  pebble  shall  mix  with 
^rth  that  surrounds  the  body,  <uid,  as  the  clay  is  quite  free  from  stones,  it  is  the 
jjt  material  for  their  purpose. 


./#  :-i 


['   ■■■ci 


M 


T^W^fmnh^ 


' ;  1' 


,    I 


I       IA'\ 


:r^!i 


;  1 


Km 


BECHUANA  FUNERAL 


As  soon  as  the  earth  reaches  the  mouth,  a  branch  of  acacia  is  placed  in  the  grave,  and 
jome  roots  of  grass  laid  on  the  head,  so  that  part  of  the  grass  projects  above  the  level  of 
ke  ground.  The  excavated  soil  is  then  scooped  up,  so  as  to  make  a  small  mound,  over 
khich  is  poured  several  bowls  full  of  water,  the  spectators  meanwhile  shouting  out, 
fPula !  Pula  1 "  as  they  do  when  applauding  a  speaker  in  the  parliament.  The  weapons 
nd  implements  of  the  deceased  are  then  brought  to  the  grave,  and  presented  to  him,  but 
ley  are  not  left  there,  as  is  the  case  with  some  tribes.  The  ceremony  ends  by  the  whole 
&rty  leaving  the  ground,  amid  the  lamentations  of  the  women,  who  keep  up  a  continual 
biOng  crying. 

These  are  the  full  ceremonials  that  take  place  at  the  death  of  a  chief, — at  all  events, 

pa  man  of  some  importance,  but  they  vary  much  according  to  the  rank  of  the  individual. 

ometimes  a  rain-maker  has  forbidden  all  sepulchral  rites  whatever,  as  interfering  with 


■*hi 


SM 


THE  BTi'CHUANAa 


m 


the  production  of  rain,  and  during  the  time  of  this  in^rdict  every  corpse  is  dragsed  int  J 
bush  to  be  consumed  by  the  hynnas.   Even  the  very  touch  of  a  dead  oody  is  forbidden" 
under  this  strange  tyranny,  a  son  has  been  seen  to  fling  a  leathern  rope  round  the 
of  his  dead  mother,  drag  her  bod^  into  the  bush,  and  there  leave  it,  throwing  down 
rope  and  abandoning  it,  because  it  had  been  defiled  by  the  contact  of  a  dead  bodr 
Lo  might  hapnen  to  touch  the  part  that  had  touched  the  corpse.  ^' ' 

The  concluding   scene  in  a  Bechuana   funeral  is  shown  in  the  illustration 
page  335. 

In  the  backpound  is  seen  the  fence  of  the  kraal,  in  which  a  hole  has  been  brolcj 
through  which  the  body  of  the  deceased  has  been  carried.  Behind  the  men  who 
lowering  the  body  into  the  grave  is  a  girl  bearing  in  her  hands  the  branch  of  acati 
which  is  to  be  placed  on  the  head  of  th«?  corpse — evidently  a  relic  of  some  tradition  lo3 
ago  forgotttjn,  or  at  all  events,  of  which  thev  profess  to  be  ignorant.  At  the  side  stand 
the  old  woman  who  bears  the  weapons  of  the  deceased  chief— his  spears,  axe,  and  bowl 
and  in  the  foreground  are  the  bowl  of  water  for  lustration,  and  the  hoes  with  which  I 
grave  has  been  dug. 


|!f?l 


"■•fP«» 


CHAFTER  XXX. 


THE  DAMABA  TRIBE. 


/; 


liocurrr  Ain>  OBionr  of  thb  daxabas— divivionb  or  thb  tbib> — tb>  bioh  A:n>  poob  damabab— 

CHABAOTBB  OF  THK  COUNTBT — APPBABAMCB  OF  TUB  PBOPLB — THBIB  PHTBt  AL  CONSTITUTIOIf— 

man's  DBK88 —THB  PECULIAR  SANDALS,  AND   MODR  OF  ADOBNINO  THB    HAUi— WOMBn's   DBf:«S 

COVrUMK  OF  THB  OIRLS — FOBTBAIT  OF  A  DAMABA  GIRL  BR8TINO  HRB8BLF — 8INGVLAB  CAP  OK  THB 

MABBIXD  WOURN — FASTIDI0V8NBSS  OONOBBNINO  0BR8S — OATTLB  OF  THB   DAHARAB "CRCA^^MO" 

rOB    BOOTS    AND    WATRR — ABCHITBCTVBR    AND     FVRNITURB — INTBLLBCT     OF    THR   DAMaRAS— 
AKITHHBTIOAL   DIFFICULTIES — WBAPONS — THB  DAMABA  AS   A   SOLDIER — ^THB   DIFFRRRN  .    CASTES 

OB  IANDA8— FOOD,  AND  MODE  OF  OOOUNO DAMABA  DANCES  AND  MUSIC — MATRIMONIAL   AFFAIRS 

— VABI0U8  8UPRB8TITIONS — THB    SAOBBD   FIRR   AND   ITS   PRIRSTBBS — APPARITIONS — DRATH   A;  <> 
BURUL  OF  A  CHIBF — CBBRM0NIAL8  ON  THB  ACCB88I0N  OF  HIS  BON — THB  DAMABA  OATH. 


I 


If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  map  on  page  36,  and  look  at  the  western  coast  of  Africa, 
just  below  lat.  20°  S.,  he  will  see  that  a  large  portion  of  the  country  is  occupied  by  a 
pple  called  Damaras,  this  word  being  a  euphonious  corruption  of  the  word  Damup, 
which  signifies  "  The  People."  Who  the  Damaras  originally  were,  how  long  they  have 
occupied  the  land,  and  the  place  where  they  originally  came  from,  are  rather  dubious,  and 
I  they  themselves  can  throw  no  light  on  the  subject. 

The  tribe  is  a  very  interesting  one.    Once  of  great  power  and  importance,  it  spread 

I  over  a  vast  tract  of  country,  and  developed  its  own  peculiar  manners  and  customs,  some 

of  which,  as  will  be  seen,  are  most  remarkable.     Its  day  of  prosperity  was,  however,  but 

I  a  short  one,  as  is  the  case  with  most  tribes  in  this  part  of  the  world.    It  has  rapidly 

sunk  from  its  high  estate,  has  suffered  from  the  attacks  of  powerful  and  relentless 

I  enemies,  and  in  a  few  more  years  will  probably  perish  off  the  fac  of  the  earth.    So  rapid 

have  been  the  changes,  that  one  traveller,  Mr.  Anderssen,  remerk.s  '  aat  within  his  own 

I  time,  it  has  been  lus  fate  to  witness  the  complete  ruin  and  dowjJall  of  the  once  graat 

!  Damara  nation. 

Such  being  the  case,  it  is  my  intention  to  give  a  brief  nrcount  of  the  tribe,  noticing 
only  those  peculiarities  which  serve  to  distinguish  it  from  other  tribes,  and  which  might 
in  the  course  of  a  few  years  be  altogether  forgotten.  The  account  given  in  the  following 
pages  has  been  partly  taken  from  Mr.  Anderssen's  "  Lake  Ngami,"  partly  from  Mr.  Galton's 
work  on  Southwestern  Africa,  and  partly  from  the  well-known  book  by  Mr.  Baines,  to 
whom  I  am  also  indebted  for  many  sketches,  and  much  verbal  and  written  information. 

As  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  aborigines  were  a  race  called,  even  by  themselves,  the 
Ghou  Damup — a  name  quite  untranslatable  to  ears  polite,  and  therefore  euphonized  by 
the  colonists  into  Hill  Damaras,  though  in  reality  there  is  no  connexion  between  them. 
The  Ghou  Damup  say  that  their  great  ancestor  was  a  baboon,  who  married  a  native  lady, 
and  had  a  numerous  progeny.  The  union,  however,  like  most  unequal  matches,  was  not 
a  happy  one,  the  mother  priding  herself  on  her  family,  and  twitting  her  sons  with 
TOLL  g 


838 


THEDAMABAS. 


i^t     i 


their  low  connexions  on  the  paternal  side.  The  end  of  the  natter  was,  that  a  split  took 
place  in  the  family,  the  sons  behaving  so  badly  that  they  dared  no  longer  face  their  high. 
bom  Hottentot  connexions,  and  fled  to  the  hills,  where  they  have  ever  since  dwelt 

The  Damaras  may  be  ^roughly  divided  into  two  bodies,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  % 
former  being  those  who  possess  cattle,  and  live  chiefly  on  the  milk,  and  the  lattet  I 
those  who  have  either  no  cattle,  or  only  one  or  two,  and  who,  in  consequence,  live  by 
the  chase  and  on  the  wild  roots  which  they  dig.  For  the  Damaras  are  not  an  agricul. 
tural  people,  probably  because  their  soil  is  not,  as  a  general  rule,  adapted  for  the  laisio? 
of  crop&  ' 

The  poor  Damaras,  called  Ovatjumba,  are  looked  down  upon  by  the  richer  sort,  and, 
in  fact,  treated  as  if  they  were  inferior  beings.  Their  usual  position  is  that  of  servitude 
to  the  wealthy,  who  consider  them  rather  as  slaves  than  servants,  punish  them  with  great 
severity,  and  do  not  hesitate  even  to  take  their  lives.  It  will  be  seen  from  this  fact  that 
the  primitive  simplicity  of  the  savage  life  is  not  precisely  of  an  Arcadian  character;  and 
that  savages  are  not  indebted  to  Europeans  for  all  their  vices.  For  some  undoubtedly 
they  are,  and  display  a  singular  aptitude  in  acquiring  them ;  but  most  of  the  greatest 
evils  of  the  world,  such  as  drunkenness,  cruelty,  immorality,  dishonesty,  lying,  slavery, 
and  the  like,  are  to  be  found  in  full  vigour  among  savage  nations,  and  existed  among 
them  long  before  they  ever  saw  an  European. 

To  say  that  the  vices  above  mentioned  were  introduced  to  savages  by  Europeans  is  a 
libel  on  civilization.  Whenever  a  savage  can  intoxicate  himseK  he  will  do  so,  no  matter 
in  what  part  of  the  world  he  lives.  So  determinedly  is  he  bent  on  attaining  this  result, 
that  he  will  drink  vast  quantities  of  the  native  African  beer,  which  is  as  thick  as  ordi- 
nary gruel,  or  he  will  drink  the  disgustingly-prepared  kava  of  Polynesia ;  or  he  will 
smoke  hemp  in  a  pipe,  or  chew  it  as  a  sweetmeat ;  or  swallow  tobacco  smoke  until  he  is 
more  than  half  choked,  or  he  will  take  opium  if  he  can  get  it,  and  intoxicate  himself 
with  that. 

Similarly,  the  savage  is  essentially  cruel,  not  having  the  least  regard  for  the  sufferings 
of  others,  and  inflicting  the  most  frightful  tortures  with  calm  enjoyment.  As  for  morality, 
as  we  understand  the  word,  the  true  savage  has  no  conception  of  it,  and  the  scenes  which 
nightly  take  place  in  savage  lands  are  of  such  a  nature  that  travellers  who  have  witnessed 
them  are  obliged  to  pass  them  ever  in  discreet  silence.  Honesty,  in  its  right  sense,  is 
equally  unknown,  and  so  is  truthfulness,  a  successful  theft  and  an  undetected  falsehood 
being  thought  evidences  of  skill  and  ingenuity,  and  by  no  means  a  disgrace.  Slaveiy, 
again,  thrives  mightily  among  savages,  and  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  savages  are  the 
hardest  masters  towards  their  slaves  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

The  land  in  which  the  Damaras  live  is  rather  a  remarkable  one,  and,  although  it  is  of 
very  large  extent,  only  a  small  portion  is  habitable  by  human  beings.  The  vegetation  is 
mostly  of  the  thorny  kind,  while  water  is  scarce  throughout  a  great  portion  of  the  year, 
the  rainy  season  bringing  with  it  sudden  floods,  which  are  scarcely  less  destructive  than 
the  piBvious  drought.  "Being  situated  in  the  tropic  of  Capricorn,  the  seasons  are 
naturally  the  reverse  of  those  in  Europe.  In  the  month  of  August,  when  our  summer 
may  be  said  to  be  at  an  end,  hot  v/esterly  winds  blow,  which  quickly  parch  up  and 
destroy  the  vegetation.  At  the  same  time,  whir' winds  sweep  over  the  country  with 
tremendous  velocity,  driving  along  vast  columns  of  sand,  many  feet  in  diameter,  and 
several  hundred  in  height  At  times,  ten  or  fifteen  of  these  columns  may  be  seen  chasing 
each  other.  The  Damaras  designate  them  Orukumb'ombura,  or,  Rain-bringers,  a  most 
appropriate  name,  as  they  usually  occur  just  before  the  first  rains  fall. 

"  Showers,  accompanied  by  thunder  and  vivid  lightning,  are  not  unusual  in  the  months 
of  September  and  October ;  but  the  regular  rains  do  not  set  in  till  December  and  January, 
when  they  continue,  with  but  slight  intermission,  till  May.  In  this  month  and  June, 
strong  easterly  winds  prevail,  which  are  i;ot  only  disagreeable  but  injurious  to  health. 
The  lips  crack,  and  the  skin  feels  dry  and  harsh.  Occasionally  at  this  time,  tropical  rains 
fall,  but  they  do  more  harm  than  good,  as  sudden  cold,  which  annihilates  vegetation,  is 
invariably  the  result  In  July  and  August  the  nights  are  the  coldest,  and  it  is  then  no 
unusual  thing  to  find  ice  half  au  inch  thick.', 


PHYSICAL  CONSTITUTION. 


339 


The  Damaras  have  a  very  odd  notion  of  their  origin,  thinking  that  they  sprang  from 
tree  which  they  call  in  consequence  the  Mother  Tree.  All  the  animals  had  the  s^me 
* .  jjj'.  and,  after  they  had  burst  from  the  parent  tree,  the  world  was  all  in  darkness.  A 
Damatti  then  lighted  a  fire,  whereupon  most  of  the  beasts  and  birds  fled  away  in  terror, 
while  a  few  remained,  and  came  close  to  the  blaze.  Those  which  fled  became  wild 
uiimals,  such  as  the  gnoo,  the  giraffe,  the  zebra,  and  others,  while  those  which  remained 
^the  sheep,  the  ox,  the  goat,  and  dog,  and  became  domesticated.    The  individual  tree 


■*'l:;'; 


I;  'Ml 


^^^ 


?:^^^:^^^^:^^!?i««c^ 


DAMARA  WABRIOR  AND  WIFE. 


is  said  still  to  exist  at  a  place  called  Omariera,  but,  as  it  happens,  every  sub-tribe  of  the 
Damaras  point  to  a  different  tree,  and  regard  it  with  filial  affection  as  their  great 
aucestor. 

The  natives  call  this  tree  Motjohaara,  and  the  particular  individual  from  which  they 
believe  that  they  sprung  by  the  name  of  Omumborombonga.  The  timber  is  very  heavy, 
and  of  so  close  and  hard  a  texture,  that  it  may  be  ranked  among  the  ironwoods. 

In  appearance  the  Damaras  are  a  fine  race  of  men,  sometimes  exceeding  six  feet  in 
height,  and  well  proportioned.    Their  features  are  tolerably  regular,  and  they  move  with 

z2 


^i 


840 


THEDAMABAa 


<    i 


m 


i&  ^ 


X  D^-jm 


grace  and  freedom.  They  are  powerful,  as  becomes  their  bulk ;  but,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  savages,  although  they  can  put  forth  great  strength  on  occasions,  they  are  not 
capable  of  long  and  continued  exertion. 

The  bodily  constitution  of  the  Damaras  is  of  the  most  extraordinary  character.  Paig  j 
for  them  seems  almost  non-existent,  and  an  injury  which  would  be  fatal  to  the  more 
nervously  constituted  European  has  but  little  etfect  on  the  Damara.  The  reader  may 
remember  the  insensibility  to  pain  manifested  by  the  Hottentots,  but  the  Damaras  even ' 
exceed  them  in  this  particuliu*.  Mr.  Baines  mentions,  in  his  MS.  notes,  some  extra- 
ordinary instances  of  this  peculiarity.  On  one  occasion  a  man  had  broken  his  leg,  and 
the  fractured  limb  had  been  put  up  in  a  splint. 

One  day,  while  the  leg  was  being  dressed,  Mr.  Baines  heard  a  great  shout  of  laughter 
and  found  that  a  clumsy  assistant  had  let  the  leg  fall,  and  had  re-broken  the  partially 
united  bones,  so  that  the  leg  was  hanging  with  the  foot  twisted  inwards.  Instead  of] 
being  horrified  at  such  an  accident,  they  were  all  shouting  with  laughter  at  the  abnormal 
shape  of  the  limb,  and  no  one  seemed  to  think  it  a  better  joke,  or  laughed  more  heartily, 
than  the  injured  man  himself  The  same  man,  when  his  injuries  had  nearly  healed,  and 
nitrate  of  silver  had  to  be  applied  freely  to  the  parts,  bore  the  excruciating  operation  so 
well  that  he  was  complimented  on  his  courage.  However,  it  turned  out  that  he  did  not 
feel  the  application  at  all,  and  that  the  compliments  were  quite  thrown  away. 

On  another  occasion,  a  very  remarkable  incident  occurred.  There  had  been  a  mutiny, 
which  threatened  the  lives  of  the  whole  party,  and  the  ringleader  was  accordingly  con- 
demned to  death,  and  solemnly  executed  by  being  shot  through  the  head  with  a  pistol, 
the  body  being  allowed  to  lie  where  it  fell.  Two  or  three  days  afterwards,  the  executed 
criminal  made  his  appearance,  not  much  the  worse  for  the  injury,  except  the  remains  of  a 
wound  in  his  head.  He  seemed  to  think  that  he  had  been  rather  hardly  used,  and  asked 
for  a  stick  of  tobacco  as  compensation. 

Yet,  although  so  indiiTerent  to  external  injuries,  they  are  singularly  sensitive  to  illness, 
and  are  at  once  prostrated  by  a  slight  indisposition,  of  which  an  European  would  think 
nothing  at  all. 

Their  peculiar  constitution  always  shows  itself  in  travelling.  Mr.  Baines  remarks 
that  a  savage  is  ready  to  travel  at  a  minute's  notice,  as  he  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  pick 
up  his  weapons  and  start.  He  looks  with  contempt  upon  the  preparation  which  a  \i'hit« 
man  makes,  and  for  ^^wo  or  three  days'  "  fatigue  "  wonc  will  beat  almost  any  European, 
Yet  in  a  long,  steady  march,  the  European  tir^  out  the  savage,  unless  the  latter  conforms 
to  the  usages  which  he  despised  at  starting. 

He  finds  that,  after  all,  he  will  require  baggage  and  clothing  of  some  kind.  The  heat 
of  the  mid-day  sun  gives  him  a  headache,  and  he  is  obliged  to  ask  for  a  cap  as  a  protec- 
tion. Then  his  sandals,  which  were  sufficient  for  him  on  a  sandy  soil,  are  no  protection 
against  thorns,  and  so  he  has  to  procure  shoes.  Then,  sleeping  at  night  without  a  rug  or 
large  kaross  cannot  be  endured  for  many  nights,  and  so  he  has  to  ask  for  a  blanket. 
His  food  again,  such  as  the  ground  nuts,  on  which  the  poorer  Damarus  chiefly  live,  is  not 
sufficiently  nutritious  for  long-continued  exertion,  and  he  is  obliged  to  ask  for  his  regular 
rations.  His  usual  fashion  is  to  make  a  dash  at  work,  to  continue  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  then  to  cease  altogether,  and  recruit  his  strength  by  passmg  several  days  in  inactioa 

The  dress  of  the  Damaras  is  rather  peculiar — that  of  the  women  especially  so. 

The  principal  part  of  a  man's  dress  is  a  leathern  rope  of  wonderful  length,  seldom 
less  than  a  hundred  feet,  and  sometimes  exceeding  four  or  even  five  hundred.  This  is 
wound  in  loose  coils  round  the  waist,  so  that  it  falls  in  folds  which  are  not  devoid  of 
grace.  In  it  the  Damara  thrusts  his  axes,  knob-kerries,  and  other  implements,  so  that  it 
serves  the  purpose  of  a  belt,  a  pocket,  and  a  dress.  His  feet  are  defended  by  sandals, 
made  something  like  those  of  the  Bechuanas,  and  fastened  to  the  feet  in  a  similar  manner, 
but  remarkable  for  their  length,  projecting  rather  behind  the  heel,  and  very  much  before 
the  toes,  in  a  way  that  reminds  the  observer  of  the  long-toed  boots  which  were  so 
fashionable  in  early  English  times.  Sometimes  he  makes  a  very  bad  use  of  these  sandals, 
surreptitiously  scraping  holes  in  the  sand,  into  which  he  pushes  small  articles  of  value 
that  may  have  been  dropped,  and  then  stealthily  covers  them  up  with  the  sand. 


DBESS 


841 


the  casetrtth 
•  t^«y  are  not 

haracter.  Pa„, 
»1  to  the  more 
ne  reader  mj  I 
*  Damanw  even 
S8,  some  extra. 
wn  liis  leg,  and 

)ut  of  laughter,  i 
n  the  partially 
as.  Instead  of  I 
t  the  abnormal 
more  heartily 
rfy  healed,  and 
ig  operation  so 
nat  he  did  not 

ay. 

heen  a  mutiny, 
Jcordinglycon' 
i  with  a  pistol, 
s,  the  executed 
le  remains  of  a 
sed,  and  asked 

itive  to  illness, 
n  would  think 

iaines  remarks 
do  but  to  pick 
which  a  white 
any  European. 
atter  conforms 

nd.  The  heat 
ip  as  a  protec- 
no  protection 
hout  a  rug  or 
'or  a  blanket 
fly  live,  is  not 
or  his  regular 
)r  three  days, 
's  in  inactioa 
lly  so. 

sngth,  seldom 
Ired.    This  is 
not  devoid  of 
its,  so  that  it 
i  by  sandals, 
lilar  manner, 
much  before 
lich  were  so 
hese  sandals, 
}le3  of  value 
ad. 


Jiay  oro  yeiy  fond  of  ornament,  and  place  great  value  on  iron  for  this  purpose, 

I  Sahioning  it  into  various  forms,  and  polishing  it  until  it  glitters  brightly  in  the  sunbeams. 

3eadB,  of  course,  they  wear,  and  they  are  fond  of  ivoiy  beads,  some  of  which  may  be 

other  termed  balls,  so  large  are  they.    One  man  had  a  string  of  these  beads  which  hung 

fivm  the  back  of  his  head  nearly  to  his  heels.    The  uppermost  beads  were  about  as  laige 
'  IS  billiard  balls,  and  they  graduated  regularly  in  size  until  the  lowest  and  smallest  were 

|)Biely  as  large  as  hazel-nuts.    He  was  very  proud  of  tlm  ornament,  and  refused  to  sell 

ittbough  he  kindly  offered  to  lend  it  for  a  day  or  two. 
His  head-dress  costs  him  much  trouble  in  composing,  though  he  does  not  often  go 

through  the  labour  of  ac^usting  it    He  divides  his  hair  into  a  great  number  of  strands, 

which  he  fixes  by  imbuing  them 

with  a  mixture  of  grease  and  red 

ochre,  and  then  aUows  them  to 

hang  round  his  head  like  so  many 

short  red  cords.    A  wealthy  man 

fill  sometimes  adorn  himself  with 

a  single  cockle-shell  in  the  centre 

of  the  forehead,  and  Mr.  Baines 

remarks,  that  if  any  of  his  friends 

at  home  would  only  have  made 

a  supper  on  a  few  pennyworth  of 

cockles,  and  sent  him  the  shells, 

he  could  have  made  his  fortuna 

The  men  have  no  particular  hat 

orcap;  but,  as  they  are  very  fas- 
tidious about  their  hair,  and  as 

rain  would  u^.terly  destroy  all- the 

elaborately-dressed  locks,  they  use 
in  rainy  weather  a  piece  of  soft 
hide,  which  they  place  on  their 
heads,  and  fold  or  twist  into  any 
form  that  may  seem  most  con- 
venient to  them.  The  fat  and  red 
ochre  with  which  he  adorns  his 
head  is  Uberallv  bestowed  on  the 
whole  body,  and  affords  an  index 
to  the  heidth  and  general  spirits 
oftheDamara.  When  a  Damara 
is  well  and  in  good  spirits  he  is 
all  red  and  shining  like  a  mirror, 
and  whenever  he  is  seen  pale  and 
dull  he  is  sure  either  to  be  in  low 
spirits  or  bad  circumstances.  As 
a  rule,  the  Damaras  do  not  wash 
themselves,  preferring  to  renew 
their  beauty  by  paint  and  grease, 
and  the  natural  consequence  is, 
that  they  diffuse  an  odour  which 
is  far  from  agreeable  to  European 
nostrils,  though  their  own  seem 
to  be  insensible  to  it.    Indeed,  so 

powerful  are  the  odours  of  the  African  tribes,  that  any  one  who  ventures  among  them 
must  boldly  abnegate  the  sense  of  smell,  and  make  up  his  mind  to  endure  all  kinds  of 
evil  odours,  just  as  he  makes  up  his  mind  to  endure  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  the  various 
hardships  of  travel  in  a  foreign  land. 
^    The  dress  of  the  women  is  most  remarkable,  not  to  say  unique. 


OAHARA  GIRL  RB3TIM0. 


,.  •1"i 


m 


^  'M)' 


lit 


l»i 


V.     iS 


It^  > 


842 


THE  DAMABAS. 


As  children,  they  have  no  clothing  whatever;  and,  until  they  are  asked  in  marriase 
they  wear  the  usual  costume  of  Southern  Africa,  namely,  the  fringe-apron,  and  perhaps  a 
piece  of  leather  tied  round  the  waist,  these  and  beads  constituting  their  only  dress.         ' 

The  illustration  on  page  341  is  from  a  drawing  by  Mr.  Baines,  which  admirably! 
shows  the  symmetrical  and  giticeful  figures  of  the  Damara  girls  before  they  are  married  I 
and  their  contours  spoiled  by  hard  work.  ' 

The  drawing  was  taken  from  life,  and  represents  a  young  girl  as  she  appears  while 
xesting  herself.  It  seems  rather  a  strange  mode  of  resting,  but  it  is  a  point  of  honour  with 
the  Damara  girls  and  women  not  to  put  down  a  load  until  they  have  conveyed  it  to  its 
destination,  and,  as  she  has  found  the  heavy  basket  to  fatigue'  her  head,  she  has  raised  it 
on  both  her  hands,  and  thus  "  rests  "  herself  without  ceasing  her  walk  or  putting  dowa 
her  burdea 

Not  content  with  the  basket  load  upon  her  head,  she  has  another  load  tied  to  her 
back,  consisting  of  some  puppies.  The  Damara  girls  are  very  fond  of  puppies,  and  make 
great  pets  of  them,  treating  them  as  if  they  were  babies,  and  carrying  them  about  exactly 
as  the  married  women  carry  their  children. 

As  soon  as  they  have  been  asked  in  marriage,  the  Damara  woman  assumes  the 
matron's  distinctive  costume.  This  is  of  the  most  elaborate  character,  and  requires  a 
careful  description,  as  there  is  nothing  like  it  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

Bound  her  waist  the  woman  winds  an  inordinately  long  hide  rope,  like  that  worn  hy 
her  husband.  This  rope  is  so  satumted  with  grease  that  it  is  as  soft  and  pliable  as  silk, 
but  also  has  the  disadvantage  of  harbouring  sundr}*  noxious  insects,  the  extermination  of 
which,  however,  seems  to  afford  harmless  amusement  to  the  Damara  ladies.  Also,  she 
wears  a  dress  made  of  skin,  the  hair  being  worn  outwards,  and  the  upper  part  turned  over 
so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  capa 

Many  Damara  women  wear  a  curious  kind  of  bodice,  the  chief  use  of  which  seems 
to  be  the  evidence  that  a  vast  amount  of  time  and  labour  has  been  expended  in  producing 
,a  very  small  result.  Small  flat  discs  of  ostrich-sheU  are  prepared,  as  has  already  been 
mentioned  when  treating  of  the  Hottentots,  and  strung  together.  A  number  of  the 
strings  are  then  set  side  by  side  so  as  to  form  a  wide  belt,  which  is  fastened  round  the 
body,  and  certainly  affords  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  shining  red  which  is  so  hberally 
used,  and  which  entirely  obliterates  the  distinctions  of  dark  or  fair  individuals. 

Bound  their  wrists  and  ankles  they  wear  a  succession  of  metal  rings,  almost  invariably 
iron  or  copper,  and  some  of  the  richer  sort  wear  so  many  that  they  can  hardly  walk  with 
comfort,  and  their  naturally  graceful  gait  degenerates  into  an  awkward  waddle.  It  is 
rather  curious  that  the  women  should  value  these  two  metals  so  highly,  for  they  care 
comparatively  little  for  the  more  costly  metals,  such  as  brass  or  even  gold.  These  rings 
are  very  simply  made,  being  merely  thick  rods  cut  to  the  proper  length,  bent  rudely  into 
form,  and  then  clenched  over  the  limb  by  the  hammer.  These  ornaments  have  cost  some 
of  their  owners  very  dear,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

The  strangest  part  of  the  Woman's  costume  is  the  head-dress,  which  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  the  illustration  on  page  339. 

The  framework  of  the  head-dress  is  a  skull-cap  of  stout  hide,  which  fits  closely  to 
the  head,  and  wliich  is  ornamented  with  three  imitation  ears  of  the  same  material  one 
being  on  each  side,  and  the  third  behind.  To  the  back  of  this  cap  is  attached  a  fiat  tail, 
sometimes  three  feet  or  more  in  length,  and  six  or  eight  inches  in  width.  It  is  composed 
of  a  strip  of  leather,  on  which  are  fastened  parallel  strings  of  metal  beads,  or  rather 
"  bugles,'  mostly  made  of  tin.  The  last  few  inches  of  the  leather  strip  are  cut  into 
thongs  so  as  to  form  a  terminal  fringe.  The  cap  is  further  decorated  by  shells,  which  are 
sewn  round  it  in  successive  rows  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  wearer.  The  whole  of 
the  cap,  as  well  as  the  cars,  is  rubbed  with  grease  and  red  ochre. 

So  much  for  the  caj)  itself,  which,  however,  is  incomplete  without  the  Veil.  This  is  a 
large  piece  of  thin  and  very  soft  leather  which  is  attached  to  the  front  of  the  cap,  and,  if 
allowed  to  hang  freely,  woiild  fall  over  the  face  and  conceal  it.  The  women,  however, 
only  wear  it  thus  for  a  short  time,  and  then  roll  it  back  so  that  it  passes  over  the  fore- 
head, and  then  falls  on  either  shoulder.  % 


•CEOWING"  FOR  ROOTS  AND  WATER 


343 


ed  in 
and  ^ 

^y  di-ess. 
lich 


marri  I  Heavy  and  inconvenient  as  is  this  cap,  the  Damara  woman  never  goes  without  it, 
— L  ^  ^^oA  BvSSers  all  the  inconvenience  for  the  sake  of  being  fashionable.  Indeed,  so  highly  is 
ItL  adornment  prized  by  both  sexes  that  the  husbands  would  visit  their  wives  with  their 
lliegviest  displeasure  (i.e.  beat  them  within  an  inch  of  their  lives)  if  they  ventured  to  appear 
Ifithout  it.  One  woman,  whose  portrait  was  being  taken,  was  recommended  to  leave  her 
|]iead-clKSS  with  the  artist,  so  that  she  might  be  spared  the  trouble  of  standing  while  the 
I  elaborate  decorations  were  being  drawn.  She  was  horrified  at  the  idea  of  laying  it  aside, 
linclsaid  that  her  husband  would  kill  her  if  she  was  seen  without  her  proper  dress.  If 
Lewishls  to  carry  a  burden  on  her  head,  she  does  not  remove  her  cap,  but  pushes  it  off 
Ker  forehead,  so  that  the  three  pointed  ears  come  upon  the  crown  instead  of  the  top 
of  the  head,  and  are  out  of  the  way. 

However  scanty  may  be  the  apparel  which  is  worr,  both  sexes  are  very  particular 
ibottt  wearing  something,  and  look  upon  entire  nudity  much  in  the  same  light  that  we 
jo.  So  careful  are  they  in  this  respect  that  an  unintentional  breach  of  etiquette  gave  its 
name  to  a  river.  Some  Damara  women  came  to  it,  and,  seeing  that  some  berries  were 
mmn  on  the  opposite  side,  and  that  the  wpter  was  not  much  more  than  waist-deep, 
they  left  their  aprons  on  the  bank  and  waded  across.  While  they  were  engaged  in 
gathering  the  berries,  a  torrent  of  water  suddenly  swept  down  the  river,  overflowed  its 
banks  and  carried  away  the  dresses.  Ever  afterwards  the  Damaras  gave  that  stream  the 
name  of  Okaroschek^,  or  "  Naked  River." 

They  have  a  curious  custom  of  chipping  the  two  upper  front  teeth,  so  as  to  leave  a 
V-shaped  space  between  them.  This  is  done  with  a  flmt,  and  the  custom  prevails^  with 
lome  modifications,  among  many  other  tribes. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  Damaras  have  many  cattle.  They  delight  in  having 
toves  of  one  single  colour,  bright  brown  being  the  favourite  hue,  and  cattle  of  that 
colour  being  mostly  remarkable  for  their  enduring  powers.  Damara  cattle  are  much 
prized  by  other  tribes,  and  even  by  the  white  settlers,  on  account  of  their  quick  step, 
strong  hoofs,  and  lasting  powers.  They  are,  however,  rather  apt  to  be  wild,  and,  as  their 
horns  are  exceedingly  long  and  sharp,  an  enraged  Damara  ox  becomes  a  most  dangerous 
animal  Sometimes  the  horns  of  an  ox  will  be  so  long  that  the  tips  are  seven  or  eight 
feet  apart.  The  hair  of  these  cattle  is  shining  and  smooth,  and  the  tuft  at  the  end  of 
the  tail  is  nearly  as  remarkable  for  its  length  as  the  horns.  These  tail-tufts  are  much 
used  in  decorations,  and  are  in  great  request  for  ornamenting  the  shafts  of  the  assagais. 

As  is  generally  the  case  with  African  cattle,  the  cows  give  but  little  milk  dailv,  and  if 
the  calf  should  happen  to  die,  none  at  alL  In  such  cases,  the  Damaras  stuff  the  skin  of  the 
dead  calf  with  grass,  and  place  it  before  the  cow,  who  is  quite  contented  with  it.  Sometimes 
a  rather  ludicrous  incident  has  occurred.  The  cow,  while  licking  her  imagined  offspring, 
has  come  upon  the  grass  which  protrudes  here  and  there  from  the  rudely  stuffed  skin,  and, 
thrusting  her  nose  into  the  interior,  has  dragged  out  and  eaten  the  whole  of  the  grass. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  Damaras  find  much  of  their  subsistence  in  the  ground. 
They  are  trained  from  infancy  in  digging  the  ground  for  food,  and  little  children  who 
cannot  fairly  walk  may  be  seen  crawling  about,  digging  up  rosts  and  eating  them.  By 
leason  of  this  diet,  the  figures  of  the  children  are  anything  but  graceful,  their  stomachs 
protruding  in  a  most  absurd  manner,  and  their  backs  taking  a  corresponding  curve. 
Their  mode  of  digging  holes  is  called  "  crowing,"  and  is  thus  managed :  they  take  a 
pointed  stick  in  their  right  hand,  break  up  the  ground  with  it,  and  scrape  out  the  loose 
earth  with  the  left.  They  are  wonderfully  expeditious  at  this  work,  having  to  employ 
it  for  many  purposes,  such  as  digging  up  the  ground-nuts,  on  which  they  feed  largely, 
excavating  for  water,  and  the  like.  They  will  sometimes  "  crow  "  holes  eighteen  inches 
or  more  in  depth,  and  barely  six  inches  in  diameter.  The  word  "  crow  "  is  used  very 
frequently  by  travellers  in  this  part  of  Africa,  and  sadly  puzzles  the  novice,  who  does 
not  in  the  least  know  what  can  be  meant  by  "  crowing  "  for  roots,  "  crow-water,"  and  the 
lilce.  Crow-water,  of  course,  is  that  which  is  obtained  by  digging  holes,  and  is  never  so 
good  as  that  which  can  be  drawn  from  some  open  well  or  stream. 

"Crowing"  is  verv  useful  in  house-building.     The  women  procure  a  number  of 
^lerably  stout,  but  pliant  sticks,  some  eight  or  nine  feet  long,  and  then  "  crow  "  a  corre- 


ey  are  married, 

appears  vhile 
01  honour  vith 
^eyedittoitj, 
e  has  raised  it 

putting  down 

^^  tied  to  her 

"es,  and  make 

about  exactly 

assumes  the 
md  requires  a 

that  worn  by 
'liable  as  silk, 
termination  of 
J-  Also,  she 
ft  turned  over 

yJiich  seems 
in  producing 
already  been 
umber  of  the 
led  round  the 
'8  so  liberally 
lis.  ' 

»st  invariably 
Jy  walk  with 
,adaie.  It  is 
br  they  care 
These  rings 
t  rudely  into 
^e  cost  some 

^  be  seen  by 

3  closely  to 
laterial.  one 
i  a  flat  tail, 
s  composed 
,  or  rather 
I'e  cut  into 
.  which  are 
le  whole  of 

This  is  a 

!ap,  and,  if 

I,  however, 

f  the  fore- 

I 


yk..A 


I 

i 


S4A 


THEDAMAKAa 


&i*j 


gponding  number  of  holes  in  a  circle  about  eight  feet  in  diameter.  The  sticks  aie 
in  the  holes,  the  tops  bent  down  and  lashed  together,  and  the  framework  of  the  lioagTiti 
complete.  A  stout  pole,  with  a  forked  top,  is  then  set  in  the  middle  of  the  hut  and 
supports  the  roof,  just  as  a  tent-pole  supports  the  canvass.  Brushwood  is  then  woven  in 
and  out  of  the  framework,  and  mud  plastered  upon  the  iMiishwood.  A  hole  is  left  at  tC 
side  by  way  of  a  door,  and  another  at  the  top  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a  chimnev 
When  the  fire  is  not  alight,  an  old  ox-hide  is  laid  over  the  aperture,  and  kept  in  its  pU^ 
by  heavy  stonea  Moreover,  as  by  the  heat  of  the  fire  inside  the  hut,  and  the  rays  of  the 
sun  outside  it,  various  cracks  make  their  appearance  in  the  roof,  hides  are  laid  hen  and 
there,  until  at  last,  an  old  Damara  hut  is  nearly  covered  with  hides.  These  act  as  Ten. 
tilators  during  the  day,  but  are  carefully  drawn  and  closed  at  night,  the  savage,  who 
spends  all  his  day  in  the  open  air,  almost  invariably  shutting  out  every  breath  of  air 
during  the  night,  and  seeming  to  have  the  power  of  existing  for  six  or  eight  hours  withopt 
oxygen.  As  if  to  increase  the  chance  of  suffocation,  the  Damaras  always  crowd  into 
these  huts,  packing  themselves  as  closely  as  possible  round  the  small  fire  whidi  occupigg 
the  centre. 

As  to  furbiture,  the  Damaras  trouble  themselves  little  about  such  a  superfluitr, 
Within  the  hut  may  usually  be  seen  one  or  two  clay  cooking  pots,  some  wooden  vessel 
a  couple  of  ox-hides  by  way  of  chairs,  a  small  bag  of  grease,  another  of  red  ochre,  and 
an  axe  for  chopping  wood.  All  the  remainder  of  their  property  is  either  carried  on  theit 
persons,  or  buried  in  some  secret  spot  so  that  it  may  not  be  stolen. 

The  intellect  of  the  Damaras  does  not  seem  to  be  of  a  very  high  order,  or,  at  all 
event«,  it  has  not  been  cultivated.  They  seem  to  fail  most  completely  in  arithmetic,  and 
cannot  even  count  beyond  a  certain  number.  Mr.  Galton  gives  a  ve^  amusing  descrip. 
tion  of  a  Damara  jin  difficulties  with  a  question  of  simple  arithmetic. 

"  We  went  on  y  three  hours,  and  slept  at  the  furthest  watering-place  that  Haas  and 
I  had  explored.  Now  we  had  to  trust  to  the  guides,  whose  ideas  of  time  and  du. 
tance  were  most  provokiugly  indistinct ;  besides  this,  they  have  no  comparative  in  their 
language,  so  that  you  cannot  say  to  them,  '  Which  is  the  longer  of  the  two,  the  nut 
stage  or  the  last  one?'  but  you  must  say,  'The  last  stage  is  little;  the  next,  is  it 
great?'  the  reply  is  not,  it  is  a  'little  longer,'  'much  longer,'  or  've^  much  longer,' 
but  simply,  '  It  is  so,'  or  '  It  is  not  so.'  They  have  a  very  poor  notion  of  tima  H 
you  say,  'Suppose  we  start  at  sunrise,  where  wiU  the  sun  be  when  we  arrive?'  they 
make  the  wildest  points  in  the  sky,  though  they  are  something  of  astronomers,  and  give 
names  to  several  stars.  They  have  no  way  of  distinguishing  days,  but  reckon  by  the 
rainy  season,  the  dry  season,  or  the  pig-nut  seasort 

"  When  inquiries  are  made  about  how  many  days'  journey  off  a  place  may  he,  their 
ignorance  of  all  numerical  ideas  is  very  aimoying.  In  practice,  whatever  they  may 
possess  in  their  language,  they  certainly  use  no  numeral  greater  than  three.  When  th^ 
wish  to  express  four,  they  take  to  their  fingers,  which  are  to  them  as  formidable  instru- 
ments of  calculation  as  a  sliding  rule  is  to  an  English  school-boy.  They  puzzle  very 
much  after  five,  becaus#no  spare  hand  remains  to  grasp  and  secure  the  fingers  that  are 
required  for  'units.'  Yet  they  seldom  lose  oxen:  uie  way  in  which  they  discover  the 
loss  of  one  is  not  by  the  number  of  the  herd  being  diminished,  but  by  the  absence  of  a 
face  they  know. 

"  When  bartering  is  going  on,  each  sheep  must  be  paid  for  separately.  Thus,  suppow 
two  sticks  of  tobacco  to  be  the  rate  of  exchange  for  one  sheep,  it  would  sorely  puzzle  a 
Damara  to  take  two  sheep  and  give  him  four  sticks.  I  have  done  so,  and  seen  a  man  first 
put  two  of  the  sticks  apart,  and  take  a  sight  over  them  at  one  of  the  sheep  he  was  about 
to  sell.  Having  satisfied  himself  that  that  one  was  honestly  paid  for,  and  finding  to  his 
surprise  that  exactly  two  sticks  remained  in  hand  to  settle  the  account  for  the  other  sheep, 
he  would  be  afilicted  with  doubts;  the  transaction  seemed  to  come  out  too  'pat'  to  be 
correct,  and  he  would  refer  back  to  the  first  couple  of  sticks;  and  then  his  nund  got  hazy 
and  confused,  and  wandered  from  one  sheep  to  the  other,  and  he  broke  off  the  transaction 
until  two  sticks  were  put  into  his  hand,  and  one  sheep  driven  away,  and  then  the  other 
two  sticks  given  him,  and  the  second  sheep  driven  away. 


WEAPONa 


346 


"When  a  Daman's  mind  is  bent  upon  nnmber,  it  is  too  much  occupied  to  dwell  upon 
ggantitr ;  thas  a  heifer  is  bought  from  a  man  for  ten  sticks  of  tobacco,  his  lai;ge  hands 
iv^  both  spread  out  upon  the  ground,  and  a  stick  placed  upon  each  finger.  He  gathers 
gptbe  tobacco,  the  size  of  the  mass  pleases  him,  and  the  bargain  is  struck.  You  then 
linnt  to  buy  a  second  heifer ;  the  same  process  is  gone  through,  but  half  sticks  instead 
[^ whole  sticks  are  put  upon  his  fingers;  the  man  is  equally  satisfied  at  the  time,  but 
Lasioiudly  finds  it  out,  and  complains  the  next  day. 

!  «  Once,  while  I  watched  a  Damara  floundering  hopelessly  in  a  calculation  on  one  side 
rf  me,  I  observed  Dinah,  my  spaniel,  equally  embarrassed  on  the  other.  She  was  over- 
looking half  a  dozen  of  her  new-bom  puppies,  which  had  been  removed  two  or  three 
times  from  her,  and  her  anxiety  was  excessive,  as  she  tried  to  find  out  if  they  were  all 
Dtesentk  or  if  any  were  still  missing.  She  kept  puzzling  and  running  her  eyes  over  them 
fickwaids  and  forwards,  but  could  not  satisfy  herself  She  evidently  had  a  vague  notion 
of  counting,  but  the  figure  was  too  large  for  her  brain.  Taking  the  two  as  they  stood,  dog 
ind  Damara,  the  comparison  reflected  no  great  honour  on  the  man. 

-  Hence,  as  the  Damaras  had  the  vaguest  notions  of  time  and  distance,  and  as  their 

language  was  a  poor  vehicle  for  expressing  what  ideas  they  had,  and  lastly,  as  truth- 

Itelluig  was  the  exception  and  not  the  rule,  I     and  their  information  to  be  of  very  little 


use. 

Although  the  Damaras  managed  to  overrun  the  country,  they  cannot  be  considered  a 

lirarlike  people,  neither  have  they  been  able  to  Iwld  for  any  length  of  time  the  very 

nninviting  land  they  conquered.    Their  weapons  are  few  and  simple,  but,  such  as  they 

ue,  mx^eh  pains  are  taken  in  their  manufacture,  and  the  Damara  warrior  is  as  careful  to 

I  his  rude  arms  in  good  order  as  is  the  disciplined  soldier  of  Europe. 

[he  chief  and  distinctive  weapon  of  the  Damara  is  the  assagai,  which  has  little  in 
{common  with  the  weapons  that  have  already  been  described  under  that  name.  It  is 
about  six  feet  in  length,  and. has  an  enOrmous  blade,  leaf-shaped,  a  foot  or  more  in  length, 
and  proportionately  wide.  It  is  made  of  soft  steel,  and  can  be  at  once  sharpened  by 
scraping  with  a  knife  or  stone.  The  shaft  is  correspondingly  stout,  and  to  the  centre  is 
attached  one  of  the  flowing  ox-tails  which  have  already  been  mentioned.  Some  of  these 
assagais  are  made  almost  wholly  of  iron,  and  have  only  a  short  piece  of  wood  in  the 
middle,  which  answers  for  a  handle,  as  well  as  an  attachment  for  the  ox-tail,  which  seems 
I  to  be  an  essential  part  of  the  Damara  assagai. 

The  weapon  is,  as  may  be  conjectured,  an  exceedingly  inefiBcient  one,  and  the  blade  is 

j  oftener  used  as  a  knife  than  an  offensive  weapon.     It  is  certainly  useful  in  the  chase  of 

tiie  elephant  and  other  large  game,  because  the  wound  which  it  makes  is  very  laige,  and 

causes  a  great  flow  of  blood ;  but  against  human  enemies  it  is  comparatively  useless. 

The  Damara  also  carries  a  bow  and  arrows,  which  are  wretchedly  ineffective  weapons,  the 

marksman  seldom  hitting  his  object  at  a  distance  greater  than  ten  or  twelve  yarda    The 

I  weapon  which  he  really  handles  well  is  the  knob-kerry  or  short  club,  and  this  he  can  use 

either  as  a  club  at  short  quarters,  or  as  a  missile,  in  the  latter  case  hurling  it  with  a  force 

and  precision  that  renders  it  really  formidable.     Still,  the  Damaia's  entire  armament' 

!  is  a  very  poor  one,  and  it  is  not  matter  of  wonder  that  when  he  came  to  match  himself 

against  the  possessors  of  fire-arms  he  should  be  hopelessly  defeated. 

In  their  conflicts  with  the  Hottentots,  the  unfortunate  Damaras  suffered  dreadfully. 
They  were  literally  cut  to  pieces  by  far  inferior  forces,  not  through  any  particular  valour 
on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  nor  from  any  especial  cowardice  on  their  own,  but  simply 
because  they  did  not  know  their  own  powers.  Stalwart  warriors,  well  armed  with  their 
broad-bladed  assagais,  might  be  seen  paralysed  with  fear  at  the  sound  and  effects  of  the 
muskets  with  which  the  Hottentots  were  armed,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  for 
a  Damara  soldier  to  stand  still  in  fear  and  trembling  while  a  little  Hottentot,  at  twenty 
paces  distance,  deliberately  loaded  his  weapon,  and  then  shot  him  down. 

Being  ignorant  of  the  construction  and  management  of  fire-arms,  the  Damaras  had 
no  idea  that  they  were  harmless  when  discharged  (for  in  those  days  breech-loaders  and 
revolvers  were  alike  unknown  to  the  Hottentots),  and  therefore  allowed  themselves  to  be 
deliberately  shot,  while  the  enemy  was  really  at  their  mercy. 


n 
M 


M 


liS,^^  : 


846 


THEDAMARA& 


If  the  men  sufTered  death  in  the  field,  the  fate  of  the  women  was  wone.    Accordu 
to  the  custom  of  the  Damara  tribe,  they  carried  all  their  wealth  oc  their  persons  in  i 
shape  of  beads,  ear  rings,  and  especially  the  large  and  heavy  metal  rings  with'  whi  i 
their  ankles  and  wrists  were  adorned.    Whenever  the  Hottentot  soldiers  came  upon 
Damara  woman,  they  always  robbed  her  of  every  ornament,  tearing  off  all  her  clothinl, 
to  search  for  them,  and,  as  the  metal  rings  could  not  be  unclenched  without  some  trouby 
they  deliberately  cut  off  the  hands  and  feet  of  the  wretched  woman,  tore  off  the  rine 
and  left  her  to  live  or  die  as  might  happen.  ^ 

Strangely  enough  they  often  lived,  even  aftpr  undergoing  such  treatment ;  and,  afteJ 
stanching  the  flowing  blood  by  thrusting  the  stumps  of  their  limbs  into  the  hot  aanJ 
some  of  them  contrived  to  crawl  for  many  miles  until  they  rejoined  their  friends.  Foi 
some  time  after  the  war,  maimed  Damara  women  were  often  seen,  some  bein^'  withogi 
feet,  others  without  hands,  and  some  few  without  either — these  having  been  the  lici 
when  assaulted  by  their  cniel  enemies. 

The  Damaras  are  subdivided  into  a  number  of  eandas — a  word  which  has  son 
analogy  with  the  Hindoo  "caste " — each  eanda  having  its  peculiar  rites,  supeistitions,^ 
One  eanda  is  called  Ovakueyuba,  or  the  Sun-children;  another  is  Ovaku-'sombura,  or  I. 
Bain -children ;  and  so  on.  The  eandas  have  special  emblems  or  crests — if  suchawoi 
may  be  used.  These  emblems  are  always  certain  trees  or  bu  '•^'i,  which  represent  tl 
eandas  just  as  the  red  and  white  roses  represented  the  two  ^.^at  political  parties  i 
England.  Each  of  these  castes  has  some  prohibited  food,  and  they  will  almost  stan 
rather  than  break  the  law.  One  eanda  will  not  eat  the  flesh  of  red  oxen — to  anothei 
the  draught  oxen  are  prohibited ;  and  so  fastidious  are  they,  that  they  will  not  touch  (_ 
vessels  in  which  such  food  might  have  been  cooked,  nor  even  stand  to  leeward  of  thefirJ 
lest  the  smoke  should  touch  them.  These  practices  cause  the  Damaras  to  be  very  trouble 
some  as  guides,  and  it  is  not  until  the  leader  has  steadily  refused  to  humour  then:  tju 
they  will  consent  to  forego  for  the  time  their  antipathies. 

This  custom  is  the  more  extraordinary,  as  the  Damaras  are  by  nature  and  education! 
anything  but  fastidious,  and  they  will  eat  all  kinds  of  food  which  an  European  wouldl 
reject  with  disgust.  They  will  eat  the  flesh  of  cattle  or  horses  which  have  died  of  disea^l 
as  well  as  that  of  the  leopard,  hyaena,  and  other  beasts  of  prey. 

In  spite  of  their  unclean  feeding,  they  will  not  eat  raw,  or  even  underdone  meat,  i 
therein  are  certainly  superior  to  many  other  tribes,  who  seem  to  think  that  cooking  is  al 
needless  waste  of  time  and  fuel.  Goats  are,  happily  for  themselves,  among  the  prohibited! 
animals,  and  are  looked  upon  by  the  Damaras  much  as  swine  are  by  the  Jews.  I 

Fond  as  they  are  of  beef,  they  cannot  conceive  that  any  one  should  consider  neat  ail 
part  of  his  daily  food.  On  special  occasions  they  kill  an  ox,  or,  if  the  giver  of  the  feastl 
should  happen  to  be  a  rich  man,  six  or  seven  are  killed.  But,  when  an  ox  is  slaughtered,! 
it  is  almost  common  property,  every  one  within  reach  coming  for  a  portion  of  it,  and,  ifl 
refused,  threatening  to  annihilate  the  stingy  man  with  their  curse.  They  are  honiblyl 
afraid  of  this  curse,  supposing  that  their  health  will  be  blighted  and  their  streDgthl 
fade  away.  I 

Consequently,  meat  is  of  no  commercial  value  in  Damara-land,  no  one  caring  tol 
possess  food  which  practically  belongs  to  every  one  except  himself.  Cows  are  kept  fori 
the  sake  of  their  milk,  and  oxen  (as  Mr.  Galton  says)  merely  to  be  looked  at,  just  as  deerl 
are  kept  in  England,  a  few  being  slaughtered  on  special  occasions,  but  not  being  intended  I 
to  furnish  a  regular  supply  of  food.  Much  as  the  Damaras  value  their  oxen  when  alive- 1 
80  much  so,  indeed,  that  a  fine  of  two  oxen  is  considered  a  sufficient  reparation  for  murder  I 
— they  care  little  for  them  when  dead,  a  living  sheep  being  far  more  valuable  than  a| 
dead  ox. 

Tliese  people  know  every  ox  that  they  have  ever  seen.  Their  thoughts  run  on  oxen  I 
all  day,  and  cattle  form  the  chief  subject  of  their  conversation,  Mr.  Galton  found  that,! 
whenever  he  came  to  a  new  station,  the  natives  always  inspected  his  oxen,  to  see  ifl 
any  of  their  own  missing  cattle  were  among  them ;  and  if  he  had  by  chance  purch&iied  one  j 
that  had  been  stolen,  its  owner  would  be  sure  to  pick  it  out,  and  by  the  laws  of  tlielandl 
is  empowered  to  reclaim  it    Knowing  this  law,  he  always,  if  possible,  bought  his  oxen 


MUSIO  AND  DANOma 


347 


men  in  whose  possession  they  had  been  for  several  years,  so  that  no  one  would  be 
^ly  to  substantiate  a  claim  to  any  of  them.  « 

When  the  Damaras  are  at  home,  they  generally  amuse  themselves  in  the  evening  hy 
«ing  and  dancing. 

Their  music  is  of  a  very  simple  character,  their  principal,  if  not  only  instrument  being 

bov,  the  string  of  which  is  tightened,  and  then  struck  with  a  stick  in  a  kind  of 

>thmic  manner.    The  Damara  musician  thinks  that  the  chief  object  of  his  performance 


DAUABA  DANCB. 


I  to  imitate  the  gallop  or  trot  of  the  various  animals.  This  he  usually  does  with  great 
fckill,  the  test  of  an  accomplished  musician  being  the  imitation  of  the  clumsy  canter  of 
m  baboon. 

Their  dances  are  really  remarkable,  as  may  be  seen  by  thp  following  extract  from  the 
ifork  of  Mr.  Baines,  who  has  also  kindly  supplied  the  sketch  from  which  the  illustration 
ra  taken : — 

"At  night,  dances  were  got  up  among  the  Damaras,  our  attention  being  first  drawn 
)  them  by  a  sound  between  the  barking  of  a  dog  and  the  efforts  of  a  person  to  clear 
Jsomething  out  of  his  throat,  by  driving  the  breath  strongly  through  it  We  found  four 
Imen  stooping  with  their  heads  in  contact,  vying  with  each  other  in  the  production  of 
jthese  delectable  inarticulationa,  while  others,  with  rattling  anklets  of  hard  seed-shells, 
Idanced  round  them. 

"  By  degrees  the  company  gathered  together,  and  the  women  joined  the  performers, 
Islanding  in  a  semicircle.  They  sang  a  monotonous  chant,  and  clapped  their  hands,  while 
Ithe  young  men  and  boys  danced  up  to  them,  literally,  and  by  no  means  gently, '  beating 
Ithe  ground  with  nimble  feet,'  raising  no  end  of  dust,  and  making  their  shell  anklets  sound. 


«n=(H 


m 


fit' 


1  U  M ' 


i^ 


,"• 


Mi 


S48 


THEDAHABA& 


in  their  opinion,  most  melodiously.    Presently  the  leader  snatched  a  brand  from  the  fl 
and,  after  dancing  up  to  tlie  women  as  before,  stuck  it  in  the  ground  as  he  retired   '! 
forming  the  step  round  and  over  it  when  he  returned,  like  a  Highlander  in  the  broads*^ 
dance,  without  touching  it.    Then  came  the  return  of  a  victorious  party,  brandiahiuR  thl 
broad  spears  ornamented  with  flowing  ox-tails,  welcomed  by  a  chorus  of  women  and 
sionally  driving  back  the  few  enemies  who  had  the  audacity  to  approach  them.' 

"  This  scene,  when  acted  by  a  sufficient  number,  must  be  highly  effective.    As  it  \, 
the  glare  of  the  fire  reflected  from  the  red  helmet- like  gear  and  glittering  ornaments' 
the  women,  the  flashing  blades  and  waving  ox-tails  of  the  warriors,  with  the  litf  j1  o\1 
playing  on  the  background  of  huts,  kraal,  and  groups  of  cattle,  was  picturesque  enoueh. 
The  concluding  guttural  emissions  of  sound  were  frightful;  the  docs  howled  ml 
taneously ;  and  the  little  lemur,  terriiied  at  the  uproar,  darted  wildly  about  the  inside  ( 
the  wagon,  in  vain  eflbrts  to  escape  from  what,  in  fact,  was  his  only  place  of  safety." 

In  Damara-land,  the  authority  of  the  husband  over  the  wife  is  not  so  superior  at  L. 
other  parts  of  Africa.  Of  course,  he  has  the  advantage  of  superior  strength,  and,  whed 
angered,  will  use  the  stick  with  tolerable  freedom.  But,  if  he  should  be  too  liberal  witS 
the  stick,  she  has  a  tacit  right  of  divorce,  and  betakes  herself  to  some  one  who  will  nol 
treat  her  so  harshly.  Mr.  Galton  says  that  the  women  whom  he  saw  appeared  to  have  bu 
little  affection  either  for  their  husbands  or  children,  and  that  he  had  always  some  littl 
difficulty  in  finding  to  which  man  any  given  wife  happened  for  the  time  to  belong. 

The  Damara  wife  costs  her  husband  nothing  for  her  keep,  because  she  "crows "ha 
own  ground-nuts,  and  so  he  caunot  afibrd  to  dispense  with  her  services,  which  are  sol 
useful  in  building  his  house,  cooking  his  meals,  and  carrying  his  goods  from  place  to  place.! 
Each  wife  has  her  own  hut,  which  of  coursb  she  builds  for  herself;  and,  although  polyganyl 
is  in  vogue,  the  number  of  wives  is  not  so  great  as  is  the  case  with  other  tribes.  There  itl 
always  one  chief  wife,  who  takes  precedence  of  the  others,  and  whose  eldest  son  is  cod- 
eidered  the  heir  to  his  father's  possessions. 

Though  the  Damaras  have  no  real  religion,  they  have  plenty  of  superstitious  practice;, 
one  of  wnich  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  sacred  fire  of  the  ancients.  The  chief'i 
hut  is  d  stinguished  ^  y  a  fire  which  is  always  kept  burning,  outside  the  hut  in  fine 
weather,  and  inside  during  rain.  To  watch  this  fire  is  the  duty  of  his  daughter,  whoij 
a  kind  )f  priestes.<=-,  and  is  called  officially,  Ondangere.  She  perl'orms  various  rites  in 
virtue  oi  her  office ;  such  as  sprinkling  the  cows  with  water,  as  they  go  out  to  feed;  tvini 
a  sacred  knot  in  her  leathern  apron,  if  one  of  them  dies ;  and  other  similar  duties. 

Should  the  position  of  the  village  be  changed,  she  precedes  the  oxien,  carrying  a  hum- 
ing  brand  from  the  consecrated  fire,  and  taking  care  that  she  replaces  it  from  time  to  tine. 
If  by  any  chance  it  should  be  extinguished,  great  are  the  lamentations.  The  whole  tribe 
are  called  together,  cattle  are  sacrificed  as  expiatory  offerings,  and  the  fire  is  re-kindled 
by  friction.  If  one  of  the  sons,  or  a  chief  man,  shoidd  remove  from  the  spot,  and  set  up  a 
village  of  his  own,  he  is  supplied  with  some  of  the  sacred  fire,  and  hands  it  over  to  his 
own  daughter,  who  becomes  the  Ondangere  of  the  new  village. 

That  the  l)amaras  have  some  hazy  notion  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  is  evident 
enough,  though  they  profess  not  to  believe  in  such  a  doctrine ;  for  they  will  sometimes  go 
to  the  grave  of  a  deceased  friend  Ox-  chie*",  lay  down  provisions,  ask  him  to  eat,  ch  ink,  and 
be  merry,  and  then  beg  him,  in  return,  to  aid  them,  and  grant  them  herds  of  cattle  and 
plenty  of  wives.  Moreover,  they  believe  that  the  dead  revisit  the  earth,  though  not  in 
the  human  form :  they  generally  appear  in  the  shape  of  some  animal,  but  are  always  dis- 
tinguished by  a  mixture  of  some  other  animal  For  example,  if  a  Damara  sees  a  dog 
with  one  foot  like  that  of  an  ostrich,  he  knows  that  he  sees  an  apparition,  and  is  respectful 
accordingly.  If  it  should  follow  him,  he  is  dreadfully  frightened,  knowing  that  his  death 
is  prognosticated  thereby.    The  name  of  such  an  apparition  is  Otj-yuru. 

When  a  Damara  chief  dies,  he  is  buried  in  rather  a  peculiar  fashion.  As  soon  as  life 
is  extinrt — some  say,  even  before  the  last  breath  is  drawn — the  bystanders  break  the 
spine  by  a  blow  from  a  large  stone.  They  then  unwind  the  loi:g  vope  that  encircles  the 
loins,  and  lash  the  body  together  in  a  sitting  posture,  the  head  being  bent  over  the  knees. 
Ox-hides  are  then  tied  over  it,  and  it  is  buried  with  its  face  to  the  north,  as 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES. 


84f) 


ibed  when  treating  of  the  Bechuanas.    Cattle  are  then  sk^ghtered  in  honour  of 
dead  chief,  and  over  the  grave  a  post  is  erected,  to  which  the  skiills  and  hair  ai-n 
<hed  as  a  trophy.    The  bow,  arrows,  assagai,  and  clubs  of  the  deceased  are  hung  on 
same  post.    Large  Btones  are  pressed  into  the  soil  above  and  around  the  grave, 
lalwg*  pils  °^  thorns  is  also 
nedover  it,  in  order  to  keep  oflf 
Ljenas,  who  would  be  sure  to 
,  up  and  devour  the  body  before 
J  following  day.  Now  and  then 
Uief  orders  that  his  body  shall 
left  in  his  own  house,  in  which 
,  it  is  laid  on  an  elevated  plat- 
bmi,  and  a  strong  fence  of  thorns 
i  stakes  built  round  the  hut 
•file  funeral  ceremonies  being 
lompleted,  the  new  chief  forsakes 
lie  placa,  and  takes  the  whole  of 
be  people  under  his  command. 
")  remains  at  a  distance  for  seve- 
J  years,  during  which  time  he 
Ifearsthe  sign  of  mourning,  i.e.  a 
lark-coloured   conical   cap,   and 
ound  the  neck  a  thong,  to  the 
tnds  of  which  are  hung  two  small 
tieces  of  ostrich-shell. 

When  the  season  of  mourning 
sever,  the  tribe  return,  headed  by 
I  chief,  who  goes  to  the  grave  of 
__  father,  kneels    over  it,  and 
irhispers  that  he  has  returned, 
kK^tner  with  the  cattle  and  wives 
[which  his  father  gave  him.    He 
Ithen  asks  for  his  parent's  aid  in  all 
Ibis  imdertakings,  and  from  that 
Imoment  takfts  the  place  which  his 
Ifather  filled  before  him.     Cattle 
laie  then  slaughtered  and  a  feast 
llield  to  the  memory  of  the  dead 
I  chief,  and  in  honour  of  the  living 
roue;  and  each  person  present  par- 
I  takes  of  the  meat,  which  is  dis- 
tributed by  the  chief  himself.    The 
deceased  chieJ  symbolically  par- 
takes of  the  banquet.   A  couple  of 
twigs  cut  from  the  tree  of  the 
particular  eanda  to  which  the  deceased  belonged  are  considered  as  his  representative, 
and  with  this  emblem  each  piece  of  meat  is  touched  before  'the  guests  consume  it.  In  like 
manner,  the  first  pail  of  milk  t^t  is  drawn  is  taken  to  the  grave,  and  poured  over  it. 
I     These  ceremonies  being  rightly  performed,  the  village  is  built  anew,  and  is  always 
I  made  to  resemble  that  which  had  been  deserted ;  the  huts  being  built  on  the  same  ground, 
I  and  peculiar  care  being  taken  that  the  fireplaces  should  occupy  exactly  the  same  positions 
that  they  did  before  the  tribe  went  into  voluntary  exile.    The  hut  of  the  chief  is  always 
!  upon  the  east  side  of  the  villaga 

The  Damaras  have  a  singular  kind  of  oath,  or  asseveration — "  By  the  tears  of  my 
mother  1" — a  form  of  words  so  poetical  and  pathetic,  that  it  seems  to  imply  great  moral 
capabilities  among  a  people  that  could  invent  and  use  it. 


'f 


■  ■  i 


'm 


ORAVB  AMD  MONUMENT  OF  A  DAMARA  CHIEF. 


ff^ 


OHAPTEBXXXI 


THE  OVAMBO  OR  OVAMPO  TRIBE. 


lOOALITT   OV  TRB  THrSB— THKIB  HOITKSTT— XnTDKIM  TO  TBS  «CX  AITD  AOSD— DOHMTIO  HASH 
— CURIOUS     DRMB — THRIB    ABOHITKCTiniB — WOMBN's    WORK — AQRICVLTUBB — WEAPONS— MoDI 
OF  CAMPINO — FI8H-CAT0UINO — INORNIOUS  TRAPS — AI18KNCB   OF   PAUPBBUU — OANCBft— OOVE] 
MRNT   OF   THR   OVAMBO — THRIR  KINO   NANOORO — HIS   TBBACHRROUS  CHARACTBB — MATBIMOlT 
AFFAIRS — THB    LAW  OF    BVCCB88I0N — TIXBIR    VOOO^UIUOUS    CUSTOM    AT  MBAL-Tmu—IIOSil 
OF   QBBBTINO   FBIBNDS. 


9\  'I 


There  is  a  rather  remarkable  tribe  inhabiting  the  country  about  lat.  18"  S.  and  Ic  „. 
15°  E.,  called  by  tlio  name  of  OvAMPO,  or  OVAMBO,  the  latter  being  the  usual  form.  £( 
their  own  language  their  name  is  Ovaherero,  or  the  Merry  People. 

They  are  remarkable  for  their  many  good  qualities,  which  are  almost  exceptional  ial 
Southern  Africa.  In  the  first  place,  they  are  honest,  and,  as  we  have  already  seen,! 
honesty  is  a  quality  which  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  Southern  Africa  seem  to  recognise,  I 
much  less  to  practise.  I 

A  traveller  who  finds  himself  among  the  Damaras,  Namaquas,  or  Bechuanas  must  I 
keep  a  watchful  eye  on  every  article  which  he  possesses,  and  if  he  leaves  any  object! 
exposed  for  a  moment,  it  will  probably  vanish  in  some  mysterious  manner,  and  never  be  I 
seen  again.  Yet  Mr.  Anderssen,  to  whom  we  owe  our  chief  knowledge  of  the  Ovamk  I 
tribe,  mentions  that  they  were  so  thoroughly  honest  that  they  would  not  even  touch  any  I 
of  his  property  without  permission,  much  less  steal  it;  and,  on  one  occasion,  when  bis] 
servants  happened  to  leave  some  trifling  articles  on  the  last  camping  ground,  messen- 
gers were  despatched  to  him  with  the  missing  articles.  Among  themselves,  theft  is  fully  I 
recognised  as  a  crime,  and  they  have  arrived  at  such  a  pitch  of  civilization  that  certain  1 
persons  are  appointed  to  act  as  magistrates,  and  to  take  cognisance  of  theft  as  well  as  of 
other  crimes.  If  a  man  were  detected  in  the  act  of  stealing,  he  would  be  brought  hefon  { 
the  house  of  the  king,  and  there  speared  to  death. 

They  are  kind  and  attentive  to  their  sick  and  aged,  and  in  this  respect  contn\st  i 
favourably  with  other  tribes  of  Southern  Africa.    Even  the  Zulus  will  desert  those  who  I 
are  too  old  to  work,  and  will  leave  them  to  die  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  privation,  whereas ' 
the  Ovambo  takes  care  of  the  old,  the  sick,  and  the  lame,  and  carefully  tends  them.   This 
one  fact  alone  is  sufficient  to  place  them  immeasurably  above  the  neighbouring  triks, 
and  to  mark  an  incalculable  advance  in  moral  development. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  Ovambos  do  not  live  in  towns  or  villages,  but  in 
separate  communities  dotted  over  the  land,  each  family  forming  a  community.  The  com 
and  grain,  on  which  they  chiefly  live,  are  planted  round  the  houses,  which  are  surrounded 
with  a  strong  and  high  inclosure.  The  natives  are  obliged  to  live  in  this  manner  on 
account  of  the  conduct  of  some  neighbouring  tribes,  which  made  periodical  raids  upon 
them,  and  inflicted  great  damage  upon  their  cottages.    And,  as  the  Ovambos  are  a 


OVAMBO  ABOHITEOTUBB. 


861* 


alarlr  peaceable  tribe,  and  found  that  retaliation  was  not  inocessfal,  they  hit  npon 

jexpedieut.  and  formed  each  homeatead  into  a  separate  fort 

p.oUbly  tor  the  same  reason,  very  few  cattle  are  seen  near  the  habitations  of  the 

»iuubo3,  and  a  traveller  is  rather  struck  with  the  fact  that  although  this  tribe  is 

jiceptionally  rich  in  cattle,  possessing  vast  herds  of  them,  a  few  cows  and  goats  are  their 

Ljv  representatives  near  the  houses.    The  fact  is,  the  herds  of  cattle  are  sent  away  to  a 

iituice  from  the  houses,  so  that  they  are  not  only  undiscernible  bv  an  enemy,  but  can 

nd  plenty  of  pasturage  and  water.    It  is  said  that  they  also  breed  large  herds  of  swine, 

have  learned  the  art  of  fAttening  them  until  they  attain  gigantic  dimensiona.    The 


I 


'  '1' 


'i. 


f^'  .^.y* 


Bocsn. 


herds  of  swine,  however,  are  never  allowed  to  come  near  the  houses,  partly  for  the  reasons 
I  already  given,  and  partly  on  account  of  their  mischievous  propensities. 

The  accompanpng  illustration  represents  the  architecture  of  the  Ovambos.  The  houses, 
I  with  their  flat,  conical  roofs,  are  so  low  that  a  man  cannot  stand  upright  in  them.  But 
I  the  Ovambos  never  want  to  stand  upright  in  their  houses,  thinking  them  to  be  merely 

'  eping-places  into  which  they  can  crawl,  and  in  which  they  can  be  sheltered  during  the 

I  night    Two  grain-stores  are  also  seen,  each  consisting  of  a  huge  jar,  standing  on  supports, 

!  and  covered  with  a  thatch  of  reeds.    In  the  backgroimd  is  a  fowl-house.    Poultry  are 

much  bred  among  the  Ovambos,  and  are  of  a  small  description,  scarcely  larger  than  an 

English  bantam.    They  are,  however,  prolific,  and  lay  an  abundance  of  eggs. 

The  dress  of  the  Ovambos,  though  scanty,  is  rather  remarkable.  As  to  the  men,  they 
generally  shave  the  greater  part  of  the  head,  but  always  leave  a  certain  amount  of  their 
short,  woolly  hair  upon  the  crown.  As  the  skull  of  the  Ovajnbos  is  rather  oddly  formed, 
projecting  considerably  behind,  this  fashion  gives  the  whole  head  a  very  curious  efl'ect. 
The  rest  of  the  man's  dress  consists  chiefly  of  beads  and  sandals,  the  former  being  princi- 
pally worn  OS  necklaces,  and  the  latter  almost  precisely  resembling  the  Bechuanan  sandals, 
which  have  already  been  described. 

They  generally  carry  a  knil'e  with  them,  stuck  into  a  band  tied  round  the  upper  part 
of  the  arm.    The  knife  bears  some  resemblance  in  general  make  to  that  of  the  Bechuanaa 


■'^-^I'.i^^'iLyfif 


m 


y^'jLjiM: 


i  ^^ 


,11) 

> 

'4 

' 

4  -' 

1 , 

T  Wi^ ' 


(^ 


N ' 


362 


THE  OVAMBO  OB  OVAMFO  TRIBR 


and  is  made  by  themselves,  they  being  considerable  adepts  in  metallurgy.    The  beUo 
employed  by  the  smiths  much  resembles  that  which  is  in  use  among  the  Bechuaaas.  t 
they  contrive  to  procure  a  strong  and  <bteady  blast  of  wind  by  fixing  two  sets  ofb^lQ 
at  each  forg^  and  having  them  worked  by  two  assistants,  while  the  chief  smith  attends^ 
the  metal  and  wields  his  stone  hammer.    The  metal,  sudi  as  iron  and  copper,  wUoh  I 


OVAUilO    0IBL8. 


use,  they  obtain  by  barter  from  neighbouring  tribes,  and  work  it  with  such  skill  that  thei? 
weapons,  axes,  and  agricultural  tools  are  employed  by  them  as  a  mediimi  of  exchange  to  I 
the  very  tribes  from  whom  the  ore  had  been  purchased. 

The  women  have  a  much  longer  dress  than  that  of  the  other  sex,  but  it  is  of  lathet  I 
scanty  dimensions.    An  oddly-shaped  apron  hangs  in  front,  and  another  behind,  the 
ordinary  form  much  resembling  the  head  of  an  axe,  with  the  edge  downwards.  j 

The  accompanying  portrait  is  taken  from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Baines,  and  represents  the 
only  true  Ovambo  that  he  ever  saw.  While  he  was  at  Otjikango  Katiti,  or  "Little 
Barman,"  a  Hottentot  chief,  named  Jan  Aris,  brought  out  a  young  Ovambo  girl,  sayin? 
that  she  was  entrusted  to  him  for  education.     Of  course,  the  real  fact  was,  that  she  had 


^  Thebello, 
eBechv 


0  sets  of  bello, 
snuthattendai 


^^ 


skill  that  theii  | 
af  exchange  to 

it  is  of  rather  | 
!r  behind,  the 
•ds. 

represents  the 
iti,  or  "Little 
K)  girl,  sayin? 

that  abe  had 


WOMEN'S  WORK 


353 


v^  captured  in  a  raid,  and  was  acting  as  servant  to  his  wife,  who  was  the  daughter  of 
the  celebrated  Jonker,  and  was  pleased  to  entitle  herself  the  Victoria  of  Damara-hind. 

Xhe  gii"!  ^^  about  fourteen,  and  was  exceedingly  timid  at  the  sight  of  the  stranger, 
tgnung  her  back  on  him,  hiding  her  face,  and  bursting  into  tears  of  fright.  This  attitude 
fflve  an  opportunity  of  sketching  a  remarkable  dress  of  the  Ovambo  girl,  the  rounded 
mece  of  hitie  ueing  decorated  with  blue  beads.  When  she  was  persuaded  that  no  harm 
foald  be  done  to  her,  she  turned  round  and  entered  into  conversation,  thereby  giving 
an  opportunity  for  the  second  sketch.  Attached  to  the  same  belt  which  sustains  the 
cushion  was  a  small  apron  of  skin,  and  besides  this  no  other  dress  was  worn.  She  was 
( good-looking  girl,  and,  if  her  face  had  not  been  disfigured  by  the  tribal  marks,  might 
liave  even  been  considered  as  pretty. 

The  head-dress  of  the  women  consists  chiefly  of  their  own  hair,  but  they  continually 
stiffen  it  with  grease,  which  they  press  on  the  head  in  cakes,  adding  a  vermilion-coloured 
clay,  and  using  both  substances  in  such  profusion  that  the  top  of  the  head  looks  quite  flat, 
and  much  larger  than  it  k  by  nature.  The  same  mixture  of  grease  and  clay  is  abundantly 
nibbed  over  the  body  so  that  a  woman  in  full  dress  imparts  a  portion  of  her  decorations 
to  every  object  with  which  she  come '  m  contact. 

Round  their  waists  they  wear  sucn  masses  of  beads,  shells,  and  other  ornaments,  that 
a  solid  kind  of  cuirass  is  made  of  them,  and  the  centre  of  the  body  is  quite  covered  with 
these  decorations.  Many  of  the  women  display  much  taste  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
beads  and  shells,  forming  them  into  patterns,  and  contrasting  their  various  hues  in  quite 
an  artistic  manner.  Besides  this  bead  cuirass,  they  wear  a  vast  number  of  necklaces  and 
armlets  made  of  the  same  materials.  Their  wrists  and  ankles  are  loaded  with  a  profusion 
of  huge  copper  rings,  some  of  which  weigh  as  much  as  three  pounds  ;  and,  as  a  woman  will 
sometimes  have  two  of  these  rings  on  each  ankle,  it  may  be  imagined  that  the  grace  of 
her  deportment  is  not  at  all  increased  by  them. 

Young  girls,  before  they  are  of  sufficient  consequence  to  obtain  these  ornaments,  and 
vhile  th«y  have  to  be  content  with  the  slight  apparel  of  their  sex,  are  as  graceful  as  needs 
be,  but  no  woman  can  be  expected  to  look  graceful  or  to  move  lightly  when  she  has  to 
carry  about  with  her  such  an  absurd  weight  of  ornaments.  Moreover,  the  daily  twelve 
hours'  work  of  the  women  tends  greatly  towards  the  deterioration  of  their  figures. 

To  them  belongs,  as  to  all  other  South  African  women,  the  labour  of  building  the 
houses. 

The  severity  of  this  labour  is  indeed  great,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  enclosures.  The  houses  themselves  do  not  require  nearly  so  much  work 
as  those  of  the  Bechuanas,  for,  although  they  are  of  nearly  the  same  dimensions,  i.e. 
from  fourteen  to  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  they  are  comparatively  low  pitched,  and  there- 
fore need  less  material  and  less  labour.  A  number  of  these  houses  are  placed  in  each 
enclosure,  the  best  being  for  the  master  and  his  immediate  family,  and  the  others  for  the 
servants.  There  are  besides,  grain-stores,  houses  for  cattle,  ^owl-houses,  and  even  sties  for 
pigs,  one  or  two  of  the  animals  being  generally  kept  in  each  homestead,  though  the 
herds  are  rigidly  excluded.  Within  the  same  enclosure  are  often  to  be  seen  a  number  of 
ordinary  Bosjesman  huts.  These  belong  to  members  of  that  strange  tribe,  many  of  whom 
have  taken  up  their  residence  with  the  Ovamboe,  and  live  in  a  kind  of  relationship  with 
them,  partly  considered  as  vassals,  partly  as  servants,  and  partly  as  kinsfolk. 

Moreover,  within  the  palisade  is  an  open  space  in  which  the  inhabitants  can  meet  for 
amusement  and  consultation,  and  the  cultivated  ground  is  also  included,  so  that  the 
amount  of  labour  expended  in  making  the  palisade  can  easily  be  imagined.  The  palisade 
is  composed  of  poles  at  least  eight  feet  in  length,  and  of  corresponding  stoutness,  each 
being  a  load  for  an  ordinary  labourer.  These  are  fixed  in  the  ground  at  short  intervals 
from  each  other,  and  firmly  secured  by  means  of  rope  lashing. 

As  to  the  men,  they  take  the  lighter  departments  of  field  work,  attend  to  the  herds  of 
cattle,  and  go  on  trading  expeditions  among  the  Damaras  and  other  tribes. 

The  first  of  these  labours  is  not  very  severe,  as  the  land  is  wonderfully  fertile.  The 
Ovambos  need  not  the  heavy  tools  which  a  Kaffir  woman  is  obliged  to  use,  one  hoe  being 
a  tolerable  load.    The  aui-face  of  the  ground  is  a  flinty  sand  soil,  but  at  a  short  distance 

VOLL  A  A 


mi 

if 


Mi 


>1 


'■1.1 


•  I  ^ 


I  Ml 

lit  ■'■ 


u        1 


S54 


THE  OVAMBO  on  OVAMPO  TEIBE. 


beneath  is  a  layer  of  blue  clay,  which  appeaw  to  be  veiy  rich,  and  to  be  able  to  nowisi, 
the  plants  without  the  aid  of  manures.    A  very  small  hoe  is  used  for  agriculture  ai 
instead  of  digging  up  the  whole  surface,  the  Ovambos  merely  dig  little  holes  at  interval, 
drop  a  handful  of  corn  into  them,  cover  them  up,  and  leave  them.    This  task  is  alwav 
performed  at  th^  end  of  the  lainy  season,  so  that  the  ground  is  full  of  moisture,  and  1 
young  Uadep  soon  spring  up.    They  are  then  thinned  out,  and  planted  separately. 


I       1  .^,ri.<.  4i 


l^^ 


WOMEN  POCNDINQ  CORN. 


When  the  com  is  ripe,  the  women  take  possession  of  it,  and  the  men  are  free  to  catch 
the  elephants  in  pitfalls  for  the  sake  of  their  tusks,  and  to  go  on  trading  expeditions  with 
the  ivory  thus  obtained.  When  the  grain  is  beaten  out  of  the  husks,  it  is  placed  in  the 
Storehouses,  being,  kept  in  huge  jars  made  of  palm  leaves  and  clay,  much  resemhling 
those  of  the  Bechuanas,  and,  like  them,  raised  a  foot  or  so  from  the  ground.  Grinding,  or 
rath'^r  pounding  the  grain,  also  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  women,  and  is  not  done  with  stones, 
but  by  means  of  a  rude  mortar.  A  tree-trunk  is  hollowed  out,  so  as  to  form  a  tuhe,  and 
into  this  tube  the  grain  is  thrown.    A  stout  and  heavy  pole  answers  the  purpose  of  a 


AaRICULTUEE. 


355 


>e 


}oles  at  interval. 

"  taskisalwayd 

moisture,  and  ttJ 
eparately.      ^ 


He,  and  the  whole  process  much  lesembles  that  of  making  butter  in  the  old-fashioned 

^e  illustration  on  page  354  is  from  an  original  sketch  by  T.  Baines,  Esq.,  and 

libits  a  domestic  scene  within  an  Ovambo  homestead.    Two  women  are  pounding  com 

■  one  of  their  mortars,  accompanied  by  their  children.    On  the  face  of  one  of  them  may 

^  seen  a  series  of  tribal  marks.     These  are  scars  produced  by  cutting  the  cheeks  and 

nbbing  clay  into  the  wounds,  and  are  thought  to  be  ornamental 

In  the  foreground  lies  an  oval  object  pierced  with  holes.  This  is  a  child's  toy,  made 
Lf  the  fniit  of  a  baobab.  Several  holes  are  cut  in  the  rind,  and  the  pulp  squeezed  out. 
He  htttd  seeds  are  allowed  to  remain  within  the  fruit,  and  when  dry  they  produce  a 
titling  sound  as  the  child  shakes  its  simple  toy.  In  a  note  attached  to  his  sketch,  Mr. 
jaines  states  that  this  is  the  only  example  of  a  child's  toy  that  he  found  throughout  the 
whole  of  Southern  Africa  Its  existence  seems  to  show '  the  real  superiority  of  this 
'emarkable  tribe.  In  the  background  are  seen  a  hut  and  two  gianaries,  and  against  the 
house  is  leaning  one  of  the  simple  hoes  with  which  the  ground  is  cultivated.  The  reader 
Ifill  notice  that  the  iron  blade  is  set  in  a  line  with  the  handle,  and  not  at  right  angles  to 
lit  A  water-pipe  lies  on  the  ground,  and  the  whole  is  enclosed  by  the  lofty  palisades 
jlashpd  together  near  the  top. 

The  weapons  of  the  Ovambo  tribe  are  very  simple,  as  it  is  to  be  expected  from  a 
ople  who  are  essentially  peaceful  and  unwarlike.  They  consist  chiefly  of  an  assagai 
I  with  a  large  blade,  much  like  that  of  theDamaras,  and  quite  as  useless  for  warlike  purposes, 
I  bow  and  arrows,  and  the  knob-kerry.  None  of  them  are  very  formidable  weapons,  and 
[the  bow  and  arrows  are  perhaps  the  least  so  of  the  three,  as  the  Ovambos  are  wretched 
(marksmen,  being  infinitely  surpassed  in  the  use  of  the  l)ow  by  the  Daniaras  and  the 
Bosjesmans,  who  obtain  a  kind  of  skill  by  using  the  bow  in  the  chase,  though  they  would 
be  easily  beaten  in  range  and  aim  by  a  tenth-rate  English  amateur  archer. 

When  on  the  march  they  have  a  very  ingenious  mode  of  encamping.    Instead  of 

lighting  one  large  fire  and  lying  round  it,  as  is  the  usual  custom,  their  first  care  is  to 

collect  a  number  of  stones  about  as  large  as  bricks,  and  with  these  to  build  a  series  of 

circular  fireplaces,  some  two  feet  in  diameter.    These  fireplaces  are  arranged  in  a  double 

I  row,  and  between  them  the  travellers  make  up  their  primitive  couches. 

This  is  a  really  ingenious  plan,  and  especially  suited  to  the  country.  In  a  place  where 
i  large  timber  is  plentiful,  the  custom  of  making  huge  fires  is  well  enough,  though  on  a 
cold  windy  night  the  traveller  is  likely  to  be  scorched  on  one  side  and  frozen  on  the 
other.  But  in  Ovambo-land,  as  a  rule,  sticks  are  the  usual  fuel,  and  it  will  be  seen  t>K  t, 
by  the  employment  of  these  stones,  the  heat  is  not  only  concemr'.  t  :d  but  economised,  the 
stones  radiating  the  heat  long  after  the  fire  has  expired.  These  i-p.ull  fires  are  even  safer 
than  a  single  large  one,  for  when  a  large  log  is  burned  through  ar  i  fa^s,  ii  is  apt  to  scatter 
burning  embers  to  a  considerable  distance,  some  of  which  ihif^Lt  fail  or.  the  sleepers  and 
set  fire  to  their  beds. 

The  Ovambos  are  successful  cultivators,  and  raise  v^  ■<  tableii  of  mayj  kinds.  Tlie 
ordinary  Kaffir  corn  and  a  kind  of  millet  are  the  two  grain.i  wrvich  are  nost  plentiful,  and 
they  possess  the  advantage  of  having  stems  some  eight  feet  in  length,  juicy  and  sweet. 
When  the  corn  is  reaped,  the  ears  are  merely  cut  off,  and  the  cattle  then  turned  into  the 
field  to  feed  on  the  sweet  stems,  which  are  of  a  very  fattening  character. 

Beans,  peas,  and  similar  vegetables  are  in  great  favour  with  the  Ovambos,  who  also 
cultivate  successfully  the  melon,  pumpkins,  calabashes,  and  other  kindred  fruits.  They 
also  grow  tobacco,  which,  however,  is  of  a  very  poor  quality,  not  so  mucl"  on  account  of 
the  inferior  character  of  the  plant,  as  of  the  imperfect  mode  of  curing  and  storing  it. 
Taking  the  leaves  and  stalks,  and  mashing  them  into  a  hollow  piece  of  wood  is  not 
exactly  calculated  to  improve  the  flavour  of  the  leaf,  and  the  consequence  is,  that  the 
tobacco  is  of  such  bad  quality  that  no  one  but  an  Ovambo  will  use  it. 

There  is  a  small  tribe  of  the  Ovambos,  called  the  Ovaquangari,  inhabiting  the  banks 
of  the  Okovango  river,  who  live  much  on  fish,  and  have  a  singularly  ingenious  mode 
of  capturing  them.  Mr.  Anderssen  gives  the  following  account  of  the  fish-traps  employed 
by  the  Ovoquangari : — "  The  river  Okovango  abounds,  as  I  have  already  said,  in  fish,  and 

aa2 


'    J 


''sir 


,i\ 


fcr-i3-'"       '  ■»^" 


356 


THE  OVAMBO  OR  OVAMPO  TRIBE 


^f    . 


tM%.  Fli 


A.  yi 


that  in  great  variety.    Durine  my  very  limited  stay  on  its  banks,  I  collected  nearly  twenti 
distinct  species,  and  might,  though  very  inadequately  piovided  with  the  means  of  m 
serving  them,  unquestionably  have  doubled  them,  had  suflicieut  time  been  afforded 
All  I  discovered  were  not  only  edible,  but  highly  palatable,  some  of  them  possessino  evei 
an  exquisite  flavour.  ° 

"  Many  of  the  natives  devote  a  considerable  portion  of  their  time  to  fishina 
employ  various  simple,  ingenious,  and  highly  effective  contrivances  for  catcJiing  the'finnl 
tribe.  Few  fish,  however,  are  caught  in  the  river  itself.  It  is  in  the  numerous  shallow* 
and  lagoons  immediately  on  its  borders,  and  formed  by  its  annual  overflow,  that  the  gred 
draughts  are  nMide.  The  fishing  season,  indeed,  only  commences  in  earnest  at  about  M 
time  that  the  Okovango  reaches  its  highest  water-mark,  that  is,  when  it  has  ceased  to  ebbJ 
and  the  temporary  lagoons  or  swamps  alluded  to  begin  to  disappear. 

"  To  the  best  of  my  belief,  the  Ovaquangari  do  not  employ  nets,  but  traps  of  vaiiou 
kinds,  and  what  may  not  inaptly  be  called  aquatic  yards,  for  the  capture  of  fish  These! 
fishing  yards  are  certain  spots  of  eligible  water,  enclosed  or  fenced  off  in  the  fcllowingl 
manner : — A  quantity  of  reeds,  of  such  length  as  to  suit  the  water  for  which  they  t^j 
intended,  are  collected,  put  into  bundles,  and  cut  even  at  both  ends.  These  leeds  are  thenl 
spread  in  single  layers  flat  on  the  ground,  and  sewn  together  very  much  in  the  same  way  aal 
ordinary  mats,  but  by  a  less  laborious  process.  It  does  not  niuch  matter  what  the  len"th| 
of  these  mats  may  be,  as  they  can  be  easily  lengthened  or  shortened  as  need  may  requmf 

"  When  a  locality  has  been  decided  on  for  fishing  operations,  a  certain  number  of  these  I 
mattinjjs  are  introduced  into  the  water  on  their  ends,  that  is,  in  a  vertical  position,  and  I 
are  placed  either  in  a  circle,  semicircle,  or  a  line,  according  to  the  shape  of  the  lagoon  or  | 
shallow  which  is  to  be  enclosed.  Open  spaces,  from  three  to  four  feet  wide,  are,  however, 
left  at  certain  intervals,  and  into  these  apertures  the  toils,  consisting  of  beebive-s 
masses  of  reeds,  are  introduced.  The  diameter  of  these  at  the  mouth  varies  with  the  I 
depth  to  which  they  have  to  descend,  the  lower  side  being  firmly  fastened  to  the  bottom 
of  the  water,  whilst  the  upper  is  usually  on  a  level  with  its  surface,  or  slightly  risino 
above  it.  In  order  thoroughly  to  disguise  these  ingenious  traps,  grasses  and  weeds  are  I 
thrown  carelessly  over  and  around  them." 

The  Ovambos  are  fond  of  amusing  themselves  with  a  dance,  which  seems  to  be  ex- 
ceedin;/ly  agreeable  to  the  performers,  but  which  could  not  be  engaged  in  by  those  who 
were  not  well  practised  in  its  odd  evolutions.  The  dancers  are  all  men,  and  stand  in  a 
double  row,  back  to  back.  The  music,  consisting  of  a  drum  ana  a  kind  of  guitar,  then 
strikes  up,  and  the  performers  begin  to  move  from  side  to  side,  so  as  to  pass  and  repass 
each  other.  Suddenly,  one  of  the  performers  spins  round,  and  delivers  a  tremendous  kick 
ab  the  individual  who  happens  then  to  be  in  front  of  him ;  and  the  gist  of  the  dance 
consists  in  planting  your  own  kick  and  avoiding  that  of  others.  This  dance  takes  place 
in  the  evening,  and  is  lighted  by  torches  made  simply  of  dried  palm  branches.  Nangoro 
used  to  give  a  dance  every  evening  in  his  palace  yard,  which  was  a  most  intricate  building, 
a  hundred  yards  or  so  in  diameter,  and  a  very  labyrinth  of  paths  leading  to  dancing-Hoors, 
threshing-floors,  corn-stores,  women's  apartments,  and  the  like. 

Among  the  Ovambos  there  is  no  pauperism.  This  may  not  seem  to  be  an  astonishing 
fact  to  those  who  entertain  the  popular  idea  of  savage  life,  namely,  that  with  thtm  there 
is  no  distinction  of  rich  and  poor,  master  and  servant.  But,  in  fact,  the  distinctions  of  rank 
and  wealth  are  nowhere  more  sharply  defined  than  among  savages.  The  king  or  chief  is 
approached  with  a  ceremony  which  almost  amounts  to  worship ;  the  superior  exacts 
honiag(!,  and  the  inferior  pays  it.  Wealth  is  as  much  sought  after  among  savages  as  among 
Europeans,  and  a  rich  man  is  quite  as  much  i-espected  on  account  of  his  wealth  as  if 
he  had  lived  in  Europe  hU  his  life.  The  poor  become  servants  to  the  rich,  and,  prac- 
tically, are  their  slaves,  being  looked  down  upon  with  supreme  contempt.  Pauperism  is 
as  common  in  Africa  as  it  is  in  Europe,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  great  credit  to  the  Ovambos 
that  it  is  not  to  be  found  among  them. 

The  Ovambos  are  ruled  by  a  king,  and  entertain  great  contempt  for  all  the  tribes  who 
do  not  enjoy  that  privilege.  They  acknowledge  petty  chiefs,  each  head  of  a  family 
taking  rank  as  such,  but  prefer  monarchy  to  any  other  form  of  government.    As  is  the 


CHARACTER  OF  NANGORO. 


357 


)vith  many  other  tribes,  the  king  becomes  enormously  fat,  and  is  generally  the  only 
^  man  in  the  country.  Nangoro,  who  was  king  some  few  yeara  ago,  was  especially 
narkable  for  his  enormous  dimensions,  wherein  he  'even  exceeded  Panda,  the  Kaffir 
onai'ch.  He  was  so  fat  that  his  gait  was  reduced  to  a  mere  waddle,  and  his  breath 
J  so  short  that  ho  was  obliged  to  halt  at  every  few  paces,  and  could  not  speak  two 
jsecutive  sentences  without  suffe.  ing  great  inconvenience,  so  that  in  ordinary  conver- 
sion Us  part  mostly  consisted  of  i!ionosy)labic  grunts. 

His  character  was  as  much  in  ( ontrast  to  those  of  his  subjects  as  was  his  person. 
)  was  a  very  unpleasant  individual  — selfish,  cunning,  and  heartless.  After  witnessing 
He  effect  of  the  firearms  used  by  his  white  visitors,  he  asked  them  to  prove  their  weapons 
w  shooting  elephants.  Had  they  fallen  into  the  trap  whicii  ..aa  laid  for  them,  he  would 
06  delayed  their  departure  by  all  kinds  of  quibbles,  kept  up  the  work  of  elephant- 
hooting,  and  have  taken  all  the  ivory   limself. 

After  they  had  left  his  country,  K  agoro  despatched  a  body  of  men  after  them,  with 
Uew  to  kill  them  all.  The  comma  der  of  the  party,  however,  took  a  dislike  to  hij 
nission— probably  from  having  witness  =d  the  effect  of  conical  bullets  when  fired  by  the 
irbite  men— and  took  his  men  home  ag  dn.  One  party,  however,  was  less  fortunate,  and 
,  fitfht  ensued.  Mr.  Green  and  some  friends  visited  Nangoro,  and  were  received  very 
Ihospitably.  But,  just  before  they  wer.  about  to  leave  the  district,  they  were  suddenly 
latlacked  by  a  strong  force  of  the  Ovambos,  some  six  hundred  in  number,  all  well  armed 
(with  their  native  weapons,  the  bow,  the  knob-kerry,  and  the  assagai,  while  the  armed 
lEuropeans  were  only  thirteen  in  number. 

I  Fortunately,  the  attack  was  not  entirely  unsuspected,  as  sundry  little  events  had  hap- 
Ipened  which  put  the  travellers  on  their  guard.  The  conflict  was  very  severe,  and  in  the 
lend  the  Ovambos  were  oomplvjtely  defeated,  having  many  killed  tfud  wounded,  and  among 
[the  former  one  of  Nangoro's  sons.  The  Europeans,  on  the  contrary,  only  lost  one  man, 
I  a  native  attendant,  who  was  treacherously  stabbed  before  the  fight  began.  The  most  re- 
[markablepart  of  this  fight  was,  that  it  caused  the  death  of  the  treacherous  king,  who  was 
{present  at  the  battle.  Although  he  had  seen  firearms  used, he  had  a  poor  opinion  of  their 
[power,  and  had,  moreover,  only  seen  occasional  shots  fired  at  a  mark.  The  repeated  dis- 
I  charges  that  stunned  his  ears,  and  the  sight  of  his  men  falling  dead  and  dying  about  him, 
[terrified  him  so  exceedingly  that  he  died  on  the  spot  from  sheer  fright. 

The  private  character  of  this  cowardly  traitor  was  by  no  means  a  pleasant  one,  and  he 
I  had  a  petty  way  of  revenging  himself  for  any  fancied  slight  On  one  occasion,  when  some 
native  beer  was  offered  to  Mr.  Anderssen,  and  declined  in  consequence  of  an  attack  of 
I  illness,  Nangoro,  who  was  sitting  in  frorit  of  the  traveller,  suddenly  thrust  at  him  violently 
with  his  sceptre,  and  caused  great  pain.  This  he  passed  off  as  a  practical  joke,  though,  as 
the  sceptre  was  simply  a  pointed  stick,  the  joke  was  anything  but  agreeaMe  to  its  victim. 
The  real  reason  for  thi?  :  udden  assault  was,  that  Mr.  Andersseu  had  refused  to  grant  the 
king  some  request  which  he  had  made. 

He  became  jealous  and  sulky,  and  took  a  contemptible  pleasure  in  thwarting  his  white 
visitors  in  every  way.  Their  refusal  to  shoot  elephants,  and  to  undeigo  all  the  dangers  of 
the  hunt,  while  he  was  to  have  all  the  profits,  was  a  never-failing  source  of  anger,  and 
served  as  an  excuse  for  refusing  all  accommodation.  They  could  not  even  go  half-a-mile 
out  of  camp  without  first  obtaining  permission,  and  when  they  asked  for  guides  to  direct 
th^m  on  their  journey,  he  refused,  saying  that  thoso  who  would  not  shoot  elephants  for 
him  should  have  no  guides  from  him.  In  fine,  he  kept  them  in  his  country  until  he  had 
exacted  from  them  everything  which  they  could  give  him,  and,  by  way  of  royal  remu- 
neration for  their  gifts,  once  sent  them  a  small  basket  of  flour.  He  was  then  glad  to  get 
rid  of  them,  evidently  fearing  that  he  should  have  to  feed  them,  and  by  way  of  extraor- 
dinary generosity,  expedited  their  departure  with  a  present  of  com,  not  from  his  own  stores, 
but  from  those  of  his  subjects,  and  which,  moreover,  arrived  too  late.  His  treacherous 
conduct  in  sending  after  the  European  party,  and  the  failure  of  his  plans,  have  already 
been  mentioned, 

The  Ovambo  tribe  are  allowed  to  have  as  many  wives  as  they  please,  provided  that 
they  can  be  purchased  at  the  ordinary  price.    This  price  differs,  nc-  so  much  from  the 


Jli^  »>tLi 


III 


^^    ^    H 


^1 


B-, 


■'ii 


'-1   m 


m 


358 


THE  OVAMBO  OR  OVAMPO  TRIBE 


charms  or  accomplishments  of  the  bride,  as  from  the  wealth  of  the  suitor.  The  price  of  I 
wives  is  miich  lowor  than  among  the  Kaffira,  two  oxen  and  one  cow  being  conaidertdl 
the  ordinary  sum  which  a  man  in  humble  circumstances  is  expected  to  pay,  while  a  maul 
of  some  wealth  cannot  purchase  a  wife  under  three  oxen  and  two  cows.  Tlie  only  ex- 1 
ception  to  this  rule  is  afforded  by  the  king  himself,  who  takes  as  many  wives  as  he  pleases  I 
without  paying  for  them,  the  honour  of  his  alliance  being  considered  a  sufficient  reinune-l 
ratioa  One  wife  always  takes  the  chief  place,  and  the  successor  to  the  rank  and  propeTtvl 
of  his  father  is  always  one  of  her  children.  The  law  of  royal  succession  is  very  simple.! 
When  the  king  dies,  the  eldest  son  of  his  chief  wife  succeeds  him,  but  if  she  has  no  son 
then  the  daughter  assumes  the  sceptre.  This  was  the  case  with  the  fat  king,  Nangoio  I 
whose  daughter  Ohipanga  was  the  heir  apparent,  and  afterwiirds  succeeded  him.  ' 

It  is,  however,  very  difficult  to  give  precise  information  on  po  delicate  a  subject.'  The  I 
Ovambo  tribe  cannot  endure  to  speak,  or  even  to  th:  nk,  of  the  state  of  man  after  death 
and  merely  to  allude  to  the  successor  of  a  chief  gi\es  dire  offence,  as  the  mention  of  an 
heir  to  property,  or  a  successor  to  rank,  implies  the  death  of  the  present  chief.  For  the 
same  reason,  it  is  most  difficult  to  extract  any  information  from  them  respecting  theit 
ideas  of  religion,  and  any  questions  upon  the  subject  are  instantly  checked. 

That  they  have  some  notions  of  religion  is  evident  enough,  though  they  degrade  it  I 
into  mevo  superstition.  Charms  of  various  kinds  they  value  exceedingly,  though  they 
seem  to  be  ragarded  more  as  safeguards  against  injury  from  man  or  1  )ea8t  than  as  possessme 
any  sai«  ^ity  of  their  own.  Still,  the  constitutional  reticence  of  the  Ovambo  tribe  on  such 
subjec*  .av  cause  them  to  deny  such  sanctity  to  others,  though  they  acknowledge  it  | 
among  ;:L   nselvea 

A^  is  tr^e  case  with  many  of  the  South  African  tribes,  the  Ovambos  make  great  use 
of  0    j'ud  »)f  coarse  porridge.    They  always  eat  it  hot,  and  mix  with  it  a  quantity  of  J 
cioti  jd  'n  II;  or  semi-liquid  butter.    They  are  quite  independent  of  spoons  at  their  meals,  | 
and,  ill  spito  of  the  nature  of  their  food,  do  not  e^  en  nae  the  brush-spoon  that  is  employed 
by  the  IJ.   ontots. 

Mr.  Anderssen,  while  travelling  in  the  land  of  the  Ovambos,  was  hospitably  received 
at  a  house,  and  invited  to  diimer.  No  spoons  were  provided,  and  he  did  not  see  how  he 
was  to  eat  porridge  and  milk  without  such  aid.  "  On  seeing  the  dilemma  we  weie  in, 
our  host  quickly  plunged  his  greasy  fingers  into  the  middle  of  the  steaming  mass,  and 
brought  out  a  handful,  which  he  dashed  into  the  milk.  Having  stirred  it  quickly  round 
with  all  his  might,  he  next  opened  his  capacious  mouth,  in  which  the  agreeable  mixture 
vanished  as  if  by  magic.  He  finally  licked  his  fingers,  and  smacked  his  lips  with  evident 
satisfaction,  looking  at  us  as  much  as  to  say,  '  That's  the  trick,  my  boys ! ' 

"  However  unpleasant  this  initiation  might  have  appeared  to  us,  it  would  have  been 
ungrateful,  if  not  offensive,  to  refuse.  Therefore  we  commenced  in  earnest,  according  to 
example,  emptying  the  dish,  and  occasionally  burning  our  fingers,  to  the  great  amusement 
of  our  swarthy  friends." 

On  one  occasion,  tha  same  traveller,  who  was  accompanied  by  some  Damaras,  fell  in 
with  a  party  of  the  Ovambos,  who  gave  them  a  quantity  of  porridge  meal  of  millet  in 
exchange  for  meat.  Both  parties  were  equally  pleased,  the  one  ha\  ing  had  no  animal 
food  for  a  long  time,  and  the  other  h  sving  -fed  on  flesh  diet  until  tliey  were  thoroughly 
tired  of  it.  A  great  feast  was  the  immc  'late  result,  the  Ovambos  revelling  in  the  unwonted 
luxury  of  meat,  and  the  Europeans  em^  Damaras  only  t ;  j  glad  to  obtain  some  vegetable 
food. 

The  feast  vesembled  all  others,  except  that  a  singular  ceremony  was  insisted  upon 
by  the  one  party,  and  submitted  to  by  the  other.  The  Damaras  had  a  fair  share  of  the 
banquet,  but,  hefote  they  were  allowed  to  begin  their  meal,  one  of  the  Ovambos  went 
round  to  them,  and,  after  filling  his  month  with  water,  spirted  a  little  of  the  liquid  iuto 
their  face& 

This  extraoxdinaiy  ceremony  was  invented  by  the  king  Nangoro  when  he  was  a  youn;; 
man.  Among  their  other  superstitions,  the  Ovambos  have  an  idea  that  a  man  is  peculiarly 
susceptible  to  witehcraft  at  meal  times,  and  that  it  is  possible  for  a  wizard  to  cbami 
away  the  life  of  any  one  with  whom  he  may  happen,  to  eat    Consequently,  all  kinds  of 


PLEASANT  CUSTOMS. 


359 


jnnter-charms  are  employed,  and  as  the  one  in  question  was  invented  by  the  king,  it 

,as  soon  adopted  by  his  loyal  subjects,  and  became  fashionable  throughout  the  land.    So 

ided  to  tliis  charm  was  Nangoro  himself,  that  when  Mr.  Galton  first  visited  him 

was  equally  alarmed  and  amazed  at  the  refusal  of  the  white  man  to  submit  to  tlie 

jjpefiioa    At  last  he  agreed  to  compromise  the  matter  by  anointing  his  visitor's  head 

lith  butter,  but,  as  soon  as  beer  was  produced,  he  again  became  suspicious,  and  would 

Lt  partake  of  it,  nor  even  remain  in  the  house  while  it  was  being  drunk. 

He  would  not  even  have  consented  to  the  partial  compromise,  but  for  a  happy  idea 
Jiat  white  men  were  exceptional  beings,  not  subject  to  the  ordinary  laws  of  Nature. 
Hat  there  was  a  country  where  they  were  the  lords  of  the  soil  he  flatly  refused  to 
jelieve,  but,  as  Mr.  Galton  remarks,  considered  them  simply  as  rare  migratory  animals  of 
lODsiderable  intelligence. 


OVAMBO  DINNER-PABTT. 


It  is  a  rather  curious  fact  that,  although  the  Damaras  are  known  never  to  take  salt 
I  with  their  food,  the  Ovambos  invariably  make  use  of  that  condiment. 

They  have  a  rather  odd  fashion  of  greeting  their  friends.    As  soon  as  their  guests  are 

I  seated,  a  large  dish  of  fresh  butter  is  produced,  and  the  host  or  the  chief  mau  present 

rubs  the  face  aud  breast  of  each  guest  with  the  butter.     They  seem  to  enjoy  this  process 

[  thoroughly,  and  cannot  understand  why  their  white  guests  should  oliject  to  a  ceremony 

which  is  80  pleasing  to  themselvea     Perhaps  this  custom  may  have  some  analogy  with 

i  their  mode  of  treating  the  Damaras  at  meal-times.    The  Ovambos  still  retain  a  ceremony 

which  is  precisely  similar  to  one  which  prevails  through  the  greater  part  of  the  East. 

If  a  subject  should  come  into  the  presence  of  his  king,  ^  a  common  man  should  appear 

before  his  ch^^f,  he  takes  off  his  sandals  before  presiuning  to  make  his  obeisance. 

The  readt  may  remember  that  on  page  348,  certain  observances  connect  el  with  fire 
are  in  use  amo.  g  tJie  Daman.a  The  Ovambo  tribe  have  a  somev/hat  similar  idea  on  the 
subject,  for  when  Mr.  And  ;rssen  went  to  visit  Nangoro,  the  king  of  the  Ovambos,  a 
messenger  was  sent  from  the  king  bearing  a  brand  kindled  at  the  royal  fire.  He  first 
extinguished  the  fire  that  was  already  burning,  and  then  re-kindled  it  with  the  glowing 
brand,  so  that  the  king  and  his  visitor  were  supposed  to  be  warmed  by  the  same  fire, 
la  this  ceremony  there  ia  a  delicate  couxtesy,  not  unmixed  with  poetical  feeling. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  MAKOLOLO   TRIBE. 


BUB  AND  VAIX  OF  A7RICAN  TBIBRS — OBIOIN  Of  THB  lfAKOI.Oi:.0  TBIBB— OHOAmZATIOir  BT  BEBTnTAiijI 

mCAPAOTTT    OF    HIS    SVCCB880B,   8BKELBTU — UODB   OF   OOVEBDMBNT — AFFEABAMCB  OF   THl| 

MAKOLOLO — THBIB   QBNKBAL   CUABACTBB — HONESTY — OBACBFUL  MODE   OF  UAKINO  PBEgKNTg—l 
HOOB    OF    SALUTATION — FOOD    AND    COOKING — A     MAKOLOLO     FEAST — ETIQrETTE    AT  MEALS— I 

MANAOBUBNT     OF    CANOES — THB   WOMBN,   THEIB    DBB8S    AND   MANNEB8 THEIB   COLOUB— EAStI 

UFB   LBD  BT   THBU — HOUSB-BUILDINO — CVBIOUS   MODS   OF  BAUINfl  THB  BOOF — HOV  TO  HOCBll 

A  TI8IT0B — LAW-SUITS  AND   BPBCIAL  PLEADING GAME   LAVS— CHILDBBN's  GAMES — A  MAKOLOLO  1 

TILLAGE — m'bOFO    AT    HOMB — TOBY   FILLPOT — MAKOLOLO  SONGS  AND   DANCES — HEUP-8MOKUI0, 
AND  ITS  DBSTBUOTITB  BFK  JTS — T&BATMBNT  OF  THB  SICK,  AND  BUBIaL  OF  THB  DEAD. 

In  the  whole  of  Africa  south  of  the  equator,  we  find  the  great  events  of  the  civilized 
world  repeated  on  a  smaller  scale.  Civilized  history  speaks  of  the  origin  and  rise  of  | 
nations,  and  the  decadence  and  fall  of  empires.  During  a  course  of  many  centuries, 
d3masties  have  arisen  and  held  their  sway  for  generations,  fading  away  by  degrees  before 
the  influx  of  mightier  races.  The  kingdoms  of  Egypt,  Assyria,  Babylon,  Greece,  Rome, 
Persia,  and  the  like,  have  lasted  from  generation  after  generation,  and  some  of  them  still 
exist,  though  with  diminished  powers.  The  Pharaohs  have  passed  from  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  their  metropolis  is  a  desert ;  but  Athens  and  Kome  still  retain  some  traces  of 
their  vanished  glories. 

In  Southern  Africa,  however,  the  changes  that  take  place,  though  precisely  similar 
in  principle,  are  on  a  much  smaller  scale,  both  of  magnitude  and  duration,  and  a 
traveller  who  passes  a  few  years  in  the  country  may  see  four  or  five  changes  of  dynasty 
in  a  few  years.  Within  the  space  of  an  ordinary  life-time,  for  example,  the  fiery  genius 
of  Tchaka  gathered  a  number  of  scattered  tribes  into  a  nation,  and  created  a  dynasty, 
which,  when  deprived  of  its  leading  spirit,  fell  into  decline,  and  has  yearly  tended  to  return 
to  the  original  elements  of  which  it  was  composed.  Tiien  the  Hottentots  have  come  from 
some  unknown  country,  and  dispossessed  the  aborigines  of  the  Cape  so  completely  that 
no  one  knows  what  those  aborigines  were.  In  the  case  of  islands,  such  as  the  Polynesian 
group,  or  even  the  vast  island  of  Australia,  we  know  what  the  aborigines  must  have  been; 
but  we  have  no  such  knowledge  with  regard  to  Southern  Africa,  and  in  consequence  the 
extent  of  our  knowledge  is,  that  the  aborigines,  whoever  they  might  have  been,  were 
certainly  not  Hottentots.  Then  the  Kaffirs  swept  down  and  ejected  the  Hottentots,  and 
the  Dutch  and  other  white  colonists  ejected  the  Kaffirs. 

So  it  has  been  with  the  tribe  of  the  Makololo,  which,  though  thinly  scattered,  and 
by  no  means  condensed,  has  contrived  to  possess  a  large  portion  of  Southern  Africa. 
Deriving  their  primary  origin  from  a  branch  of  the  great  Bechuana  tribe,  and  therefore 
retaining  many  of  the  customs  of  that  tribe  together  with  its  skill  in  manufactures,  they 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  EMPIRE. 


861 


I  able  to  extend  themselves  fa'*  from  their  original  home,  and  by  degrees  contrived 
lin  the  dominion  over  the  greater  part  of  the  country  as  far  as  lat.  14°  S.     Yet,  in 

il  when  Dr.  Livingstone  passed  through  the  country  of  the  Makololo,  he  saw  symptoms 

fits  decadence. 

I  Tber  had  been  organized  by  a  great  and  wise  chief  named  Sebituane,  who  carried  out 

[the  fullest  extent  the  old  Roman  principle  of  mercy  to  the  submissive,  and  war  to  the 

j)ii(i, 

Sebituane  owed  much  of  his  success  to  his  practice  of  leading  his  troops  to  battle  in 

Nnn.   When  he  came  within  sight  of  the  enemy,  he  significantly  felt  the  edge  of  his 

ittle-axe,  and  said,  "  Aha  1  it  is  sharp,  and  whoever  turns  his  back  on  the  enemy  will 

1  its  ed^"    Being  remarkably  fleet  of  foot,  none  of  his  soldiers  could  escape  from  him, 

i  they  found  that  it  was  far  safer  to  fling  themselves  on  the  enemy  with  the  chance  of 

[pelling  him,  than  run  away  with  the  certainty  of  being  cut  down  by  the  chief's  battle- 

k&  Sometimes  a  cowardly  soldier  skulked,  or  hid  himself    Sebituane,  however,  was 

bt  to  be  deceived,  and,  after  allowing  him  to  return  home,  he  would  send  for  the 

Lijnqueut,  and  after  mockingly  assuming  that  death  at  home  was  preferable  to  death  ou 

a  field  of  battle,  would  order  him  to  instant  execution. 

He  incorporated  the  conquered  tribes  with  his  own  Makololo,  saying  that,  v/hen  they 

labinitted  to  his  rule,  they  were  all  children  of  the  chief,  and  therefore  equal ;  and  he 

id  his  words  by  admitting  them  to  participate  in  the  highest  honours,  and  causing 

liem  to  intermarry  with  his  own  tribe.     Under  him  was  an  organized  system  of  head 

bief3,  and  petty  chiefs  and  elders,  through  whom  Sebituane  knew  all  the  affairs  of  his 

ngJom,  and  guided  it  well  and  wisely. 

But,  when  he  died,  the  band  that  held  together  this  nation  was  loosened,  and  bid  fair 
)invH  way  altogether.  His  son  and  successor,  Sekeletu,  was  incapable  of  following  the 
cample  of  his  father.  He  allowed  the  prejudices  of  race  to  be  again  developed,  and 
Btered  them  himself  by  studiously  excluding  all  women  except  the  Makololo  from  his 
larem,  and  appointing  none  but  Makololo  men  to  office. 

Consequently,  he  became  exceedingly  unpopular  among  those  very  tribes  whom  his 
ither  had  succeeded  in  conciliating,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  his  chiefs  and  elders 
leing  all  Makololo  men,  they  could  not  enjoy  the  confidence  of  the  incorporated  tribes, 
nd  thus  the  harmonious  system  of   Sebituane  was  broken  up.     Without  confidence 
their  rulers,  a  people  cannot  retain  their  position  as  a  great  nation ;  and  Sekeletu, 
forfeiting  that  confidence,  sapped  with  his  own  hands  the  foundation  of  his  throne. 
Discontent  began  to  show  itself,  and  his  people  drew  unfavourable  contrasts  between 
rale  and  that  of  his  father,  some  even  doubting  whether  so  weak  and  purpose- 
!S3  a  man  could  really  be  the  son  of  their  lamented  chiefj  the  "  Great  Lion,"  as  they 
UedhioL 

"In  his  days,"  said  they, "  we  had  great  chiefs,  and  little  chiefs,  and  elders,  to  carry  on 
|ihe  government,  and  the  great  chief,  Sebituane,  knew  them  all,  and  the  whole  country 
m  wisely  ruled.  But  now  Seketttu  knows  nothing  of  what  his  underlings  do,  and  they 
!  not  for  him,  and  the  Makololo  power  is  fast  passing  away." 

Then  Sekeletu  fell  ill  of  a  horrible  and  disfiguring  disease,  shut  himself  up  in  his 

liouse,  and  would  not  show  himself;  allowing  no  one  to  come  near  him  but  one  favourite, 

Ihrough  whom  his  orders  were  transmitted  to  the  people.    But  the  nation  got  tired  of 

Ving  ruled  by  deputy,  and  consequently  a  number  of  conspiracies  were  organized,  which 

iiever  could  have  been  done  under  the  all-pervading  rule  of  Sebituane,  and  several  of  the 

[teatfir  chiefs  boldly  set  their  king  at  defiance.    As  long  as  Sekeletu  lived,  the  kingdom 

etained  a  nominal,  though  not  a  real  existence,  but  within  a  year  after  his  death,  which 

iccurred  in  1864,  civil  wars  sprang  up  on  every  side ;  the  kingdom,  thus  divided  was 

weakened,  and  unable  to  resist  the  incursions  of  surrounding  tribes,  and  thus,  within  the 

jspace  of  a  very  few  years,  the  great  Makololo  empire  fell  to  pieces 

I    According  to  Dr.  Livingstone,  this  event  was  much  to  be  regretted,  because  the 

jMakololo  were  not  slave-dealers,  whereas  the  tribes  which  eventually  took  possession  of 

Itheir  land  were  so ;  and,  as  their  sway  extended  over  so  large  a  territory,  it  was  a  great 

Iboon  that  the  abominable  slave  traffic  was  not  permitted  to  exist. 


mk^ 


in! 


sei 


THE  MAKOLOLO  TRIBE. 


mi 


m  IP 


Mr.  Baines,  who  knew  both  the  father  and  the  son,  has  thb  very  meaiifst  opinio  I 
the  latter,  and  the  higheat  of  the  fonner.  In  his  notes,  which  he  has  kiadly  placed 
my  disposal,  he  briefly  characterizes  them  as  follows: — "Sebituane,  a  polished,  me  J 
tiiflri.    Sekeletu,  his  successor,  a  fast  younjj  snob,  with  no  judgment.    Killed  off 


<^ie  rather  th 
their  pi,;visj 


fath>r'8  coun(  llors,  and  did  as  he  liked.  Helped  the  missionaries  ti 
live,  even  if  he  did  not  intentionally  poison  them — then  plundered 
stores." 

The  true  Mnkololo  are  a  fine  race  of  men,  and  are  lighter  in  colour  than  the  surrooii 
iii(^  Lribes,  beiii!:;  of  a  vich  warm  brown,  rather  than  black,  and  they  aw  .  uthor  peculiar! 
their  intonatiin,  pronouncing  each  syllable  slowly  and  deliberately. 

The  general  character  of  this  people  seems  to  be  a  high  one,  an'1  in  many  respft 
will  bear  comparison  with  the  Ovambo.     Brave  they  have  ])roved  thohiselves  hy  iliJ 
many  victories,  though  it  is  nther  remarkable  that  they  do  not  display  the  same  cou 
when  opposed  to  the  lion  as  when  engaged  in  warfare  against  their  fc^low-men. 

Yet  they  are  not  without  courage  and  presence  of  mind  in  the  i  '■ting-field.thonel 
the  dread  king  of  beasts  eems  to  exercise  such  an  influence  over  them  that  they  feati, 
resist  his  inroads.  The  bufl'ith)  is  really  quite  as  much  to  be  dreaded  as  the  Uon,  andil 
the  Makololo  are  r  omparatively  iiidifterent  when  pursuing  it.  Tlie  animal  has  an  m 
pleasant  habit  of  d  ublinj^  hack  on  its  trail,  crouching  in  the  bush,  allowing  the  hunteil 
to  pass  its  hiding-|.iace,  mul  thru  to  charge  suddenly  at  them  with  such  a  force  andfui 
that  it  scatters  the  bushe.  )efore  its  headlong  rush  like  autumn  leaves  before  the  winj 
Yet  the  Makololo  hunters  are  not  in  tlie  least  afraid  of  this  most  formidable  animal, bnl 
leap  behind  a  tree  as  it  chaiges,  and  then  hurl  their  spears  as  it  passes  them. 

Hospitalit)  one  of  their  chicf  virti.es,  and  it  is  exercised  with  a  modesty  which  J 
rath-  •  remarkable.  "The  people  of  every  village,"  writes  Livingstone,  "treated  us  luojl 
liberally,  presenting,  beside-  oxen,  butter,  milk,  and  meal,  more  than  we  could  stow  awajf 
in  our  canoes  The  cows  in  this  valley  are  now  yielding,  as  they  fi-equently  do,  mow 
milk  than  the  people  can  use,  and  both  men  and  women  present  butter  in  such  quuiititis 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  refresh  my  men  as  we  go  along.  Anointing  the  skin  prevental 
the  excessive  evaporatitu  of  the  fluids  of  the  body,  and  acts  as  clothing  in  both 
and  shade. 

"T!:e3'  nlways  made  thrlr  presents  gracefully.  "When  an  ox  was  given, the  ownerl 
would  ay,  '  lU^re.  is  a  littia  Hi  of  bread  for  you.'  This  v  ao  pleasing,  for  I  had  beenl 
accustomed  to  the  F-  iViTianrts  presenting  a  miserable  goat,  with  the  pompous  exclamation,! 
'  Behold,  an  ox ! '  Tiie  women  per.'^isted  in  giving  me  copious  supplies  of  shrill  praise8,| 
or  '  lullilooing,'  but  although  I  frequently  told  them  to  modify  their  '  Great  Lords,' 
'  Great  Lions,'  to  more  humble  expressions,  they  so  evidently  inti  nded  to  do  me  honour,] 
that  I  could  not  help  being  pleased  with  the  poor  creatures'  wishes  for  our  success." 

One  remarkable  instance  of  the  honesty  of  this  tribe  is  afforded  by  Dr.  Livingstone,! 
In  1853,  he  had  left  at  Linyanti,  a  place  on  the  Zambesi  river,  a  wagon  containing  papeisl 
and  stores.  He  had  been  away  from  Linyanti,  to  which  place  he  found  that  letters  and  I 
packages  had  been  sent  for  him.  Accordingly,  in  1860,  he  determined  on  revisiting  ' 
spot,  and  when  he  arrived  there,  found  that  everything  in  the  wagon  was  exactly  in  the! 
same  stato  as  when  he  left  it  in  chaise  of  the  king  seven  years  before.  The  herd  men  of 
the  place  were  very  glad  to  see  him  back  again,  and  only  lamented  that  he  had  not  arrived  | 
in  the  previous  year,  which  happened  to  be  one  of  special  plenty. 

This  honesty  is  the  more  remarkable,  because  they  had  good  reason  to  fear  the  attach  I 
of  the  Matabele,  who,  if  they  had  heard  that  a  wagon  with  property  in  it  was  kept  in, 
the  place,  would  have  attacked  Linyanti  at  once,  in  spite  of  its  strong  position  amid  men 
and  marshes.    However,  the  Makololo  men  agreed  that  in  that  case  they  wexe  to  fight  in 
defence  of  the  wagon  and  that  the  first  man  who  wounded  a  Matabele  in  defence  of  tk  | 
wagon  was  to  receive  cattle  as  a  reward. 

It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  great  personal  influence  which  Dr.  Livingstone  exer- 
cised over  the  king  and  his  tribe  had  much  to  do  with  the  behaviour  of  these  Makololo, 
and  that  a  man  of  less  capacity  and  experience  would  havGi  been  robbed  of  eveiytbing 
that  could  be  stolen. 


ETIQUETTE  AT  MEALS 


S6S 


When  natives  travel,  especially  if  they  should  be  headed  by  a  chief,  similar  ceremonies 
e,  the  women  being  entmsted  with  the  taak  of  welcoming  the  visitors.    This 


ijii)  by  menus  of  a  shrill,  prolonged,  undulating  cry,  produced  by  a  rapid  agitation 
lUM  tongue,  'Ud  expressively  called  "  lullilooing."  The  men  follow  their  example, 
I  it  18  etiquette  for  the  chief  to  receive  all  these  salutations  witn  perfect  indifference. 
IsiMii  as  the  new  comers  are  seated,  a  conversation  takes  place,  in  which  the  two 
Jim  exchange  news,  and  then  the  head  man  rises  and  brings  out  a  quantity  of  beer 
liarge  pots.  Calabash  goblets  are  handed  round,  and  every  one  makes  it  a  point  of 
our  to  drink  as  fast  as  he  can,  the  fragile  goblets  being  often  broken  in  this  convivial 

jilry. 

I  Bt^iiles  the  beer,  jars  of  clotted  milk  are  produced  in  plenty,  and  each  of  the  jars  is 
,  ii  to  one  of  the  principal  men,  who  is  at  liberty  to  divide  it  as  he  chooses.  Although 
Ljj^ily  sprung  from  the  Bechuanas,  the  Mp  .{o*olo  disdain  the  use  of  spoons,  preferring 

Iscoop  up  the  milk  in  their  hands,  and,  if  a  spoon  be  given  to  them,  thev  merely  ladle 

tsoine  milk  from  the  jar,  put  it  into  their  hands,  and  so  eat  it.    A  chief  is  expected  to 

le  several  feasts  of  meat  to  his  followers.     He  chooses  an  ox,  :'    '  hands  it  over  to  some 

Ured  individual,  who  proceeds  to  kill  it  by  piercing  its 

>  wound  is  carefully  closed,  so  that  the  animal  bleeds  intei 

[well  as  the  viscem,  forming  the  perquisite  of  the  butcher. 
Scarcely  is  the  ox  dead  than  it  is  cut  up,  the  best  parts, 

jjodDg  to  the  chief,  who  also  apportions  the  different  purts  ut  the  lain  animal  among 
|i guests,  just  as  Josuph  did  with  his  brethren,  each  of  the  honoured  guests  subdividing 
)  own  portion  among  his  imm  adiate  followers.  The  process  of  cooking  is  simple  enough, 
emeat  being  merely  cut  into  strips  and  thrown  on  the  fire,  often  in  such  quantities  that 

lis  nearly  extinguished.    Befor?  it  is  half  cooked,  it  is  taken  from  the  embers,  and  eaten 
ileso  hot  that  none  but  a  practised  meat-eater  could  endui-e  it,  the  chief  object  being 

liotroduce  as  much  meat  as  possible  into  the  stomach  in  a  given  time.    It  is  not  manners 

I  eat  after  a  man's  companions  have  finished  their  meal,  and  so  each  guest  eats  as  much 

Id  as  fast  as  he  can,  and  acts  as  if  he  had  studied  in  the  school  of  Sir  Dugald 
ilgetty. 

Neither  is  it  manners  for  any  one  to  take  a  solitary  meal,  and,  knowing  this  custom, 
■.Livingstone  always  contrived  to  have  a  second  cup  of  tea  or  coffee  by  his  side  when- 

b  he  took  his  meals,  so  that  the  chief,  or  one  of  the  principal  men,  might  join  in 


It  with  a  slender  spear. 
the  whole  of  the  blood, 


0 


,  the  hump  and  ribs 


Amongst  the  Makololo,  rank  has  its  drawbacks  as  well  as  its  privileges,  and  among 
I  former  may  be  reckoned  one  of  the  customs  which  regulate  meals.  A  chief  may  not 
3  alone,  and  it  is  also  necessary  that  at  each  meal  the  whole  of  the  provisions  should  be 

^mumed.  If  Sekeletu  had  an  ox  killed,  every  particle  of  it  was  consumed  at  a  single 
il,  and  in  consequence  he  often  suffered  severely  from  hunger  before  another  could  be 
[epared  for  him  and  his  followers.  So  completely  is  this  custom  ingrained  in  the  nature 
[  the  IVIakololo,  that  when  Dr.  Livingstone  visited  Sekeletu,  the  latter  was  quite  scan- 

klized  that  a  portion  of  the  meal  was  put  aside.    However,  he  soon  saw  the  advantage 
i  the  plan,  and  after  a  while  followed  it  himself,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the 

Id  men ;  and,  while  the  missionary  was  with  him,  they  played  into  each  other's  hands  by 

Ich  reserving  a  portion  for  the  other  at  every  meaL 
Mention  has  been  made  of  canoes.    As  the  Makololo  live  much  on  the  banks  of  the 
«r  Zambesi,  they  naturally  use  the  canoe,  and  are  skilful  in  its  management 

se  canoes  are  flat-bottomed,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  pass  over  the  numerous 
illowa  of  the  Zam  ^si,  and  are  sometimes  forty  feet  in  length,  carrying  from  six  to 
ipaddlei<s,  besides  other  freight.    The  paddles  are  about  eight  feet  in  length,  and  when 
!  canoe  gets  into  shallow  water,  the  paddles  are  used  a»  pu^poles; 
The  paddlers  stand  while  at  work,  and  keep  time  as  well  as  if  they  were  engaged  in 

I  University  boat  race,  so  that  they  propel  the  vessel  with  considerable  speed. 

I  Being  flat-bottomed,  the  boats  need  very  skilful  management,  especially  in  so  rapid 

kd  variable  a  river  as  the  Zambesi,  where  sluggish  depths,  rock-beset  shallows,  and  swift 

kids,  follow  each  other  repeatedly.    If  the  canoe  should  happen  to  come  broadside  to 


■f' 


I  Y. 


\  r'  ^ 


If  HJ 


**/•*' 


■> 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


l^|2£    125 


■  2.2 


£[   |<£    |2.0 
"         Use 


m 


|L25  1  u  I,* 

- 

^ 

6" 

► 

^ 


^ 


^  '>. 


^.»v 


% 


7 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


■N? 


<> 


23  WIST  MAIN  STMIT 

WEBSTH.N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)872-4S03 


4^ 


THE  MAEOLOLO  TRIBR 


mi. 


the  current,  it  would  inevitably  be  upset,  and,  as  the  Makololo  are  not  all  swimmers  &. 
of  the  crew  would  probably  be  drowned.    As  soon,  therefore,  as  such  a  danger  seeou 
be  impending,  those  who  can  swim  jump  into  the  water,  and  guide  the  canoe  tfarouuhl 
sunken  rocks  and  dangerous  eddies.    Skill  in  the  management  of  the  canoe  is  espojii 
needed  in  the  chase  of  the  hippopotamus,  which  they  contrive  to  hunt  in  its  own  elen 
and  which  they  seldom  fail  in  securing,  in  spite  of  the  enormous  size,  the  furious  i 
and  the  formidable  jaws  of  this  remarkable  animal 

The  dress  of  the  men  difiers  but  little  from  that  which  is  in  use  in  other  parts  of  j 
south  of  the  equator,  and  consists  chiefly  of  a  skin  twisted  round  the  loins,  and  a  il. 
of  the  same  material  thrown  over  the  shoulders,  the  latter  being  only  worn  in  i 
weather. 

The  Makololo  are  a  cleanly  race,  particularly  when  they  happen  to  be  in  the  neij 
bourhood  of  a  river  or  lake,  in  which  they  bathe  several  times  daily.    The  men,  howei 
are  better  in  this  respect  than  the  wtmen,  who  seem  rather  to  be  afraid  of  coldwaL 
preferringto  rub  their  bodies  and  limbs  with  melted  butter,  which  has  theefifectof  maki] 
their  skins  glossy,  and  keeping  off  parasites,  but  also  imparting  a  peculiarly  unple 
odour  to  themselves  and  their  clothing. 

As  to  the  women,  they  are  clothed  in  a  far  better  manner  thdn  the  men,  and  l 
exceedingly  fond  of  ornaments,  wearing  a  skin  kilt  and  kaross,  and  adorning  thenuelvj 
with  as  many  ornaments  as  they  can  aifurd.  The  traveller  who  has  already  been  quol 
mentions  that  a  sister  of  the  great  chief  Sebituane  wore  enough  ornaments  to  be  a  k 
for  an  ordinary  man.  On  each  leg  she  had  eighteen  rings  of  solid  brass,  as  thick  as] 
man's  finger,  and  three  of  copper  under  each  knee  ;  nineteen  similar  rings  on  her  rigl 
arm,  and  eight  of  brass  and  copper  on  her  left.  She  had  also  a  large  ivory  ring  ab 
each  elbow,  a  broad  band  of  beads  round  her  waist,  and  another  round  her  neck,  lie 
altogether  nearly  one  hundred  large  and  heavy  rings.  The  weight  of  the  rings  on  1 
legs  was  so  great,  that  she  was  obliged  to  wrap  soft  rags  roimd  the  lower  rings,  as  tli 
had  begun  to  chafe  her  ankles.  Under  this  weight  of  metal  she  could  walk  but  awl| 
wardly,  but  fashion  proved  itself  superior  to  pain  with  this  Makololo^oman,  as 
her  European  sisters. 

Both  in  colour  and  general  manners,  the  Makololo  women  are  superior  to  most  of  I 
tribes.  This  superiority  is  partly  due  to  the  light  warm  brown  of  their  complexion,  a 
partly  to  their  mode  of  life.  Unlike  the  women  of  ordinary  African  tribes,  those  i 
the  Makololo  lead  a  comparatively  easy  life,  having  their  harder  labours  shared 
their  husbands,  who  aid  in  digging  the  ground,  and  in  other  rough  work.  Even  t 
domestic  work  is  done  more  by  servants  than  by  the  mistresses  of  the  household,  so  tin 
the  Makololo  women  are  not  liable  to  that  rapid  deterioration  which  is  so  evident  amoij 
other  tribes. 

In  fact  they  have  so  much  time  to  themselves,  and  so  little  to  occupy  them,  tb 
they  are  apt  to  fall  into  rather  dissipated  habits,  and   spend  much  of  their  time  i 
smoking  hemp  and  drinking  beer,  the  former  habit  being  a  most  insidious  one,  aii| 
apt  to  cause  a  peculiar  eruptive  disease.     Sekeletu  was  a  votary  of  the  hemp-pip 
and,  by  his  over-indulgence  in  this  luxury,  he  induced  the  disease  of  which  he 
wards  died. 

The  only  hard  work  that  faUs  to  the  lot  of  the  Makololo  women  is  that  of  hoa 
building,  which  is  left  entirely  to  them  and  their  servants. 

The  mode  of  making  a  house  is  rather  remarkable.  The  first  business  is  to  U 
a  cylindrical  tower  of  stakes  and  reeds,  plastered  with  mud,  and  some  nine  or  ten  feet  ii 
height,  the  walls  and  floor  being  smoothly  plastered,  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  harbouriii{ 
insects.  A  larg^  conical  roof  is  then  put  together  on  the  ground,  and  completely  thatchd 
with  reeds.  It  is  then  lifted  by  many  hands,  and  lodged  on  the  top  of  the  circular  ton 
As  the  roof  progeets  far  beyond  the  central  tower,  it  is  supported  by  stakes,  and 
a  general  rule,  the  spaces  between  these  stakes  are  filled  up  witii  a  wall  or  fence  of  i 
plastered  with  mud.  This  roof  is  not  permanently  fixed  either  to  the  supporting  staktj 
or  the  central  tower,  and  can  be  removed  at  pleasure.  When  a  visitor  arrives  amoif 
the  Makololo,  he  is  often  lodged  by  the  simple  process  of  lifting  a  finished  roof 


HOUSE-BUILDING. 


865 


isbed  house,  and  putting  it  on  the  grouncL  Although  it  is  then  so  low  that  a  man  can 

ily  sit,  much  less  stand  upright,  it  answers  very  well  for  Southern  Africa,  where  th^ 

)  of  active  life  is  spent,  as  a  rule,  in  the  open  air,  and  where  houses  are  only  used 

Mjag-lboxeB.    The  doorway  that  gives  admission  into  the  circular  chamber  is  always 

I   In  a  hquse  that  was  assigned  to  Br.  Livingstone,  it  was  only  nineteen  inches 

Ifcital  height,  twenty-two  in  width  at  the  floor,  and  twelve  at  the  top.    A  native 

Wolo,  with  no  particular  encumbrance  in  the  way  of  clothes,  makes  his  way  through 

[doorway  easily  enough ;  but  an  European  with  all  the  impediments  of  dress  about 

I  finds  himself  sadly  hampered  in  attempting  to  gain  the  penetration  of  a  Makololo 

Except  through  this  door,  the  tower  has  neither  light  nor  ventilation.    Some  of 


''"7-^  I  m% 


'■'^'/jf// 


^.li&* 


I    -ii 

I   %1 


i  'i 


HOUSE-BCILDINO. 


(best  houses  have  two,  and  even  three,  of  these  towers,  built  concentrically  within 
Ich  other,  and  each  having  its  entrance  about  as  large  as  the  door  of  an  ordinary  dog- 
mneL  Of  course  the  atmosphere  is  veiy  close  at  night,  but  the  people  care  nothing 
nut  that 

The  illustration  is  from  a  sketch  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Eaines.    It  represents  a  nearly 
mpleted  Makololo  house  on  the  banks  of  the  Zambesi  river,  just  above  the  great 
f  ctoria  Falls.    The  women  have  placed  the  roof  on  the  building,  and  are  engaged  in 
)  final  process  of  fixing  the  thatch. 

I  In  the  centre  is  seen  the  cylindrical  tower  which  fonns  the  inner  chamber,  together 

Tth  a  portion  of  the  absurdly  small  door  by  which  it  is  entered.    Bound  it  is  the  inner 

"U,  which  is  also  furnished  with  its  doorway.     These  are  made  of  stakes  and  withes, 


t: 


366 


THE  MAKOLOLO  TRIBE. 


p< 


upon  which  is  worked  a  quantity  of  clay,  well  patted  on  by  hand,  so  as  to  form  a  thick 
strong  wall.    The  clay  is  obtained  from  ant-hills,  and  is  generally  kneaded  up  with 
dung,  the  mixture  producing  a  kind  of  plaster  that  is  very  solid,  and  can  be  made  ] 
fully  smooth.     Even  the  wall  which  surrounds  the  building  and  the  whole  of 
are  made  of  the  same  material 

It  will  be  ae&a.  that  there  are  four  concentric  walls  in  this  building.  First  comes  1 
outer  wall,  which  encircles  the  whole  premises.  Next  is  a  low  wall  which  is  built  I 
against  the  posts  which  support  the  ends  of  the  rafters,  and  which  is  partly  supp 
by  them.  Within  this  is  a  third  wall,  which  encloses  what  may  be  called  the  orL. 
living  room  of  the  house  ;  and  within  all  is  the  inner  chamber,  or  tower,  which  jjl 
fact  only  another  circular  wall  of  much  less  diameter  and  much  greater  height.  Jt  ^ 
be  seen  that  the  walls  of  the  house  itself  increase  regularly  in  height,  and  decn 
regularly  in  diameter,  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  conical  roof. 

On  the  left  of  the  illustration  is  part  of  a  millet-field,  beyond  which  are  some  i 
pleted  houses.    Among  them  are  some  of  the  fan-palms  with  recurved  leaves.   That  I 
the  left  is  a  young  tree,  and  retains  all  its  leaves,  while  that  on  the  right  is  an  old  one,aL 
has  shed  tlie  leaves  towards  the  base  of  the  stem,  the  foliiage  and  the  thickened  portion! 
the  trunk  having  worked  their  way  gradually  upwards.    More  palms  are  growing  on  t 
Zambesi  river,  and  in  the  background  are  seen  the  vast  spray  clouds  arising  from  i 
Falls. 

The  compaiatively  easy  life  led  by  the  Makololo  women  makes  polygamy  less  ofl 
hardship  to  them  than  is  the  case  among  neighbouring  tribes,  and,  in  fact,  even  if  tl 
men  were  willing  to  abandon  the  system,  the  women  would  not  consent  to  do  so.  Wn 
them  marriage,  though  it  never  rises  to  the  rank  which  it  holds  in  civilized  countriei 
not  a  mere  matter  of  barter.  It  is  true  that  the  husband  is  expected  to  pay  a  certain  l 
to  the  parents  of  his  bride,  as  a  recompense  for  her  services,  and  as  purchase-money  | 
retain  in  his  own  family  the  children  that  she  may  have,  and  which  would  by  law  beloj 
to  her  father.  Then  again,  when  a  wife  dies  her  husband  is  obliged  to  send  an  ox  to  U 
family,  in  order  to  recompense  them  for  their  loss,  she  being  still  reckoned  as  formin 

Eart  of  her  parents'  family,  and  her  individuality  not  being  totally  merged  into  that] 
er  husband. 

Plurality  of  wives  is  in  vogue  among  the  Makololo,  and  is,  indeed,  an 
necessity  unr  '  the  present  conditions  of  the  race,  and  the  women  would  be  quite  i 
unwilling  as  ,..  men  to  have  a  system  of  monogamy  imposed  upon  them.  No  man  i 
respected  by  his  neighbours  who  does  not  possess  several  wives,  and  indeed  without  theJ 
he  could  not  be  wealthy,  each  wife  tilling  a  certain  quantity  of  ground,  and  the  producl 
belonging  to  a  common  stock.  Of  course,  there  are  cases  where  polygamy  is  certainly  | 
hardship,  as,  for  example,  when  old  men  choose  to  marry  very  young  wives.  But,  on  t 
whole,  and  under  existing  conditions,  polygamy  is  the  only  possible  system. 

Another  reason  for  the  plurality  of  wives,  as  given  by  themselves,  is  that  a  man  \fill| 
one  wife  would  not  be  able  to  exercise  that  hospitality  which  is  one  of  the  special  i 
of  the  tribe.  Strangers  are  taken  to  the  huts  and  there  entertained  as  honoured  piestf 
and  as  the  women  are  the  principal  providers  of  food,  chief  cultivators  of  the  soil, 
sole  guardians  of  the  corn  stores,  their  co-operation  is  absolutely  necessary  for  anyone  wh 
desires  to  carry  out  the  hospitable  institutions  of  his  tribe. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  m*  ften  take  their  share  in  the  hard  work. 
laudable  custom,  however,  prevailed  x.  among  the  true  Makololo  men,  the  incorporated 
tribes  preferring  to  follow  the  usual  African  custom,  and  to  make  the  women  work  wt'' 
they  sit  down  and  smoke  their  pipes. 

The  men  have  become  adepts  at  carving  wood,  making  wooden  pots  with  lids,  anJ 
bowls  and  jars  of  all  sizes.  Moreover,  of  late  years,  the  Makololo  have  learned  to  tliina 
that  sitting  on  a  "stool  is  more  comfortable  than  squatting  on  the  bare  ground,  andhave;| 
in  consequence,  begun  to  carve  the  legs  of  their  stools  into  various  patterns. 

Like  the  people  from  whom  they  are  descended,  the  Makololo  are  a  law-loving  race,  au 
manage  their  government  by  means  of  councils  or  parliaments,  resembling  the  picliost 
the  Bechuanas,  and  consisting  of  a  number  of  individuals  assembled  iu  a  cirole  round  tli 


LAW-StlTS. 


867 


uure 


>  ^],o  occupies  the  middle.    On  one  occasion,  when  there  was  a  large  halo  round  the 
\.  Livingstone  pointed  it  out  to  his  chief  boatman.    The  man  immediately  replied 
it  was  a  parliament  of  the  Barimo,  ie.  the  gods,  or  departed  spirits,  who  were 
Hiiibled  round  their  chief,  i.e.  the  sun. 

iFoT  m^or  crimes  a  picho  is  generally  held,  and  the  accused,  if  found  guilty,  is  coh- 
Led  to  death.  The  usual  mode  of  execution  is  for  two  men  to  grasp  the  condemned 
[|^  wrists,  lead  him  a  mile  from  the  town,  and  then  to  spear  him.  Eesistance  is  not 
d  neither  is  the  criminal  allowed  to  speak.  So  quietly  is  the  whole  proceeding 
on  one  very  remarkable  occasion,  a  rival  chief  was  carried  off  within  a  few  yards  of 
riivinc^tone  without  his  being  aware  of  the  fact. 

I  Shortly  after  Sebituane's  death,  while  his  son  Sekeletu  was  yet  a  young  man  of  eighteen, 

I  but  newly  raised  to  the  throne,  a  rival  named  Mpepe,  who  had  been  appointed  by 

Ittnane  chief  of  a  division  of  the  tribe,  aspired  to  the  throne.    He  strengthened  his 

etensions  by  superstition,  having  held  for  some  years  a  host  of  incantations,  at  which  a 

nber  of  native  wizards  assembled,  and  performed  a  number  of  enchantments  so  potent 

t  even  the  strong-minded  Sebituane  was  afraid  of  him.    After  the  death  of  that  great 

f  Mpepe  organized  a  conspiracy  whereby  he  should  be  able  to  murder  Sekeletu 

to  take  his  throne.     The  plot,  however,  was  discbvered,  and  on  the  night  of  its 

executioners  came  quietly  to  Mpepe's  fire,  took  his  wrists,  led  him  out,  and 

_  IWm. 

Sometimes  the  offender  is  taken  into  the  river  in  a  boat,  strangled,  and  flung  into  the 
>r,  where  the  crocodiles  are  waiting  to  receive  him.  Disobedience  to  the  chief's 
mand  is  thought  to  be  quite  sufBlcient  cause  for  such  a  punishment.  To  lesser 
ices  fines  are  inflicted,  a  parliament  not  being  needed,  but  the  case  being  heard  before 

>  chief  Dr.  Livingstone  rektes  in  a  very  graphic  style  the  manner  in  which  these  cases 

>  conducted. 
The  complainant  asks  the  man  against  whom  he  meaiis  to  lodge  his  complaint  to 

ne  with  hiin  to  the  chief    This  is  never  refused.    When  both  are  in  the  kotla,  the 

stands  up  and  states  the  whole  case  before  the  chief  and  people  usually 

embled  there.    He  stands  a  few  seconds  after  he  has  done  this  to  recollect  if  he  has 

gotten  anything.    The  witnesses  to  whom  he  has  referred  then  rise  up  and  tell  all 

they  themselves  have  seen  or  heard,  but  not  anything  that  they  have  heard  from 

rs.  The  defendant,  after  all'^wing  some  minutes  to  elapse,  so  that  he  may  not 

kteirapt  any  of  the  opposite  party,  slowly  rises,  folds  his  cloak  about  him,  and  in  the 

Lt  quiet  and  deliberate  way  he  can  assume,  yawning,  blowing  his  nose,  &c.,  begins  to 

plain  the  affair,  denying  the  charge  or  admitting  it,  as  the  case  may  be. 

"Sometimes,  when  galled  by  his  remarks,  the  complainant  utters  a  sentence  of 

ent.   Tlie  accused  turns  quietly  to  him  and  says,  '  Be  silent,  I  sat  still  while  you 

^ere speaking.    Cannot  you  do  the  same?    Do  you  want  to  have  it  all  to  yourself?' 

nd.  as  the  audience  acquiesce  in  this  bantering,  and  enforce  silence,  he  goes  ou  until  he 

I  finished  all  he  wishes  to  say  in  his  defence. 

"  If  he  has  any  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  the  facts  of  his  defence,  they  give  their 

vidence,    No  oath  is  administered,  but  occasionally,  when  a  statement  is  questioned,  a 

an  will  say, '  By  my  father,'  or, '  By  the  chief,  it  is  so.'     Their  truthfulness  among  each 

her  is  quite  remarkable,  but  their  system  of  government  is  such  that  Europeans  are  not 

I  a  position  to  realize  it  readily.    A  poor  man  will  say  in  his  defence  against  a  rich  one, 

|1  am  astonished  to  hear  a  man  so  great  as  he  make  a  false  accusation,'  as  if  the  offence 

|if  falsehood  were  felt  to  be  one  against  the  society  which  the  individual  referred  to  had 

"  3  greatest  interest  in  upholding." 

When  a  case  is  brought  before  the  king  by  chiefs  or  other  influential  men,  it  is 

fcxpected  that  the  councillors  who  attend  the  royal  presence  shall  give  their  opinions,  and 

Ihe  permission  to  do  so  is  inferred  whenever  the  king  remains  silent  after  having  heard  both 

parties.    It  is  a  point  of  etiquette  that  all  the  speakers  stand  except  the  king,  who  alone 

I  the  privilege  of  speaking  while  seated. 

There  is  even  a  series  of  game-laws  in  the  country,  all  ivory  belonging  of  right  to  the 

ng,  and  every  tusk  being  brought  to  him.    This  right  is,  however,  only  nominal,  as  the 


Cf  '11 


M« 


:iiu.n.i 


368 


THE  MAKOLOLO  TRIBE. 


king  is  expected  to  share  the  ivory  among  his  people,  and  if  he  did  not  do  so,  ho  woqI 
be  able  to  enforce  the  law.    In  fact,  the  whole  law  practically  resolves  itself  into 
that  the  king  gets  one  tusk  and  the  hunters  get  the  other,  while  the  flesh  belongs  tot] 
who  kill  the  animal.    And,  as  the  flesh  is  to  the  people  far  more  valuably  than 
ivory,  the  arrangement  is  much  fairer  than  appears  at  first  sight. 

Practically,  it  is  a  system  of  make-believes.  The  successful  hunters  kill  two  elepli 
taking  four  tusks  to  the  king,  and  make  believe  to  offer  them  for  his  acceptance 
makes  believe  to  take  them  as  his  right,  and  then  makes  believe  to  present  them 
two  as  a  free  gift  from  himself.     They  acknowledge  the  royal  bounty  with 


r^      |;^. 


Sfff     1 

\ 

K 

,f 

1  { 

fit 
1  ■•■ 

\     *                 1 

St  -^ 

1 

Py." 

i 

>  /  mm 

Wt    •*'^ 

i 

'^n 

( 

m  '^ 

it  V 

,  ; 

f     -^i 

i  r 

m         I       -    - 

^s^mf'^^'^<A 


CHILDBEN'S  GAHEa 


thanks  and  recapitulation  of  titles,  such  as  Great  Lion,  &c.,  and  so  all  parties  aieeqti 
satisfied. 

On  page  355 1  have  described,  from  Mr.  Baines'  notes,  a  child's  toy,  the  only  examplel 
of  a  genuine  toy  which  he  found  in  the  whole  of  Southern  Africa,  Among  the  MakololoT 
however,  as  well  as  among  Europeans,  the  spirit  of  play  is  strong  in  children,  and  theyj 
engage  in  various  games,  chiefly  consisting  in  childish  imitation  of  the  more  seriousl 
pursuits  of  their  parents.  The  following  account  of  their  play  is  given  by  Dt| 
Livingstone ; — 

"  The  children  have  merry  times,  especially  in  the  cool  of  the  evening.    One  of  their  | 
games  consists  of  a  little  girl  being  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  two  others.    She  sits  with] 
outstretched  arms,  as  they  walk  about  with  her,  and  all  the  rest  clap  their  hands,  anJ 
stopping  before  each  hut,  sing  pretty  airs,  some  beating  time  on  their  little  kilts  of  coW' 


CHILDSEirS  GAMES. 


8C9 


ind  others  making  a  onrioiu  horoming  sound  between  the  songs.  Excepting  this 
[the  skipping-rope,  the  play  of  the  girls  consists  in  imitation  of  the  serious  work  of 
it  mothers,  building  little  huts,  making  small  pots,  and  cooking,  pounding  com  in 
liitoie  mortars,  or  hoeing  tiny  gardens. 

'The  hoys  play  with  spears  of  reeds  pointed  with  wood,  and  small  shields,  or  bows 
arrows ;  or  amuse  themselves  in  making  little  cattle-pens,  or  cattle  in  day, — they 
jrsreat  ingenuity  in  the  imitation  of  variously  shaped  horns.  Some,  too,  are  said  to 
iligs,  hut,  as  soon  as  they  can  wateh  the  goats  or  calves,  they  are  sent  to  the  field. 
saw  many  boys  riding  on  the  calves  they  had  in  charge,  but  this  is  an  innovation 
^the  arrival  of  the  English  with  their  horses. 

•Tselane,  one  of  the  ladies,  on  observing  Dr.  Livingstone  noting  observations  on  the 
;  and  dry  bulb  thermometers,  thought  that  he  too  was  engaged  in  play.  On  receiving 
Uly  to  her  question,  which  was  rather  difficult  to  answer,  as  their  native  tongue  has 
icientific  terms,  she  said  with  roguish  glee, '  Poor  thing !  playing  like  a  little  child !  "* 
I  have  the  pleasure  of  presenting  my  readers  with  another  of  Mr.  Baines's  sketches. 
scene  is  taken  from  a  Makololo  village  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  time  is 
led  to  he  evening,  after  the  day's  work  is  of er. 

th*)  midst  are  the  young  girls  playing  the  game  mentioned  by  Mr.  Anderssen,  the 
girl  being  carried  by  two  others,  and  her  companions  singing  and  clappins  their 
The  dress  of  the  young  girls  is,  as  may  be  seen,  very  simple,  and  consists  of 
...J  thongs,  varying  greatly  in  length,  but  always  so  slight  and  scanty  that  they  do 
hide  the  contour  of  the  limbs.  Several  girls  are  walking  behind  them,  carrying  pots 
bundles  on  the  head,  another  is  breaking  up  the  ground  with  a  toy  hoe,  while  in  the 
)undi8  one  girl  pretending  to  grind  corn  between  two  stones,  another  pounding  in  a 
model  mortar,  and  a  third  with  a  rude  doll  carried  as  a  mother  carries  her  child, 
parents  are  leaning  against  their  houses,  and  looking  at  the  sports  of  the  children, 
the  left  are  seen  some  girls  building  a  miniature  hut,  the  roof  of  which  they  are  just 
iig  on  to  the  posts. 

In  the  foreground  on  the  left  are  the  boys  engaged  in  their  particular  games.    Some 

employed  in  making  rude  models  of  catde  and  other  animals,  while  others  are  engaged 

mimic  warfare.    In  the  background  is  a  boy  who  has  gone  out  to  feteh  the  flock  of 

9  home,  and  is  walking  in  front  of  them,  followed  by  his  charga    A  singular  tree  often 

hangs  the  houses  and  is  very  characteristic  of  that  part  of  Africa.    In  the  native 

igoage  it  is  called  Mosaawe,  and  by  the  Portuguese,  Paopisa.    It  has  a  leaf  somewhat 

that  of  the  acacia,  and  the  blossoms  and  fruit  are  seen  hanging  side  by  side.    The 

r  very  much  resembles  a  wooden  cucumber,  and  is  about  as  eatable. 

On  page  370  is  another  sketoh  by  Mr.  Baines,  representing  a  domestic  scene  in  a 

kololo  family. 

The  house  belongs  to  a  chief  named  M'Bopo,  who  was  very  friendly  to  Mr.  Baines 
his  companions,  and  was  altogether  a  fine  specimen  of  a  savage  gentleman.  He  was 
ngly  hospitable  to  his  guests,  not  only  feeding  them  well,  but  producing  great  jars 
be,  or  native  beer,  which  they  were  obliged  to  consume  either  personally  or  by 
uty.  He  even  apologised  for  his  inability  to  offer  them  some  young  ladies  as  tem- 
iry  wives,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  the  girls  being  at  the  time  all 
mt,  and  engaged  in  ceremonies  very  similar  to  those  which  have  been  described 
a  treating  of  the  Bechuanas. 

M'Bopo  is  seated  in  the  middle,  and  may  be  distinguished  by  the  fact  that  he  is 
iring  all  his  hair,  the  general  fashion  being  to  crop  it  and  dress  it  in  various  odd 
s.  Just  behind  him  is  one  of  his  chief  men,  whom  Mr.  Baines  was  accustomed  to 
gnate  as  Toby  Fillpot,  partly  because  he  was  very  assiduous  in  filling  the  visitor's 
with  pombe,  and  partly  because  he  was  more  than  equally  industrious  in  emptying 
m.  It  will  be  noticed  that  he  has  had  his  head  shaved,  and  that  the  hair  is  beginning 
<ow  in  little  patohes.  Behind  him  is  another  man,  who  has  shaved  his  head  at  the 
I,  and  has  allowed  a  mere  tuft  of  hair  to  grow  along  the  top.  In  front  of  M'Bopo  is 
Qge  earthen  vessel  full  of  pombe,  and  by  the  side  of  it  ia  the  calabash  ladle  by  which 
liquid  is  transferred  to  Hie  drinking  vessels. 
OL  L  fi  B 


w 


u.:'.,v.. 


•if  ' 


•1^- 


■|i' "' '"'  ''. 


870 


THE  MAKOLOLO  TKIBEL 


M'Bopo's  chief  wife  sits  beside  him,  and  is  distin^ished  bv  the  two  ornaments  wh' 
she  wears.  On  her  furehead  is  a  circular  ^iece  of  hide,  kneaded  while  wet  so  as  to  f 
a  shallow  cona  The  inside  of  this  cone  is  entirely  covered  with  beads,  mostly  «h^ 
and  scarlet  in  the  centre.  Upon  her  neck  is  another  ornament,  which  is  valued  ve 
highly.  It  is  the  base  of  a  shell,  a  species  of  conus— the  whole  of  which  has  been  tmm 
away  except  the  basa  This  ornament  is  thought  so  valuable  that  when  the  greatch 
Shinte  presented  Dr.  Livingstone  with  one,  he  took  the  precaution  of  coming  alone  & 
carefully  closing  the  tent  door,  so  that  none  of  his  people  should  witness  an  act  of  an 
extravagant  generosity. 


not 


This  lady  was  good  enough  to  express  her  opinion  of  the  white  travelers.    They  w  J 
80  ugly,  said  she,  as  she  had  expected.    All  that  hair  on  their  heads  and  &om  ^ 


If  Man 

m  mm 


VBOro  AT  BOMB. 


WW 


certainly  disagreeable,  but  their  faces  were  pleasant  enough,  and  their  hands  were  ¥ell| 
foimed,  but  the  great  defect  in  them  was,  that  they  had  no  toes.  The  worthy  lady  hadl 
never  heard  of  boots,  and  evidently  considered  them  as  analogous  to  the  hoofs  of  cattl&l 
It  was  found  necessary  to  remove  the  boots,  and  convince  her  that  the  whitd  man  really  I 
had  toes.    '  I 

Several  o.  the  inferior  wives  are  also  sitting  on  the  ground.  One  of  them  has  kl 
scalp  entirely  shaved,  and  the  other  has  capriciously  diversified  her  head  by  allovingil 
few  streaks  of  hair  to  go  over  the  top  of  the  head,  and  another  to  surround  it  like  a  band j 
The  reed  door  is  seen  turned  aside  from  tiie  opening,  and  a  few  baskets  are  hanging  l" 
and  there  upon  the  wall 


M AKOLOLO  DANCE 


871 


Hm  Makololo  have  plenty  of  amnsemento  after  their  own  tasTiion,  which  is  certainly 
lipt  that  of  an  European.  Even  those  who  have  lived  among  them  for  some  time,  and 
ISive  acknowledged  that  they  are  among  the  most  favourable  specimens  of  African 
lleithendom,  have  been  utterly  disgusted  and  wearied  with  the  life  which  they  had  to 
i|iii  There  is  no  quiet  and  no  repose  day  or  night,  and  Dr.  Livingstone,  who  might 
lie  expected  to  be  thoroughly  hardened  against  annoyance  by  trifles,  states  broadly  that 
lAe  dsDcing,  singing,  roaring,  jesting,  stoiy-telling,  girumbling,  and  quarrelling  of  the 
llbkololo  were  a  severer  penance  than  anything  which  he  had  undergone  in  all  his 
He  had  to  live  with  them,  and  was  therefore  brought  in  dpse  contact 


f^  them. 

The  first  three  items  of  savage  life,  namely,  dancing,  singing,  and  roaring,  seem  to  be 
ittteparably  united,  and  the  savages  s^em  to  be  incapable  of  getting  up  a  dance  unless 
iceompanied  by  roaring  on  the  part  of  the  performers,  and  sinking  on  the  part  of  the 
ipectators— the  latter  sounds  being  not  more  melodious  than  the  former.  Dr.  Livingstone 
flv»  a  very  graphic  account  of  a  Makololo  dance.  "  As  this  was  the  first  visit  which 
^kdetu  had  paid  to  this  part  of  his  dominions,  it  was  to  many  a  season  of  great  jov. 
IJie  head  men  of  each  village  presented  oxen,  milk,  and  beer,  more  than  the  horde 
which  accompanied  him  covld  devour,  though  their  abilities  in  that  way  are  something 

fwderfiiL 

"The  people  usually  show  their  joy  and  work  off  their  excitement  in  dances  and 
loogg.  The  dance  cousists  of  the  men  standing  nearly  naked  in  a  circle,  with  clubs  or 
anlyS  battle-axea  in  their  hands,  and  each  roaring  at  the  loudest  pitch  of  his  voice,  while 
tber  omtdtaneously  lift  one  leg,  stamp  heavily  twice  with  it,  then  lift  the  other  and  give 
one  stamp  with  it ;  this  is  the  only  movement  in  commoa  The  arms  and  head  are 
thrown  about  also  iii  every  direction,  and  aO.  this  time  the  roaring  is  kept  up  with  the 
itmoit  possible  vigour.  The  continued  stamping  makes  a  cloud  of  dust  ascend,  and  they 
leave  a  deep  ring  in  the  ground  where  they  have  stood. 

"If  the  scene  were  witnessed  in  a  lunatic  asylum,  it  would  he  nothing  out  of  the 
fa7,  and  qoite  appropriate  as  a  means  of  letting  off  the  excessive  excitement  of  the  brain. 
BatheiQ,  grey-headed  men  joined  in  the  performance  with  as  much  zest  as  others  whose 
joath  might  be  an  excuse  for  making  the  perspiration  start  off  their  bodies  with  the 
exertion.  Motibe  asked  what  I  thoup;ht  of  the  Makololo  dance.  I  replied,  '  It  is  very 
bud, work,  and  brings  but  small  profit'  'It  is,'  he  replied;  'but  it  is  very  nice,  and 
Sekdeta  will  give  us  an  ox  for  dancing  for  him.'  He  usually  does  slaughter  an  ox  for 
the  dancers  when  the  work  is  over. 

'The  women  stand  by,  clapping  their  hands,  and  occasionally  one  advances  within 
the  ciide,  composed  of  a  hundred  men,  makes  a  few  movements,  and  then  retires.  As  I 
never  tnid.  it,  and  am  unable  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing,  I  cannot  re  commend 
the  Makololo  polka  to  the  dancing  world,  but  T  have  the  authorit  of  no  less  a  person 
than  Motebe,  Sekeletu's  father-in-law,  for  saying  that  it  is  very  nice. 

Many  of  the  Makololo  are  inveterate  smokers,  preferring  hemp  even  to  tobacco, 
because  it  is  more  intoxicating.  They  delight  in  smoking  themselves  into  a  positive 
frenzy,  "which  passes  away  in  a  rapid  stream  of  unmeaning  words,  or  short  sentences,  as, 
'The  green  grass  grows,'  'The  fat  cattle  thrive,'  'The  iishes  swim.'  No  one  in  the 
group  pays  the  slightest  attention  to  the  vehement  eloquence,  or  the  sage  or  silly 
utteronces  of  the  oracle,  who  stops  abruptly,  and,  the  instant  common  sense  returns,  looks 
foolish."  They  smoke  the  hemp  through  water,  using  a  koodoo  horn  for  their  pipe,  much 
in  the  way  that  the  Damaras  and  other  tribes  use  it. 

Over  indulgence  in  this  luxury  has  a  very  prejudicial  effect  on  the  health,  producing 
an  eruption  over  the  whole  body  that  is  quite  unmistakable.  In  consequence  of  this 
effect,  the  men  prohibit  their  wives  from  using  the  hemp,  but  the  result  of  the  prohibition 
seems  only  to  be  that  the  women  smoke  secretly  instead  of  openly,  and  are  afterwards 
discovered  by  the  appearance  of  the  skin.  It  is  the  more  fascinating,  because  its  use 
imparts  a  spurious  strength  to  the  body,  while  it  enervates  the  mind  to  such  a  degree 
that  the  user  is  incapable  of  perceiving  the  state  in  which  he  is  gradually  sinking,  or  of 
exercising  sufficient  self-control  to  abandon  or  even  to  modify  the  destructive  habit. 

bb2 


'I    H 


S     l! 


I 

m!&| 


'!' 


"  fell  . 


■i'.mi 


tn 


THE  MAKOLOLO  TRIBE. 


8eke  etu  was  a  complete  victim  of  the  hempjpipe,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  {]]. 
aomething  like  the  dreaded  "  craw-craw  "  of  Western  Africa,  was  aggravated,  if  not  m, 
by  over-indttlgenoe  in  smoking  hemp.  ^ 

The  Mak(UoIo  have  an  unbounded  faith  in  medicines,  and  believe  that  there  is  no  -n 
to  which  humanity  is  subject  which  cannot  be  removed  bjr  white  man's  medicine.  (W 
woman,  who  thought  herself  too  thin  to  suit  the  African  ideas  of  beauty,  asked  for^ 
medicine  of  fatness,  and  a  chief,  whose  six  wives  had  only  produced  one  boy  amonir 
number  of  gii'ls,  was  equally  importunate  for  some  medicine  that  would  chanse  t^L? 
of  the  future  olftpring.  e  ««iex 

The  burial-places  of  the  Makololo  are  seldom  conspicuous,  but  in  some  cases  the  reli 
of  a  deceased  chief  are  preserved,  and  regarded  with  veneration,  so  that  the  guarditul 
cannot  be  induced  to  sell  them  even  for  the  most  tempting  prices.  e"«»uioi| 


r  ■'I 


SOUTH  AFBIOAN  DOUBLE  SPOOK 


iil 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


THE  BATE7E  AND  MAKOBA  TRIBES. 


Iniima  ot  thb  VAm— oiimBAi.  AVPBABAMoa  Ain>  ohabaotbb — thikviiki — abilitt  nr  nsHiira 

-K^AlfOM— niPBAMT-OATOHIKO DBSB8— TBS   MAKOBA   TBIBB — TBXIB    LOOAUTT — A    MAKOBA 

CBrtf't  BOOUBBT— IXILL  IN  MABAOZNO  CAB0X8 — ZANOVBLLAH  AMD  BIB  BOATS— HtPPOPOTAMVS 
BmnXO   WITB  THB  OAMOB — MBVCTUBB  OF  THB  HABPOON — THB  BBRD-BAFT  AND  ITS  VBM^ 

icFumnoMa— VLAKmio  tbbbs— TBAnamaBATioN — thb  pohoobo  ado  hh  wivb. 


THE  BATETE  TfilBE 


As  the  Bayeye  tribe  ha^  been  mentioned  once  or  twice  during  the  account  of  the 
Makololo,  a  few  lines  of  notice  will  be  given  to  them. 

Tbsiy  originally  inhabited  the  country  about  Lalce  Ngami,  but  were  conquered  by 
another  tribe,  the  Ibatoanas,  and  reduced  to  comparative  sendom.  The  conquerors  called 
them  Bakoba,  ie.  serfs,  but  they  themselves  take  the  pretentious  title  of  Ba^eye,  or 
Hen.  They  attribute  their  defeat  to  the  want  of  shields,  though  the  superior  discipline 
of  their  enemies  had  probably  more  to  do  with  their  victory  than  the  mere  fiust  of 
poseessiog  a  shield. 

On  one  notable  occasion,  the  Buyeye  proved  conclusively  that  the  shield  does  not 
make  the  warrior.  Their  chief  had  taken  the  trouble  to  furnish  them  with  shields, 
hoping  to  make  soldiers  of  them.  They  received  the  gift  with  great  joy,  and  loudly 
t)oasted  of  the  prowess  which  they  were  going  to  show.  Unfortunately  for  them,  a 
mamnding  partv  of  the  Makololo  came  in  sight,  when  the  valiant  warriors  forgot  all 
about  their  shields;  jumped  into  their  canoes,  and  paddled  away  day  and  night  down  the 
river,  until  they  haa  put  a  hundred  miles  or  so  between  them  and  the  dangerous  spot. 

In  general  appearance,  the  Bayeye  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  Ovambo  tribe,  the 
complexion  and  general  mould  oi  features  being  of  a  similar  cast  They  seem  to  have 
retamed  but  few  of  their  own  characteristics,  having  accepted  those  of  their  conquerors, 
whose  dress  and  general  manners  they  have  assumed.  Their  language  bears  some 
resemblance  to  that  of  the  Ovambo  tribe,  but  they  have  contrived  to  impart  into  it  a 
few  clicks  which  are  evidently  derived  from  the  Hottentots. 

They  are  amusing  and  cheerful  creatures,  and  as  arrant  thieves  and  liars  as  can  well 
be  found.  If  they  can  only  have  a  pot  on  the  fire  full  of  meat,  and  a  pipe,  their 
happiness  seems  complete,  and  they  will  feast,  dance,  sing,  smoke,  and  tell  anecdotes  all 
night  long.  Perhaps  their  thievishness  is  to  be  attributed  to  their  servile  condition.  At 
all  events,  they  will  steal  everything  that  is  not  too  hot  or  heavy  for  them,  and  are 
singularly  expert  in  their  art 

Mr.  Anderssen  mentions  that  by  degrees  his  Bayeye  attendants  contrived  to  steal 
nearly  the  whole  of  his  stock  of  beads,  and,  as  those  articles  are  the  money  of  Africa, 


1%Z 


^-M 


*'  if., 


^f2 


Pi-'' 


874 


THE  BAYEYE  TRIBE 


BV  ;,V  ,; 


'I  f:t 


i      ', 


k* 


their  Iom  wu  equivalent  to  failure  in  hie  journey.  Accoraiugly,  he  divided  tluM 
which  were  left  into  parcels,  marked  each  separately,  and  put  them  away  ia^ 
packages  as  usual.  Just  before  the  canoes  landed  for  the  night,  he  went  on  ihon 
and  stood  by  the  head  of  the  first  canoe  while  his  servant  opened  the  package,  '^ 
Older  to  see  if  anythins  had  been  stolen.  Scarcely  was  the  first  package  opened  when 
the  servant  exclaimed  that  the  Bayeye  had  been  at  it.  The  next  move  was  to  pment 
his  double-barrelled  gun  at  the  native  who  was  in  chaige  of  the  canoe,  and  threaten  to 
blow  out  his  brains  if  all  the  stolen  property  was  not  restored. 

At  first  the  natives  took  to  their  arms,  and  appeared  inclined  to  fight,  but  the  tight  of 
the  ominous  barrels,  which  they  knew  were  in  the  habit  of  hitting  their  mark,  proved  too 
much  for  them,  and  they  agreed  to  restore  the  beads  provided  that  their  conduct  was  not 
mentioned  to  their  chief  LechoUt^bd.  The  goods  being  restored,  pardon  was  granted, 
with  the  remark  that,  if  anythingwere  stolen  for  the  future,  Mr.  Andeissen  wouM  thcot 
the  first  man  whom  he  saw.  This  threat  was  all-sufficient,  and  ever  afterwards  tli« 
Bayeye  left  his  goods  in  peace. 

In  former  days  the  Bayeye  used  to  be  a  bucolic  nation,  having  large  herds  of  cattle. 
Tliese,  however,  were  all  seized  by  their  conquerors,  who  onlv  permitted  them  to  rear  i 
few  goats,  which,  however,  they  value  less  for  the  fiesh  and  milk  than  for  the  skins,  which 
are  converted  into  karosses.  Fowls  are  also  kept,  but  they  are  small,  and  not  of  a  good 
breed. 

In  consequence  of  the  deprivation  of  their  herds,  the  Bayeye  are  forced  to  live  on 
the  produce  of  the  ground  and  the  flesh  of  wild  animals.  Fortunately  for  them,  theii 
country  is  particularly  fertile,  so  that  the  women,  who  are  the  only  practical  agriculturisti 
have  little  trouble  in  tilling  the  soil  A  light  hoe  is  the  only  instrument  used,  and  with 
this  the  ground  is  scratched  rather  than  dug,  just  before  the  rainy  season;  the  seed, 
deposited  almost  at  random  immediately  after  the  first  rains  have  fiiillen.  Pumpkins, 
melons,  calabashes,  and  earth  iruits  are  also  cultivated,  and  tobacco  is  grown  by  energetic 
natives. 

There  are  alno  several  indigenous  fniits,  one  of  which,  called  the  "  moshoma,"  is 
largely  used.  The  tree  on  which  it  grows  is  a  very  tall  one,  the  trunk  is  very  straight, 
and  the  lowermost  branches  are  at  a  great  height  from  the  ground.  The  fruit  can 
therefore  only  be  gathered  when  it  falls  by  its  own  ripeness.  It  is  first  dried  in  the 
sun,  and  then  prepared  for  storage  by  being  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar.  When  used, 
it  is  mixed  with  water  until  it  assumes  a  cream-like  consistency.  It  is  very  sweet, 
almost  as  sweet  as  honey,  which  it  much  resembles  in  appearance.  Those  who  an 
accustomed  to  its  vae  find  it  very  nutritious,  but  to  strangers  it  is  at  first  unwholesome, 
being  apt  to  derange  the  digestive  system.  The  timber  of  the  moshama-tree  is  useful, 
being  mcstly  employed  in  building  canoes. 

The  Bayeye  are  very  ^ood  huntsmen,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  skill  in  capturing 
fish,  which  they  either  pierce  with  spears  or  entangle  in  nets  made  of  the  fibres  of  a 
native  aloe.  These  fibres  are  enormously  strong,  as  indeed  is  the  case  with  all  the 
varieties  of  the  aloe  plant 

The  nets  are  formed  very  ingeniously  from  other  plants  besides  the  aloe,  such  for 
example  as  the  hibiscus,  which  grows  plentifully  on  river  banks,  and  moist  places  in 
general.  The  float-ropes,  ie.  those  that  carry  the  upper  edge  of  the  nets,  are  nmde  from 
the  "i{6"  (JSanaeviere  Angolentis),  a  plant  that  somewhat  resembles  the  common  water. 
flag  of  England.  The  floats  themselves  are  formed  of  stems  of  a  water-plant,  which 
has  the  peculiarity  of  being  hollow,  and  divided  into  cells,  about  an  inch  m  length,  by 
transverse  valves.  The  mode  in  which  the  net  is  made  is  almost  identical  with  that 
which  is  in  use  in  England.  The  shaft  of  the  spear  which  the  Bayeye  use  in  catching 
fish  is  made  of  a  very  light  wood,  so  that,  when  the  fish  is  struck,  the  shaft  of  the  spear 
ascends  to  the  surface,  and  discharges  the  double  duty  of  tiring  the  wounded  fish,  and 
giving  to  the  fisherman  the  means  of  lifting  his  finny  prey  out  of  the  water. 

I^e  Bayeye  are  not  very  particular  as  to  their  food,  and  not  only  eat  the  ten  fishes 
which,  as  they  boast,  inhabit  their  rivers,  but  also  kill  and  eat  a  certain  water-snake, 
brown  in  colour  and  spotted  with  yellow,  which  is  often  seen  undulating  its  devious 


MSlwl 


'^,f 


DRK88  AND  ORNAMENTa 


[he  divided  tul 

H  •^•y  in  21 
J8  went  on  ^k,,^! 

(ge  opened  whaf 

t  but  the  right  of  I 
mark,  proved  toof 
r  conduct  was  not  I 
*°n  WM  gnnted 
Bsen  woufd  sheet 
»r  afterwards  tli«[ 

k^efdarfcattlJ 
^  them  to reari I 

--the  skins,  which 
id  not  of  a 


sw 


breed  to  live  on 
y(orthem,theip 
'cal  agriculturijti 
»t  used,  and  with 
season;  the  seed^ 
lea  Pumpkin  J 
'wn  by  eneijetic 


J  "ino8honi8,"ij| 
ia  very  straight 
•Ine  fruit  can  I 
irst  dried  in  the 
IT.    When  used,  j 
t  is  very  sweet; 
Those  who  are 
8t  unwholesome, 
la-tree  is  useful, 

ill  in  capturing 
f  the  fibres  of  a 
se  with  all  the 

aloe,  such  for 
moist  places  in 
are  made  from 
common  water* 
jr-plant,  which 
li  in  length,  bj 
^ical  with  that 
ise  in  catching 
%  of  the  spear 
nded  fish,  and 

the  ten  fishes 
I  water-snake, 
ig  its  devious 


LiRf«  t/BtoM  the  river.  It  is  rather  a  curions  circumstance  that,  although  the  Bayeye 
Lve  «>  much  on  fish,  and  are  even  proud  of  the  variety  uf  the  finny  tribe  which  their 
ffiten  sfford  them,  the  more  southern  Pechuanas  not  only  refuse  themselves  to  eat 
Lk  bttt  look  with  horror  and  disguat  upon  all  who  do  so. 

Xhe  canoes  of  the  Bayeye  are  simply  trunks  of  trees  hollowed  out  As  they  are 
lot  made  for  speed,  but  for  use,  elegance  of  shape  is  not  at  all  considered  If  the  tree 
Lnk  which  is  destined  to  be  hewn  into  a  canoe  happens  to  be  straight,  well  and  good. 
]lat  it  sometimes  has  a  bend,  and  in  that  case  the  canoe  has  a  bend  also.  The  Bayeye 
L  pardonably  fond  of  their  canoes,  not  to  say  proud  of  them.  As  l)r.  Livingstone  well 
obierves,  they  regard  their  rude  vessels  as  an  Arab  does  his  camel.  "  They  have  always 
jies  in  them,  and  prvfer  sleeping  in  them  when  on  a  iourney  to  spending  the  nicht  on 
iliorei  '  On  land  you  have  lions,  say  they,  '  serpents,  hyeenas,  as  your  enemies ;  but  in 
mar  canoe,  behind  a  bank  of  reeds,  nothing  can  harm  you.' " 

"Their  submissive  disposition  leads  to  their  villages  being  frequently  visited  by 
jtongry  strangers.  We  had  a  pot  on  the  fire  in  the  canoe  by  the  way,  and  when  we  drew 
near  the  villages  devoured  the  contents.  When  fully  satisfied  ourselves,  I  found  that 
ve  could  all  look  upon  any  intruders  with  much  complaisance,  and  show  the  pot  in 
proof  of  having  devoured  the  last  morsel." 

They  are  also  expert  at  catching  the  larger  animals  in  pitfalls,  which  they  ingeniously 
dig  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  so  as  to  entrap  the  elephants  and  other  animals  as 
they  come  to  drink  at  night  lliey  plant  their  pitfalls  so  closely  together  that  it  is 
icarcely  possible  for  a  he^  of  elephants  to  escape  altogether  unharmed,  as  many  as 
thirty  or  forty  being  sbmetimes  dug  in  a  row,  and  close  together.  Although  the  old 
and  experienced  elephants  have  learned  to  go  in  front  of  their  comrades,  and  sound  the 
earth  for  concealed  traps,  the  great  number  of  these  treacherous  pits  often  makes  these 
precautions  useless. 

The  dress  of  the  Bayeye  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  Batoanas  and  their  kinsfolk, 
namely,  a  skin  wrapped  round  the  waist,  a  kaross,  and  as  many  beads  and  other  orna- 
ments as  can  be  afforded  Brass,  copper,  and  iron  are  in  great  request  as  materials  for 
ornaments,  especially  among  the  women,  who  display  considerable  taste  in  arranging  and 
contrasting  the  colours  of  their  simple  jewellery.  Sometimes  a  wealthy  woman  is  so 
loaded  with  beads,  rings,  and  other  decorations,  that  as  the  chief  Sechol^t^bi  said,  "  they 
actually  grunt  under  their  burden  "  as  they  walk  along. 

Their  architecture  is  of  the  simplest  description,  and  much  resembles  that  of  the 
Hottentots,  the  houses  being  mere  skeletons  of  sticks  covered  with  reed  mats.  Their 
amusements  are  as  simple  as  their  habitations.  They  are  fond  of  dancing,  and  in  their 
gestures  they  endeavour  to  imitate  the  movements  of  various  wild  Animal — their  walk, 
their  mode  of  feeding,  their  sports,  and  their  battles.  Of  course  they  drink,  smoke,  and 
take  snuff  whenever  they  have  the  opportunity.  The  means  for  the  first  luxury  they  can 
themselves  supply,  making  a  sort  of  beer,  on  which,  by  drinking  vast  quantities,  they 
manage  to  intoxicate  themselves.  Snuff-taking  is  essentially  a  manly  practice,  while 
smoking  hemp  seems  to  be  principally  followed  by  the  women.  Still,  there  are  few  men 
who  will  refuse  a  pipe  of  hemp,  and  perhaps  no  woman  who  will  refuse  snuff  if  offered 
to  them.  On  the  whole,  setting  aside  their  inveterate  habits  of  stealing  and  lying,  they 
are  tolerably  pleasant  people,  and  their  naturally  cheerful  and  lively  disposition  causes 
the  traveller  to  feel  almost  an  affection  for  them,  even  though  he  is  obliged  to  guard  every 
portion  of  his  property  firom  their  nimble  fingers. 


■  ♦  I'r'  I  t»'f 


\%-  9, 


B 


.1.      IS 


if 


f7G 


THE  MAEOBA  TBIBE. 


THE  MAKOBA  TBI6K 


¥i4 


Towards  the  east  of  Lake  Ngami,  there  ia  a  river  called  the  Bo-tlet-le,  one  end  i 
which  conunmiicates  indirectly  with  the  lake,  and  the  other  with  a  vast  salt*paa 
consequence  of  this  course  is,  that  occasionally  the  river  runs  in  two  directions,  we8i„« 
to  the  lake,  and  eastward  to  the  salt-pan ;  the  stream  which  cau^ea  this  curious  chm 
flowing  into  it  somewhere  about  the  middle.  The  people  who  inhabit  this  district  L 
called  Makoba,  and,  even  if  not  allied  to  the  Bayeye,  have  much  in  common  with  theiTl 

In  costume  and  general  appearance  they  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  Bechu 
except  that  they  are  rather  of  a  blacker  complexion.  The  dress  of  the  men  sometimei 
consists  of  a  snake-skin  some  six  or  seven  feet  in  length,  and  five  or  six  inches  in  vidtb 
The  women  wear  a  small  square  apron  made  of  hide,  ornamented  round  the  edj^e  viti 
small  beads. 

Their  character  seems  much  on  a  par  with  that  of  most  savages,  namely,  impulgiv^ 
irreflective,  kir  diy  when  not  ci'ossed,  revengeful  when  angered,  and  honest  when  thete  i 
nothing  to  stjaL  To  judge  from  the  behaviour  of  some  of  the  Makoba  men,  thej  an 
crafty,  disuunest,  and  churiish  ;  while,  if  others  are  taken  as  a  sample,  they  are  simple, 
good-natured,  and  hospitable.  Savages,  indeed,  cannot  be  judged  by  the  same  tests  aal 
would  be  applied  to  civilized  races,  having  the  strength  and  craft  of  man  with  the  moiall 
weakness  of  children.  I 

The  very  same  tribe,  ana  even  the  very  same  individuals,  have  obtained — asd  deservell 
— exactly  opposite   characters  from    those   who  have  known   them  well,  one 


&       WashaJ 


pereoni 
describing  them  as  perfectly  honest,  and  another  as  arrant  cheats  and  thieves.  Tlie  fact! 
is,  that  savages  have  no  moral  feelings  on  the  subject,  not  considering  theft  to  be  a  nrinnjl 
nor  honesty  a  virtue,  so  that  they  are  honest  or  not,  according  to  circumstances.  Ibe| 
subjugated  tribes  about  Lake  Xgami  are  often  honest  from  a  very  curious  motive. 

They  are  so  completely  enslaved    that  they  cannot  even  conceive  the  notion  oil 
possessing  property,  knowing  that  their  oppressors  would  take  by  force  any  article  vMchl 
they  happened  to  covet    They  are  so  completely  cowed  that  food  is  the  only  kind  of  I 
property  that  they  can  appreciate,  and  they  do  not  consider  even  that  to  be  tiieir  on  I 
until  it  is  eatea    Consequently,  they  are  honest  because  there  would  be  no  use  in  stealing 
But,  when  white  men  come  and  take  them  under  their  protection,  the  case  is  altered.  | 
At  first,  they  are  honest  for  the  reasons  above  mentioned,  but  when  they  begin  to 
that  they  are  paid  for  their  services,  and  allowed  to  retain  their  wages,  the  idea  of  I 
property  begins  to  enter  their  minds,  and  they  desire  to  procure  as  much  as  they  can 
Therefore,  from  being  honest  they  become    thieves.     They  naturally  wish  to  obtain 
property  without  trauble,  and,  as  they  find  that  stealing  is  easier  than  working,  they  steal  | 
accordingly,  not  attaching  any  moral  guilt  to  taking  the  property  of  another,  but  lo 
on  it  in  exactly  the  same  light  as  hunting  or  fishing. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  white  man  is  often  accused  of  demoralizing  savages,  and  converting 
them  from  a  simple  anc  honest  race  into  a  set  of  cheat?  and  thieves.  Whereas,  para- 
doxical as  it  may  seem,  the  very  development  of  roguery  is  a  proof  that  the  savages  in 
question  have  not  been  demoralized,  but  have  actually  been  raised  in  the  social  scale. 

Mr.  Chapman's  experiences  of  the  Makoba  tribe  were  anything  but  agreeable.  They 
stole,  and  they  lied,  and  they  cheated  him.  He  had  a  large  cargo  of  ivory,  and  found 
that  his  oxen  were  getting  weaker,  and  could  not  draw  their  costly  load.  So  he  appliei! 
to  the  Makoba  for  canoes,  and  found  that  they  were  perfectly  aware  of  his  distress,  and 
were  ready  to  take  advantage  of  it,  by  demanding  exorbitant  sums,  and  robbing  hioi 
whenever  they  could,  knowing  that  he  could  not  well  proceed  without  their  assistance. 

At  last  he  succeeded  in  hiring  a  boat  in  which  the  main  part  of  his  caigo  could  be 
carried  along  the  river.  By  one  excuse  and  another  the  Makoba  chief  delayed  the  start 
until  the  light  wagon  had  gone  on  past  immediate  recall,  and  then  said  that  he  really 


hi  « t. 


CHABACTER  OF  THE  MAKOBA. 


877 


not  convey  the  ivory  by  boat,  but  that  he  would  be  very  cenerons,  and  take  hia  ivoiy 
the  river  to  the  same  side  as  the  wagon.  Presently,  the  traveller  found  that  the 
bad  contrived  to  open  a  tin-box  in  which  he  kept  the  beads  that  were  his  money,  and 
stolen  the  most  valuable  kinds.  As  all  the  trade  depended  on  the  beads  he  saw  that 
MJned  measures  were  needful,  presented  his  rifle  at  the  breast  of  the  chiefs  son, 
^  on  board  during  the  absence  of  his  father,  and  assumed  so  menacing  an  aspect 
)  young  man  kicked  aside  a  lump  of  mud,  which  is  always  plastered  into  the 
of  the  boats,  and  discovered  some  of  the  missing  property.  The  rest  was  produced 


torn 


M  mother  spot  by  means  of  the  same  inducement. 

r,  goon  as  the  threatening  muzzles  were  removed,  he  got  on  shore,  and  ran  off  with  a 

ijitr  that  convinced  Mr.  Chapnian  that  some  roguery  was  as  yet  undiscovered.    On 

Qtingthe  tusks  it  was  found  that  the  thief  had  stolen  ivory  as  well  as  beads,  but  he 

J  made  such  good  use  of  his  legs  that  he  could  not  be  overtaken,  and  the  traveller  had 

[pat  np  with  hia  loss  as  he  best  could. 

I  let  it  would  be  unfair  to  give  all  the  Makoba  a  bad  character  on  accoiint  of  this 
dad   They  can  be,  and  for  the  most  part  are,  very  pleasant  men,  as  far  as  can  be 
cted  firom  savages.    Mr.  Raines  had  no  particular  reason  to  complain  of  them,  and 
jj  to  have  liked  them  well  enough. 

The  Makoba  are  essentially  a  boatman  tribe,  being  accustomed  to  their  canoes  from 

liest  infancy,  and  being  obliged  to  navigate  them  through  the  perpetual  changes  of 

■  capricious  river,  which  at  one  time  is  tolerably  quiet,  and  at  another  is  changed  into 

iKries  of  whirling  eddies  and  dangerous  rapids,  the  former  being  aggravated  by  occaaiond 

mk-flov  of  the  waters. 

The  canoes  are  like  the  racing  river-boats  of  our  own  country,  enormously  long  in 
ioportion  to  their  width,  and  appear  to  be  so  frail  that  thejr  could  hardly  endure  the 
tight  of  a  single  human  being.  Yet  they  are  much  less  perilous  than  they  look,  and 
sir  safety  is  as  much  owing  to  their  construction  as  to  the  skill  of  their  navigator.  It 
[scaicely  possible,  without  having  seen  the  Makoba  at  work,  to  appreciate  the  wonderful 
P  with  which  they  manage  their  frail  barks,  and  the  enormous  cargoes  which  they  will 
ike  safely  through  the  rapids.  It  often  happens  that  the  waves  break  over  the  side,  and 
ish  into  the  canoe,  so  that,  unless  the  water  were  baled  out,  down  the  vessel  must  go. 
The  IfaJcoba,  however,  do  not  take  the  trouble  to  stop  when  engaged  in  baling  out 
eir  boats,  nor  do  they  use  any  tool  for  this  purpose.  When  the  canoe  gets  too  full  of 
et,  the  boatman  goes  to  one  end  of  it  so  as  to  depress  it,  and  cause  the  water  to  nin 
bwuds  him.  With  one  foot  he  then  kicks  out  the  water,  making  it  fly  from  his  instep 
!  if  from  a  rapidly-wielded  scoop.  In  fact  the  canoe  is  to  the  Makoba  what  the  camel  is 
)the  Atab,  and  the  horse  to  the  Comanches,  and,  however  they  may  feel  an  inferiority  on 
m,  they  are  the  masters  when  on  board  their  canoes.  The  various  warlike  tribes  which 
iRound  them  have  proved  their  superiority  on  land,  but  when  once  they  are  fairly 
JBonched  into  the  rapids  of  the  river  or  the  wild  waves  of  the  lake,  the  Makobas  are 
uters  of  the  situation,  and  the  others  are  obliged  to  be  very  civil  to  them. 
One  of  the  typical  men  of  this  tribe  was  Makdta,  a  petty  chief,  or  headman  of  a 
illage.  He  was  considered  to  be  the  best  boatman  and  hunter  on  the  river,  especially 
istinguishing  himself  in  the  chase  of  the  hippopotamus.  The  illustration  on  page  378 
)from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Baines,  who  depicts  forcibly  the  bold  and  graceful  manner  in 
irMch  the  Makobas  manage  their  frail  craft. 

The  spot  on  which  the  sketch  was  taken  is  a  portion  of  the  Bo-tlet-le  river,  and  shows 

be  fragile  nature  of  the  canoes,  as  well  as  the  sort  of  water  through  which  the  daring 

oatman  will  take  them.    The  figure  in  the  front  of  the  canoe  is  a  celebrated  boatman 

nd  hunter,  named  Zanguellah.    He  was  so  successful  in  the  latter  pursuit  that  his  house 

nd  court-yard  were  filled  with  the  skulls  of  hippopotami  which  he  had  slain  with  his 

own  hand.    He  is  standing  in  the  place  of  honour,  and  guiding  his  boat  with  a  light  but 

litrong  pole.    The  other  figure  is  that  of  his  assistant    He  has  been  hunting  up  the  river, 

jaod  has  killed  two  sable  antelopes,  which  he  is  bringing  home.    The  canoe  is  only  fifteen 

lor  sixteen  feet  long,  and  eighteen  inches  wide,  and  yet  Zanguellah  ventured  to  load  it  with 

Itvo  laige  and  heavy  antelopes,  besides  the  weight  of  himself  and  assistant    So  small  are 


't 


3^'^  - 


378 


THE  MAK06A  TRIBE. 


some  of  these  canoes,  that  if  a  man  sits  in  them,  and  places  his  hands  on  tJie  side*  I 
fingers  jure  in  the  water.  ! 

The  reeds  that  are  seen  on  the  left  of  the  illustration  are  very  characteristic  of 
country.  Wherever  ttiey  are  seen  the  water  is  sure  to  be  tolerably  deep— say  at  leait  1 
or  five  feet— and  they  grow  to  a  great  height,  forming  thick  clumps  some  fifteen  fee 
height  It  often  happens  that  they  are  broken  by  the  hippopotamus  or  other  aqn 
creatures,  and  Uien  tney  lie  recumbent  on  the  water,  with  their  heads  pointing  do^ 


u^^A' 


BOATINO  SCSMS  OH  XBI  SO-ILBI-UB  aiV£& 


stream.    When  this  is  the  case,  they  seem  to  grow  ad  Ubitum,  inasmuch  as  the 
supports  their  weight,  and  the  root  still  continues  to  supply  nourishment 

In  the  background  are  seen  two  canoes  propelled  by  paddles.  The  scene  which  i| 
here  represented  really  occurred,  and  was  rather  a  ludicrous  one.  The  first  canoe  beloii| 
to  the  Makololo  chief,  M'Bopo,  who  was  carrying  Messrs.  Baines  and  Chapman  in  I 
canocL  He  was  essentially  a  gentleman,  being  free  from  the  habit  of  constant  heggi 
which  makes  so  many  savages  disagreeable.  He  had  been  exceedingly  useful  to  the  wiii 
men,  who  intended  to  present  him  with  beads  as  a  recompense  for  his  services.  Iti 
happened  that  another  chief,  named  Moskotlani,  who  was  a  thorough  specimen  of  I' 
begging,  pilfering,  unpleasant  native,  suspected  that  his  countryman  might  possiU 
procure  beads  from  the  white  men,  and  wanted  to  have  his  share.  So  he  stuck  cla 
by  M'Bopo's  canoe,  and  watched  it  so  jealously  that  no  beads  could  pass  vithoi 
his  knowledge.  However,  Moskotlani  had  his  paddle,  and  M'Bopo  had  his  bead^l 
though  they  were  given  to  him  on  shoxe^  vrhere  his  jealous  compatriot  could  not  8e«tlii| 
transaction. 


SPEABINO  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


879 


characteristic  of 

^P— say  at  least 
»«ome  fifteen  fe, 
JOS  or  other  aq. 
Iw  pointing  dowii 


ands  on  the  side^^  jUiu  been  mentioned  tliat  Mak&ta  was  a  mighty  hunter  as  well  as  an  accomplished 

^  and,  indeed,  great  skill  in  the  mana^ment  of  canoes  is  an  absolute  essential  in 

^ta^s  ii^<B.  inasmuch  as  the  chief  mme  is  the  hippopotamus.    The  next  few  pages 

be  given  to  the  bold  and  sportsmanlike  mode  of  huntmg  the  hippopotamus  which  is 

red  by  the  Makoba  and  some  other  tribes,  and  the  (uawings  which  illustrate  the 

jt*t«  from  sketcl^es  by  Mr.  Bainea.    As  these  sketches  were  all  taken  on  the  spot, 

have  the  advantage  of  perfect  accuracy,  while  the  fire  and  spirit  which  animates 

^oonld  only  have  been  attained  by  one  who  was  an  eye-witness  as  well  as  an  artist 

iccotdiog  to  Dr.  Livingstone,  these  people  are  strangely  fearful  of  the  lion,  while  they 

vith  perfect  unconcern  animals  which  are  quite  as  dangerous,  if  not  more  so.    That 

wili  follow  unconcernedly  the  buffalo  into  the  bush  has  already  been  mentioned,  and 

le  buffalo  is  even  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  lion  himseu,  being  quite  as  fierce, 

canningt  and  more  steadily  vindictive.    A  lion  will  leap  on  a  man  with  a  terrific 

strike  him  to  the  ground,  carry  him  off  to  the  den,  and  then  eat  him,  so  that  the 

of  hunger  forms  some  excuse  for  the  act     But,  with  the  buffalo  no  such  excuse 

befimad. 

^•logue"  buffalo,  i.e.  one  which  has  been  driven  from  his  fellows,  and  is  obliged  tc 

lanriitaiy  life,  is  as  fierce,  as  cunning,  and  as  treacherous  an  animal  as  can  be  found. 

doM  not  eat  mankind,  and  yet  he  delights  in  hiding  in  thick  bushes,  rushing  out 

jMotecQy  on  any  one  who  may  happen  to  approach,  and  killing  him  at  a  blow.    Nor 

biM^t  with  the  death  of  his  victun.    He  stands  over  the  body,  kneels  on  it,  pounds 

iiito^  earth  with  his  feet,  walks  away,  comes  back  again,  as  if  drawn  by  som& 

iHble  attraction,  and  never  leaves  it,  until  nothing  is  visible  save  a  mere  shapeless 

„  of  bones  and  flesh.    , 

Yet  against  this  animal  the  Makoba  hunters  will  match  themselves,  and  they  will 
.a  attack  the  hippopotamus,  an  animal  which,  in  its  own  element,  is  q^iite  as  formid- 
lie  as  the  buffald  on  land. 

Iheir  first  caru  is  to  prepare  a  number  of  harpoons,  which  ore  made  in  the  following 

A  stout  pole  is  cut  of  hard  and  very  h^vy  wood,  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  long, 

drtee  or  four  inches  in  thickness.    At  one  end  a  hole  is  bored,  and  into  this  hole  is 

ipped  the  iron  head  of  the  harpoon.    The  shape  of  this  head  can  be  seen  from  the 

lostntion  on  page  380.    It  consists  of  a  spear-shaped  piece  of  iron,  with  a  bold  barb, 

[  is  about  a  foot  in  length. 

The  h»Etd  is  attached  to  the  shaft  by  a  strong  band  composed  of  a  great  number  of 

ill  ropes  or  strands  laid  parallel  to  each  other,  and  being  quite  loosely  arranged.    The 

ibject  of  this  multitude  of  ropes  is  to  prevent  the  hippopotamus  from  severing  the  cord 

ith  his  teeth,  which  are  sharp  as  a  chisel,  and  would  cut  through  any  single  cord  with 

e  greatest  ease.    The  animal  is  sure  to  bnap  at  the  cords  as  soon  as  he  feels  the  wound, 

it,  on  account  of  the  loose  manner  in  which  they  are  laid,  they  only  become  entangled 

long  the  long  curved  teeth,  and,  even  if  one  or  two  are  severed,  the  others  retain  their 

Mi 

To  the  other  end  of  the  shaft  is  attached  a  long  and  strongly-maae  rope  of  palm-leaf, 

irhich  is  coiled  up  in  such  manner  as  to  be  carried  out  readily  when  loosened. 

Each  canoe  has  on  board  two  or  three  of  these  harpoons,  and  a  quantity  of  ordinary 

sars.  Preserving  perfect  silence  the  boatmen  allow  themselves  to  float  down  the  stream 

ntil  they  come  to  the  spot  which  has  been  chosen  by  the  herd  for  a  bathing-place.    They 

llo  not  give  chase  to  any  particular  animal,  but  wait  until  one  of  them  comes  close  to 

Ihe  hoa^  when  the  harpooner  takes  his  weapon,  strikes  it  into  the  animal's  back  and 

poosens  his  hold. 

The  illustration  represents  this  phuse  of  the  proceedings.    In  the  front  is  seen  the 
head  of  a  hippopotamus  as  it  usually  appears  when  the  animal  is  swimming,  the  only 
portion  seen  above  the  water  being  the  ears,  the  eyes,  and  the  nostrils.    It  is  a  remark- 
able fact  that  when  the  hippotamus  is  at  liberty  in  its  native  stream,  not  only  the  ears 
nd  the  nostrils,  but  even  the  ridge  over  the  ^yes  are  of  a  bright  scarlet  colour,  so  brilliant 
ideed  that  colour  can  scarcely  convey  an  idea  of  the  hue.    The  specimens  in  the 
jZoological  Gardens,  although  fine  examples  of  the  species,  never  exhibit  this  brilliancy  of 


nuch  as  the 
nt 

lie  scene  vhichi 
first  cauoe  beloq 
1  Chapman  in  i 
f  constant  b«ggi. 
dseful  to  the  wlii 
is  services.  Iti 
1  specimen  of  f 
n  might  possi 
So  he  stuck  cla 
lid  pass  vitboi 
0  had  his  beed^l 
could  not  see  M 


aao 


THE  MAEOBA  TRIBR 


colour,  and,  indeed,  are  no  more  like  the  hippopotamuB  in  its  own  river  than  a  prise  1 
like  a  wild  boar. 

A  veiy  cbaracteristio  attitude  is  shown  in  the  second  animal,  which  is  l. 
it  appears  when  lifting  its  head  out  of  the  water  for  the  purpose  of  reoomu^i^ 
horse-like  expression  is  easily  recognisable,  and  Mr.  Baines  tells  me  that  he 
understood  how  appropriate  was  the  term  Biver  Horse  (which  is  the  literal  tranalaU, 
the  word  hippopotamus)  until  he  saw  the  animals  disporting  themselves  atUilu^ 
their  own  streams.  "«nj| 


»bo*« 


Ms,     J 


8P£ABINa  THB  HIFI>OFOTAMDS. 


In  the  front  of  the  canoes  is  standing  Makdta,  about  to  plunge  the  harpoon  intotl 
back  of  the  hippopotamus,  while  his  assistants  are  looking  after  the  rope,  and  keepiigj 
themselves  in  readiness  to  paddle  out  of  the  way  of  the  animal,  should  it  make  an  attack, 
Perfect  stillness  is  required  for  planting  the  haipoon  properly,  as,  if  a  splash  were  made! 
in  the  water,  or  a  sudden  noise  heard  on  land,  the  animals  would  take  flight,  and  keep  oatl 
of  the  way  of  the  canoes. 

On  the  left  is  a  clump  ot  the  tall  reeds  which  have  already  been  mentioned,  accom- 
panied by  some  papyrus.  The  huge  trees  seen  on  the  bank  are  baobabs,  which  sometiiues 
attain  the  enormous  girth  of  a  hundred  feet,  and  even  more.  The  small  white  flowen 
that  are  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water  are  the  white  lotus.  They  shine  out  veiy 
conspicuously  on  the  bosom  of  the  clear,  deep-blue  water,  and  sometimes  occur  in  sncli 
numbers  that  they  look  like  stars  in  the  blue  firmament,  rather  than  mere  flowers  on  the 
water.  It  is  rather  curious,  by  the  way,  that  the  Damaras,  who  are  much  more  familiar 
with  the  land  than  the  water,  call  the  hippopotamus  the  Water  Bhinoceros,  whereas  the 
Mlakoba,  Batoka,  and  other  tribes,  who  are  more  at  home  on  the  water,  call  the  rhinoceros 
the  Land  Hippopotamus. 

Now  comes  the  next  scene  in  this  savage  and  most  exciting  drama.  Stung  by  the 
sudden  and  unexpected  pang  of  the  wound,  the  hippopotamus  gives  a  convulsive  spring, 
which  shakes  the  head  of  the  harpoon  out  of  its  socket,  and  leaves  it  only  attached  to  the 
shaft  by  its  many-stranded  rope.  At  this  period,  the  animal  seldom  shows  fight,  kt 
dashes  down  the  stream  at  its  full  speed,  only  the  upper  part  of  its  head  and  back ' 


DANGEBS  OF  HIPPOPOTAMUS  HUNTING. 


881 


ichis: 


liSLi'^'^ 


tselves  at 


liberjj 


harpoon  into  tiel 
«>pe,  and  keepiMl 
t  make  an  attack! 
iplash  Were  madel 
ght,  and  keep  ontl 

lentioned,  accom.! 
w^hich  sometimes  I 
lU  white  floweul 
1^  shine  out  vei7J 
58  occur  in  finch  I 
B  flowers  on  tie  I 
h  more  familiar 
">s,  whereaa  tlie  [ 
i  the  rhinoceros  I 

Stung  by  the 
ivulsive  spring 
attached  to  the 
ows  fight,  bat 
ind  back  beinj 


—I  abore  the  (mrfitoe,  and  towing  the  canoe  along  as  if  it  were  a  cork.  Meanwhile, 
PJIipooner  and  his  comrades  hold  tightly  to  the  rope,  paying  out  if  necessary,  and 
uf  in  whenever  possihle— in  fact,  playing  their  |[igantic  prey  just  as  an  angler  playa 
•  fish.  Iheir  object  is  twofold,  first  to  tire  the  anunal,  and  then  to  get  it  into  shaUow 
[^  for  a  hippopotamus  in  all  its  strength,  and  with  the  advantage  of  deep  water, 
['be  too  much  even  for  these  courageous  hunters.  The  pace  that  the  animal  attains 
ling  wonderfiil,  and,  on  looking  at  its  apparent!;'  clumsy  means  of  propulsion,  the 
,^  of  its  course  is  really  astonishmg. 
fsometimes,  but  very  rarely,  it  happens  that  the  animal  is  so  activa  and  fierce,  that'the 
Lten  are  obliged  to  cast  loose  the  rope,  and  make  off  as  they  best  can.  They  do  not, 
lerer,  think  of  abandoning  so  valuable  a  pre^ — ^not  to  mention  the  haipoon  and  rope— 
imaiiage  as  well  as  they  can  to  keep  the  ammal  in  sight.  At  the  earUest  opportunity, 
r  paddle  towards  the  wounded,  and  by  this  time  weakened  animal,  and  renew  the 

|A«  loeompaiqring  illustration  represents  the  fiuious  rush  of  the  hippopotamus.  The 
[  Is  sappoeed  to  be  getting  tired,  and  has  rdaxed  its  headlong  speea  sufficiently  to 
I  the  boatmen  to  haul  in  the  lop^  and  to  bring  themselves  closer  to  their  prey,  so 


HiFFOFOCAinra  XOWINQ  THB  CAN0& 


lias  soon  as  they  come  into  shallow  water  they  may  begin  the  final  attack.  The  scene  of 

his  drawing  is  a  part  of  the  Bo-tlet-Ie  river,  just  by  a  small  village,  which  may  be  seen  on 

he  left  baiLk.   Close  by  the  water's  edge  are  seen  some  dwarf  palms,  and  the  river  debris, 

irhich  hang  on  the  roots  on  the  right  of  the  drawing,  show  the  height  to  which  the  river 

ill  rise  when  the  floods  pour  into  it. 

The  hippopotamus  is  most  dangerous  when  he  feels  his  strength  failing,  and  with  the 

nrage  of  despair  dashes  at  the  canoe.    The  hunters  have  then  no  child's  play  before 

em.   Eegardless  of  everything  but  pain  and  futy,  the  animal  rushes  at  the  canoe,  tries 

knock  it  to  pieces  by  blows  from  his  enormous  head,  or  seizes  the  edge  in  his  jaws,  and 

ti  out  the  side.    Should  he  succeed  in  capsizing  or  destroying  the  canoe,  the  hunters 

an  anxious  time  to  pass ;  for  if  the  furious  animal  can  gripe  one  of  them  in  lys 

jaws,  the  curved,  chisel-like  teeth  inflict  certain  death,  and  have  been  known  to  eut 

an  nufortunate  man  fairly  in  two. 

Whenever  the  animal  does  succeed  in  upsetting  or  breaking  the  boat,  the  men  have 
recourse  to  a  curious  expedient  They  dive  to  the  Iwttom  of  the  river,  and  grasp  a  stone, 
a  root,  or  anything  that  will  keep  them  below  the  surface,  and  hold  on  as  long  as  their 
mifi  wUl  aUow  them.    The  reason  for  this  manoeuvre  is,  that  when  the  animal  has  sent 


882 


THE  MAKOBA  TRIBE 


the  otew  into  the  river,  it  raises  its  head,  as  seen  on  page  380,  and  looks  abcot  onl 
surface  for  its  enemies.    It  has  no  idea  of  foes  beneath  the  surface,  and  if  it  doeg  Zr 
anything  that  looks  like  a  man,  it  makes  off,  and  so  allows  the  hunters  to  emeriMi 
drowned  into  the  air.  'K^  i 

In  order  to  keep  off  the  animal,  spears  are  freely  used;  some  being  thnut  ttL 
hand,  and  others  flung  like  javelins.    They  cannot,  however,  do  much  hann,  vailmi 
should  happen  to  enter  the  eye,  which  is  so  well  protected  by  its  bony  penthoiueth 
is  almost  impregnable  to  anything  except  a  bullet.    The  head  is  one  huge  mass  of 


THE  FINAL  ATTACK. 


bone,  so  thick  and  hard  that  even  fire-arms  make  little  impression  on  it,  except  in  onen 
two  small  spota  The  hunters,  therefore,  cannot  expect  to  inflict  any  materi&l  damage  on 
the  animal  and  only  hope  to  deter  it  from  charging  by  the  pain  which  the  spean 
can  cartse. 

The  last  scene  is  now  approaching,  leaving  effectually  tired  the  animal,  which  is  also 
weakened  by  loss  of  blood  from  the  wound,  and  guided  it  into  shallow  water,  several  of 
the  crew  jump  overboard,  cany  the  end  of  the  rope  ashore,  and  pass  it  with  a  "double 
turn"  round  a  tree.  The  fate  of  the  animal  is  then  sealed,  binding  itself  suddenly 
checked  in  its  course,  it  makes  new  efforts,  and  fights  and  struggles  as  if  it  were  quite 
fresh.  Despite  the  pain,  it  tries  to  tear  itself  away  from  the  fatal  cord ;  but  the  rope  is 
too  strong  to  be  broken,  and  the  inch-thick  hide  of  the  hippopotamus  holds  the  barb  so 
firmly  that  even  the  enormous  strength  and  weight  of  the  animal  cannot  cause  it  to  give 
way.    Finding  that  a  fierce  pull  in  one  direction  is  useless,  it  rushes  in  another,  and  so 


BAFT  BUILDING. 


883 


«D«  the  rope,  which  is  immediately  hauled  taiit4>y  the  hunters  on  shore,  so  that  the 
J  ii  much  shortened,  and  the  animal  brought  nearer  to  the  bank.  Each  struggle  only 
Mtbe  Bsme  result,  the  hunters  holdina  the  rope  fast  as  long  us  there  is  a  strain  upon 
fai  hauling  it  in  as  soon  as  it  is  slackened.  The  reader  may  easily  see  how  this  is  done 
1  watching  a  sailor  make  fast  a  steamer  to  the  pier,  a  single  man  being  able  to  resist  the 
L  of  several  tons. 

^  goon  aa  the  hippopotamus  is  hauled  up  close  to  the  bank,  anu  *ws  range  of  move- 

pti  limited,  the  rope  is  made  fast,  and  the  hunters  all  combine  for  the  tinal  assault 

g^  with  large,  heavy,  long-bladed  spears,  made  for  the  express  purpose,  they  boldly 

Iroach  the  infuriated  animal,  and  hurl  their  weapons  at  him.    Should  the  water  be 

la  beyond  him,  some  of  the  hunters  take  to  their  canoes,  and  are  able  to  attack  the 

Jail  with  perfect  security,  because  the  rope  which  is  affixed  to  the  tree  prevents  him 

leaching  them.    At  last,  the  unfortunate  animal,  literally  worried  to  death  by 

jaaoi  wounds,  none  of  which  would  be  immediately  fatal,  succumbs  to  fatigue  and 

J  ol  blood,  and  falls,  never  to  rise  again. 

Ilie  iccompanying  illnstmtion  represents  this,  the  most  active  and  exciting  scene  of 

I  tins.    In  the  centre  is  the  hippopotamus,  who  has  been  thriven  into  shallow  water, 

t  ii  plangiDg  abcmt  in  mingled  rage  and  terror.    With  his  terrible  jaws  he  has  already 

[the  shaft  of  the  harpoon,  and  is  trying  to  bite  the  cords  which  secure  the  head  to 

ithaft    He  has  severed  a  few  of  them,  but  the  others  are  lying  entangled  among  his 

,  ttid  retain  their  hold.    Some  of  the  hunters  have  just  carried  the  end  of  the  rope 

and  are  going  to  pass  it  round  the  trunk  of  the  tree ;  while  some  of  their  com- 

lam  boldly  attacking  the  animal  on  foot,  and  others  are  coming  up  behind  him 

leaijipes. 

Qt  die  Zambesi  river,  a  harpoon  is  used  which  is  made  on  a  similar  principle,  but 

i]^  differs  in  several  details  of  construction. 

the  sluit  is  made  of  light  wood,  and  acts  as  a  float.  The  head  fits  into  a  socket,  like 
Jilt  which  has  already  been  mentioned ;  but,  instead  of  being  secured  to  the  shaft  by  a 
Inumber  of  small  cords,  it  is  fastened  to  one  end  of  the  long  rope,  the  other  end  of  which 
lis  attached  to  the  butt  of  the  shaft  When  arranged  for  use,  the  rope  is  wound  spirally 
liDaBd  the  shaft,  which  it  covers  completely.  As  soon  as  the  hippopotamus  is  struck,  the 
Ishaft  is  shaken  from  the  head  by  the  wounded  animal's  struggles,  the  rope  is  unwound, 
land  the  light  shaft  acts  as  a  buoy,  whereby  the  rope  can  be  recovered,  in  case  the  hippo- 
Ipotamas  should  sever  it,  or  the  hunters  should  be  obliged  to  cast  it  loose. 
I  Sometimes  these  tribes,  i.e.  the  Makololo,  Bayeye,  and  others,  use  a  singularly-ingenious 
I  nil  in  this  sport  Nothing  can  be  simpler  than  the  construction  of  this  raft  A  quantity  of 
j  leeds  are  cut  down  just  above  the  surmce,  and  are  thrown  in  a  heap  upon  the  water.  More 
{reeds  are  then  cut,  and  thrown  crosswise  upon  the  others,  and  so  the  natives  proceed  until 
I  the  raft  is  formed.  No  poles,  beams,  nor  other  supports,  are  used,  neither  are  the  reeds 
lashed  together  in  bundles.  Tliey  are  merely  flung  on  the  water,  and  left  to  entangle 
themselves  into  form.  By  degrees  the  lower  reeds  become  soaked  with  wafer,  and  sink,  so 
I  that  fresh  material  must  be  added  above. 

Nothing  can  look  more  insecure  or  fragile  than  this  rude  reed-raft,  end  yet  it  is  far 
safer  than  the  canoe.  It  is,  in  fact,  so  strong  that  it  allows  a  mast  to  be  erected  on  it.  A 
stout  pole  is  mei'ely  thrust  into  the  centre  of  the  reedy  mass,  and  remains  fixed  without 
the  assistance  of  stays.  To  this  mast  is  fastened  a  long  rope,  by  means  of  which  th»raft 
can  be  mooi-ed  when  the  voyagers  wish  to  land.  One  great  advantage  of  the  raft  is,  the 
extreme  ease  with  which  it  is  made.  Three  or  four  skilful  men  can  in  the  course  of  an 
hour  build  a  raft  which  is  strong  enough  to  bear  them  and  all  their  baggage. 

Tlie  canoes  are  always  kept  fastened  to  the  raft,  so  that  the  crew  can  go  ashore  when- 
ever they  like,  though  they  do  not  seem  to  tow  or  guide  the  raft,  which  is  simply  allowed 
to  float  down  the  stream,  and  steers  itself  without  the  aid  of  a  rudder.  Should  it  meet 
with  any  obstacle,  it  only  swings  round  and  disentangles  itself;  and  the  chief  difficulty  in 
its  management  is  its  aptitude  to  become  entangled  in  overhanging  branches. 

Such  a  raft  as  this  is  much  used  in  the  chase  of  the  hippopotamus.  It  lOoks  like 
a  mere  mass  of  reeds  floating  down  the  stream,  and  does  not  alarm  the  wary  animal  as 


884 


THE  MAEOBA  TRIBR 


much  as  a  boat  would  be  likely  tc  do.*   When  the  natives  use  the  raft  in  ptmoit  of 
hippopotamus,  they  always  haul  their  canoes  upon  it,  so  that  they  are  ready  to  be  launch 
in  pursuit  of  the  buoy  as  soon  as  the  animal  is  struck. 

The  same  tribes  use  reeds  if  they  wish  to  cross  the  river.  They  cut  a  quantity  ot 
them,  and  throw  them  into  the  river  as  if  thev  were  going  to  make  a  raft  They  then  twjttl 
up  some  of  the  reeds  at  each  comer,  so  as  to  look  like  simdl  posts,  and  connect  these  po«ti| 
by  means  of  sticks  or  long  reeds,  by  way  of  bulwarks.  In  this  primitive  feiry-boat  tliel 
man  seats  himself,  and  is  able  to  cany  as  much  luggage  as  he  likes,  the  simple  bulwaikil 
preventing  it  from  falling  overboard.  I 

It  is  rather  a  strange  thing  that  a  Makololo  cannot  be  induced  to  plant  the  nana)  I 
tree,  the  men  having  imbibed  the  notion  from  other  tribes  among  whom  they  had  beral 
travelling.  They  are  exceedingly  fond  of  its  fruit,  as  well  they  ma]^  be,  it  being  excellent, 
and  supplving  the  natives  with  food  for  several  weeks,  while  it 'may  be  plucked  in 
tolerable  abundance  during  four  months  of  the  year.  Yet  all  the  trees  are  self-phnted, 
the  natives  believing  that  any  one  who  plants  one  of  these  trees  wiU  soon  die.  This 
superstition  is  prevalent  throughout  the  whole  of  this  part  of  Africa,  the  Batoka  being 
almost  the  only  tribe  among  whom  it  does  not  prevail.  I 

The  Makololo  have  contrived  to  make  themselves  victims  to  a  wonderful  number  of  I 
superstitions.    This  is  likely  enough,  seeing  that  they  are  essentially  usurpers,  having 
swept  through  a  vast  number  of  tribes,  and  settled  themselves  in  the  country  of  the 
vanquished.    Now,  there  is  nothing  more  contagious  than  superstition,  and,  in  such  a  caie^ 
the  superstitions  of  the  conquered  tribes  are  sure  to  be  added  to  those  of  the  victors. 

The  idea  that  certain  persons  can  change  themselves  into  the  forms  of  aninalii 
prevails  among  them.  One  of  these  potent  conjurers  came  to  Dr.  livingstone's  party; 
and  began  to  shake  and  tremble  in  every  limb  as  he  approached.  The  Mak^olo  explained 
that  the  Pondoro,  as  these  men  are  called,  smelled  the  gunpowder,  and,  on  account  of  hU 
leonine  habits,  he  was  very  much  afhdd  of  it.  The  interpreter  was  asked  to  offer  the 
Pondoro  a  bribe  of  a  cloth  to  change  himself  into  a  lion  forthwith,  but  the  man  declined 
to  give  the  message,  through  genuine  fear  that  the  transformation  might  really  take 
place. 

The  Pondoro  in  question  was  really  a  clever  man.  He  used  to  go  off  into  the  woods 
for  a  month  at  a  time,  during  which  period  he  was  supposed  to  be  a  lion.  His  wife  had 
built  him  a  hut  under  the  shade  of  a  baobab  tree,  and  used  to  bring  him  regular  supplies 
of  food  and  beer,  his  leonine  appetite  being  supposed  to  be  subsidiary  to  that  which 
belonged  to  him  as  a  human  being.  No  one  is  allowed  to  enter  this  hut  except  the 
Pondoro  and  his  wife,  and  not  even  the  chief  will  venture  so  much  as  to  rest  his  weapons 
against  the  baobab  tree;  and  so  strictly  is  this  rule  observed  that  the  chief  of  the  village 
wished  to  inflict  a  fine  on  some  of  Dr.  Livingstone's  party,  because  they  had  placed  their 
guns  against  the  sacred  hut. 

Sometimes  the  Pondoro  is  believed  to  be  hunting  for  the  benefit  of  the  village,  catching 
and  killing  game  as  a  lion,  and  then  resuming  his  human  form,  and  telling  the  people 
where  the  dead  animal  is  lying. 

There  is  also  among  these  tribes  a  belief  that  the  spirits  of  departed  chiefs  enter  the 
bodies  of  lions,  and  this  belief  may  probably  account  for  the  fear  which  they  feel  when 
opposed  to  a  lion,  and  their  unwillingness  to  attack  the  animaL  In  Hvingstone's 
"  Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries,"  there  is  a  passage  which  well  illustrates  the  prevalence 
of  this  feeling. 

"  On  one  occasion,  when  we  had  shot  a  buffalo  in  the  path  beyond  the  Kapie,  a  hungiy 
lion,  attracted  probably  by  the  smell  of  the  meat,  came  close  to  our  camp,  and  roused  up 
all  hands  by  his  roaring.  Tuba  Moroko  (the  '  Canoe-smasher ')  imbued  with  the  popular 
belief  that  the  beast  was  a  chief  in  disguise,  scolded  him  roundly  during  his  brief  intervals 
of  silence.  'You  a  chief  1  Eh!  You  call  yourself  a  chief,  do  you?  What  kind  of  a 
chief  are  you,  to  come  sneaking  about  in  the  dark,  trying  to  steal  our  buffalo  meat?  Are 
you  not  ashamed  of  yourself?  A  pretty  chief,  truly !  You  are  like  the  scavenger-beetle, 
and  think  of  yourself  only.  You  have  not  the  heart  of  a  chief;  why  don't  you  kill  your 
own  beef!    You  must  have  a  stone  in  your  chest,  and  no  heart  at  all,  indeed.' " 


SPECIAL  MEDICINES. 


885 


The^Canos-smasher"  producing  no  effect  by  his  impassioned  ontery,  the  lion  was 
iJdressed  by  another  man  named  Malonga,  the  most  sedate  and  taciturn  of  the  party. 
•Inhia  tflow,  quiet  way  he  expostulated  with  him  on  the  improprie^  of  such  conduct 
to  sinngers  wno  had  never  injured  him.  '  We  were  travellmg  peaceably  through  the 
|Q)aDtTy  hack  to  our  own  chief.  We  never  killed  people,  nor  stole  anything.  The  buifalo- 
meal  was  ours,  not  his,  and  it  did  not  become  a  great  chief  like  him  to  be  prowling  about 
jathe  dark,  trying,  like  a  hyena,  to  steal  the  meat  of  strangers.  He  might  go  and  hunt 
fl)r  himself,  as  there  was  plenty  of  game  in  the  forest.'  The  Pondoro  being  deaf  to  reason, 
lod  only  roaring  the  louder,  the  men  became  angry,  and  threatened  to  send  a  ball  through 
him  if  be  did  not  go  away.  They  snatched  up  their  guns  to  shoot  him,  but  he  prudently 
kept  in  the  dark,  outside  of  the  luminous  circle  made  by  our  camp  fires,  and  there  they 
did  not  like  to  venture." 

Another  superstition  is  very  prevalent  among  these  tribes.  It  is  to  the  effect  that 
ereiy  animal  is  specially  affected  by  an  appropriate  medicine.  Ordinary  medicines  are 
prepared  by  the  regular  witch-doctors,  of  whom  there  are  plenty ;  but  special  medicines 
leqalre  special  professionals.  One  man,  for  example,  takes  as  his  specialty  the  pre- 
paiatioa  of  elephant  medicine,  and  no  hunter  will  go  after  the  elephant  without  providing 
biaiself  with  some  of.  the  potent  medicine.  Another  makes  crocodile  medicine,  the  use 
of  which  is  to  protect  its  owner  from  the  crocodile.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  white 
nen  had  shot  a  crocodile  as  it  lay  basking  in  the  sun,  the  doctors  came  in  wrath,  and 
remonstrated  with  their  visitors  for  shooting  an  animal  which  they  looked  upon  as  their 
ipecial  property.  On  another  occasion,  when  a  baited  hook  was  laid  for  the  crocodile,  the 
docton  removed  the  bait,  partly  because  it  was  a  dog,  and  they  preferred  to  eat  it  them- 
idves,  and  partly  because  any  diminution  in  the  number  of  crocodiles  would  cause  a 
corresponding  loss  of  fees. 

Then  since  the  introduction  of  firearms  there  are  gun-doctors,  who  make  medicines 
that  enable  the  gun  to  shoot  straight.  Sulphur  is  the  usual  gun-medicine,  and  is  mostly 
administered  by  making  little  incisions  in  the  hands,  and  rubbing  the  sulphur  into  them. 
Magic  dice  are  also  used,  and  are  chiefly  employed  for  the  discovery  of  thieves.  Even 
the  white  men  have  come  to  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  the  dice,  and  the  native  conjuror 
isGODSolted  as  often  by  the  Portuguese  as  by  his  own  countrymea 


■.If. 

•'I'f. 


TOLL 


00 


m 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


THE  BATOKA  AND  MANGANJA  TBIBES. 


'    .( 


i-'^ 


M-  '    ,1 


m 


M 


•I 


ill     'k,t'% 


hOOALm  OF  THB  9  \TOKA— THBIR  OENKBAL  APFBABANOB  Ain>  DBKS8 — THKIB  SKILL  AS  BOATintN^ 
THE    BABNOA-PRZI,  OB  00-NAKKU8 — AORICULTUBB— MOOK  OF   HUNTING — MUSICAL   INITBUlUDin 

WAB  CUSTOMS THK  MANOANJA  TRIBK — OOVKRNMBNT — INDUBTBY  OP  BOTH  8F.XE8— BALUTiTIOK 

— DBRSB — ^THB   PKLELE,  OB  LIP-BINQ — TATTOOINQ — WANT  OF  CLEANLINESS — BBEB-BBRWIMO  AJCD 
DBINKINO — ^RXCHANQINO   NAMX8 — 8UPBBBT1TI0N8 — FUNBBAL  AND  MOVBNINO. 


SoMEWHKKE  about  lat.  IT*  S.  and  long.  27°  E.  is  a  tribe  called  the  Batoka,  or  Batonga, 
of  which  there  are  two  distinct  varieties ;  of  whom  those  who  live  on  low-lying  ijmds 
such  as  the  banks  of  the  Zambesi,  are  very  dark,  and  somewhat  resemble  the  negro  u 
appearance,  while  those  of  the  higher  lands  are  light  brown,  much  of  the  same  hue  a 
ciije  aa  lait.  Their  character  seems  to  differ  with  their  complexions,  the  former  variet) 
being  dull,  stupid,  and  intractable,  while  the  latter  are  comparatively  intellectual. 

They  do  rioc  improve  their  personal  appearance  by  an  odd  habit  of  depriving  them- 
selves of  their  two  upper  incisor  teeth.  The  want  of  these  teeth  makes  the  corresponding 
incisors  of  the  lower  jaw  project  outwards,  and  to  force  the  lip  with  them ;  so  that  even 
in  youth  they  ail  have  an  aged  expression  of  countenance.  Knocking  out  these  teeth  is 
part  of  a  ceremony  which  is  practised  on  both  <»Bexes  when  they  are  admitted  into  the 
ranks  of  men  and  women,  and  is  probably  the  remains  of  some  religious  rite.  The  reason 
which  they  give  is  absurd  enough,  namely,  that  they  like  to  resemble  oxen,  which  have 
no  upper  incisors,  and  not  to  have  all  their  teeth  like  zebras.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  this  statement  may  be  merely  intended  as  an  evasion  of' questions  which  they  think 
themselves  bound  to  parry,  but  which  nqiay  also  have  reference  tu  the  extreme  veneration 
for  oxen  which  prevails  in  an  African's  mind. 

In  spite  of  its  disfiguring  effect,  the  custom  is  universal  among  the  various  sub-trihes 
of  which  the  Batoka  are  composed,  and  not  even  the  definite  commands  of  the  chief  him* 
self,  nor  the  threats  of  punishment,  could  induce  the  people  to  forego  it.  Girls  and  lads 
would  suddenly  make  their  appearance  without  their  teeth,  and  no  amount  of  questioning 
could  induce  them  to  state  when,  and  by  whom,  they  were  knocked  out  Fourteen  or 
fifteen  is  the  usual  age  for  performing  the  operation. 

Their  dress  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  especially  the  mode  in  which  some  of  them 
arrange  their  hair.  The  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head  is  drawn  and  plastered  together 
in  a  circle  some  six  or  seven  inches  in  diameter.  By  dint  of  careful  training,  and 
plenty  of  grease  and  other  appliances,  it  is  at  last  formed  into  a  cone  some  eight  or  ten 
inches  in  height,  and  slightly  leaning  forward.  In  some  cases  the  cona  is  of  wonderful 
height,  the  head-man  of  a  Batoka  village  wearing  one  which  was  trained  into  a  long 
spike  which  projected  a  full  yard  from  ms  head,  and  which  must  have  caused  him  con* 
siderable  inconveniencei    In  this  case  other  materials  were  evidently  mixed  \rith  the 


HEAD-DRESS. 


387 


,•  and  it  is  said  that  the  long  hair  of  various  animals  is  often  added,  so  as  to  mingle 
ji'  the  real  growth,  and  aid  in  raising  the  edifice.  Around  the  edges  of  this  cone 
,  hair  i>  siiaven  closely,  so  that  the  appearance  of  the  head  is  very  remarkable,  and 

j,«whftt  ludicrous. 
The  figures  of  the  accompanying  illustration  are  portraits  by  Mr.  Baines.  Mantanyani, 

^man  ^vl>o  is  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  boat,  was  a  rather  remarkable  man.    He  really 

lelongs  to  the  Butoka  tribe,  though  ho  was  thought  at  first  to  be  one  of  the  Makololo. 

i^rbaps  he  tliought  it  better  to  assume  the  menioership  of  the  victorious  than  the  con- 
tribe.    This  was  certainly  the  case  with  many  of  the  men  who,  like  Mantanyani, 


,j. 


BATOKA  HEX. 


ompanied  Dr.  Livingstone.  He  was  a  singularly  skilful  boatman,  and  managed  an  ordi« 
buy  whaling  boat  as  easily  as  one  of  his  own  canoes.  The  ornament  which  he  wears  in 
hi«  hair  is  a  comb  made  of  bamboo.  It  was  not  manufactured  by  himself,  but  was  taken 
trom  Shimbesi's  tribe  on  the  Shire,  or  Sheereh,  river.  He.nnd  his  companions  forced  the 
boat  up  the  many  rapids,  and,  on  being  inteirogated  as  to  the  danger,  he  said  that  he  had 
DO  fears,  for  that  he  could  swim  like  a  fish,  and  that  if  by  any  mischance  he  should  allow 
Mr.  Baines  to  fall  overboard  and  be  drowned,  he  should  never  dare  to  show  his  lace  to 
Dr.  Livingstone  again.  * 

Mr.  Baines  remarks  in  his  MS.  notes,  that  Mantanyani  ought  to  have  made  a  good 

ailor,  for  he  was  not  only  an  adept  at  the  management  of  boats,  but  could  appreciate 

^um  as  well  as  any  British  tar.    It  so  happened  that  at  night,  aiter  the  day's  boating  was 

bver,  grog  was  served  out  to  the  men,  and  yet  for  two  or  three  nights  Mantanyani  would 

ot  touch  it,   Accordingly  one  night  the  following  colloquy  took  place : — 

cc2 


8«S 


THE  BATOKA  AND  MANOANJA  TRIBES. 


"  i.  ■ 


t^y 


4 


ti  \ 


»-  - 


*  Muntanyani,  non  quero  grog  ? "  (i  e.  Cannot  you  take  grog  1) 

••  Non  quero."    (I  ctiniiot.) 

"  Porquoi  non  quero  grog  t "    (Why  cannot  vou  take  grog  T) 

"  Qaratfa  poco,  Zambesi  uiunta."    (The  bottle  ia  little  and  the  Zambesi  is  big.) 

The  hint  was  taken,  and  rum  unuiixud  with  water  was  ott'eiod  to  Mantanyani  ti 
drank  it  off  like  a  sailor. 

A  spirited  account  of  the  skill  of  the  natives  in  managing  canoes  is  given  in 
Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries."     The  cHUoe  belonged  to  a  niun  numed  Tuba-Mokoro  , 
the  "  Ctinoe-smasher,"  a  rather  ominous,  but  apparently  undeserved,  title,  iunsniucl)  m  \ 
proved  to  be  a  most  skilful  and  steady  boatman.     He  seemed  alno  to  be  niodiHt,  for  ] 
took  no  credit  to  himself  for  his  managf^ment,  but  attri\^uted  his  succ^oss  entirely  to] 
certain  charm  or  medicine  which  he  hud,  und  which  he  kept  a  profound  fiecrct.    lie  wJ 
employed  to  take  the  party  through  the  rapids  to  an  island  close  to  the  ed^e  of  the  mu 
Mosi-oa-tunya,  i.e.  Smoke  Sounding  Falls,  now  called  the  Victoria  Falls.    Tliig  isia 
can  only  be  reached  when  the  water  happens  to  be  very  low,  and,  even  in  that  case,  noni 
but  the  most  experienced  boatmen  can  venture  so  near  to  the  Full,  which  is  doubie 
depth  of  Niagara,  and  a  mile  in  width,  formed  entirely  by  a  vast  and  sudden  rift  iu  tU 
basaltic  bed  of  the  Zambesi. 

"  Before  entering  the  race  of  water,  we  were  requested  not  to  speak,  as  our  talkinj 
might  diminish  the  value  of  the  medicine,  and  no  one  with  such  boiling  e^'lyingroiiidf 
before  his  eyes  would  think  of  disobeying  the  orders  of  a  '  canoe-smasher.'  It  soon  becanJ 
evident  that  there  was  sound  sense  in  the  request  of  Tuba's,  though  the  reason  ossigne] 
was  not  unlike  that  of  the  canoe  man  from  Sesheke,  who  begged  one  of  our  party  uoi;  i 
whistle,  because  whistling  made  the  wind  come. 

"  It  was  the  duty  of  the  man  at  the  bow  to  look  out  ahead  for  the  proper  course,  sni 
when  he  saw  a  rock  or  a  snag  to  call  out  to  the  steersman.    Tuba  doubtless  thought  thai 
talking  on  board  might  divert  the  attention  of  his  steersman  at  a  time  when  the  neglecj 
of  an  order,  or  a  slight  mistake,  would  be  sure  to  s])ill  us  all  into  the  chafing  river.  Then 
were  places  where  the  ntmost  exertions  of  both  men  had  to  be  put  •forth  in  order  to  foic 
tlie  canoe  to  the  only  safe  part  of  the  rapid  and  to  prevent  it  from  sweeping  bn 
on,  when  in  a  twinkling  we  should  have  found  ourselves  amons  the  plotuses  and  cor^ 
morants  which  were  engaged  in  diving  for  their  breakfast  of  sumlT  fish. 

"  At  times  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save  us  from  dashing  in  our  headlong  nrel 
against  the  rocks,  which,  now  that  the  river  was  low,  jutted  out  of  the  water ;  but,  just  at  Ihel 
very  nick  of  time,  Tuba  passed  the  word  to  the  steersman,  and  then,  with  ready  pole,  tumedl 
the  canoe  a  little  aside,  and  we  glided  swiftly  past  the  threatened  danger.    Kever  wasl 
canoe  more  admirably  managed.    Oace  only  did  the  medicine  seem  to  nave  lost  some-f 
thing  of  its  etficacv. 

"  We  were  driving  swiftly  down,  a  black  rock  over  which  the  white  foam  flew 
directly  in  our  path,  the  pole  was  planted  against  it  as  readily  as  ever,  but  it  slippd  justl 
as  Tuba  put  forth  his  strength  to  turn  the  bow  off.    We  struck  hard,  and  were  half  full  of| 
water  in  a  moment.    Tuba  recovered  himself  as  speedily,  shoved  off  the  bow,  and  shot  I 
canoe  into  a  still,  shallow  place,  to  bale  the  water  out.     He  gave  us  to  iinderstaiid  that  I 
it  was  not  the  medicine  which  was  at  faxM—that  had  lost  none  of  its  virtue;  tlie 
accident  was  owing  to  Tuba  having  started  without  his  breakfast.     Need  it  le  said  that  | 
we  never  let  Tuba  go  without  that  meal  again." 

Among  them  there  is  a  body  of  men  called  in  their  own  language  the  "  Baenda-pezi,"  I 
i.e.  the  Go-nakeds.     These  men  never  wear  an  atom  of  any  kind  of  clothing,  but  are 
entirely  naked,  their  only  coat  being  one  of  red  ochre.  ' 

These  Baenda-pezi  are  rather  a  remarkable  set  of  men,  and  why  they  should  voluo. 
tarily  live  without  clothing  is  not  very  evident.  Some  travellers  think  that  they  aw  a  j 
separate  order  among  tlie  Batoka,  but  this  is  not  at  all  certain.  It  is  not  that  they  are 
devoid  of  vanity,  for  they  are  extremely  fond  of  ornaments  upon  their  heads,  which  they 
dress  in  various  fantastic  ways.  The  conical  style  has  already  been  mentioned,  but  they 
have  many  other  fashions.  One  of  their  favourite  modes  is,  to  plait  a  fillet  of  bark,  some 
two  inches  wide,  and  tie  it  round  the  head  in  diadem  fashion.    They  tiien  rub  grease  and 


POUTENESa 


889 


besi  is  big.) 
Mantanyani, : 

»  U  given  in  -'h 
;  Tuba-M.,k„ro  , 
"9,  lunsniucliMi 
'  "e  D'odfut,  for  ]• 
'^•f'osa  entirely  tol 
Id  fiecret,    lig  J 

'^^Ws-    Tills  iaia, 
I  in  tliot  case.  noJ 
''ic  1  18  douMe  til 
sudden  ndiui 

eak,  as  our  tftlkj 

>r.  Itsoonbecaml 
ne  reason  assimel 
«  our  party  uot  i 

proper  course,  ani 
tlcM  tliouglit  ty 

3wlientlieneglecj 
lonng  river,  fhf^ 

ninordertofoK* 
weeping  broadsidj 
plotuaes  and  cor4 


)ur  iieaajong  raoej 
Br;but,ju8tatth(^ 
ready  pole,  turned 
nger.  Never  wmI 
'  have  lost  some{ 

te  foam  flew  Jajl 

ut  it  slipped  justi 

were  half  full  of) 

low,  and  shot  the  f 

ijnderstaiid  thatf 

its  virtue;  tlie 

it  be  said  tJiat  | 

"Baenda-pczi," 
lotliing,  but  are  | 

7  should  volua 
that  they  are  a 
t  that  they  are  I 
ds,  whicli  they 
oned,  but  they 
I  of  bark,  some 
rub  grease  and 


ioehra  plentifully  into  the  hair,  and  faiten  it  to  the  fillet,  which  it  completely  coven. 

,  head  being  then  shaved  as  far  as  the  edgu  of  the  fillet,  the  native  looks  as  if  he  were 

iring  *  red,  polished  forage-cap. 

Bingt  of  iron  wire  and  beads  are  wont  round  the  arms ;  and  a  fashionable  member  of 
iji  order  thinks  himself  scarcely  fit  for  socinty  unless  he  carries  a  pipe  and  a  small  pair 
if iion  tongs,  with  which  to  lift  a  coal  from  th»  fire  and  kindle  his  pipe,  the  stem  of  which 
k often  ornamented  by  being  bound  with  polished  irun  wire. 

The  Baenda-pezi  seem  to  be  om  devoid  of  the  sense  of  shame  as  their  bodies  are  of 

ering.  They  could  not  in  the  leas'  be  made  in  Kee  that  they  ought  to  wear  clothing, 
„  quite  laughed  at  the  absurdity  ot  uuch  an  idea ;  evidently  looking  on  a  proposal 
'fear  clothing  much  as  we  should  entertain  a  request  to  dress  ourselves  in  plate 
moor. 

The  pipe  is  in  constant  requisition  among  these  men,  who  are  seldom  seen  without 
lipipe  in  their  mouths,  and  never  wiihout  it  in  thoir  possession.    Yet,  whenever  they 


BATOK.'.  SALUTATIOX. 

enmeinto  the  presence  of  their  white  visitors,  they  always  asked  peiinission  before  lighting 
their  pipes,  an  innate  politeness  being  strong  within  them.  Their  tobacco  is  exc«edingly 
powerful,  and  on  that  account  is  much  valued  by  other  tribes,  who  will  travel  great  distances 
to  purchase  it  from  the  Batoka.  It  is  also  very  cheap,  a  few  beads  purchasing  a  sufficient 
quantity  to  last  even  these  inveterat'C  smokers  for  six  months.  Their  mode  of  smoking 
is  very  peculiar.  They  first  take  a  whiff  after  the  usual  manner,  and  puff  out  the  smoke, 
fiat,  when  they  have  expelled  nearly  the  whole  of  the  smoke,  they  make  a  kind  of  catch  at 
the  last  tiny  wreath,  and  swallow  it.  This  they  are  pleased  to  consider  the  very  essence 
or  spirit  of  the  tobacco,  which  is  lost  if  the  smnke  is  exhaled  in  the  usual  manner. 

The  Batoka  are  a  polite  people 'in  their  way,  though  they  have  rather  an  odd  method 
of  expressing  their  feelings.  Tlie  ordinary  mode  of  salutation  is  for  the  women  to  clap 
their  hands  and  produce  that  ululating  sound  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  for 
the  men  to  stoop  and  clap  their  hands  on  their  hips. 

But,  when  they  wish  to  be  especially  respectful,  they  have  another  mode  of  salutation. 
They  throw  themselves  on  their  backs,  and  roll  from  side  to  side,  slapping  the  outside  of 
their  thighs  vigoiously,  and  calling  out "  Kina-bomba !  kina-bomba  1"  with  great  energy. 


";> 


l^i 


■■'.    1 


ii 


fel 


i-1  ^-1 


i,;iii 


If'  •      t , 


390 


THE  BATOKA  TRIBE 


Dr.  Livingstone  says  that  he  never  could  accustom  his  eyes  to  like  the  spectacle  of  <. 
naked  men  wallowing  on  their  backs  and  slapping  themselves,  and  tried  to  stop  thel 
They,  however,  always  thought  that  he  was  not  satisfied  with  the  heartiness  of  his  reced 
tion,  and  so  rolled  about  and  slapped  themselves  all  the  more  vigorously.  This  roliy 
and  slapping  seems  to  be  reserved  for  the  welcoming  of  great  men,  and,  of  course,  whenera 
the  Batoka  present  themselves  before  the  chief,  tho  performance  is  doubly  vigorous.     ] 

When  a  gift  is  presented,  it  is  etiquette  for  the  donor  to  hold  the  present  in  one  hanJ 
and  to  slap  the  thigh  with  the  othe::',  as  he  approaches  the  person  to  whom  he  is  about  tl 
give  it.  He  then  delivers  the  gift,  claps  his  hands  together,  sits  down,  and  then  stiika 
his  thighs  with  both  hands.  The  same  formalities  are  observed  when  a  return  gift  is  pm 
sented ;  and  so  tenacious  are  they  of  this  branch  of  etiquette,  that  it  is  taught  regulaiM 
to  children  by  their  parents.  1 

They  are  an  industrious  people,  cultivating  wonderfully  large  tracts  of  land  will 
the  simple  but  effective  hoe  of  their  country.    With  this  hoe,  which  looks  something  likJ 
a  large  adze,  they  not  only  break  up  the  ground,  but  perform  other  tasks  of  less  important 
such  as  smoothing  the  earth  as  a  foundation  for  their  beds.     Some  of  these  fields  are  i 
large,  that  the  traveller  may  walk  for  hours  through  the  native  corn,  and  scarcely  cornel 
upon  an  uncultivated  spot.     The  quantity  of  com  which  is  grown  is  very  large,  and  th^ 
natives  make  such  numbers  of  granaries,  that  their  villages  seem  to  be  far  more  populou 
than  is  really  the  case.    Plenty,  in  consequence,  reigns  among  this  people.    But  it  is  al 
rather  remarkable  fact  that,  in  spite  of  the  vast  quantities  of  grain  which  they  produce,! 
they  cannot  keep  it  in  store. 

The  corn  has  too  many  enemies.    In  the  first  place,  the  neighbouring  tribes  are  aptl 
send  out  marauding  parties,  who  prefer  stealing  the  com  which  their  industrious  neigh-l 
hours  have  grown  and  stored  to  cultivating  the  ground  for  themselvea    Mice,  too,  are) 
yjry  injurious  to  the  corn.    But  against  these  two  enemies  the  Batoka  can  tolerably  guard, [ 
by  tying  up  quantities  of  corn  in  bundles  of  grass,  plastering  them  over  with  clay,  and  I 
hiding  them  in  the  low  sand  islands  left  by  the  subsiding  waters  of  the  Zambesi  But  tbel 
worst  of  all  enemies  is'  the  native  weevil,  an  insect  so  small  that  no  precautions  are 
available  against  its  ravages,  and  which,  as  we  too  often  find  in  this  country,  destroys  an 
enormous  amount  of  corn  in  a  very  short  time.     It  is  impossible  for  the  Batoka  to  pre- 
serve their  com  more  than  a  year,  and  it  is  as  much  as  they  can  do  to  make  it  last  until 
the  next  crop  is  ready. 

As,  therefore,  the  whole  of  the  annual  crop  must  be  consumed  by  themselves  or  the 
weevil,  they  prefer  the  former,  and  what  they  cannot  eat  they  make  into  beer,  which  they 
brew  in  large  quantities,  and  drink  abundantly;  yet  they  seldom,  if  ever,  intoxicate] 
themselves,  in  spite  of  the  quantities  which  they  consume.  This  beer  is  called  by  them 
either  "  boala"  or  "  pombe,"  just  as  we  speak  of  beer  or  ale ;  and  it  is  sweet  in  flavour,  with 
just  enough  acidity  to  render  it  agreeable.  Even  Europeans  soon  come  to  like  it,  and  its 
effect  on  the  natives  is  to  make  them  plump  and  well  nourished.  The  Batoka  do  not 
content  themselves  with  simply  growing  com  and  vegetables,  but  even  plant  fruit  and 
oil-bearing  trees — a  practice  which  is  not  found  among  the  other  tribes. 

Possibly  on  account  of  the  plenty  with  which  their  land  is  blessed,  they  are  a  most 
hospitable  race  of  men,  always  glad  to  see  guests,  and  receiving  them  in  the  kindest 
manner.  If  a  traveller  passes  through  a  village,  he  is  continually  hailed  from  the  various 
huts  with  invitations  to  eat  and  drink,  while  the  men  welcome  the  visitor  by  clapping 
their  hands,  and  the  women  by  "  luUilooing."  They  even  feel  pained  if  the  stranger  passes 
the  village  without  being  entertained.  When  he  halts  in  a  village  for  the  night,  the 
inhabitants  turn  out  to  make  him  comfortable ;  some  running  to  fetch  firewood,  others 
bringing  jars  of  water,  while  some  engage  themselves  in  preparing  the  bed,  and  erecting  a 
fence  to  keep  off  the  wind. 

They  are  skilful  and  fearless  hunters,  and  are  not  afraid  even  of  the  elephant  or 
buffalo,  going  up  closely  to  these  formidable  animals,  and  killing  them  with  large  spears. 
A  complete  system  of  game-laws  is  in  operation  among  the  Batoka,  not  for  the  purpose  of 
prohibiting  the  chase  of  certain  game,  but  in  order  to  settle  the  disposal  of  the  game  when 
killed.    Among  them,  the  man  who  inflicts  the  first  wound  on  an  animal  has  the  right  to 


ORDEAL  OF  THE  MUAVE 


891 


=  1 


_  spoil,  no  matter  how  trifling  may  be  the  wound  which  he  inflicts.  In  case  he  does 
jot  kill  the  animal  himself,  he  is  boand  to  give  to  the  hunter  who  inflicts  the  fatal 
[ound  both  legs  of  one  side." 

As  to  the  laws  which  regulate  ordinary  life,  there  is  but  little  that  calls  for  special 
iticc,  except  a  sort  of  ordeal  for  which  they  have  a  great  veneration.  This  is  called  the 
loideal  of  the  Muave,  and  is  analogous  to  the  corsned  and  similar  ordeals  of  the  early  ages 
fthis  country.  The  drea'  of  witchcraft  is  very  strong  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  Southern 
Jftica;  bat  among  the  Ba  ka  the  accused  has  the  opportunity  of  clearing  himself  by 
Idritiking  a  poisonous  preparation  called  muave.  Sometimes  tLe  accused  dies  fix>m  the 
Idraugiit,  and  in  that  case  his  guilt  is  clear ;  but  in  others  the  poison  acts  as  an  emetic, 
Ifbich  is  supposed  to  prove  his  innocence,  the  poison  linding  no  congenial  evil  in  the  body, 
lind  therefore  being  rejected. 

No  one  seems  to  be  free  from  such  an  accusation,  as  is  clear  from  Dr.  Livingstone's 
liccount :  "  Kear  the  confluence  of  the  Kapoe  the  Mambo,  or  chief,  with  some  of  his  head- 
linen,  came  to  our  sleeping-place  with  a  present.  Their  foreheads  were  smeared  witn  white 
and  an  unusual  seriousness  marked  their  demeanour.  Shortly  before  our  arrival 
Ithey  had  been  accused  of  witchcraft :  conscious  of  innocence,  they  accepted  the  ordeal, 
laad  undertook  to  drink  the  poisoned  mu;  ve.  For  this  purpose  they  made  a  journey  to 
I  the  sacred  hill  of  Nehomokela,  on  which  repose  the  bodies  of  their  ancestors,  and,  after  a 
iBolemn  appeal  to  the  unseen  spirit  to  attest  the  innocence  of  their  children,  they  swallowed 
I  the  muave,  vomited,  and  were  therefore  declared  not  guilty. 

"  It  is  evident  that  they  believe  that  the  soul  has  a  continued  existence,  and  that 

I  the  spirits  of  the  departed  know  what  those  they  have  left  behind  are  doing,  and  are 

d  or  not,  according  as  their  deeds  are  good  or  evil.    This  belief  is  universal.    The 

I  owner  of  a  large  canoe  refused  to  sell  it  because  it  belonged  to  the  spirit  of  his  father, 

who  helped  him  when  he  killed  the   hippopotamus.     Another,  when  the  bargain  for 

his  canoe  was  nearly  completed,  seeing  a  large  serpent  on  a  branch  of  a  tree  overhead, 

refused  to  complete  the  sale,  alleging  that  this  was  the  spirit  of  his  father,  come  to  protest 

I  against  it." 

Some  of  the  Batoka  believe  that  a  medicine  could  be  prepared  which  would  cure  the 
I  hite  of  the  tsotse,  that  small  but  terrible  fly  which  makes  such  destruction  among  the 
cattle,  but  has  no  hurtful  influence  on  mankind.  This  medicine  was  discovered  by  a  chief, 
whose  son  Moyara  showed  it  to  Dr.  Livingstone.  It  consisted  chiefly  of  a  plant,  which 
was  apparently  new  to  botanical  science.  The  root  was  peeled,  and  the  peel  sliced  and 
reduced  to  powder,  together  with  a  dozen  or  two  of  the  tsetse  themselves.  The  remainder 
I  of  the  plant  is  also  dried.  When  an  animal  shows  symptoms  of  being  bitten  by  the  tsetse, 
some  of  the  powder  is  administered  to  the  animal,  and  the  rest  of  the  dried  plant  is 
burned  under  it  so  as  to  fumigate  it  thoroughly.  Moyara  did  not  assert  that  the  remedy 
wiw  infallible,  but  only  stated  that  if  a  herd  of  cattle  were  to  stray  into  a  district  infested 
with  the  tsetse,  some  of  them  would  be  saved  by  the  use  of  the  medicine,  whereas  they 
would  all  die  without  it. 

The  Batoka  are  fond  of  using  a  musical  instrument  that  prevails,  with  some  modifica- 
tions, over  a  considerable  portion  of  Central  Africa. 

In  its  simplest  form  it  consists  of  a  board,  on  which  are  fixed  a  number  of  flat  wooden 
strips,  which,  when  pressed  down  and  suddenly  released,  produce  a  kiuc"  of  musical  tone. 
In  fact,  the  principle  of  the  sansa  is  exactly  that  of  our  musical-boxes,  the  only  difference 
being  that  the  teeth,  or  keys,  of  our  instrument  are  steel,  and  that  they  are  sounded  by 
little  pegs,  and  not  by  the  fingers.  Even  among  this  one  tribe  there  are  great  differences 
in  the  formation  of  the  sansa. 

The  best  and  most  elaborate  form  is  that  which  is  shown  on  page  392.  The  sounding- 
board  of  the  sansa  is  hollow,  in  order  to  increase  the  resonance ;  and  the  keys  are  made 
oi  iron  instead  of  wood,  so  that  a  really  musical  sound  is  produced.  Moreover,  the  instru- 
jjient  is  enclosed  in  a  hollow  calabash,  for  the  purpose  of  intensifying  the  sound ;  and 
both  the  sansa  and  the  calabash  are  furnished  with  bits  of  steel  and  tin,  which  make  a 
Jingling  accompaniment  to  the  music.  The  calabash  is  generally  covered  with  carvings. 
»  hen  the  sansa  is  used,  it  is  held  with  the  hollow  or  ornamented  end  towards  the  player, 


3D2 


THE  BATOKA  TRIBEL 


I     11 


and  the  keys  are  struck  with  the  thumbs,  the  rest  of  the  hand  being  occupied  in  bo}( 
the  instrument. 

This  curious  instrument  is  used  in  accompanying  songs.    Dr.  Livingstone  mentia 
that  a  genuine  native  poet  attached  himself  to  the  party,  and  composed  a  poem  in  honoi 
of  the  white  men,  singing  it  whenever  they  halted,  and  accompanying  himself  on  tb 
sansa.    At  first,  as  he  did  not  know  very  much  about  his  subject,  he  modestly  curtailei 
his  poem,  but  extended  it  day  by  day,  until  at  last  it  became  quite  a  long  ode.  There  wai 
an  evident  rhythm  in  it,  each  line  consisting  of  five  syllables.    Another  native  poetvu, 
in  the  habit  of  solacing  himself  every  evening  with  an  extempore  song,  in  which  ^ 
enumerated  everything  that  the  white  men  had  done.    He  was  not  so  accomplished  i 

Eoet  as  his  brother  improvisatore,  and  occasionally  found  words  to  fail  him.    Howevei 
is  sansa  helped  him  when  he  was  at  a  loss  for  a  word,  just  as  the  piano  helps  on 

an  unskilful  singer  when  at 
loss  for  a  note.    The  specimen  c 
the  sansa  given  in  the  illustretioj 
is  in  the  collection  of  Colon 
Lane  Fox. 

They  have  several  musicalin 
struments  beside  the  sansa.  Ond 
is  called  the  marimba,  and  is  ii 
fact  a  simple  sort  of  bannonicon] 
the  place  of  the  glass  or  neti 
keys  being  supplied  by  strips  oq 
hard  wood  fixed  on  a  frame.  Ti( 
strips  are  large  at  one  end  of  tbel 
instrument,  and  diminish  r^- 
THE  BANSA.  larly  towards  the  other.  Unda 

each  of  the  wooden  keys  is  fixedl 

a  hollow  gouid,  or  calabash,  thel 

object  of  which  is  to  increase  the  resonance.    Two   sticks  of  hard  wood  are  used  foil 

sinking  the  keys,  and  a  skilful  performer  really  handles  them  with  wonderful  agility. 

Simple  as  is  this  instrument,  pleasing  sounds  can  be.  produced  from  it.  It  has  eveni 
been  introduced  into  England,  under  the  name  of  "  xylophone,"  and,  when  played  by  al 
dexterous  and  energetic  performer,  really  produces  eftects  that  could  hardly  have  heenl 
expected  from  it.  The  sounds  are,  of  course,  deficient  in  musical  tone ;  but  still  tbel 
various  notes  can  be  obtained  with  tolerable  accuracy  by  trimming  the  wooden  keys  tol 
the  proper  dimensions.  A  similar  instrument  is  made  with  strips  of  stone,  the  sounds  of  | 
which  are  superior  to  those  produced  by  the  wooden  bars. 

The  Batoka  are  remarkable  for  their  clannish  feeling ;  and  when  a  large  party  are  I 
travelling  in  company,  those  of  one  tribe  always  keep  together,  and  assist  each  other  in  I 
every  difficulty.  Also,  if  they  should  happen  to  come  upon  a  village  or  dwelling  belonging  j 
to  one  of  their  own  tribe,  they  are  sure  of  a  welcome  and  plentiful  hospitality. 

The  Batoka  appear  from  all  accounts  to  be  rather  a  contentious  people,  quarrelsome  at  I 
home,  and  sometimes  extending  their  strife  to  other  villages.  In  domestic  fights -u.  in  | 
combats  between  inhabitants  of  the  same  village — the  antagonists  are  careful  not  to  i 
fatal  injuries.  But  when  village  fights  against  village,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  the  1 
on  both  sides  may  be  considerable.  The  result  of  such  a  battle  would  be  exceedingly  I 
disagreeable,  as  the  two  villages  would  always  be  in  a  state  of  deadly  feud,  and  an  | 
inhabitant  of  one  would  not  dare  to  go  near  the  other. 

The  Batoka,  however,  have  invented  a  plan  by  which  the  feud  is  stopped.  When  the  I 
victors  have  driven  their  opponents  off  the  field,  they  take  the  body  of  one  of  the  dead 
warriors,  quarter  it,  and  perform  a  series  of  ceremonies  over  it.  This  appears  to  be  a  kind 
of  challenge  that  they  are  niastei's  of  the  field.  The  conquered  party  acknowledge  their 
defeat  by  sending  a  deputation  to  ask  for  the  body  of  their  comrade,  and,  when  they 
receive  it,  they  go  through  the  same  ceremonies ;  after  which  peace  is  supposed  to  be 
restored,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  may  visit  each  other  in  safety. 


•MODE  OF  GOVERNMENT. 


893 


>  m 


Dr.  Livingstone's  informant  further  said,  that  vhen  a  warrior  had  slain  an  enemy, 

I  took  the  head,  and  placed  it  on  an  ant-hill,  until  all  the  llesh  was  taken  from  the 

nes.    He  then  i-emoved  the  lower  jaw,  and  wore  it  as  a  trophy.    He  did  not  see  one  of 

(ge  trophies  worn,  and  evidently  thinks  that  the  above  account  may  be  inaccurate  in 

ne  places,  as  it  was  given  through  an  interpreter ;  and  it  is  very- possible  that  both  the 

interpreter  and  the  Batoka  might  have  invented  a  tale  for  the  occasion.    The  account  of 

jlie  pacificatory  ceremonies  really  seems  to  be  too  consistent  with  itself  to  be  falsehood ; 

lliiit  the  wearing  of  the  enemy's  jaw,  uncorroborated  by  a  single  example,  seems  to  be 

Igither  doubtful 

I  Indeed,  Dr.  Livingstone  expressly  warns  the  reader  against  receiving  with  implicit 
llielief  accounts  that  are  given  by  a  native  African.  The  dark  interlocutor  amiably  desires 
L  please,  and,  having  no  conception  of  truth  as  a  principle,  says  exactly  what  he  thinks 
Ifill  be  most  acceptable  to  the  great  white  chief,  on  whom  he  looks  as  a  sort  of  erratic 
Inpenatural  being.  Ask  a  native  whether  the  mountains  in  his  own  district  are  lofty,  or 
Ifhether  gold  is  found  there,  and  he  will  assuredly  answer  i^"  the  affirmative.  Sd  he  will 
■if  he  be  asked  whether  unicorns  live  in  his  country,  or  whether  he  knows  of  a  race  of 
I  tailed  men,  being  only  anxious  to  please,  and  not  thinking  that  the  tnith  or  falsehood  of 
I  the  answer  can  be  of  the  least  consequence.  If  the  white  sportsman  shoots  at  an  animal, 
hod  makes  a  palpable  miss,  his  dusky  attendants  are  sure  to  say  that  the  bullet  went 
I  through  the  animal's  heart,  and  that  it  only  bounded  away  for  a  short  distance.  "He  is 
I  oar  father,"  say  the  natives,  "and  he  would  be  displeased  if  we  told  him  that  he  had 
missed."  It  is  even  worse  with  the  slaves,  who  are  often  used  as  interpreters;  and  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  induce  them  to  interpret  with  any  modicum  of  trutL 


THE  MANGANJA  TRIBE. 


On  the  Ri^er  Shire  (pronounced  Pheereh),  a  northern  tributary  of  the  Zambesi,  there 
is  a  rather  curious  tribe  called  the  Manganja.  The  country  which  they  inhabit  is  well  and 
My  watered,  abounding  in  clear  and  cool  streams,  which  do  not  dry  up  even  in  the  dry 
season.  Pasturage  is  consequently  abundant,  and  yet  the  people  do  not  trouble  them- 
selves about  cattle,  allowing  to  lie  unused  tracts  of  land  which  would  feed  vast  herds  of 
oxen,  not  to  mention  sheep  and  goats. 

Their  mode  of  government  is  mther  curious,  and  yet  simple.  The  country  is  divided 
into  a  number  of  districts,  the  head  of  which  goes  by  the  title  of  Rundo.  A  great  number 
of  villages  are  under  the  command  of  each  Rundo,  though  each  of  the  divisions  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  others,  and  they  do  not  acknowledge  one  common  "chief  or  king.  The 
chieftainship  is  not  restricted  to  the  male  sex,  as  in  one  of  the  districts  a  woman  named 
Nyango  was  the  Rundo,  and  exercised  her  authority  judiciously,  by  improving  the  social 
status  of  the  women  throughout  her  dominions.  An  animal  tribute  is  paid  to  the  Rundo 
by  each  village,  mostly  consisting  of  one  tusk  of  each  elephant  killed,  and  he  in  return 
is  bound  to  assist  and  protegt  them  should  they  be  threatened  or  attacked. 

The  Manganjas  are  an  industrious  race,  being  good  workers  in  metal,  especially  iron, 
growing  cotton,  making  baskets,  and  cultivating  the  ground,  in  which  occupRtion  both 
sexes  equally  share ;  and  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  to  see  men,  women,  and  children  all  at 
work  together  in  the  fields,  with  perhaps  the  baby  lying  asleep  in  the  shadow  of  a  bush. 

They  clear  the  forest  ground  exactly  as  is  done  in  America,  cutting  down  the  trees 
with  their  axes,  piling  up  the  branches  and  trunks  in  heaps,  burning  them,  and  scattering 


m 


THE  MANGANJA  TBIBK 


m 


&....  i-. 


the  ashes  over  the  ground  by  way  of  manure.  The  stumps  are  left  to  rot  in  the  grouJ 
and  the  com  is  sown  among  them.  Grass-land  is  cleared  in  a  different  manner.  T]J 
grass  in  that  country  is  enormously  thick  and  long.  The  cultivator  gathers  a  buudle  int] 
his  hands,  twists  the  ends  together,  and  ties  them  ii^  a  knot  He  then  cuts  the  roots  witM 
his  adze-like  hoe,  so  as  to  leave  the  bunch  of  grass  still  standing,  like  a  sheaf  of  whead 
When  a  field  has  been  entirely  cut,  it  looks  to  a  stranger  as  if  it  were  in  harvest,  M 
bundles  of  grass  standing  at  intervals  like  the  grain  shocks.  Just  before  the  rainy  seasol 
comes  on  the  bundles  are  fired,  the  ashes  are  roughly  dug  into  the  soil,  and  an  abundanl 
harvest  is  the  result  | 

The  cotton  is  prepared  after  a  very  simple  and  slow  fashio^,  the  fibre  being  picked  bJ 
hand,  drawn  out  into  a  "  roving,"  partially  twisted,  and  then  rolled  up  into  a  ball.  It  »■ 
the  opinion  of  those  who  have  had  practical  experience  of  this  cotton,  that,  if  the  natives! 
could  be  induced  to  plant  and  dress  it  in  large  quantities,  an  enormous  market  might  lei 
found  for  it.  The  "  staple,"  or  fibre,  of  this  cotton  is  not  so  long  as  that  which  comesl 
from  America,  and  has  a  harsh,  woolly  feeling  in  the  hand.  But,  as  it  is  very  strong,  audi 
the  fabrics  made  from  it  are  very  durable,  the  natives  prefer  it  to  the  foreign  plant,! 
Almost  every  Manganja  family  of  importance  has  its  own  little  cotton  patch,  from  half! 
an  acre  to  an  acre  in  size,  which  is  kept  carefulljr  tended,  and  free  from  weeds.  I 

The  loom  in  which  they  weave  their  simple  cloth  is  very  rude,  and  is  one  of  the  I 
primitive  forms  of  a  weaver's  apparatus.   It  is  placed  horizontally,  and  not  vertically,  and 
the  weaver  has  to  squat  on  the  ground  when  engaged  in  his  work.    The  shuttle  is  a  mere  I 
stick,  with  the  thread  wound  spirally  round  it,  and,  when  it  is  passed  between  the  crossed 
threads  of  the  warp,  the  warp  is  beaten  into  its  place  with  a  flat  stick. 

They  are  a  hospitable  people,  and  have  a  well-understood  code  of  ceremony  in  the 
reception  of  strangers.  In  each  village  there  is  a  spot  called  the  Boala,  ie.  a  space  of 
about  thirty  or  forty  yards  diameter,  which  is  sheltered  by  baobab,  or  other  spreading 
trees,  and  which  is  always  kept  neat  and  clean.  This  is  chiefly  used  as  a  place  where 
the  basket-makers  and  others  who  are  engaged  in  sedentary  occupations  cau  work  in 
company,  end  also  serves  as  a  meeting-place  in  evenings,  where  they  sing,  dance,  smoke, 
and  drink  beer  after  the  toils  of  the  day. 

As  soon  as  a  stranger  enters  a  village,  he  is  conducted  to  the  Boala,  where  he  takes 
his  seat  on  the  mats  that  are  spread  for  him,  and  awaits  the  coming  of  the  chief  man  of  I 
the  village.  As  soon  as  he  makes  his  appearance,  his  people  welcome  him  by  clapping 
their  hands  in  unison,  and  continue  this  salutation  until  he  has  taken  hjs  seat,  accompanied 
by  his  councillors.  "  Our  guides,"  writes  Livingstone,  "  then  sit  down  in  front  of  the 
chief  and  his  councillors,  and  ooth  parties  lean  forward,  looking  earnestly  at  each  other. 
The  chief  repeats  a  word,  such  as  '  Ambuiata '  (our  father,  or  master),  or  '  Moio '  (life), 
and  all  clap  their  hands.  Another  word  is  followed  by  two  claps,  a  third  by  still  more 
clapping,  when  each  touches  the  ground  with  both  hands  placed  together.  Then  all  rise, 
and  lean  forward  with  measured  clap,  and  sit  down  again  with  clap,  clap,  clap,  fainter 
and  still  fainter,  until  the  last  dies  away,  or  is  brought  to  an  end,  by  a  smart  loud  clap 
from  the  chief.    They  keep  perfect  time  in  this  species  of  court  etiquette." 

This  curious  salutation  is  valued  very  highly,  and  the  people  are  carefully  instructed  in 
it  from  childhood.  The  chief  guide  of  the  stranger  party  then  addresses  the  chief,  and 
tells  him  about  his  visitors — who  they  are,  why  they  have  come,  &c. ;  and  mostly  does  so  in 
a  kind  of  blank  verse — the  power  of  improvising  a  poetical  narrative  being  valued  as 
highly  as  the  court  salutations,  and  sedulously  cultivated  by  all  of  any  pretensions  to 
station.  It  is  rather  amusing  at  first  to  the  traveller  to  find  that,  if  he  should  happen  to 
inquire  his  way  at  a  hut,  his  own  guide  addresses  the  owner  of  the  hut  in  blank  verse, 
and  is  an.swered  in  the  same  fashion. 

The  dress  of  this  tribe  is  rather  peculiar,  the  head  being  the  chief  part  of  the  person 
which  is  decorated.  Some  of  the  men  save  themselves  the  trouble  of  dressing  their  hair 
by  shaving  it  off  entirely,  but  a  greater  number  take  a  pride  in  decorating  it  in  various 
waya  The  head-dress  which  seems  to  be  most  admired  is  that  in  which  the  hair  is 
trained  to  resemble  the  horns  of  the  buffalo.  This  is  done  by  taking  two  pieces  of  hide 
while  they  are  wet  and  pliable,  and  bending  them  into  the  required  shape.    When  the  two 


■U^' 


THE  "PELELE.' 


S95 


Ivims  are  dry  and  hard,  tHey  are  fastened  on  the  head,  and  the  hair  is  trained  over  thein, 
L]  fixed  in  its  place  by  grease  and  clay.  Sometimes  only  one  horn  is  used,  which  pro- 
Ijects  immediately  over  the  forehead;  but  the  double  horn  is  the  form  which  is  most 
IpTogue. 

Others  divide  their  hair  into  numerous  tufts,  and  separate  them  by  winding  round  each 
.i  a  thin  bandage,  made  of  the  inner  bark  of  a  tree,  so  that  they  radiate  from  the  head  in 
1^  directions,  and  produce  an  efl'ect  which  is  much  valued  by  this  simple  race.  Some 
liltaT  the  hair  together  towards  the  back  of  the  head,  and  train  it  so  as  to  hang  down 
Itheir  backs  in  a  shape  closely  resembling  the  pigtail  which  was  so  fashionable  an  orna- 
lineDt  of  the  British  sailor  in  Nelson's  time.  Others,  again,  allow  the  hair  to  grow  much 
L  nature  formed  it,  but  train  it  to  grow  in  heavy  masses  all  round  their  heads. 
I  The  women  are  equally  fastidious  with  the  men,  but  havd  in  addition  a  most 
iBiigalar  ornament  called  the  "  pelele." 

This  is  a  ring  that  is  not  fixed  into  the  ear  or  nose,  but  into  the  upper  lip,  and  gives  to 
J  wearer  an  appearance  that  is  most  repulsive  to  an  European.    The  pelele  is  a  ring 
Iffiide  of  ivory,  metal,  or  bamboo,  nearly  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  variable  in  diameter, 


-■  m 


PELELB.  OB  LIF-RIUO. 


sometimes  measuring  two  inches  across.  When  the  girl  is  very  young,  the  upper  lip  is 
pierced  close  to  the  nose,  and  a  small  pin  inserted  to  prevent  the  orifice  from  closing. 
vVhen  the  wound  is  healed,  the  small  pin  is  withdrawn,  and  a  larger  one  introduced ;, 
and  this  plan  is  carried  on  for  years,  until  at  last  the  full-sized  "  pelele  "  can  be  worn. 

'  The  commonest  sort  of  pelele  is  made  of  bamboo,  and  is  in  consequence  very  light.. 
When  a  wearer  of  this  pelele  smiles,  or  rather  tries  to  smile,  the  contraction  of  the  muscles 
turns  the  ring  upwards,  so  that  its  upper  edge  comes  in  front  of  the  eyes,  the  nose  appear- 

I  in»  through  its  middle.  The  whole  front  teeth  are  exposed  by  this  motion,  so  as  to 
exhibit  the  fashionable  way  in  which  the  teeth  have  been  chipped,  so  that,  as  Livingstone- 

I  says,  they  resemble  the  fangs  of  a  cat  or  a  crocodile.    One  old  lady,  named  Chikandas 
Kadze,  had  a  pelele  so  wide  and  heavy  that  it  hung  below  her  cliin.    But  then  she  was. 
a  cliief,  and  could  consequently  afford  to  possess  so  valuable  an  ornament. 
The  use  of  the  pelele  quite  alters  the  natural  shape  of  the  jaws.    In  the  natural  state 


896 


THE  MANOANJA  TRIBR 


m  I 


the  teeth  of  the  upper  jaw  are  set  in  an  outward  curve,  but  in  a  wearer  of  the  pelele  thJ 
constant,  though  slij^ht,  pressure  of  the  ring  first  diminishes  the  curve,  then  £tteng  m 
and,  lastly,  reverses  it  Livingstone  suggests  that  a  similar  application  of  gradual  pressu 
should  be  applied  to  peraous  whose  teeth  project  forwards,  nut  knowing  that  such  a  pli 
has  long  been  practised  by  dentists. 

Huw  this  frightful  ornament  came  to  be  first  introduced  is  unknown.  Tlie  TeasoiL 
which  they  give  for  wearing  it  are  rather  amusing.  A  man,  say  they,  lias  whiskers  andL 
beard,  whereas  a  woman  has  none.  "  What  kind  of  a  creature  would  a  woman  bo,  withoud 
whiskers  and  without  the  pelele  ?  She  would  have  a  mouth  like  a  man,  and  no  Ward  IT 
As  a  natural  result  of  wearing  this  instrument,  the  language  has  undergone  a  modificatioal 
as  well  as  the  lips.  The  labial  letters  cannot  be  pronounced  properly,  the  under  lipl 
having  the  whole  duty  thrown  upon  them.  I 

In  dififerent  parts  of  the  country  the  pelele  takes  different  sliapes.  The  moRt  valQedl 
pelele  is  a  piece  of  pure  tin  hammered  into  a  dish-like  shape.  Some  are  made  of  al 
tH  kind  of  pipeclay,  and  others  of  a  white  quaiiz.  These  latter  ornaments  are  general 
cylindrical  in  form,  so  that,  as  has  been  well  observed,  the  wearer  looks  as  if  she  had  aai 
inch  or  so  of  wax-candle  thrust  through  the  lips,  and  projecting  beyond  the  nose.  Soniel 
of  them  are  so  determined  to  be  fashionable  that  they  do  not  content  themselves  with  al 
pelele  in  the  upper  lip,  but  also  wear  one  in  the  lower,  the  effect  upon  the  expression  ofl 
countenance  being  better  imagined  than  described.  I 

The  pelele  is  seen  to  the  greatest  advantage  in  the  lake  district,  where  every  womanl 
wears  it,  and  where  it  takes  the  greatest  variety  of  form.    Along  the  river  it  is  not 
universally  worn,  and  the  form  is  almost  always  that  of  the  ring  or  dish. 

In  this  part  of  the  country  the  sub-tribes  are  distinguished  by  certain  marks  whei^l 
with  they  tattoo  themselves,  and  thereby  succeed  in  still  farther  distiguring  countenances  I 
which,  if  allowed  to  rentain  untouched,  would  be  agreeable  enough.    Some  of  them  have 
a  fashion  of  pricking  holes  all  over  their  faces,  and  treating  tlie  wounds  in  such  a  way  that^  I 
when  they  heal,  the  skin  is  raised  in  little  knobs,  so  that  the  face  looks  as  if  it  werol 
covered  with  warts.     Add  to  this  fa  ,hion  the  pelele,  and  the  reader  may  form  an  opinion 
of  the  beauty  of  a  fashionable  wom.an.    If  the  object  of  fashion  be  to  conceal  age,  this 
must  be  a  most  successful  fashion,  as  it  entirely  destroys  the  lines  of  the  countenance,  and 
hardens  and  distorts  the  features  to  such  un  extent,  that  it  is  ditiicult  to  judge  by  the 
iace  whether  the  owner  be  sixteen  or  sixty. 

One  of  the  women  had  her  body  most  curiously  adorned  by  tattooing,  and,  indeed, 
was  a  remarkable  specimen  of  Manganja  fashion.  - 

She  had  shaved  all  her  head,  and  supplied  the  want  of  hair  by  a  feather  tuft  over  her  I 
forehead,  tied  on  by  a  band.  From  a  point  on  the  top  of  her  forehead  ran  lines  radiating 
over  the  cheeks  as  far  as  the  ear,  looking  something  like  the  marks  on  a  New  Zealander's 
face.  This  radiating  principle  was  carried  out  all  over  her  body.  A  similar  point  was 
marked  on  each  shoulder  blade,  from  which  the  lines  radiated  down  the  back  and  over 
the  shoulders ;  and  on  the  lower  part  of  the  spine  and  on  each  ann  were  other  patterns  of 
a  similar  nature. 

She  of  course  wore  the  pelele ;  but  she  seemed  ashamed  of  it,  probably  because  she 
was  a  travelled  woman,  and  had  seen  white  men  before.  So  when  she  wat  about  to 
speak  to  tiicm,  she  retired  to  her  hut,  removed  the  pelele,  and,  while  speaking,  held 
her  hand  before  her  mouth,  so  as  to  conceal  the  ugly  aperture  in  her  lip. 

Cleanliness  seems  to  be  unsuitable  to  the  Manganja  constitution.  They  could  not 
in  the  Last  understand  why  travellers  should  wash  themselves,  and  seemed  to  be  per- 
sonally ignorant  of  the  process.  One  very  old  man,  however,  said  ♦^uL  he  did  remember 
•once  to  have  washed  himself;  but  that  it  was  so  long  ago  that  m,  had  quite  forgotten 
how  he  felt 

A  very  amusing  use  was  once  made  of  this  antipathy  to  cold  water.  One  of  the 
Manganjas  took  a  fancy  to  attach  himself  to  the  expedition,  and  nothing  could  drive  him 
awsy.  He  insisted  on  accompanying  them,  and  annoyed  jhem  greatly  by  proclaiming  in 
every  village  to  which  they  came,  "  These  people  have  wandered ;  they  do  not  know 
where  they  are  going."    He  was  driven  off  repeatedly ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  march  was 


CHANGING  NAMES. 


897 


Mgumed,  there  he  was,  with  his  little  bag  over  his  shoulder,  ready  to  proclaim  the  wan- 
dering propensities  of  the  strangers,  as  usual.  At  last  a  happy  idea  struck  them.  They 
threatened  to  take  him  down  to  the  river  and  wash  him ;  whereupon  he  made  off  in  a 
^ht,  and  never  made  his  appearance  again. 

Periiaps  in  consequence  of  this  uncleanliness,  skin  diseases  are  rife  among  the  Man^ 
utQjas,  aud  appear  to  be  equally  contagious  and  durable ;  many  persons  having  white 
blotches  over  their  bodies,  and  many  others  being  afflicted  with  a  sort  of  leprosy,  which, 
however,  does  not  seem  to  trouble  them  particularly.  Even  the  fowls  are  liable  to  a 
gimilar  disease,  and  have  their  feet  deformed  by  a  thickening  of  the  skin. 

Sobriety  seems  as  rare  with  the  Mangunjas  as  cleanliness ;  for  they  are  notable  topers, 
and  actually  contrive  to  intoxicate  themselves  on  their  native  beer,  a  liquid  of  so  exceed- 
iarly  mild  a  character  that  nothing  but  strong  determination  and  a  capability  of  con- 
tnmin'T  vast  quantities  of  liquid  would  produce  the  desired  efiect  The  beer  is  totally 
a3like°our  K  iglish  drink.  In  the  lirst  place,  it  is  quite  thick  and  opaque,  and  looks 
much  like  gruel  of  a  pinkish  hue.  It  is  made  by  pounding  the  vegetating  grain,  mixing 
it  with  witer,  boiling  it,  and  allowing  it  to  ferment.  When  it  is  about  two  days  old,  it  is 
pleasant  enoagh,  having  a  slightly  sweetish-acid  flavour,  which  has  the  property  of  imme- 
diately quenching  thirst,  and  is  therefore  most  valuable  to  the  traveller,  for  whose  refresh- 
mant  the  hospitable  people  generally  produce  it. 

As  to  themselve-i,  there  is  some  excuse  for  their  intemperate  habits.  They  do  not 
po33e33  hops,  or  aay  other  substance  that  will  preserve  the  beer,  and  in  consequence  they 
are  oblige!  to  consume  the  whole  brewing  within  a  day  or  two.  When,  therefore,  a  chief 
has  a  great  brew  of  beer,  the  people  assemble,  and  by  day  and  night  they  continue 
drinking,  druminin »,  dancing,  and  feasting,  until  the  whole  of  the  beer  is  gone. 

Yet,  probably  on  account  of  the  nourishing  qualities  of  the  beer — which  is,  in  fact, 
little  more  than  very  thin  porridge, — the  excessive  drinking  does  not  seem  to  have  any 
injurioui  effect  on  the  people,  many  being  seen  who  were  evidently  very  old,  and  yet  who 
had  b33n  ascustomad  to  drink  beer  in  the  usual  quantities. 

Thj  woman  seem  to  appreciate  the  beer  as  well  as  the  men,  though  they  do  not 
appear  to  be  so  liable  to  intoxication.  Perhaps  the  reason  for  this  comparative  tem- 
perance is,  that  their  husbands  do  not  give  them  enough  of  it.  In  their  dispositions  they 
seem  to  be  lively  and  agreeable,  and  have  a  peculiarly  merry  laugh,  which  seems  to 
from  the  heart,  and  is  not  in  the  least  like  the  senseless  laugh  of  the  Western 


nm 


negro. 


In  this  part  of  the  country,  not  only  among  the  Manganjas,  but  in  other  tribes,  the 
custom  of  chingiug  names  is  prevalent,  and  sometimes  leads  to  odd  results.  One  day  a 
head-man  named  Sininyane  was  called  as  usual,  but  made  no  answer ;  nor  did  a  third  and 
fourth  call  produce  any  effect.  At  last  one  of  his  men  replied  that  he  was  no  longer 
Sininyane,  but  Moshoshama,  and  to  that  nnme  he  at  once  responded.  It  then  turned  out 
that  he  had  exchanged  names  with  a  Zulu.  The  object  of  the  exchange  is,  that  the  two 
persons  are  thenceforth  bound  to  consider  each  other  as  comrades,  and  to  give  assistance 
in  every  way.  Jf,  for  example,  Sininyane  had  happened  to  travel  into  the  coimtry  where 
Moshoshama  lived,  the  latter  was  bound  to  receive  him  into  his  house,  and  treat  him  like 
a  brother. 

They  seem  to  be  an  intelligent  race,  and  to  appreciate  the  notion  of  a  Creator,  and  of 
the  immortality  of  the  soul ;  but,  like  most  African  races,  they  cannot  believe  that  the 
white  and  the  black  races  have  anything  in  common,  or  that  the  religion  of  the  former 
can  suit  the  latter.  They  are  very  ready  to  admit  that  Christianity  is  an  admirable 
religion  for  white  men,  but  will  by  no  means  be  persuaded  that  it  would  be  equally  good 
for  themselves. 

They  have  a  hazy  sort  of  idea  of  their  Creator,  the  invisible  head-chief  of  the  spints, 
and  ground  their  belief  on  the  immortality  of  the  soul  on  the  fact  that  their  departed 
relatives  come  and  speak  to  them  in  their  dreams.  They  have  the  same  idea  of  the 
muave  poison  that  has  already  been  mentioned ;  and  so  strong  is  their  belief  in  its 
efficacy  that,  in  a  dispute,  one  man  will  challenge  the  other  to  drink  muave ;  and  even 
the  cluefis  themselves  will  often  offer  to  test  its  discriminating  poweia 


v> 


fl    f 


THE  MANOANJA  TRIBR 

When  a  Maoganja  dies,  a  great  wailing  is  kept  up  in  his  house  for  two  days '  hii 
tools  and  weapons  are  broken,  together  with  the  cooking  vessels.  All  iood  in  the  hoiue  i 
taken  out  and  destroyed ;  and  even  the  beer  is  poured  on  the  f  arth. 


our 


The  burial  grounds  seem  to  be  carefully  cherished — as  cai-efullv,  indeed,  as  many 
churchyards  in  En^^laud.  The  graves  are  all  aiTanged  north  and  south,  and  the  sexetl 
of  the  dead  are  marked  by  the  implement  laid  on  the  grave.  These  implements  are! 
always  broken ;  partly,  perhaps,  to  signify  that  they  can  be  used  no  more,  and  partjvf 
to  save  them  from  be|ng  stolen.  Thus  a  broken  mortar  and  pestle  for  poundiiie  corn 
t«)gether  with  the  fragments  of  a  sieve,  tell  that  there  lies  below  a  woman  who  oncel 
had  used  them;  whilst  a  piece  of  a  net  and  a  shattered  paddle  are  emblems  of  the  I 
fisherman's  trade,  and  tell  that  a  fislierman  is  interred  below.  Broken  calabashes,  gourds  I 
and  other  vessels,  are  laid  on  almost  every  grave ;  and  in  some  instances  a  banaua  is  I 
planted  at  the  head.  I 

The  relatives  wear  a  kind  of  mourning,  consisting  of  narrow  strips  of  palm-leafl 
wound  round  their  heads,  necks,  anns,  legs,  and  breasts,  and  allowed  to  remain  there  until  f 
they  drop  ofl'  by  decay. 


M  .tf' 
mi  i-i' 


AFniCAM  RATIhK—iFnmmyeoUtction.) 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


THE  BANYAI  AND  BADEBIA  TRIBES. 


!-'*li'IJ 


ATPKABANOII  OT  THH  BANTAI  TBIBK— OOVKBNMBNT  AND  LAW  OV  BTCCBSSION — DISCIPLnn 
OP  SOUTH— HABBIAOB  CUSTOMS — ^HUNTING — TBB  HU>POPOTAMUB-TBAP — A  MAN^BOVS  SWAMP — 
lUPACITY  OF  THB  BAMYAI  OHIBF  —  BAMYAI  AXB8,  AND  MODB  OF  MAUMO  THBM  —  BLEPHANT 
KUNTINO— B0LDNBB8  OF  THB  MBN — BUPBBBTTnOira  OF  TRB  BAITTAI — IDEA  ABOtJT  THB  BYJBNA 
^THR  "  TABOO  " — CCBIOUS  BBEHIVB8— >THB  BADBMA  TBIBB — FIBHINO  AND  HUNTING  WITH  NKTS 
—CONCIALBBNT   OF   PBOPBBTY. 

Idn  the  south  ':ank  of  the  Zambesi,  somewhere  about  lat  16°  S.  and  long.  30°  K,  thero 
I  a  tribe  called  the  Banyai,  who  inhabit  a  tract  of  country  called  Shidima  The  Banyai 
a  remarkably  fine  race  of  men,  being  tall,  well  made,  and  agile,  and  are  moreover 

leiy  fair,  being  oi  that  cafi  au  lait  colour  which  is  so  fashionable  in  many  parts  of  AAica. 
9  some  of  their  customs  are  unlike  those  of  other  tribes,  a  short  mention  will  be  made 

|if  them. 

Their  appearance  is  rather  pleasing,  and  they  have  a  curious  fashion  of  dressing  their 

lair,  which  much  resembles  that  which  was  in  use  among  the  ancient  Egyptians.    The 

ishionable  Banyai  youth  first  divides  his  hair  into  small  tufts,  and  draws  them  out  as 

ras  he  can,  encircliiig  each  tuft  with  a  spiral  bandage  of  vegetable  tissue.    The  various 

nfts  are  then  dyed  red,  and  as  they  are  sometimes  a  foot  in  length,  and  hang  upon  the 

Jhoi  .ars,  they  present  a  very  remarkable  aspect     When  the  Banyai  travel,  they  are 
sirful  of  damaging  their  elaborate  head-dress,  and  so  they  gather  it  up  in  a  bundle,  and 

|ie  it  on  the  top  of  the  head. 

Their  government  is  equally  simple  and  sensible.  They  choose  their  own  chief, 
^though  they  always  keep  to  the  same  family.  "When  a  chief  dies,  his  people  consult 
[ether  as  to  his  successor.  His  immediate  descendants  are  never  selected,  and,  if 
e,  one  of  his  brothers,  or  a  nephew,  is  chosen.  If  they  cannot  find  a  qualified 
lerson  at  home,  they  go  further  afield,  and  look  out  for  those  relatives  who  have  mingled 

Jfith  other  tribes,  thus  bringing  a  new  population  into  their  own  tribe.    Traders  from 

per  tribes  are  always  very  cautious  about  visiting  the  Banyai  during  the  interregnum, 

!  the  people  think  that  while  there  is  no  chief  there  is  no  law,  and  will  in  consequence 

nb  without  compunction  those  whom  they  would  never  venture  to  touch  as  long  as  the 

'lief  was  living. 

When  the  future  chief  is  chosen,  the  electors  go  to  him  and  tell  him  of  their  choice. 

It  is  then  thought  manners  for  him  to  assume  a  nolo  episcopari  air,  to  modestly  deprecate 

jiis  own  character,  and  to  remonstrate  with  the  deputation  for  having  elected  a  person  so 
aworthy  to  fill  the  place  of  his  revered  predecessor,  who  possessed  all  the  virtues  and 

Jone  of  the  weaknesses  of  humanity.  In  fact,  the  speech  of  the  Banyai  king-elect  would 
nswer  excellently  for  newly-elected  dignitaries  of  our  own  country,  who  make  exactly 
he  same  kind  of  oration,  and  would  be  equally  offended  were  they  to  be  taken  at  t^eir 

kori 


"1, 


.   1i  j 


400 


THE  BANYAI  TRIBE. 


!  f  -  ! 


I 
I 


Of  course  the  new  chief,  after  his  deprecatory  speech,  assumes  the  vacant  .,„ 
together  with  all  the  property,  including  the  wives  and  children,  of  his  predecessor" 
takes  very  good  care  to  keep  the  latter  in  subservience.  Sometimes  one  of  the  bod 
thinks  that  he  ought  to  he  a  man,  and  set  up  for  a  kind  of  chief  himself,  and  accordintl 
secedes  from  the  paternal  roof,  gathers  round  liim  as  many  youths  as  he  can  persuade/ 
accompany  him,  and  becomes  a  petty  chief  accordingly.  The  principal  chief,  howevJ 
has  no  idea  of  allowing  an  imperium  in  imperio  in  his  dominions,  and  when  the  you 
chieftain  has  built  hia  village  and  fairly  settled  down,  he  sends  a  body  of  his  o^ 
soldiery  to  offer  his  congratulations.  If  the  young  chieftain  receives  them  with  clopnim 
of  hands  and  humble  obeisance,  all  is  well,  as  the  supremo  authority  of  the  chief  j 
thereby  acknowledged.  If  not,  they  burn  down  all  the  village,  and  so  tench  by  verj 
intelligible  language  that  before  a  youth  dares  to  be  a  chieftain  he  had  better  perform  i 
duties  which  a  vassal  owes  to  his  sovereign. 

There  is  a  system  among  the  Banyai  which  has  a  singular  resemblance  to  the  instrucl 
tion  of  pages  m  the  days  of  chivalry.  When  a  man  attains  to  eminence,  he  catliea 
around  him  a  band  of  young  boys,  who  are  placed  by  their  parents  under  his  charge,  an] 
who  are  taught  to  become  accomplished  gentlemen  after  Banyai  ideas.  While  tliey  aJ 
yet  in  the  condition  of  pagehood,  they  are  kept  under  strict  discipline,  and  obliged  to  bl 
humble  and  punctilious  towards  their  superiors,  whom  they  recognise  with  tho  hand] 
clapping  which  is  the  salute  common  throughout  Central  Africa.  At  meal  times  thej 
are  not  allowed  to  help  themselves,  but  are  obliged  to  wait  patiently  until  the  food  i 
divided  for  them  by  one  of  the  men.  They  are  also  instructed  in  ^:}ie  Banyai  law ;  ani 
when  they  return  to  their  parents,  a  case  is  submitted  to  them,  and  the  progress  whicU 
they  have  made  is  ascertained  by  their  answers.  To  their  teachers  thty  are  exceedingljl 
useful  They  are  all  sons  of  free  men  who  are  tolerably  well  off,  and  who  send  servi.nt4 
to  accompany  their  sons,  and  to  till  the  ground  for  their  maintenance.  They  also 
ivory  to  the  teacher,  with  which  he  purchases  clothing  for  the  young  scholars. 

This  custom  shows  that  a  certain  amount  of  culture  has  been  attained  by  the  BanytiJ 
and  the  social  condition  of  their  women  is  a  still  stronger  proof.  In  most  parts  of  savaii 
Africa  the  woman  is  little  more  than  a  beast  of  burden,  and  has  no  more  to  do  witU 
the  management  of  affairs  or  with  her  husband's  counsels  than  the  cows  lor  which  1 
has  bought  her.  In  Banyai  land,  however,  the  wome:  ^.lave  not  only  their  full  share  oi 
power,  but  rather  more  than  their  share,  the  husbands  neve"*  venturing  to  undei-take  m 
business  or  to  conduct  any  bargain  without  the  consent  of  their  wives.  The  women  evenl 
act  as  traders,  visiting  other  towns  with  merchemdise,  and  acting  fairly  towards  both  tb 
purchaser  and  themselves. 

Their  marriages  are  conducted  in  a  manner  which  shows  that  the  wife  is  quite  tjiej 
equal  of  her  husband.  In  most  parts  of  Southern  Africa  a  wife  is  bought  for  a  stipulatt 
number  of  cows,  and  as  soon  as  the  bargain  is  concluded,  and  the  girl  handed  over  to  thel 
purchaser,  she  becomes  his  property,  and  is  treated  as  such.  But,  among  the  Banyai,  thel 
young  bridegroom  does  not  take  his  wife  to  his  hut ;  he  goes  to  the  house  of  her  parenta,! 
Here  he  is  quite  the  inferior,  and  is  the  special  servant  of  his  mother-in-law,  cutting  wood! 
for  her  use,  and  being  very  respectful  in  demeanour.  Should  he  not  like  this  kind  of  j 
life,  and  be  desirous  of  leaving  it,  he  may  do  so  whenever  he  likes ;  but  he  has  tol 
relinquish  wife  and  children,  unless  he  can  pay  the  parents  of  the  wife  a  8uf!icient  sutnl 
to  compensate  them  for  their  loss.  Nevertheless,  this  is  the  principle  on  which  thel 
custom  of  buying  wives  is  founded :  but  there  are  few  places  where  the  theory  is  reduced! 
to  practice.  I 

Among  the  Banyai,  as  among  many  of  the  tribes  along  the  river,  the  flesh  of  thel 
hippopotamus  is  much  eaten,  and  the  capture  of  the  animal  is  consequently  a  matter  otl 
importance.  They  no  not  care  for  boldly  chasing  the  hippopotamus,  as  do  the  tribesl 
which  have  already  been  mentioned,  but  they  prefer  to  resort  to  the  pit-fall  and  the  drop- 1 
trap.  The  pit-falls  are  always  dug  in  places  where  the  animal  is  likely  to  tread ;  and  thel 
pits  are  not  only  numerous,  but  generally  placed  in  pairs  close  to  each  other.  On  one| 
occasion  a  white  traveller  happened  to  fall  into  one  of  these  pits,  and  after  he 
lecovered  from  the  shock  of  finding  himself  suddenly  deprived  of  the  light  of  i' 


lil 


TRAPPING  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS.  Wi 

liBcIoMd  in  a  deep  hole,  he  set  to  work,  and  after  many  hours'  labnn  managed  t  fVoe 
Ibuelf  from  his  unpleasant  position.  But  no  sooner  had  he  fairly  i  out  of  t  pit 
J  he  unfortunately  stepped  upon  its  companion,  and  fell  into  it  jxist  as  he  had  i^leu 
J  the  other. 

The  most  ingenious  mode  of  capturing  the  animal  is  by  means  of  the  drop-trap. 
For  this  purpose  the  native  cuts  a  ratlier  long  and  heavy  log  of  wood,  and,  in  order 
)iDake  it  still  heavier,  a  couple  of  large  stones  are  tied  to  it  near  one  end,  or  a  quantity 
[  clay  is  kneaded  round  it    At  the  loaded  end  a  hole  is  made,  into  which  is  set  a  spear- 
sometimes  that  of  a  large 
but  mostly  a  sort  of  har- 
m  like  that  which  has  been 
icribed  on  page  379.    A  rope 
I  is  then  fastened  to  the  other 
,  and  the  weapon  is  ready. 
The  hunter  now  goes  to  a  hip- 
otamus  track,  and  looks  out  for 
I  branch  that  overhangs  it.  Gene- 
he  can  find  a  branch  that 
suit  his  purpose ;  but  if  not, 
rigs  up  a  sort  of  gallows  on 
fhich  he  can  suspend  iihe  armed 
When  he  has  found  a  con- 
IrroieDt  branch,  he  takes  a  long 
npe,  one  end  of  which  is  fastened 
)  a  stick,  places  the  stick  across 
jhe  branch,  and  hangs  the  loop 
|of  the  harpoon  upon  the  other  end. 
next  passes  the  cord  round  a 
;  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  about 
en  inches  or  so  from  the 
'ound,  draws  it  across  the  path, 
ad  then  makes  it  fast. 
The  accompanying  illustration 
'  explain  how  the  whole  busi- 
I  is  managed.    The  tree  on 
ihich  the  weapon  is  suspended 
the  mangrove,  a  tree  utterly 
tnlike  any  of  those  which  we 
Ihave  in  this  land.    The  extraordi- 
Inary  vitality  of  this  tree  is  well 
lnhowm  by  the  sketch,  which  was 
\muk  by  Mr.  Baines.     The  trunk 
■  I  been  broken  off,  but  the  upper, 
Ipart  has  fallen   against  another 
Itree  and  been  supported  by  it. 
lit  has  then  thrown  out  a  number 
Jof  roots,  which  have  descended  to 
Ithe  moist  ground,  and  give  the 
Itree  a  new  support  of  its  own.     In  such  a  case,  the  branches  that  tend  downwards  wither 
jaway  and  die,  those  that  tend  upwards  increase  rapidly,  while  those  that  project  sideways 
jtake  a  turn,  and  then  curve  themselves  upwards.    Examples  of  '•■Aese  branches  may  be 
|8een  in  the  sketch. 

.    '^^^  mangrove  is  a  self-sowing  tree,  and  performs  this  act  in  a  very  curious  manner. 

jThe  seeds  are  very  long,  and  furnished  at  the  end  with  a  hard,  pointed  tip.    As  soon  as 

ll  k^  ^^'  *^®  '^^^^  foils,  burying  the  pointed  tip  several  inches  into  the  soft  swampy  soil, 

"hlch  mangroves  love,  and  there  remains.      The  object  of  this  curious  provision  of 

VOL.L  DD 


4 


H1PPOPOTAMU8TKAP. 


• 

"  ,1.^ 

1 

1 

'V    y. 

^*, 

*          1. 

'     \  >.  V : 

t 

i   .;  ( 

t,  ".' : 

'b' 

■A    'A 

?j;.i 

4M 


THE  BANYAI  TRIBK 


u   ;• 


f.  .;j  ■ 


i  ^f" 


Nature  is,  that  the  seed  shall  not  be  washed  away  by  the  periodical  floods  which  inundate 
the  country. 

In  such  a  soil  there  is  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  path  of  the  hippopotamus,  for  the 
heavy  and  clumsy  animal  leaves  a  track  which  could  be  followed  in  the  darkest  nicht 
Owinc  to  the  great  width  of  its  body,  the  feet  of  the  opposite  sides  are  set  rather  wii!->r  apart 
than  18  the  case  with  lishter  animals,  so  that  when  the  hippopotamus  walks  through  grass 
it  makes  a  distinct  double  path,  with  a  ridge  of  grass  in  the  middle.  When  it  walks  on 
the  soft  muddy  soil  of  the  river  bank,  the  animal  makes  a  most  curious  track,  the  feet 
sinking  deeply  into  the  earth,  and  forming  a  sort  of  double  rut  studded  with  holes  at  the 
distance  of  an  inch  or  two  from  each  other,  a  ridge  some  two  inches  in  width  dividini; 
the  ruts. 

There  is  no  path  so  trying  to  a  traveller  as  a  hippopotamus  track.  In  that  part  of  the 
country  it  is  necessary  to  wtuk  barefoot,  or,  at  all  events,  to  use  nothing  more  than  the 
native  sandals.  If  the  traveller  tries  to  walk  on  the  central  ridge,  he  finds  that  the 
exertion  of  keeping  the  balance  is  almost  equivalent  to  walking  on  a  tight-rope  or  a 
Bomean  "  batang,"  and  that  the  pressure  on  the  middle  of  the  foot  soon  becomes  too 
painful  to  be  borne.  If  he  tries  to  walk  in  the  ruts,  he  is  no  better  off,  for  his  feet  sink 
deeply  into  the  holes  punched  by  the  limbs  of  the  hippopotamus,  the  toes  are  forcibly 
pressed  upwards,  and  the  leg  is  fixed  so  tightly  in  tne  hole  that  the  traveller  cannot 
withdi-aw  it  until  the  earth  has  been  removed. 

Over  one  of  these  tracks  the  native  hunter  suspends  his  harpoon,  taking  care  that  the 
blade  hangs  exactly  above  the  central  ridge.  As  the  hippopotamus  comes  walking  dong 
he  strikes  his  foot  against  the  cord.  The  blow  releases  the  harpoon,  which  fal  s  with 
tremendous  violence,  bulging  the  iron  head  deep  in  the  animal's  back.  Now  and  then  the 
head  comes  exactly  on  the  spine,  and  in  that  case  the  animal  falls  helpless  on  the  spo'. 
Usually,  however,  the  wound  is  not  immediately  fatal,  and  the  hippopotamus  rushes  to  the 
river,  hoping  thus  to  shake  off  the  cruel  weapon  which  had  tortured  niin  on  land.  Sooner 
or  later,  he  is  sure  to  die  from  the  woimd,  and  then  the  natives,  who,  like  the  hippopotamus, 
never  hurry  themselves,  drag  the  huge  carcase  to  land,  and  hold  a  mighty  feast  upon  it. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country  these  ftdl-traps  are  set  nearly  as  thickly  as  the  pits 
which  have  already  been  mentioned,  and  the  result  is,  that  the  animals  have  become 
exceedingly  suspicious,  and  will  not  approach  anything  that  looks  like  a  trap.  They  are 
so  thoroughly  afraid  of  being  injured,  that  the  native  agriculturists  are  in  the  habit  of 
imitating  traps  by  suspending  mangrove  seeds,  bits  of  sticks,  and  other  objects,  to  the 
branches  of  trees,  knowing  that  the  wary  animal  will  keep  very  clear  of  so  dangerous- 
looking  a  locality.  The  trap  has  to  be  set  with  considerable  skill,  and  much  care  inu8t  be 
taken  to  conceal  the  rope  which  crosses  the  path,  or  the  animal  will  not  strike  it.  Large 
and  heavy,  and  apparently  clumsy,  as  he  is,  he  can  look  out  for  himself,  and,  in  places 
where  traps  are  plentiful,  he  becomes  so  suspicious  that  if  even  a  twig  lies  across  his  path 
he  will  rather  go  round  it  than  tread  it  under  foot. 

The  Banyai  chiefs  do  not  neglect  the  usual  African  custom  of  demanding  toll  from  every 
traveller  who  passes  through  their  teiTitories,  although  they  do  not  appear  to  be  quite  so 
rapacious  as  some,  of  whom  we  shall  presently  treat  The  Banyai  enforce  their  tribute 
much  as  the  owner  of  a  ferry  compels  payment  for  the  passengers.  Knowing  that  their 
permission,  and  even  assistance,  is  needed  in  passing  through  the  country,  they  set  a  veiy 
high  price  upon  their  services,  and  will  not  allow  the  traveller  to  proceed  until  he  has 
complied  with  their  demands.  Feeling  sure  of  their  position,  they  are  apt  to  be  violent 
as  well  as  extortionate,  flinging  down  the  offered  sum  with  contemptuous  gestures,  and 
abusing  their  victims  with  a  wonderful  flow  of  disparaging  language. 

Dr.  Livingstone,  knowing  their  customs,  cont '  ived  to  get  the  better  of  the  Banyai  in  a 
place  where  they  were  accustomed  to  carry  things  w  i  1 1 1  high  hand,  even  over  the  Portuguese 
traders.  At  night,  when  the  time  came  for  repose,  ii:  itead  of  going  ashore,  after  the  usual 
custom  of  the  native  canoe  men,  he  anchored  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  had  couches 
made  on  board.  This  device  completely  disconcerted  the  plans  of  the  Banyai,  who 
expected  the  travellers  to  come  ashore,  and,  of  course,  would  have  kept  them  prisoners 
until  they  had  paid  a  heavy  toll  for  permission  to  emb^k  again.    They  even  shouted 


':b.^ 


WEAPONS. 


408 


invitatioM  fVom  the  river  bank  to  come  and  sleep  on  landj  but  dared  not  attack  a  boat 
filled  with  armed  men  commanded  by  Europeans. 

The  oddest  part  of  the  whole  proceeding  was,  that  the  Makololo  and  Batoka  boatmen, 
who  were  accompanying  Dr.  Livmgstone,  had  never  thought  of  so  simple  a  device,  and 
n)aied  exultant  jeers  from  their  boat  to  the  Banyai  on  shore. 

The  country  in  which  the  Banvai  live  furnishes  various  kinds  of  food  of  which  a 
European  would  be  ignorant,  and  therefore  would  run  a  great  risk  of  starving  in  a  place 
where  the  Banyai  would  be  revelling  in  plenty.  Ant-hills,  for  example,  almost  always 
liimish  huge  mushrooms,  which  are  at  once  palatable  and  nutritious ;  and  there  are  several 
kinds  of  subterraneuu  '  ubers  that  are  only  to  be  found  by  striking  the  ground  with  stones 
and  listening  to  the  SDund.  One  of  these  tubers  is  remarkable  for  the  fact  that  in  winter 
time  it  has  a  slight  but  pereeptible  quantity  of  salt  in  it. 

The  Banyai, like  other  Afhcan  tribes,  have  their  peculiar  superstitions,  such  as  pouring 
out  the  contents  of  their  snuff-box  as  an  offering  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead  when  they  are 
engt^  in  hunting,  hoping  therebv  to  propitiate  them  and  procure  their  aid.  One  man 
who  had  performed  this  act  of  devotion  was 
quite  scandalized  at  the  irreverence  of  hunters 
who  belonged  to  other  tribes,  and  who,  as  he 
jaid,did  not  know  how  to  pray.  The  same  man 
took  to  himself  the  credit  of  having  destroyed 
an  elephant  which  had  been  killed  by  others, 
his  pnyers  and  snuff,  and  not  the  weapons  of 
the  hunters,  having,  according  to  his  idea,  been 
the  real  instruments  by  which  the  animal  fell. 

The  particular  animal,  by  the  way,  was 
killed  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  some  of  the  tribes 
in  this  part  of  Africa.  These  native  htmters 
are  very  Nimrods  for  skill  and  courage,  going 
after  the  elephant  into  the  depths  of  his  own 
forest,  and  boldly  coping  with  him,  though 
armed  with  weapons  which  a  European  woidd 
despise. 

The  chief  weapon  which  is  used  by  these 
tribes  is  a  kind  of  axe.  It  is  made  much  after 
the  fashion  of  those  which  are  figured  on  page 
321,  and  bears  some  resemblance  in  the  shape 
of  the  head  to  that  which  is  shown  in  fig.  2. 
The  "tang,"  however,  which  is  fastened  into 
the  handle,  is  at  least  three  feet  in  length,  and 
the  handle  is  sometimes  six  or  seven  feet  long, 
so  that  the  instrument  looks  more  like  a  scythe 
than  an  axa  The  handle  is  made  by  cutting  off 
a  branch  of  convenient  thickness,  and  also  a  « 

foot  or  two  of  the  trunk  at  its  junction.  A  hole  is  then  bored  through  the  piece  of  the 
trunk,  the  tang  of  the  head  inserted  into  it,  and  the  rough  wood  then  dressed  into  shape ; 
thus  the  necessary  weight  is  gained  without  the  expenditure  of  valuable  metal. 

The  illustration  on  page  404  will  make  this  ingenious  process  clear.  Fig.  2  repre- 
sents part  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  marked  A,  from  which  starts  a  convenient  branch. 
Seeing  that  this  branch  will  answer  for  tliy  handle  of  an  axe,  the  native  cuts  across  the 
trunk,  and  thus  has  a  very  rude  kind  of  niaiiet,  possessed  of  considerable  weight.  A  hole 
is  next  bored  through  the  part  of  the  trunk,  and  the  iron  tang  of  the  axe-head  thrust 
through  it.  The  superabundant  wood  is  then  trimmed  off,  as  shown  in  the  cut,  the 
branch  is  scraped  and  smoothed,  and  the  simple  but  effective  axe  is  complete. 

Figs  4  and  5  represent  a  convertible  axe  which  is  much  used  by  this  people.  As  in 
their  work  they  sometimes  need  an  adze,  and  sometimes  an  axe,  they  have  ingeniously 
made  a  tool  wmch  will  serve  either  purpose    The  handle  and  butt  axe  made  exactly  as 

dd2 


OABRTmO  THE  AZB. 


F 


1  1 


4  '.fU- 


404 


THE  BANYAI  TRIBE 


has  already  been  described,  but,  instead  of  piercing  a  single  hole  for  the  iron  head,  the 
Banyai  cut  two  holes  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  as  seen  in  the  diagram  below,  fig.  4.  'xhe 
iron,  therefore,  can  be  fixed  in  either  of  these  sockets,  and,  according  to  the  mode  iu  x^hich 
it  is  inserted,  the  tool  becomes  either  an  axe  or  an  adze.  At  fig.  4  it  is  placed  in  the  hori- 
zontal socket,  and  accordingly  the  tool  is  an  adze ;  but  at  fig.  5  it  is  transformed  into  an 
axe,  merely  by  shifting  the  iron  head  into  the  perpendicular  socket. 


AXES. 


It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Water  Dyaks  of  Borneo  have  a  very  similar  tool,  \fhich 
they  use  in  boat-building.  It  is  much  smaller  than  the  Banyai  axe,  being  only  used  in 
one  hand,  and  the  head  is  fixed  to  the  handle  by  an  elaborate  binding  of  split  rattan, 
which  is  so  contrived  that  the  head  can  be  turned  at  pleasure  with  its  edge  parallel  to  or 
across  the  handle. 

Fig.  3  represents  a  rather  curious  form  of  axe,  which  is  sometimes  found  among  the 
Banyai  and  other  tribes.  The  head  is  very  long,  and  it  is  made  so,  that  when  the  owner 
wishes  to  carry  it  from  one  place  to  another,  he  does  not  trouble  himself  to  hold  it  in  his 
hand,  but  merely  hangs  it  over  his  shoulder,  as  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  403.  The 
reader  is  reqitestsd  to  note  the  mode  in  which  the  head  is  dressed,  the  hair  being  shaven 
in  stripes,  and  the  lower  locks  twisted  into  long,  ringlet-like  strands. 

The  elephant  axe  is  shown  at  fig.  1,  but  it  is  hardly  long  enough  in  the  handle. 
In  one  part  of  Central  Africa  the  head  is  fastened  to  the  handle  by  means  of  a  socket ;  hut 
this  form  is  exceedingly  rare,  and  in  such  a  climate  as  is  afforded  by  tropical  Africa  is  far 
inferior  to  that  which  has  been  described. 

The  hunters  who  use  this  curious  weapon  go  in  pairs,  one  having  the  axe,  which  has 
been  most  carefully  sharpened,  and  the  other  not  troubling  himself  about  any  weapon, 


ELEPHANT  HUNTING. 


405 


except  perhaps  a  spear  or  two.  When  they  have  found  an  elephant  with  good  tasks,'  they 
separate,  and  work  their  way  round  a  wide  circuit,  so  as  to  come  upon  him  from  different 
quarters,  the  axeman  always  approaching  from  behind,  and  the  assistant  coining  towards 
the  front. 

As  soon  as  they  know,  by  well-understood  signals,  that  they  are  near  the  animal,  they 
Imn  theii  work.  The  assistant  begins  to  rustle  among  the  branches  at  some  distance  in 
^ut,  not  in  such  a  manner  as  to  alarm  the  elephant,  but  to  keep  his  attention  fixed,  and 


I  ■•:&:!< 


HAMSIRINQINQ  AX  ELEPHANT. 


make  him  wonder  what  the  singular  movements  can  mean.  While  he  is  engaged  with  the 
man  in  front,  the  axeman  steals  gradually  on  him  from  behind,  and  with  a  sweep  of  hia 
huge  weapon  severs  the  tendon  of  the  hock,  which  in  the  elephant  is  at  a  very  short 
distance  from  the  ground.  From  that  moment  the  animal  is  helpless,  its  enormous 
weight  requiring  the  full  use  of  all  its  limbs ;  and  the  hunters  can,  if  they  choose,  leave  it 
there  and  go  after  another,  being  quite  sure  that  they  will  find  the  lamed  animal  in  the 
same  place  where  it  was  left.  Even  if  the  axe-blow  sh.uld  not  quite  sever  the  tendon,  it 
is  sure  to  cut  so  deeply  that  at  the  first  step  which  the  animal  takes  the  tendon  gives  way 
with  a  loud  snap. 

The  illustration  is  from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Baines,  and  represents  the  axeman  in  the  act 
of  striking.  The  elephant  is  standing  in  the  shade  of  the  "  bush,"  with  his  attention 
fixed  on  the  hunter  in  the  distance,  who  is  moving  about  among  the  foliage.  The  scene 
is  truly  characteristic  of  a  forest  in  tropical  Central  Africa.  Just  behind  the  axeman  is  a 
fine  palm  which  has  been  killed  by  a  fig-tree,  an  event  which  is  of  common  occurrence 
in  tropical  countries,    A  quantity  of  the  monkey-rope  creepers  have  flung  their  many 


-^s  v# 


'i 


'T-;i 


i-tll 


■r  ■:'  f  ■ 


406 


THE  BAD£MA  TSIBR 


%    .    ^ 


I      '' 


u   '■ 


coils  over  the  branches,  and  are  often  serviceable  to  the  hunter,  enabling  him  to  ascend 
a  tree  if  detected  and  chased  by  the  elephant    A  dwarf-palm  is  in  front  of  the  ' 
and  partly  conceals  his  fore-legs. 

To  return  to  the  religious  notions  of  the  Banyai. 

The  man  who  made  oblation  of  his  snuff  said  that  the  elephant  was  specially  directed  I 
by  the  Great  Spirit  to  come  to  the  hunters,  because  they  were  hungry  and  wanted  food- 
a  plain  proof  that  they  have  some  idea,  however  confused  and  imperfect  it  may  be,  of  a 
superintending  and  guiding  Providence.  The  other  Banyai  showed  by  their  conduct  that 
this  feeling  was  common  to  the  tribe,  and  not  peculiar  to  the  individual;  for  when  they 
brought  com,  poultry,  and  beads,  as  thankofferings  to  the  hunters  who  had  killed  the 
elephant,  they  mentioned  that  they  had  already  given  thanks  to  the  Barimo,  or  gods,  for 
the  successful  chase.  The  Banyai  seem  to  have  odd  ideas  about  animals ;  for  when  the 
hyaenas  set  up  their  hideous  laugh,  the  men  said  that  they  were  laughing  because  ther 
knew  that  the  men  could  not  eat  all  the  elephant,  and  must  leave  some  for  the  hyaenas. 
.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  hyaenas  and  lions  are  so  numerous,  that  when  the 
inhabitants  are  benighted  at  a  distance  from  human  habitations,  they  build  little  resting. 
places  in  the  branches  of  trees,  and  lodge  there  for  the  night,  leaving  their  little  huts  in 
the  branches  as  memorials  of  their  visit. 

Among  the  peculiar  superstitions  is  one  which  is  much  in  vogue.  This  is  a  mode  of 
protecting  property  from  thieves,  and  consists  of  a  strip  of  palm-leaf,  smeared  with  some 
compound,  and  decorated  with  tufts  of  grass,  bits  of  wood,  little  roots,  and  the  like.  It 
is  chiefly  used  for  the  protection  of  honey,  which  is  sometimes  wild,  the  bees  making 
a  nest  for  themselves  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  and  sometimes  preserved  in  hives,  which  are 
made  of  bark,  and  placed  in  the  branches.  The  hives  are  long  and  cylindrical,  and  laid 
on  their  sides.  The  protecting  palm-leaf  is  tied  round  the  tree,  and  the  natives  fimily 
believe  that  if  a  thief  were  to  cmnb  over  it,  much  more  to  remove  it,  he  would  be  at  once 
afiSicted  with  illness,  and  soon  die.  The  reader  will  see  here  an  analogous  superstitition 
to  the  "  tapu,"  or  taboo,  of  Polynesia. 

The  hives  are  made  simply  enough.  Two  incisions  are  made  completely  round  the 
tree,  about  five  feet  apart,  and  a  longitudinal  slit  is  then  cut  from  one  incision  to  the 
other.  The  bark  is  carefully  opened  at  this  slit,  and  by  proper  management  it  comes  off 
the  tree  without  being  broken,  retumii^  by  its  own  elasticity  to  its  original  shape.  The 
edges  of  the  slit  are  then  sewn  together,  or  fastened  by  a  series  of  little  wooden  pegs. 
The  ends  are  next  closed  with  grass-ropes,  coiled  up  just  like  the  targets  which  are  used 
by  modem  archers ;  and,  a  hole  being  made  in  one  of  the  ends,  the  hive  is  complete. 
I^rge  quantities  of  honey  and  wax  are  thus  collected  and  used  for  exportation;  indeed 
all  the  wax  that  comes  from  Loanda  is  collected  from  these  hives. 


THE  BAD£MA  TKIBR 


Thebe  is  still  left  a  small  fragment  of  one  of  the  many  African  tribes  which  are 
rapidly  expiring.  These  people  are  called  Bad£ma,  and  from  their  ingenuity  seem  to 
deserve  a  better  fate.  They  are  careful  husbandmen,  and  cultivate  small  quantities  of 
tobacco,  maize,  and  cotton  in  the  hollows  of  the  valleys,  where  sufficient  moisture  liugeis 
to  support  vegetation.  They  are  clever  sportsmen,  and  make  great  use  of  the  net,  as  well 
on  the  land  as  in  the  water.  For  fishing  they  have  a  kind  of  casting  net,  and  when  thoy 
go  out  to  catch  zebras,  antelopes,  and  other  animals,  they  do  so  by  stretching  nets  across 
the  narrow  outlets  of  ravines,  and  then  driving  the  game  into  theui.  The  nets  are  made 
of  baobab  bark,  and  are  very  strong. 


CONCEALING  CORN. 


iJ'&'S*^""'"*! 


407 


specially  directed 
and  wanted  food, 
cut  may  be,  of  a' 
their  conduct  that 
al;  for  when  they 
'o.  had  killed  the 
"^^O;  or  gods,  for 
als;  for  when  the 
iDg  because  they 
for  the  hyjenas     ' 
us.  that  when  the 
wldhttle  resting, 
heir  Kttle  huts  ii 

"his  is  a  mode  of 
leared  with  some 
J?d  the  like.  It 
the  bees  makinij 
.hives,  which  ai^ 
jndrical,  and  laid 
he  natives  firnil; 
would  be  at  once 
»«s  superstitition 

)letely  round  the 
e  incision  to  the 
lent  it  comes  off 
nal  shape.  The 
tie  wooden  pegs. 
[  which  are  used 
ive  is  complete. 
)rtation;  indeed 


They  have  a  singularly  ingenioup  mode  of  preserving  their  com.  Like  many  other 
ying  tribes,  they  are  much  persec  ited  by  their  stronger  neighbours,  who  are  apt  to 
^raids  upon  them,  and  carry  off  all  their  property,  the  chief  part  of  which  consists  of 
(jni  Consequently  they  are  ^)bliged  to  conceal  their  stores  in  the  hills,  and  only  keep 
I  small  portion  in  their  huts,  just  sufficient  for  the  day's  consumption.  But  the  mice  and 
monkeys  are  quite  as  fond  of  com  as  their  human  enemies,  and  would  soon  destroy  all 
their  stores,  had  not  the  men  a  plan  by  which  they  could  be  preserved.  The  Bad^ma  have 
found  out  a  tree,  the  bark  of  which  is  hateful  both  to  the  mice  and  the  monkeys, 
iccoidingly  they  strip  off  the  bark,  which  is  of  a  very  bitter  character,  roll  it  up  into 
cylindiical  vessels,  and  in  these  vessels  they  keep  their  com  safely  in  caves  and  crevices 
(flong  the  rocks. 

Of  course,  when  their  enemies  come  upon  them,  they  always  deny  that  they  have  any 
fbod  except  that  which  is  in  their  huts,  and  when  Dr.  llvingstone  came  among  tiiem  for 
the  first  time  they  made  the  stereotyped  denial,  stating  that  they  had  been  robbed  only  a 
few  weeks  before. 


bes  which  are 
snuiiy  seem  to 
1  quantities  of 
oisture  lingers 
de  net,  as  well 
nd  when  thoy 
ng  nets  across 
lets  are  made 


>•■'■ 


I' 


')' 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


THE  BALONDO  OE  BALONDA  AND  THE  ANGOLESE. 


i-i^ 


OENBBAI.   APPEARANCE — MODE     OP    GOVERNMENT — WOMAN's    DRESS — MANENKO   AND  HEB   BTBASoJ 

COSTinrB FASHIONS  IN  HAIB-^DESSINa COSTUME   OF   THE   MEN — THEIB  OBNAMEMTB — PECTHJAl 

GAIT MODE    OF   SALUTATION — CURIOSITY — MILDNESS   OF    TEMPERAMENT AN   ATTEMPT   AT  H.| 

TORTION A    SCENE     AT     COURT BALONDA     MUSIC MANENKO     IN    COMMAND — KATEMA  AND 

BEARER LOVE  OF  CATTLE FOOD   OP   THE  BALONDA FISH-CATCHING BALONDA  AKCHITKCTlHj| 

CEMENTING   FRIENDSHIP RELIGION     AND   IDOLS — A   'WILD   LEGEND — FUNERAL    CUSTOMS— TH|| 

ANGOLESE — THEIR    CHARACTER — AORICULTURB THE    MANIOC,    AND    ITS     USES — MEDICDfES    KsA 

CUPPING — SUPERSTITIONS — MAB^AGBS  AND   FUNERALS — DB.  LIVINGSTONE'S   BimMABY. 


■.'^  i- 


W-n   1' 


rvj, 


We  now  come  to  a  rather  important  tribe  that 'lives  very  close  to  the  equator.  This  isi 
called  the  Balondo  or  Balonda  tribe,  i.e.  the  people  who  inhabit  Londa-land,  a  very  large! 
district  ou  the  western  side  of  Africa.  A  great  number  of  small  tribes  inhabit  tliial 
country,  but,  as  they  really  are  ofl'shoots  of  the  one  tribe,  we  will  treat  of  them  all  under) 
the  common  name  of  Balondo. 

The  chief  ruler,  or  king,  of  the  Balonda  tribes  is  Matiamvo,  a  name  which  is  heredi- 1 
tary,  like  that  of  Czar  or  Pharaoh.     He  has  absolute  power  of  life  and  death,  and  one  | 
of  them  had  a  way  of  proving  this  authority  by  occasionally  running  about  the  town  t 
beheading  every  one  whom  he  met,  until  sometimes  quite  a  heap  of  himian  heads  i 
collected.     He  said  that  his  people  were  too  numerous  to  be  prosperous,  and  so  he  took  I 
this  simple  method  of  diminishing  their  numbers.     There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  lie 
was  insane,  and  his  people  thought  so  too  ;  but  their  reverence  for  his  office  was  so  great 
that  he  was  allowed  to  pursue  his  mad  course  without  check,  and  at  length  died  peaceably, ' 
instead  of  being  murdered,  as  might  have  been  expected. 

He  was  a  great  slave-dealer,  md  used  to  conduct  the  transaction  in  a  manner  remark- 
able for  its  simplicity.  When  a  slave-merchant  came  to  his  town,  he  took  all  his  visitor's 
property,  and  kept  him  as  a  guest  for  a  week  or  ten  days.  After  that  time,  having  shown 
his  hospitality,  he  sent  out  a  party  of  armed  men  against  some  populous  village,  killed 
the  head-man,  and  gave  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  slave-merchant  in  payment  for 
his  goods.    Thus  he  enriched  his  treasury  and  thinned  his  population  by  the  same  act, 

Indeed,  he  seemed  always  to  look  upon  villages  as  property  which  could  be  reahzed  at 
any  time,  and  had,  besides,  the  advantage  of  steadily  increasing  in  value.  If  he  heard  of 
or  saw  anything  which  he  desired  exceedingly,  and  the  owner  declined  to  part  with  it,  he 
would  destroy  a  whole  village  and  offer  the  plunder  to  the  owner  of  the  coveted  property, 

Still,  under  this  regime,  the  people  lead,  as  a  general  rule,  tolerably  happy  and  con- 
tented lives.  They  are  not  subjected  to  the  same  despotism  as  the  tribes  of  the  southern 
districts,  and,  indeed,  often  refuse  to  obey  the  orders  of  the  chief.  Once,  when  Katema 
sent  to  the  Balobale,  a  sub-tribe  under  his  protection,  and  ordered  them  to  furnish  men  t« 
carry  Dr.  Livingstone's  goods,  they  flatly  refused  to  do  so,  in  spite  of  Katema's  threat  that, 
if  they  did  not  obey,  he  would  deprive  them  of  his  countenance,  and  send  them  back  to 


DRESS. 


409 


Hieir  formeT  oppressors.   The  fact  is,  each  of  the  chiefs  is  anxious  to  collect  round  himself 

jmany  people  as  possible,  in  order  to  swell  his  own  importance,  and  lie  does  not  like  to 
Ido  anything  that  might  drive  them  away  from  him  into  the  ranks  of  some  rival  chief. 

r.  Livingstone  remarks  that  this  disobedience  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  it  occurs  in  a 
jlntiy  where  the  slave-trade  is  in  full  force,  and  where  people  may  be  kidnapped  and 
dd  under  any  pretext  that  may  happen  to  occur  to  the  chief 

As  is  frequently  the  case  with  African  tribes,  there  is  considerable  variety  of  colour 
non"  the  Bedondo,  some  being  of  a  notably  pale  chocolate  hue,  while  others  are  so  black 
J  to  rival  the  negro  in  darkness  of  complexion.  They  appear  to  be  a  rather  pleasing  set 
lofmen,  tainted,  as  must  be  the  case,  with  the  ordinary  vices  of  savage  life,  but  not 
laoiose,  cruel,  or  treacherous,  as  is  too  often  the  case.  The  women  appear  to  be  almost 
lexceptionally  lively,  being  full  of  animal  spirits,  and  spending  all  their  leisure  time,  which 
lieems  to  be  considerable,  in  chattering,  weddings,  funerals,  and  similar  amusements. 
iDr.  Livingstone  offers  a  suggestion  that  this  flow  of  spirits  may  be  one  reason  why  they 
■lie  80  indestructible  a  race,  and  thinks  that  their  total  want  of  care  is  caused  by  the 
llatalisin  of  their  religious  theories,  such  as  they  are.  Indeed,  he  draws  rather  a  curious 
(conclusion  from  'their  happy  and  cheerful  mode  of  life,  considering  that  it  would  be  a 
_  ity  in  the  way  of  a  missionary,  though  why  a  lively  disposition  and  Christianity 
iBhould  be  opposed  to  each  other  is  not  easy  to  see. 

One  woman,  named  Manenko,  afforded  a  curious  example  of  mixed  energy,  liveliness, 
lind  authority.  She  was  a  chief,  and,  though  married,  retained  the  command  in  her  own 
When  she  first  visited  Dr.  Livingstone,  she  was  a  remarkably  tall  and  fine  woman 
|of  twenty  or  thereabouts,  and  rather  astonished  her  guest  by  appearing  before  him  in  a 
I  bright  coat  of  red  ochre,  and  nothing  else,  except  some  charms  hung  round  her  neck. 
I  This  absence  of  clothing  was  entirely  a  voluntary  act  on  her  part,  as,  being  a  chief,  she 
Imii'bt  have  had  any  amount  of  clothing  that  she  liked ;  but  she  evidently  thought  that 
Iber  dignity  required  her  to  outdo  the  generality  of  Balondo  ladies  in  the  scantiness  of 
apparel  which  distinguishes  them. 

In  one  part  of  Londa-land  the  women  are  almost  wholly  without  clothes,  caring 
I  nothing  for  garments,  except  those  of  European  manufacture,  which  they  wear  with  much 
pride.  Even  in  this  latter  case  the  raiment  is  not  worn  so  much  as  a  covering  to  the 
body  as  a  kind  of  ornament  which  shows  the  wealth  of  the  wearer,  as  the  women  will 
purchase  calico  and  other  stuff's  at  extravagant  prices.  They  were  willing  to  give  twenty 
pounds  weight  of  meal  and  a  fowl  for  a  little  strip  of  calico  barely  two  feet  in  length, 
nd,  having  put  it  on,  were  quite  charmed  with  their  new  dress. 

The  fact  is,  they  have  never  been  accustomed  to  dress,  and  "  are  all  face,"  the  weather 
I  having  no  more  effect  on  their  bodies  than  it  does  on  our  faces.  Even  the  very  babies  are 
deprived  of  the  warm  fur-clad  wrapper  in  which  the  generality  of  African  mothers  cany 
tiiem,  and  the  infant  is  as  exposed  to  the  weather  as  its  mother.  The  Londa  mother 
'  carries  her  child  in  a  very  simple  manner.  She  plaits  a  bark-belt,  some  four  inches  or  so 
I  in  width,  and  hangs  it  over  one  shoulder  and  under  the  other,  like  the  sash  of  a  light 
'  infantry  officer.  The  child  is  partly  seated  on  its  mother's  hip,  and  partly  supported  by 
I  the  belt,  which,  as  is  evident,  does  not  afford  the  least  protection  against  the  weather. 

They  even  sleep  in  the  same  state  of  nudity,  keeping  up  a  fire  at  night,  which  they 
say  is  their  clothing.    The  women  tried  very  hard  to  move  the  compassionate  feelings  of 
I  their  white  visitors  by  holding  up  their  little  naked  babies,  and  begging  for  clothes ;  but 
it  was  clear  that  the  real  destination  of  such  clothes  was  for  ornaments  for  themselves. 

As  is  the  case  with  several  other  tribes  which  care  little  for  clothes,  they  decorate 
their  heads  with  the  greatest  care,  weaving  their  hair  into  a  variety  of  patterns,  that  must 
cost  infinite  trouble  to  make,  and  scarcely  less  to  preserve.  They  often  employ  the 
"buffalo-horn"  pattern,  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  sometimes  working  their  hair 
into  two  horns,  and  sometimes  into  one,  which  projects  over  the  forehead.  Some  of  them 
divide  the  hair  into  a  number  of  cords  or  plaits,  and  allow  them  to  hang  all  round  the 
&ce.  The  most  singular  method  of  dressing  the  hair  is  one  which  is  positively  startling 
at  first  sight,  on  account  of  the  curious  resemblance  which  it  bears  to  the  "nimbus"  with 
which  the  heads  of  saints  are  conventionally  surrounded.   The  hair  is  dressed  in  plaits,  as 


mm 

1 

■yf''}: 

f,j 

U 

'    :*■ 

'       it 

m 

li 


r 


410 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TRIBR 


has  already  been  mentioned,  but,  instead  of  being  allowed  to  hang  down,  each  plait 
strand  is  drawn  out  in  a  radiating  fashion,  and  the  ends  are  fastened  to  a  hoop  of  h\l 
wood.    When  this  is  done,  the  hoop  itself  represents  the  nimbus,  and  the  strands  of] 
the  radiating  beams  of  light 


J.  .J 


\  f'l 


■i  ; 


5      I 


,  'i   ■ 


M 


! 


n  1 

;    i   ' 
If    I 


^^ 


E.l 


I      )« 


it        ^  '        • 


Ml 


r 


WOMEN'S  HEAD-DRESS 


The  features  of  the  Balondo  women  are  pleasing  enough,  and  in  some  cases  are  even 
tolerably  regular.  The  teeth  are  allowed  to  retain  their  original  form  and  whiteness ;  and 
it  is  a  pity  that  so  many  good  countenances  are  disfigured  by  the  custom  of  thrustiag 
pieces  of  reed  through  the  septum  of  the  nose. 

The  dress  of  the  Balonda  men  is  more  worthy  of  the  name  than  that  of  the  women, 
as  it  consists  of  a  girdle  roimd  the  waist,  with  a  softly-dressed  skin  of  a  jackal  in  front» 
and  a  similar  skin  behind-  Dr.  Livingstone  relates  an  anecdote  concerning  this  dress, 
which  shows  how  arbitrary  is  the  feeling  of  decency  and  its  opposite.    He  had  with  him 


;i^.' 


ORNAMENTS. 


411 


Dinlie'  of  Makololo  men,  whose  dress  is  similar  to  that  of  many  other  tribes,  and 
lists  merely  of  a  piece  of  soft  hide  fastened  to  the  girdle  in  front,  brought  imder  the 
and  tucked  into  the  girdle  behind. 
'Wow  this  dress  is  mudi  more  worthy  of  the  name  than  the  double  skin  of  the  Balonda. 
tetthe  Balondo  girls,  themselves  in  a  state  of  almost  complete  nudity,  were  very  much 
eked  when  they  found  that  the  Makololo  men  wore  no  back-apron.  Whenever 
I  Makololo  man  happened  to  turn  his  back  upon  the  women  and  girls,  they  laughed  and 
»^  at  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  made  quite  wretched  by  their  scorn.  Had 
wbeen  even  moderately  clad,  such  behaviour  might  seem  excusable,  but  when  it  is 
nembered  that  the  dress  of  the  despised 
ijitor  would  have  furnished  costumes  to 
mr  or  five  of  the  women  who  were  laughing 
i  him,  we  can  but  wonder  at  the  singular 
lold  which  fashion  takes  of  the  human  mind. 
The  Balondo  men  are  as  fond  of  orna- 
Dts  as  their  wives,  and,  as  with  them,  the 
rations  chiefly  belong  to  the  head  and 
He  feet  In  some  places  they  have  a  fashion 
dressing  their  hair  into  a  conical  form, 
ilar  to  that  which  has  been  already  men- 
_  1;  while  a  man  who  is  fond  of  dress  will 
ieraily  show  his  foppery  by  twisting  his 
aid  into  three  distinct  plaits.  Some  of  the 
ilondo  men  have  a  considerable  quantity 
^{thickwoolly  hair,  and  dress  it  in  a  singular 
ishion.  They  begin  by  parting  it  down 
me  middle,  and  then  forming  the  hair  of  each 
leinto  two  thick  rolls,  which  pass  between 
|he  ears  and  fall  down  as  far  as  the  shoulders. 
lie  rest  of  the  hair  is  gathered  up  into  a 
Imndle,  and  hangs  on  the  back  of  the  neck. 
Whenever  they  can  afford  it,  the  Balondo  men  will  carry  one  of  the  large  knives 
lich  are  so  prevalent  in  this  part  of  the  continent.  Throughout  the  whole  of  Western 
[frica  there  is  one  type  of  knife,  which  undergoes  various  modifications  according  to  the 
ticular  district  in  which  it  is  made,  and  this  type  is  as  characteristic  of  Western  Africa 
the  Bechuana  knife  is  of  the  southern  parts.  The  illustration  shows  two  of  these 
they  exhibit  well  their  curious  form,  which  is  almost  identical  with  that  of 
weapons  taken  from  tumuli  in  Europe.  The  sheath  is  always  very  wide,  and  is  made 
nth  great  care,  being  mostly  ornamental  as  well  as  useful  The  figures  were  drawn  from 
lipecimens  in  Colonel  Lane  Fox's  collection. 

Heavy  rings  of  copper  and  other  metals  are  as  much  in  vogue  as  among  the  Damaras ; 
lonly  the  men  prefer  to  wear  them  on  their  own  limbs,  instead  of  handing  them  over  to 
Itheir  wives.  As  wealth  is  mostly  carried  on  the  person  in  this  country,  a  rich  Balondo 
pan  will  have  six  or  seven  great  copper  rings  encircling  his  ankles,  each  ring  weighing 
[two  pounds  or  «io.  The  gait  of  a  rich  man  is  therefore  singularly  ungraceful,  the  feet 
Ibeing  planted  widely  apart,  so  that  the  massive  rings  should  not  come  in  contact.  The 
Ipecidiar  gait  which  is  caused  by  the  presence  of  the  treasured  rings  is  much  admired 
lamong  the  Balondo,  and  is  studiously  imitated  by  those  who  have  no  need  to  use  it.  A 
jyoung  man,  for  example,  who  is  only  worth  half  a  dozen  rings  weighing  half  an  ounce  or 
ISO  each,  will  strut  about  with  his  feet  wide  apart,  as  if  he  could  hardly  walk  for  the  weight 
|of  his  anklets. 

The  ornament  which  is  most  prized  is  made  from  a  large  species  of  shell  belonging  to 
I  the  genus  Conus.  The  greater  part  of  the  shell  is  chipped  away,  and  only  the  flat  and 
I  spiral  base  is  left.  This  is  pierced  in  the  middle,  and  a  string  is  passed  through  the 
I  middle,  so  that  it  can  be  hung  round  the  neck.  Dr.  Livingstone  tells  an  anecdote  which 
I  shows  the  estimation  in  which  this  ornament  is  held.    Just  before  his  departure  the  king. 


m 


DAOOEBS. 


412 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TRIBE. 


I    '1  ' 


3'    >f 


;'i  I  '.    k 


.  ml 


III  ^l  -  ^ 


Shinte,  came  into  his  tent,  and  passed  a  considerable  time  in  examining  his  books 
and  other  curiosities.  At  last  he  carefully  closed  the  door  of  the  tent,  so  that  none'of 
people  might  see  the  extravagance  of  which  he  was  about  to  be  guilty,  and  drew  one 
these  shells  from  his  clothing,  hung  it  round  his  host's  neck,  with  the  words,  "  There 
you  have  a  proof  of  my  friendship."  These  shells  are  used,  like  stars  and  crosses  aim 
ourselves,  as  emblems  of  rank ;  and  they  have  besides  a  heavy  intrinsic  value,  coBtino 
kingat  the  rate  of  a  slave  for  two,  or  a  large  elephant's  tusk  for  five.  ^ 

The  veiy  fact  that  they  possess  insignia  of  rank  shows  that  they  must  possess » 
degree  of  civilization ;  and  this  is  also  shown  by  the  manner  in  which  inferiors  aie  boi 
to  salute  those  above  them.  If  a  man  of  low  rank  should  meet  a  superior,  the  foi 
immediately  drops  on  his  knees,  picks  up  a  little  dirt,  rubs  it  on  his  arms  and  chest, 
then  claps  his  hands  until  the  great  man  has  passed.  So  punctilious  are  they  in  tl 
manner,  that  when  Sambanza,  the  husband  of  Manenko,  was  making  a  speech  to 
people  of  a  village,  he  interspersed  his  discourse  with  frequent  salutations,  althougl 
was  a  man  of  consequence  himself,  being  the  husband  of  the  chief. 

There  are  mauy  gradations  in  the  mode  of  saluting.  Great  chiefs  go  through 
movements  of  rubbing  the  sand,  but  they  only  make  u  pretence  of  picking  up  sand. 
man  desires  to  be  very  polite  indeed,  he  carries  with  him  some  white  ashes  or  powden 
pipe-clay  in  a  piece  of  skin,  and,  after  kneeling  in  the  usual  manner,  rubs  it  on  his  chi 
and  arms,  the  white  powder  being  an  ocular  proof  that  the  salutation  has  been  propei 
conducted.  He  then  claps  his  hands,  stoops  forward,  lays  first  one  cheek  and  then 
other  on  the  ground,  and  continues  his  clapping  for  some  little  time.  Sometimes, 
of  clapping  his  hands,  ho  drums  with  his  elbows  against  his  ribs. 

On  the  whole,  those  travellers  who  have  passed  through  Londa  seem  to  be  pleased  vil 
the  character  of  the  inhabitants.     Dr.  Livingstone  appears  to  have  had  but  Uttle  tronl 
with  them,  except  when  resisting  the  extortionate  demands  which  they,  like  other  tiil 
were  apt  to  make  for  leave  of  passage  through  their  country. 

"  One  could  detect,  in  passing,  the  variety  of  character  found  among  the  ownera 
gardens  and  ^dllages.  Some  vilh^es  were  the  pictures  of  neatness.  We  entered  othi 
enveloped  in  a  wilderness  of  weeds,  so  high  that,  when  sitting  on  an  ox-back  in  the  nidi 
of  the  village,  we  could  only  see  the  tops  of  the  huts.  If  we  entered  at  mid-da 
owners  would  come  lazily  forth,  pipe  in  hand,  and  leisurely  puff  away  in  dreamy  ini 
ference.  In  some  villages  weeds  were  not  allowed  to  grow ;  cotton,  tobacco,  and  diffei 
plants  ased  as  relishes,  are  planted  round  the  huts ;  fowls  are  kept  in  cages ;  and 
gardens  present  th»  pleasant  spectacle  of  different  kinds  of  grain  and  pulse  at  varioi 
periods  of  their  growtL  I  sometimes  admired  the  one  class,  and  at  times  wished  I  coi 
have  taken  the  world  easy,  like  the  other. 

"  Every  village  swarms  with  children,  who  turn  out  to  see  the  white  man  pass, 
run  along  with  strange  cries  and  antics ;   some  run  up  trees  to  get  a  good  view— aU 
agile  cUmbers  through  Londa.    At  friendly  villages  they  have  scampered  alongside  oi 
party  for  miles  at  a  time.     We  usually  made  a  little  hedge  round  our  sheds ;  crowds 
women  came  to  the  entrance  of  it.,  with  children  on  their  backs,  and  pipes  in  their  noutl 
gazing  at  us  for  hours.    The  men,  rather  than  disturb  them,  crawled  through  a  hole  in  tl 
hedge ;  and  it  was  common  to  hear  a  man  in  running  off  say  to  them,  "  I  am  going  to 
my  mamma  to  come  and  see  the  white  man's  oxen." 

According  to  the  same  authority,  the  Balonda  do  not  appear  to  be  a  very  quarreki 
race,  generally  restricting  themselves  to  the  tongue  as  a  weapon,  and  seldom  resorting 
anything  more  actively  offensive.  The  only  occasion  on  which  he  saw  a  real  quarrel  taki 
place  was  rather  a  curious  one.  An  old  woman  had  been  steadily  abusing  a  young  mai 
for  an  hour  or  two,  with  that  singular  fluency  of  invective  with  which  those  women  seen 
to  be  gifted.  He  endured  it  patiently  for  some  time,  but  at  last  uttered  an  exclamatioi 
of  anger.  On  which  another  man  sprang  forward,  and  angrily  demanded  why  the  othi 
had  cursed  his  mother.  They  immediately  closed  with  each  other,  and  a  scuffle  con 
menced,  in  the  course  of  which  they  contrived  to  tear  off  the  whole  of  each  otbei'! 
clothing.    The  man  who  began  the  assault  then  picked  up  his  clothes  and  ran 


LIVINGSTONE'S  REOEPTION. 


418 


^ning  to  bring  his  gun,  but  be  did  not  return,  and  the  old  woman  proceeded  with 
I  abuse  of  the  remaiuing  combatant. 

In  their  quarrels  the  Balonda  make  plenty  of  noise,  but  after  a  while  thev  suddenly 
m  from  their  mutual  invective,  and  concluae  the  dispute  with  a  hearty  laugh. 
Once  a  most  flagrant  attempt  at  extortion  was  made  by  Eawawa,  a  Balon^i  chief  who 
J  a  veiy  bad  character,  and  was  in  disfavour  with  Matiamvo,  the  supreme  chief  of 
^BfJoMft.  He  sent  a  body  of  mea  to  a  ferry  which  they  had  to  cross,  in  order  to  pre- 
ptthe  boatmen  taking  them  over  the  rivp».  The  canoes  were  removed ;  and  as  the  nver 
Mat  least  a  hundred  ^ards  wide,  an(*  .xy  deep,  Kawawa  thought  he  had  the  stranger 
m  mercy,  and  that  if  the  cart,  the  ox,  the  gun,  the  powder,  and  the  slave,  which  he 
Moiied,  were  not  forthcoming,  he  could  keep  the  strangers  until  they  were  forced  to 
gpiy  with  his  demands.  However,  during  the  nieht  Dr.  Livingstone  swam  to  the 
Kje  where  the  canoes  were  hidden,  ferried  the  whole  party  across,  replaced  the  canoe, 
ther  with  some  beads  as  pavment  for  its  use,  and  quietly  swam  to  the  side  on  which 
r  ^y  were  now  safely  l^ded.  Kawawa  had  no  idea  that  any  of  the  travellers  could 
a,  and  the  whole  party  were  greatly  amused  at  the  astonishment  which  they  knew  he 
feel  when  he  found  the  travellers  vanished  and  the  canoes  still  in  their  place  of 

Iment. 

Some  of  the  Balonda  have  a  very  clever  but  rather  mean  method  of  extorting  money 
lom  travellers.  When  they  ferry  a  party  over  the  river,  they  purposely  drop  or  leave  in 
Icauoe  a  knife  or  some  other  object  of  value.  They  then  watch  to  see  if  any  one  will 
jckitup,  and  if  so,  seize  their  victim  and  accuse  him  of  the  theft.  They  always  manage 
idoso  just  before  the  head  man  of  the  party  has  been  ferried  across,  and  tiireaten  to 
iain  him  as  a  hostage  until  their  demand  be  paid.  Dr.  Livingstone  once  fell  a  victim  to 
^istrick,  a  lad  belonging  to  his  party  having  picked  up  a  knife  which  was  thrown  down 
s  a  bait  by  one  of  the  rascally  boatmen.  As  the  lad  happened  to  possess  one  of  those 
«ious  shells  which  have  been  mentioned,  he  was  forced  to  surrender  it  to  secure  his 
lerty. 

Such  conduct  was,  however,  unusual  with  the  Balonda,  and  the  two  great  chiefs, 
ite  and  Eatema,  behaved  with  the  greatest  kindness  to  the  travellers.  The  former 
if  gave  them  a  grand  reception,  which  exhibited  many  of  the  manners  and  customs  of 
people. 

The  royal  throne  was  placed  under  the  shade  of  a  spreading  banian  tree,  and  was 

eied  with  a  leopard-skin.    The  chief  had  disfigured  himself  with  a  checked  jacket  and 

green  baize  kilt ;  but,  besides  these  portions  of  civilized  costume,  he  wore  a  multitude  of 

idve  ornaments,  the  most  conspicuous  being  the  number  of  copper  and  iron  rings  round 

is  arms  and  ankles,  and  a  sort  of  bead  helmet  adorned  with  a  large  plume  of  feathers. 

is  three  pages  were  close  to  him,  and  behind  him  sat  a  number  of  women  headed  by 

chief  wife,  who  was  distinguished  from  the  others  by  a  cap  of  scarlet  material. 

In  many  other  parts  of  Africa  the  women  would  have  been  rigidly  excluded  from  a 

inblic  ceremony,  and  at  the  best  might  have  been  permitted  to  see  it  from  a  distance ; 

lat  among  the  Balonda  the  women  take  their  own  part  in  such  meetings :  and  on  the 

lent  occasion  Shinte  often  turned  and  spoke  to  them,  as  if  asking  their  opinion. 

Manenko's  husband,  Sambanza,  introduced  the  party,  and  did  so  in  the  usual  manner, 

17  saluting  with  ashes.    After  him  the  various  subdivisions  of  the  tribe  came  forward  in 

leir  order,  headed  by  its  chief  man,  who  carried  ashes  with  him,  and  saluted  the  king  on 

half  of  his  company.    Then  came  the  soldiers,  who  dashed  forward  at  the  white  visitor 

their  usually  impetuous  manner,  shaking  their  spears  in  his  face,  brandishing  their 

ihields,  and  making  all  kinds  of  menacing  gestures,  which  in  this  country  is  their  usual 

ly  of  doing  honour  to  a  visitor.    They  then  turned  and  saluted  the  king,  and  took  their 


Next  came  the  speeches,  Sambanza  marching  about  before  Shinte,  and  announcing  in 
la  stentorian  voice  and  with  measured  accents  the  whole  history  of  the  white  men  and 
jtheir  reasons  for  visiting  the  country. 

I    His  argument  for  giving  the  travellers  leave  to  pass  through  the  territory  was  rather 
Ian  odd  one.    The  white  man  certainly  said  that  he  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  opening 


-f 


)v  " 


U     I       1    1% 
1 


I 


I  r 


f  ii 


V       i 


4U 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TRIBE. 


the  country  for  trade,  making  peace  among  the  various  tribes,  and  teaching  them  a  bed 
religion  than  their  own.  Perhaps  he  was  telling  lies ;  for  it  was  not  easy  to  believe  tl 
a  white  man  who  had  such  treasures  at  home  would  take  the  trouble  of  coming  out  of  t 
sea  where  he  lived  for  the  mere  purpose  of  conferring  benefits  on  those  whom  ho  L 
never  seen.  On  the  whole,  they  rather  thought  he  was  not  speaking  the  truth.  But  atl 
though  he  had  plenty  of  fire  arms,  he  had  not  attacked  the  Balonda ;  and  it  was  perhJ 
more  consistent  with  Shi'ite's  character  as  a  wise  and  humane  chief,  that  he  shou 
receive  the  white  men  kindly,  and  allow  them  to  pass  on.  1 

Between  the  speeches  the  women  filled  up  the  time  by  chanting  a  wild  and  plaintil 
melody ;  and  that  they  were  allowed  to  take  more  than  a  passive  part  in  the  procee 
was  evident  from  the  frequency  with  which  they  applauded  the  various  speeches. 

Music' was  also  employed  at  the  reception,  the  instruments  being  the  marimba,  whii 
has  alread/been  mentioned,  and  drums.  These  latter  instruments  are  carved  fVom  aol 
blocks  of  wood,  cut  into  hollow  cylinders,  the  ends  of  which  are  covered  with  antelol 
skin,  and  tightly  fastened  by  a  row  of  small  wooden  pegs.  There  is  no  method  of  bracil 
the  skins  such  as  we  use  with  our  drums,  and  when  the  dnim-heads  become  slack  tb] 
are  tightened  by  being  held  tu  the  fire.  These  drums  are  played  with  the  hwd,  and  \ 
with  sticks. 


THE  MARIMBA,  OR  AFRICAN  PUNO. 

The  most  curious  part  of  these  drums  is  the  use  of  a  small  square  hole  in  the 
which  seems  to  serve  the  same  purpose  as  the  percussion  hole  in  the  European  instrumentl 
Instead,  however,  of  being  left  open,  it  is  closed  with  a  piece  of  spider's  web,  whicn 
allows  the  needful  escape  of  air,  while  it  seems  to  have  a  resonant  effect.  The  web  whicil 
is  used  for  this  purpose  is  taken  from  the  egg-case  of  a  large  species  of  spider.  It  is  of  i 
yellow  colour,  rather  larger  than  a  crown-piece  in  diameter,  and  is  of  wonderful  toughnei 
and  elasticity.  The  custom  of  using  spider's  web  in  this  manner  prevails  through  a  ver 
large  portion  of  Africa,  and  is  even  found  in  those  parts  of  Western  Africa  which  havel 
introduced  many  European  instruments  among  those  which  belonged  to  them  before  they| 
had  made  acquaintance  with  civilization. 

The  drums  and  marimba  are  played  together ;  and  on  this  occasion  the  performeBl 
walked  round  and  round  the  enclosure,  producing  music  which  was  really  not  unpleasant| 
even  to  European  ears. 

The  marimba  is  found,  with  various  modifications,  throughout  the  whole  of  this  parti 
of  Africa  Generally  the  framework  is  straight,  and  in  that  case  the  instrument  is  I 
mostly  placed  on  the  ground,  and  the  musician  plays  it  while  in  a  sitting  or  kneeling 


A  FEMALE  CHIEF. 


415 


ire,  But  in  Bome  places,  especially  where  it  is  to  be  played  by  the  musician  on  the 
uch  the  fratncwoik  is  curved  like  the  tire  of  a  cart-wheel,  so  that,  whtm  the  instrument 
impended  in  front  of  the  performer,  he  can  reach  the  highest  and  lowest  keys  without 
Ictilty-  '11'e  illustration  on  page  414  represents  one  of  the  straight-framed  marimbas, 
I  a  drawn  from  a  specimen  in  Colonel  Lime  Fox's  collection. 

I  After  this  interview  Shinte  always  behaved  veiy  kindly  to  the  whole  party,  and,  as 
L  havri  already  seen,  invested  Dr.  Livingstone  with  the  precious  shell  ornament  before 
departure. 


MANENKO  IN  COMMAND. 


As  to  Shinte's  niece,  Manenko,  the  female  chief,  she  was  a  woman  who  really  deserved 
[ler  rank,  from  her  bold  and  energetic  character.     She  insisted  on  conducting  ths  party  in 

:  own  manner ;  and  when  they  set  out,  she  headed  the  expedition  in  person.     It  hap- 

led  to  he  a  singularly  unpleasant  one,  the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  and  yet  tlds  very 
nergetic  lady  marched  on  at  a  pace  that  could  be  equalled  by  few  of  the  men,  and  with- 
but  the  slightest  protection  from  the  weather,  save  the  coat  of  red  grease  and  a  cnarmed 
peclclace.  When  asked  why  she  did  not  wear  clothes,  she  said  that  a  chief  ought  to 
pespise  such  luxuries,  and  ought  to  set  an  example  of  fortitude  to  the  rest  of  the  tribe, 
"early  all  the  members  of  the  expedition  complained  of  cold,  wet,  and  hunger,  but  this 
udefutigablo  lady  pressed  on  in  the  very  lightest  marching  order,  and  not  until  they  were 
ill  thoroughly  wearied  would  she  consent  to  halt  for  the  night. 

Her  husband,  Sambanza,  had  to  march  in  her  train,  accompanied  by  a  man  who  had 
nnstructions  to  beat  a  drum  incessantly,  which  he  did  until  tlie  perpetual  rain  soaked  the 
pkin-heads  so  completely  that  they  would  not  produce  a  sound.    Sambanza  had  then  to 


1^: 


^  1 


y  /' 


416 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TRIBR 


ohant  all  kinds  of  invocations  to  tho  rain,  which  ho  did,  but  without  any  particu 
effect. 


p  r 


h 


. 


She  know  well  what  was  her  dij^nity,  and  never  allowed  it  to  be  encroached 


upod 


On  one  occasion,  Dr.  Livingstone  had  presented  an  ox  to  Sliiute.    Maucnko  heard  of 
and  was  extremely  angry  tnat  such  a  gift  should  have  been  made.    She  said  that,  as  s| 
was  the  chief  of  tho  party  who  had  Drought  tho  white  men,  the  ox  was  hers,  and  nol 
theirs,  as  long  as  she  was  in  command.    So  she  sent  for  tho  ox  straiglitway,  had 
slaughtered  by  her  own  men,  and  then  sent  Shinto  a  leg.    The  latter  chief  8temed  [ 
think  that  she  v;as  justified  in  what  she  had  done,  took  the  leg,  and  said  nothiit 
about  it. 

Yet  she  did  not  forget  that,  although  she  was  a  chief,  she  was  a  woman,  and  oil„ 
therefore  to  perform  a  woman's  duties.  When  the  party  stopped  for  the  night  in  soinJ 
village,  Manenko  was  accustomed  to  go  to  the  huts  and  ask  for  some  maize,  which  ehl 
groun  1  and  prepared  with  her  own  hands  and  brought  to  Dr.  Livingstoue,  as  he  could  no] 
eat  the  ordinary  country  meal  without  being  ill  afterwards.  T 

Sh»  was  also  careful  to  inform  him  of  the  proper  mode  of  approaching  a  Balondi 
town  or  village.  It  is  bad  ma)mer8  to  pass  on  and  enter  a  town  without  having  JirsH 
sent  notice  to  the  head-man.  As  soon  as  a  traveller  comes  within  sight  of  the  houses,  hel 
ought  to  halt,  and  send  forward  a  messenger  to  state  his  name,  and  ask  for  permission 
enter.  The  head-man  or  chief  then  comes  out,  meets  the  stranger  under  a  tree,  just  l. 
Shinto  received  Dr.  Livingstone,  giving  him  a  welcome,  and  appointing  him  a  place  when 
he  may  sleep.  Before  he  learned  this  piece  of  etiquette,  several  villages  had  been  muck 
alarmed  I,/  the  unannounced  arrival  of  the  visitors,  who  were  in  consequence  looked 
upon  with  fear  and  suspicion. 

Afterwards,  when  tney  came  to  visit  the  great  chief  Katema,  they  found  him  qui'^  asl 
friendly  as  Shinto  had  been.  He  received  them  much  after  the  same  manner,  beinzl 
seated,  and  having  around  him  a  number  of  armed  men  or  guards,  and  about  thirtyl 
women  behind  him.  In  going  to  or  coming  from  the  place  of  council,  he  rode  on  the! 
shoulders  of  a  man  appointed  for  the  puipose,  and  who,  through  dint  of  long  practice,! 
performed  his  task  witn  apparent  ease,  though  he  was  slightly  made,  and  Katema  was  Ml 
and  powerful  man.  He  had  a  great  idea  of  his  own  dignity,  and  made  a  speech  inwhichi 
he  compared  himself  with  Matiamvo,  saying  that  he  was  the  great  Mo4ne,  or  lord,  tbel 
fellow  of  Matiamvo.  .  I 

He  was  very  proud  of  a  small  herd  of  cattle,  about  thirty  in  number,  mostly  white  in  I 
colour,  and  as  active  as  antelopes.  He  had  bred  them  all  himself,  but  had  no  idea  of  I 
utilizing  them,  and  was  quite  delighted  when  told  that  they  could  be  milked,  and  tbel 
milk  used  for  food.  It  is  strange  that  the  Balonda  are  not  a  more  pastural  people,  as  the  I 
coimtry  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  nurture  of  cattle,  and  all  those  which  were  poseeeeedl 
by  Katema,  or  even  by  Matiamvo  himself,  were  in  splendid  condition.  So  wild  were! 
Katema's  cattle,  that  when  the  chief  had  presented  the  party  with  a  cow,  they  were! 
obliged  to  stalk  and  shoot  it,  as  if  it  had  been  a  buffalo.  The  native  who  shot  the  cowl 
being  a  bad  marksman,  the  cow  was  only  wounded,  and  dashed  off  into  the  foresU 
together  with  the  rest  of  the  herd.  Even  the  herdsman  was  afraid  to  go  among  them,! 
and,  after  two  days'  hunting,  the  wounded  cow  was  at  last  killed  by  another  ball.  I 

The  Balonda  are  not  only  fond  of  cattle,  but  they  do  their  best  to  improve  the  breed 
When  a  number  of  them  went  with  Dr.  Livingstone  into  Angola,  they  expressed  much 
contemptuous  wonder  at  the  neglect  both  of  land  and  of  domesticated  animals.  They 
themselves  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  better  specimens  than  their  own,  and  even  took  | 
the  trouble  of  carrying  some  large  fowls  all  the  way  from  Angola  to  Shinte's  village. 
When  they  saw  that  even  the  Portuguese  settlers  slaughtered  little  cows  and  heifer  I 
calves,  and  made  no  use  of  the  milk,  they  at  once  set  the  white  men  down  as  an  inferior 
race.  When  they  heard  that  the  flour  used  by  these  same  settlers  was  nearly  all  imported 
from  a  foreign  country,  they  were  astonished  at  the  neglect  of  a  land  so  suited  for  agri- 
culture as  Angola.  "  These  know  nothing  but  buying  and  selling ;  they  are  not  men," 
was  the  verdict  given  by  the  so-called  savages. 

The  food  of  the  Balonda  is  mostly  of  a  vegetable  character,  and  consists  in  a  great 


nSHINO. 


417 


0 


Qsists  in  a 


.„„-  of  tho  manioc,  or  cassava,  which  grows  in  great  abundance.    There  are  ^,wo 

^ties  of  this  plant,  namely,  the  sweet  and  the  bitter,  i.e.  the  poisonous.    The  latter, 

vever,  is  the  quicker  of  growth,  and  consequently  is  chiefly  cultivated.    In  order  to 

ua  it  for  consumption,  it  is  steeped  in  water  for  four  days,  when  it  becomes  partially 

,^,the  skin  comes  off  easily,  and  the  poisonous  matter  in  readily  extracted,    ^f-  is  then 

l^ed  in  the  sun,  and  can  be  pounded  into  a  sort  of  meal. 

When  this  meal  is  cooked,  it  is  simply  stirred  into  boiling  water,  ono  man  huiding  the 
jgel  and  putting  in  the  meal,  while  the  other  stirs  it  with  all  his  might  The  natives 
L  this  simple  diet  very  much,  but  to  a  European  it  is  simply  detestable.  It  has  no 
lirooi  except  that  which  arises  from  partial  decomposition,  and  it  looks  exactly  like 
(dinaiy  starch  when  ready  for  the  laundress.  It  has  but  little  nutritive  power,  and, 
Dtever  much  a  man  may  contrive  to  eat,  he  is  as  hungry  two  'i.ours  afterwanls  as  if  he 
i&sted  Dr.  Livingstone  compares  it  in  appearance,  taste,  and  odour,  to  potato  starch 
de  from  diseased  tubers.  Moreover,  owing  to  the  mode  of  preparing  it,  the  cooking  is 
[ingly  imperfect,  and,  in  consequence,  its  effects  upon  ordineuy  European  digestions 


The  manioc  plant  is  largely  cultivated,  and  requires  but  little  labour,  the  first  planting 

lnTolving  nearly  all  the  trouble.    In  the  low-lying  valleys  the  earth  is  dug  with  the 

irious  Balonda  hoe,  which  has  two  handles  and  one  blade,  and  is  scraped  into  parallel 

b,  about  three  feet  wide  and  one  foot  in  height,  much  resembling  those  in  whicn  aspa- 
I  is  planted  in  England.  In  these  beds  pieces  of  the  manioc  stalk  are  planted  at  foui 
jet  apart.  In  order  to  save  space,  ground  nuts,  bean<),  or  other  plants  are  sown  between 
ihebeds,  and  after  the  crop  is  gathered,  the  ground  is  cleared  of  weeds,  and  the  manioc  is 
left  to  nurture  itself.  It  is  fit  for  eating  in  a  year  or  eighteen  month",  according  to  the 
cter  of  the  soil ;  but  there  is  no  necessity  for  digging  it  at  once,  at    ,  may  he  left  in 

I  ground  for  three  years  before  it  becomes  dry  and  bitter.  When  a  root  is  dug,  the 
loman  cuts  off  two  or  three  pieces  of  the  stalk,  puts  them  in  the  hole  which  she  has 

de,  and  thus  a  new  crop  is  oegun.  Not  only  the  root  is  edible,  but  also  the  leaves, 
Irhich  are  boiled  and  cooked  as  vegetables. 

The  Balonda  seldom  can  obtain  meat,  and  even  Shinte  himself,  great  chief  as  he  was, 

1  to  ask  for  an  ox,  saying  that  his  mouth  was  bitter  for  the  want  nf  meat.  The  reader 
ay  remember  that  when  the  ox  in  question  was  given,  he  was  very  thankful  for  the 
Dgle  leg  which  Manenko  allowed  him  to  receive.  The  people  are  not  so  fastidious  in 
leir  (cm  as  many  other  tribes,  and  they  are  not  above  eating  mice  and  other  small 
uimals  with  their  tasteless  porridga  They  also  eat  fowls  and  eggs,  and  are  fond  of  fish« 
|rhich  they  catch  in  a  very  ingenious  manner. 

When  the  floods  are  out,  many  fish,  especially  the  silurus,  or  mosala,  as  the  natives 
ill  it,  spread  themselves  over  the  land.  Just  before  the  waters  retire,  the  Balonda  con- 
act  a  number  of  earthen  banks  across  the  outlets,  leaving  only  small  apertures  for  the 
|rater  to  pass  through.    In  these  apertures  they  fix  creels  or  baskets,  so  made  that  the  fish 

!  forced  to  enter  them  as  they  follow  the  retreating  waters,  but,  once  in,  they  cannot  get 
^ut  again.  Sometimes,  instead  of  earthen  walls,  they  plant  rows  of  mats  stretched 
letveen  sticks,  which  answer  the  same  purpose. 

They  also  use  fish-traps  very  like  our  own  lobster-pots,  and  place  a  bait  inside  in 
der  to  attract  the  fish.    Hooks  are  also  employed ;  and  in  some  places  they  descend  tx> 

practice  of  poisoning  the  water,  by  which  means  they  destroy  every  fish,  small  and 

at,  that  comes  witliin  range  of  the  deadly  juice.  The  fish  wh(  n  taken  are  cleaned, 
plit  open,  and  dried  in  the  smoke,  so  that  they  can  be  kept  for  a  considerable  time. 

Like  other  Africans,  the  Balonda  make  great  quantities  of  beer,  which  has  more  a 

upifying  than  an  intoxicating  character,  those  who  drink  it  habitually  being  often  seen 

fing  on  their  faces  fast  asleep.    A  more  intoxicating  drink  is  a  kind  of  mead  which  they 

|iake,  and  of  which  some  of  them  are  as  fond  as  the  old  Ossianic  heroes.     Shinte  had  a 

at  idea  of  the  medicinal  properties  of  this  mead,  and  recommended  it  to  Dr.  living- 
one  when  he  was  very  ill  with  a  fever :  "  Drink  plenty  of  mead,"  saic'  he,  "  and  it  wUl 
rive  the  fever  out."  Probably  on  account  of  its  value  as  a  febrifuge,  Shinte  took  plenty 
'  his  own  prescription. 

TOL  L  .  E  E 


fr 


MM 

If 

^SKf   Ij 

i 

^  y 

^.r 

1 

'' 

^% 

i 

11 

t 

» 

^•"^^j 

^E    t  J  .   ! 

f 

f 

^  ji, 

W,  '''*' 

P  ^ 

t 

^n 

1  '^ 

1 

yS/  1  ^ 

S^- — i^*- 

p 

— 

1     '^ 

ii 

J 

^"^^isi^ 

'  's 

Sv  "^i 

( 

( ? 


418 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TEIBR 


They  have  a  most  elaborate  code  of  etiquette  in  eating.  They  will  not  partake  ofk 
food  which  has  been  cooked  by  strangers,  neither  will  they  eat  it  except  when  alone.  Ifl 
a  party  of  Balonda  are  travelling  with  men  of  other  tribes,  they  always  go  aside  to  cookl 
their  food,  and  then  come  back,  clap  their  hands,  and  return  thanks  to  the  leader  of  the! 
party.  EaSi  hut  has  always  its  own  fire,  and,  instead  of  kindling  it  at  the  chief's  fire,  aa| 
IS  the  custom  with  the  Damaras,  they  always  light  it  at  once  with  fire  produced  brl 
friction.  'I 

So  careful  are  the  Balonda  in  this  respect,  that  when  Dr.  Livingstone  killed  an  ox,  and! 
ofiered  some  of  the  cooked  meat  to  his  party,  the  Balonda  would  not  take  it,  in  spite  ofl 
their  fondness  for  meat,  and  the  very  few  chances  which  they  have  of  obtaining  it.  Theyl 
did,  however,  accept  some  of  the  raw  meat,  which  they  took  away  and  cooked  after  theul 
own  fashion.  One  of  them  was  almost  absurd  in  the  many  little  fashions  which  hel 
followed,  and  probably  invented.  When  the  meat  was  offered  to  him,  he  would  not  takel 
it  himself,  as  it  was  below  his  dignity  to  carry  meat  Accordingly  he  marched  home  inl 
state,  with  a  servant  behind  him  carrying  a  few  ounces  of  mept  on  a  platter.  Neither! 
would  he  sit  on  the  grass  beside  Dr.  Liivngstona  "  He  had  never  sat  on  tiie  groundf 
during  the  late  Matiamvo's  reign,  and  was  not  going  to  degrade  himself  at  his  time  6( 
life."  So  he  seated  himself  on  a  log  of  wood,  and  was  happy  at  his  untarnished 
dignity. 

One  of  the  little  sub-tribes,  an  offshoot  of  the  Balonda,  was  remarkable  for  never 
eating  beef  on  principle,  saying  that  cattle  are  like  human  beings,  and  live  at  home  Uke| 
men.  There  are  other  tribes  who  will  not  keep  cattle,  because,  as  they  rightly  say,  the 
oxen  bring  enemies  and  war  upon  them.  But  they  are  always  glad  to  eat  beef  vl 
they  can  get  it,  and  this  tribe  seems  to  be  unique  in  its  abstinence. 

Although  they  have  this  aversion  to  beef,  they  will  eat  without  compunction  the  A_ 
of  most  wM  animals,  and  in  many  cases  display  great  ingenuity  in  hunting  them.  Therj 
stalk  the  animals  through  the  long  grass  and  brushwood,  disguising  themselves  by  wearing 
a  cap  made  of  the  skin  taken  from  the  head  of  an  antelope,  to  which  the  horns  are  still 
attached.  When  the  animal  which  they  are  pursuing  begins  to  be  alarmed  at  the  rustlkg 
of  the  boughs  or  shaking  of  the  grass,  they  only  thrust  the  horned  mask  into  view,  and 
move  it  about  as  if  it  were  the  head  of  a  veritable  antelope.  This  device  quiets 
suspicion,  and  so  the  hunter  proceeds  until  he  is  near  enough  to  deliver  his  arrow.  " 
of  these  hunters  prefer  the  head  and  neck  of  the  jabiru,  or  great  African  crana 

As  far  as  is  known,  the  Balonda  are  not  a  warlike  people,  though  they  are  in  thai 
habit  of  carrying  arms,  and  have  a  very  formidable  look.  Their  weapons  are  short  knife- 
like swords,  shields,  and  bows  and  arrows,  the  latter  being  iron-headed.  The  shields  are 
made  of  reeds  plaited  firmly  together.  They  are  square,  or  rather  oblong,  in  form, 
measuring  about  five  feet  in  length  and  three  in  width. 

The  architecture  of  the  Balonda  is  simple,  but  ingenious.  Every  house  is  surrounded 
with  a  palisade  which  to  all  appearance  has  no  door,  and  is  always  kept  closed,  so  tm 
a  stranger  may  walk  round  and  round  it,  and  never  find  the  entrance.  In  one  part  of  the 
palisade  the  stakes  are  not  fastened  to  each  other,  but  two  or  three  are  merely  stuck  intoj 
their  holes  in  the  ground.  When  the  inhabitante  of  the  huts  wish  to  enter  or  leave  the! 
dwellings,  they  simply  pull  up  two  or  three  stakes,  squeeze  themselves  through 
aperture,  and  replace  them,  so  that  no  sign  of  a  deorway  is  left.  The  reader  mayperhi 
remember  that  the  little  wooden  bird-cages  in  which  canaries  are  brought  to  England  ml 
opened  and  closed  in  exactly  the  same  manner,  some  moveable  bars  supplying  the  place  of 
a  door. 

Sometimes  they  vary  the  material  of  their  fences,  and  make  them  of  tall  and  com' 
paratively  slight  rods  fastened  tightly  together.  Shinte's  palace  was  formed  after  this 
manner,  and  the  interior  space  was  decorated  with  clnmps  of  trees  which  had  been 
planted  for  the  sake  of  the  shade  which  they  afforded.  That  these  trees  had  really  beeal 
planted,  and  not  merely  left  standing,  was  evident  from  the  fact  that  several  young  trees 
were  seen  recently  set,  with  a  quantity  of  grass  twisted  round  their  stems  to  protect 
them  against  the  sun.  Even  the  comers  of  the  streets  were  planted  with  sugar-caDes| 
and  bananas,  so  that  the  social  system  of  the  Balonda  seems  to  be  of  rather  a  high  order; 


CEMENTING  FRIENDSHIP. 


419 


One  petty  chief,  called  Mozinkwa,  had  made  the  hedge  of  his  enclosure  of  green  banian 
laanches,  which  had  taken  root,  and  so  formed  a  living  hedge. 

It  is  a  pity  that  so  much  care  and  skill  should  be  so  often  thrown  away.  As  the 
traveller  passes  through  the  Londa  districts  he  often  sees  deserted  houses,  and  even  villages. 
The  fact  is,  that  either  the  husband  or  the  chief  wife  has  died,  and  the  invariable  custom 
^  to  desert  ihe  locality,  and  never  to  revisit  it  except  to  make  offerings  to  the  dead.  Thus 
it  happens  that  permanent  localities  are  impossible,  because  the  death  of  a  chiefs  wife 


narkable  for  neTerl 

live  at  home  like! 

leyrighUysay.tliel 

I  to  eat  beef  wheni 

npunction  the  Ml 
ntingthem.  Theyl 
mselves  by  wearingl 
the  horns  are  stiul 
med  at  the  rugtliogl 
lask  into  view,  and! 
This  device  quiebl 
his  arrow. 


an  crana 
?h  they  are  in  1 
»ns  are  short  knife-l 
.  The  shields  arel 
oblong,  in  fonsj 

lOUse  is  stUTOundedl 
ept  closed,  so  thatl 
In  ouepartofthel 
)  merely  stuck  intol 
snter  or  leave  theirl 
elves  through  the[ 
•eader  mayperhap 
;ht  to  England  ai«J 
plying  the  place  off 


CEMENTING  FRIENDSHIP. 


would  cause  the  whole  village  to  be  deserted,  just  as  is  the  case  with  a  house  when  an 
ordinary  man  dies.  This  very  house  and  garden  underwent  the  usual  lot,  for  Mozinkwa 
lost  his  favourite  wife,  and  in  a  few  months  house,  garden,  and  hedges  had  all  gone  to 
loin. 

The  Balonda  have  a  most  remarkable  custom  of  cementing  friendship.  "When  two 
men  agree  to  be  special  friends,  they  go  through  a  singular  ceremony. 

The  men  sit  opposite  each  other  with  clasped  hands,  and  by  the  side  of  each  is  a 
vessel  of  beer.  Slight  cuts  are  then  made  on  the  clasped  hands,  on  the  pit  of  the  stomach, 
on  the  right  cheek,  and  on  the  forehead.  The  point  of  a  grass  blade  is  then  pressed 
against  each  of  these  cuts,  so  as  to  take  up  a  little  of  the  blood,  and  each  man  washes  the 
grass  blade  in  his  own  beer-vessel.  The  vessels  are  then  exchanged  and  the  contents 
drunk,  so  that  each  imbibes  the  blood  of  the  other.  They  are  then  considered  as  blood 
relations,  and  are  bound  to  assist  each  other  in  every  possible  manner.  While  the  beer  is 
being  drunk,  the  friends  of  each  of  the  men  beat  on  llie  ground  with  dubs,  and  bawl  out 
certun  sentences  as  ratification  of  the  treaty. 

E£2 


if 


420 


THE  BALONDO  OR  BALONDA  TRIBE. 


It  is  thought  coiTect  for  all  the  friends  of  each  party  to  the  contract  to  drink  a  littlel 
of  the  beer.  This  ceremony  is  called  "kasendi"  After  the  ceremony  has  been  completedl 
gifts  are  exchanged,  and  both  parties  always  give  their  most  precious  possessions.  I 

Dr.  Livingstone  once  became  related  to  a  young  woman  in  rather  a  curious  manneil 
She  had  a  tumour  in  her  arm,  and  asked  him  to  remove  it.  As  he  was  doing  so,  a  littlel 
blood  spirted  from  one  the  small  arteries  and  entered  his  eye.  As  he  was  wiping  it  onil 
she  hailed  him  as  a  blood  relation,  and  said  that  whenever  he  passed  through  the  counttyl 
he  was  to  send  word  to  her,  that  she  might  wait  upon  him,  and  cook  for  him.  Menl 
of  different  tribes  often  go  through  this  ceremony,  and  on  the  present  occasion  alll 
Dr.  Livingstone's  men,  whether  they  were  Bbtoka,  Makololo,  or  of  other  tribes,  became! 
Mblekanes,  or  friends,  to  the  Balonda  I 

As  to  their  religious  belief,  it  is  but  confused  and  hazy,  still  it  exercises  a  kind  ofl 
influence  over  them.  They  have  a  tolerably  clear  idea  of  a  Supreme  Being,  whom  they  I 
call  by  different  names  according  to  their  dialect  The  Balonda  use  the  woni  Zambi,  butl 
Morimo  is  one  name  which  is  understood  through  a  verylaige  tract  of  countiy.  The  I 
Balonda  believe  that  Zambi  rules  over  all  other  spirits  and  minor  deities  just  as  their  i 
king  Matiamvo  rules  over  the  greater  and  lesser  chiefs.  When  they  undergo  the  poison  I 
ordeal,  which  is  used  as  much  among  them  as  in  other  tribes,  they  hold  up  l£  ^^  hands  to  I 
heaven,  and  thus  appeal  to  the  Great  Spirit  to  judge  according  to  right. 

Among  the  Balanda  we  come  for  the  first  time  among  idols  or  fetishes,  whlcbever  nay  I 
be  the  correct  title.  I 

One  form  of  idol  is  very  common  in  Balonda  villages,  and  is  called  by  then(imeof| 
a  lion,  though  a  stranger  unitiated  in  its  mysteries  would  certainly  take  it  for  a  crocodile, 
or  at  all  events  a  lizard  of  some  kind.  It  is  a  long  cylindrical  roll  of  grass  plastered 
over  Mdth  clay.  One  end  represents  the  head,  and  is  accordingly  furnished  withamoHth,! 
and  a  couple  of  cowrie  shells  by  way  of  eyes.  The  other  end  tapers  gradually  into  a  tail, 
and  the  whole  is  supported  on  four  short  straight  legs.  The  native  modeller  seems  to 
have  a  misgiving  that  the  imitation  is  not  quite  so  close  as  might  be  wished,  and  so  sticks 
in  the  neck  a  number  of  hairs  from  an  elephant's  tail,  which  are  supposed  to  repiesent 
the  mane. 

These  singular  idols  are  to  be  seen  in  most  Balonda  villages.    They  are  supposed  to 
represent  the  deities  who  have  dominion  over  disease ;  and  when  any  inhabitant  of  the 
village  is  ill,  his  friends  go  to  the  lion  idol,  and  pray  all  night  before  it,  beating  their  j 
drums,  and  producing  that  amount  of  noise  which  seems  to  be  an  essential  accompam- 
ment  of  religious  rites  among  Africana 

Some  idols  may  be  perhaps  more  properly  called  teraphim,  as  by  their  means  the  j 
medicine  men  foretell  future  events.  These  idols  generally  rest  on  a  horizontal  beam 
fastened  to  two  uprights — ^a  custom  which  is  followed  in  Dahom^  when  a  human  sacrifice 
has  been  made.  The  medicine  men  tell  their  clients  that  by  their  ministrations  they  can 
force  the  teraphim  to  speak,  and  that  thus  they  are  acquainted  with  the  future.  They 
are  chiefly  brought  into  requisition  in  war-time,  when  they  are  supposed  to  give  notice  of 
the  enemy's  approach. 

These  idoU  take  various  shapes.  Sometimes  they  are  intended  to  represent  certain 
animals,  and  sometimes  are  fashioned  into  the  rude  semblance  of  the  human  head. 
When  the  superstitious  native  does  not  care  to  take  the  trouble  of  carviug  or  modelling 
an  idol,  he  takes  a  crooked  stick,  fixes  it  in  the  ground,  rubs  it  with  some  strange 
compound,  and  so  his  idol  is  completed. 

Trees  are  pressed  into  the  service  of  the  heathen  worshipper.  Offerings  of  maize  or 
manioc  root  are  laid  on  the  branches,  and  incisions  are  made  in  the  bark,  some  being 
mere  knife-cuts,  and  others  rude  outlines  of  the  human  face.  Sticks,  too,  are  thrown  ou 
the  ground  in  heaps,  and  each  traveller  that  passes  by  is  supposed  to  throw  at  least  cue 
stick  on  the  heap. 

Son\etimes  little  models  of  huts  are  made,  and  in  them  are  placed  pots  of  medicine; 
and  in  one  instance  a  small  farmhouse  was  seen,  and  in  it  was  the  skull  of  an  ox  by  my 
of  an  idoL  The  offerings  which  are  made  are  generally  some  article  of  food ;  and  some  of 
the  Balonda  are  so  fearful  of  ofiending  the  denizens  of  the  imseen  world,  that  whenever 


(;:  1-t; 


RELIGION. 


421 


Isilencb  99 


iv  leceive  a  present,  they  always  offer  a  portion  of  it  to  the  spirita  of  their  dead 

itions. 

One  curious  legend  was  told  to  Dr.  Livingstone,  and  is  worthy  of  mention,  because  it 
fg  a  resemblance  to  the  old  mythological  story  of  Latona.     There  is  a  certain  lake 
Ued  in  Loada-land  Dilolo,  respecting  which  the  following  story  was  told  to  the  white 

TJsitois :     . 

«A  female  chief,  called  Mo^ne  (lord)  Monenga,  came  one  evening  to  the  village  of 
[ojogo,  a  man  who  lived  in  the  vicinity,  but  who  had  gone  to  himt  with  his  dogs.  She 
jked  for  a  supply  of  food,  and  Mosogo's  wife  gave  her  a  sufficient  quantity.  Proceeding 
IJo  another  village,  standing  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  water,  she  preferred  the 
Lne  demand,  and  was  not  only  refused,  but,  when  she  uttered  a  threat  for  their  niggard- 
^  was  taunted  with  the  question, '  What  could  she  do  though  she  were  thus  treated  ?' 

«Ia  order  to  show  what  she  could  do,  she  began  a  song  in  slow  time,  and  uttered  her 
name, '  Monenga-wo-o.'  As  she  prolonged  Uie  last  note,  the  village,  people,  fowls,  and 
sank  into  the  space  now  called  Dilolo.  When  Easimak&te,  the  head-man  of  the 
(re,  came  home  and  found  out  the  catastrophe,  he  cast  himself  into  the  lake,  and  is 
\mDmi  to  be  in  it  stilL  The  name  is  taken  from  '  il61o,'  despair,  because  this  man  gave 
ip  all  hope  when  his  family  was  destroyed.    Monenga  was  put  to  death." 

The  Balonda  are  certainly  possessed  of  a  greater  sense  of  religion  than  is  the  case 
[with  tribes  which  have  been  described.  They  occasionally  exhibit  a  feeling  of  reverence, 
which  implies  a  religious  turn  of  mind,  though  the  object  towards  which  it  may  manifest 
itself  be  an  unworthy  one.  During  Dr.  Livingstone's  march  through  the  Londa  country 
the  party  was  accompanied  by  a  medicine  man  belonging  to  the  tribe  which  was  ruled  by 
Manenko.  The  wizard  in  question  carried  his  sacred  implements  in  a  basket,  and  was 
itial  in  his  manner  towards  them.  When  near  these  sacred  objects,  he  kept 
1*1  possible,  and,  if  he  were  forced  to  speak,  never  raised  his  voice  above  a 
.  c  ,  when  a  Batoka  man  happened  to  speak  in  his  usual  loud  tones  when 
L^Ket,  the  doctor  administered  a  sharp  reproof,  his  anxious  glances  at  the 
basket  showing  that  he  was  really  in  earnest. 

It  so  liappened  that  another  female  chief,  called  Nyamoana,  was  of  the  party,  and, 
when  they  had  to  cross  a  stream  that  passed  by  her  own  village,  she  would  not  venture 
to  do  so  until  the  doctor  had  waved  his  chaims  over  her,  and  she  had  further  fortified 
herself  by  taking  some  in  her  .hands,  and  hanging  others  round  her  neck. 

As  the  Balonda  believe  in  a  Supreme  Being,  it  is  evident  that  they  also  believe  in 
theimmortaUty  of  the  human  spirit.  Here  their  belief  has  a  sort  of  consistency,  and 
opposes  a  curious  obstacle  to  the  efforts  of  missionaries ;  even  Dr.  Livingstone  being 
nnable  to  make  any  real  impression  on  them.  They  fancy  that  when  a  ^onda  man 
dies,  he  may  perhaps  take  the  form  of  some  animal,  or  he  may  assume  his  place  among 
the  Barimo,  or  inferior  deities,  this  word  being  merely  the  plural  form  of  Morimo.  In 
either  case  the  enfranchised  spirit  still  belongs  to  earth,  and  has  no  aspirations  for  a 
higher  state  of  existenca 

Nor  can  the  missionary  make  any  impression  on  their  minds  with  regard  to  the 
ultimate  destiny  of  human  souls.  They  admit  the  existence  of  the  Supreme  Being ;  they 
see  no  objection  to  the  doctrine  that  the  Maker  of  mankind  took  on  Himself  the  humanity 
which  He  had  created ;  they  say  that  they  always  have  believed  that  man  lives  after 
the  death  of  the  body ;  and  apparently  afford  a  good  basis  for  instruction  in  the  Christian 
religion.  But,  although  the  teachers  can  advance  thus  far,  they  are  suddenly  checked  by 
the  old  objection  that  white  and  black  men  are  totally  different,  and  that,  although  the 
spirits  of  deceased  white  men  may  go  into  a  mysterious  and  incomprehensible  heaven, 
the  deceased  Balonda  prefer  to  remain  near  their  villages  which  were  familiar  to  them 
in  Ufe,  and  to  assist  those  who  have  succeeded  them  in  their  duties.  This  idea  may 
probably  account  for  the  habit  of  deserting  their  houses  after  the  death  of  any  of  the 
femily. 

During  the  funeral  ceremonies  a  perpetual  and  deafening  clamour  is  kept  up,  the 
popular  notion  seeming  to  be,  that  the  more  noise  they  can  make,  the  greater  honour  is 
due  to  the  deceased.    Wailing  is  carried  on  with  loud  piercing  cries,  drums  are  beaten. 


■close  to  1 


S    ,4'>     ii 


m 


'iV     > 


hn  I 


Ml 


K*  ' 

1 

Rf*     ] ' 

E '     'P 

1 

£    ' 

t 

K    ^ , 

i  '' 

i  ^' 

I--' 

^ 

t  ■.  i 

^f.,J;' 

if    y/'i 

R  :;'■( 

St    .'-l 

M:  i  '■ 

f'.-  T 

422 


THE  ANGOLESE 


and,  if  fire-arms  have  oeen  introduced  among  them,  guns  are  fired.  These  drums  are  not 
beaten  at  random,  but  with  regular  measured  beats.  They  are  played  all  night  long,  and 
their  sound  has  been  compared  to  the  regular  beating  of  a  paddle-wheel  engine.  Oxen 
are  slaughtered  and  the  flesh  cooked  for  a  feast,  and  great  quantities  of  beer  and  mead  are 
drunk.  The  cost  of  a  funeral  in  these  parts  is  therefore  very  great,  and  it  is  thought  a 
point  of  honour  to  expend  as  much  wealth  as  can  be  got  together  for  the  purpose. 

The  religious  element  is  represented  by  a  kind  of  idol  or  figure  covered  with  feathers 
which  is  carried  about  during  some  parts  of  the  ceremony ;  and  in  some  places  a  man  in 
a  strange  dress,  covered  with  feathers,  dances  with  the  mourners  all  night,  and  retires  to 
the  feast  in  the  early  morning.  He  is  supposed  to  be  the  representative  of  the  Baiimo 
or  spirits.  ' 

The  position  of  the  grave  is  usually  marked  with  certain  objects.  One  of  these 
graves  was  covered  with  a  huge  cone  of  sticks  laid  together  like  the  roof  of  a  hut,  and  a 
palisade  was  erected  round  the  cone.  There  was  an  opening  on  one  side,  in  which  was 
placed  an  ugly  idol,  and  a  number  of  bits  of  cloth  and  strings  of  beads  were 
around. 


THE  ANGOLESE 

Westward  of  the  country  which  has  just  been  described  is  a  laige  district  tliat 
embraces  a  considerable  portion  of  the  coast,  and  extends  far  inwards.  This  country  is 
well  known  under  the  name  of  Angola.  As  this  country  has  been  held  for  several 
centuries  by  the  Portuguese,  who  have  extended  their  settlements  for  six  or  seven 
hundred  nules  into  the  interior,  but  few  of  the  original  maimers  and  customs  have  sur- 
vived, and  even  those  have  been  modified  by  the  contact  with  white  settlers.  As,  however, 
Angola  is  a  very  important,  as  well  as  a  large,  country,  a  short  account  will  be  given  of 
the  natives  before  we  proceed  more  northward. 

The  chiefs  of  the  Angolese  are  elected,  and  the  choice  must  be  made  from  certain  I 
families.  In  one  place  there  are  three  families  from  which  the  chief  is  chosen  in  rotation, 
The  law  of  succession  is  rather  remarkable,  the  eldest  brother  inheriting  property  in  pre- 
ference to  the  son;  and  if  a  married  man  dies,  his  children  belong  to  his  widov\r's  eldest 
brother,  who  not  unfrequently  converts  them  into  property  by  selling  them  to  the  slave- 
dealers.  It  iu  it}  this  maimer,  as  has  been  well  remarked,  that  the  slave-trade  is  supplied,  | 
rather  than  by  war. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  land,  although  dark,  are  seldom,  if  ever,  black,  their  colour  I 
being  brownish  red,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow ;  and,  although  they  are  so  close  to  the  country 
inhabited  by  the  trae  negroes,  they  have  but  few  of  the  negro  traits.  Their  features  are  | 
not  those  of  the  negro,  the  nose  being  rather  aquiline,  and  broad  at  base,  their  hair  woolly, 
but  tolerably  long  and  very  abundant,  and  their  lips  moderately  thick.  The  hands  and  I 
feet  are  exquisitely  small,  and,  as  Mr.  Eeade  observes,  Angolese  slaves  afford  a  bold  | 
contrast  with  those  who  are  brought  from  the  Congo. 

Of  the  women  the  same  traveller  writes  in  terms  of  considerable  praise,  as  far  i 
their  personal  appearance  goes.     There  are  girls  in  that  country  who  have  such  soil  I 
dark  eyes,  such  sweet  smiles,  and  such  graceful  ways,  that  they  involuntarily  win  a  kind 
of  love,  only  it  is  that  sort  of  semi-love  which  is  extended  to  a  dog,  a  horse,  or  a  bird, 
and  has  in  it  nothing  of  the  intellect.    They  are  gentle,  and  faithful,  and  loving  in  their 
own  way ;  but,  though  they  can  inspire  a  passion,  they  cannot  retain  the  love  of  as  | 
intellectual  man. 

As  is  the  case  with  the  Balonda,  the  Angolese  live  greatly  on  manioc  roots,  chiefly  I 
for  the  same  reason  as  the  Irish  peasantry  live  so  much  on  the  potato,  i.e.  becaiwe  its 
culture  and  cooking  give  very  little  trouble.    The  preparation  of  the  soil  and  planting  of 


THE  MANIOO-ROOT. 


423 


L  g]jfa][)  are  the  work  of  slaves,  the  true  Angolese  having  a  very  horror  of  hard  work. 
fcisequently  the  labour  is  very  imperfectly  performed,  the  ground  being  barely  scratched 
Lt^double-handled  hoe  which  is  used  by  dragging  it  along  the  ground  rather  than  by 
Ljjing  it  into  the  earth. 

r^e  majuoc  is,  however,  a  far  more  useful  plant  than  the  potato,  especially  the  "  sweet" 
fjiety  which  is  free  from  the  poisonous  principle.  It  can  be  eaten  raw,  just  as  it  comes 
It  of  the  ground,  or  it  can  be  roasted  or  boUed.  Sometimes  it  is  partially  fermented, 
then  dried  and  ground  into  meal,  or  reduced  to  powder  by  a  rasp,  mixed  with  sugar,  and 
Biije  into  a  sort  of  confectionery.  The  leaves  can  be  boiled  and  eaten  as  a  vegetoble,  or, 
if  they  be  given  to  goats,  the  latter  yield  a  bountiful  supply  of  milk.    The  wood  affords 

excellent  fuel,  and,  when  burned,  it  furnishes  a  large  quantity  of  potash.  On  the 
iveiage,  it  takes  about  a  year  to  come  to  perfection  in  Angola,  and  oidy  requires  to  be 
weeded  once  during  that  time. 

The  m^  or  roots  cannot  be  stored,  as  they  are  liable  to  the  attacks  of  a  weevil  which 
anickly  destroys  them,  and  therefore  another  plan  is  followed.  The  root  is  scraped  like 
boiseradiBh,  and  laid  on  a  cloth  which  is  held  over  a  vessel    Water  is  then  poured  on  i^ 


CUPFINQ  AND  BLEEDING. 


and  the  white  shavings  are  well  rubbed  with  the  hands.  All  the  starch-globules  are  thus 
washed  out  of  their  cells,  and  pass  through  the  cloth  into  the  vessel  below  together  with 
the  water.  When  this  mixture  has  been  allowed  to  stand  for  some  time,  the  starchy 
matter  collects  in  a  sort  of  sediment,  and  the  water  is  poured  away.  The  sediment  is  then 
scraped  out,  and  placed  on  an  iron  plate  which  is  held  over  a  fire.  The  gelatinous  mass  is 
then  continually  stirred  with  a  stick,  and  by  degrees  it  forms  itself  into  littie  translucent 
globules,  which  are  almost  exactly  identical  with  the  tapioca  of  commerce. 

The  advantage  of  converting  the  manioc-root  into  tapioca  is,  that  in  the  latter  state  it 
is  impervious  to  the  destructive  weevil. 

Some  parts  of  Angola  are  low,  marshy,  and  fever-breeding,  and  even  the  natives  feel 
the  effects  of  the  damp,  hot,  malarious  climate.  Of  medicine,  however,  they  have  but 
httle  idea,  their  two  principal  remedies  being  cupping  and  charms. 

The  former  is  a  remedy  which  is  singularly  popular,  and  is  conducted  in  much  the 
same  way  throughout  the  whole  of  Africa  south  of  the  equator.    The  operator  has  three 


4^4 


THE  XNGOLESE 


m  r   ! 


implements,  namely,  a  small  horn,  a  knife,  and  a  piece  of  wax.    The  hom  is  cut  qi^t 
level  at  the  base,  and  great  care  is  taken  that  the  ed^e  is  perfectly  smooth.    The  Bmalle 
end  is  perforated  with  a  very  small  hole.  This  hom  is  generally  tied  to  a  string  and  hui 
round  the  neck  of  the  owner,  who  is  usually  a  professional  physician.    The  knife  is 
and  shaped  exactly  like  the  little  Bechuana  knife  shown  on  page  314. 

When  the  cupping-horn  is  to  be  used,  the  wide  end  is  placed  on  the  afflicted  part,  Ji 

?ressed  down  tightly,  while  the  mouth  is  applied  to  the  small  end,  and  the  air  exhauste 
he  operator  continues  to  suck  for  some  moments,  and  then  removes  the  hom,  and 
denly  makes  three  or  four  gashes  with  the  knife  on  the  raised  and  reddened  dkia 
hom  is  again  applied,  and  when  the  operator  has  sucked  out  the  air  as  far  as  hia  \m 
will  allow  him,  he  places  with  his  tongue  a  small  piece  of  wax  on  the  end  of  the  hor 
introduces  his  finger  into  his  mouth,  presses  the  wax  firmly  on  the  little  aperture  so  as . 
exclude  the  air,  and  then  allows  the  hom  to  remain  adherent  by  the  pressure  of  the  atno 
sphere.    The  blood  of  course  mns  into  the  hom,  and  in  a  short  time  coagulates  into  i 
flat  circular  cake.    The  wax  is  then  removed  from  the  end  of  the  hom,  the  latter  is  take 
off,  the  cake  of  blood  put  aside,  and  the  process  repeated  until  the  operator  and  patiei 
are  satisfied. 

Dr.  Livingstone  mentions  a  case  in  which  this  strange  predilection  for  the  cuppingJ 
hom  clearly  hastened,  even  if  it  did  not  produce,  the  death  of  a  child.    The  whole  stoij 
is  rather  a  singular  one,  and  shows  the  state  of  religious,  or  rather  superstitious,  feeling 
among  the  native  Angolese.    It  so  happened  that  a  Poi'tuguese  trader  died  in  a  village, 
and  after  his  death  the  other  traders  met  and  disposed  of  his  property  among  themselves! 
each  man  accounting  for  his  portion  to  the  relations  of  the  deceased,  who  lived  at  LoandaJ 
the  principal  town  of  Angola    The  generality  o£  the  natives,  not  understanding  M 
nature  of  written  obligations,  thought  that  the  traders  had  simply  sold  the  goods  audi 
appropriated  the  money. 

Some  time  afterwards  the  child  of  a  man  who  had  bought  some  of  this  properly  fell} 
ill,  and  the  mother  sent  for  t<he  diviner  in  order  to  find  out  me  cause  of  its  ailment.  After 
throwing  his  magic  dice,  and  working  himself  up  to  the  proper  pitch  of  ecstatic  foiy, 
the  prophet  announced  that  the  child  was  being  killed  by  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  trader 
in  revenge  for  his  stolen  property.  The  mother  was  quite  satisfied  with  the  revelation, 
and  wanted  to  give  the  prophet  a  slave  by  way  of  a  fee.  The  father,  however,  was  less! 
amenable,  and,  on  learning  the  result  of  the  investigation,  he  took  a  friend  with  him  to 
the  place  where  the  diviner  was  still  in  his  state  of  trance,  and  by  the  application  of  two] 
sticks  to  his  back  restored  him  to  his  senses. 

Even  after  this  the  ignorant  mother  would  not  allow  the  child  to  be  treated  with 
European  medicines,  but  msisted  on  cupping  it  on  the  cheek ;  and  the  consequence  was, 
that  in  a  short  time  the  child  died. 

The  Angolese  are  a  marvellously  superstitious  people,  and,  so  far  from  having  lost  any 
of  their  superstitions  by  four  centuries  of  connexion  with  the  Portuguese,  they  seem 
rather  to  have  infected  their  white  visitors  with  them.  Ordeals  of  several  kinds  are  in 
great  use  among  them,  especially  the  poison  ordeal,  which  has  extended  itself  through  so 
large  a  portion  of  Africa,  and  slays  its  thousands  annually.  One  curious  point  in  the 
Angolese  ordeal  is,  that  it  is  administered  in  one  particular  spot  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Dua,  and  that  persons  who  are  accused  of  crime,  especially  of  witchcraft,  will  travel 
hundreds  of  miles  to  the  sacred  spot,  strong  in  their  belief  that  the  poison-tree  will  do 
them  no  harm.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  person 
on  trial  depends  wholly  on  the  caprice  of  the  medicine  man  who  prepares  the  poisonous 
draught,  and  that  he  may  either  weaken  it  or  substitute  another  material  without  being 
discovered  by  these  credulous  people. 

As,  according  to  Balonda  ideas,  the  spirits  of  the  deceased  are  always  with  their  friends 
on  earth,  partaking  equally  in  their  joys  and  sorrows,  helping  those  whom  they  love,  and 
thwarting  those  whom  they  hate,  they  are  therefore  supposed  to  share  in  an  ethereal 
sort  of  way  in  the  meals  taken  by  their  friends;  and  it  follows  that  when  a  man 
denies  himself  food,  he  is  not  only  starving  himself,  but  afflicting  the  spirits  of  his  ances- 
tors. Sacrifices  are  a  necessary  result  of  this  idea,  as  is  the  cooking  and  eating  of  the 
flesh  by  those  who  offer  them. 


MARRIAGES  AND  FUNERALS. 


425 


Xheir  theoiy  of  sickness  is  a  \eiy  simple  one.  They  fancy  that  if  the  spirits  of  the 
Ijead  fin<l  ^^^^  ^^^^^  living  friends  do  not  treat  thew  property,  and  give  them  plenty  to  eat 
lind  drink,  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  take  out  of  the  world  such  useless  allies,  in  order  to 
liiake  room  for  others  who  will  treat  them  better.  The  same  idea  also  runs  into  their  pro- 
Initiatory  sacrifices.  If  one  man  kills  another,  the  murderer  offers  sacrifices  to  his  victim, 
ISinking  that  if  when  he  first  finds  himself  a  spirit,  instead  of  a  man,  he  is  treated  to  an 
L^dimt  feast,  he  will  not  harbour  feeling  of  revenge  against  the  man  who  sent  him  out 
lof  the  world,  and  deprived  him  of  all  its  joys  and  pleasures. 

I   It  is  said  that  in  some  parts  of  the  country  human  sacrifices  are  used,  a  certain  sect 
louting  who  kill  men  in  order  to  offer  their  hearts  to  the  spirits. 

I   Marriages  among  the  Angolese  still  retain  some  remnant  of  their  original  ceremonies. 

Ilhe  brido  is  taken  to  a  hut,  anointed  with  various  charmed  preparations,  and  then  left 

liloDe  while  prayers  are  offered  for  a  happy  marriage  and  plenty  of  male  children,  a  large 

Iftiaily  of  sons  being  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  that  can  fall  to  the  lot  of  an  Angolese 

llousehold.  Daughters  are  comparatively  de&pis^,  but  a  woman  who  has  never  presented 

r  husband  with  children  «,"  e*''      sex  is  looked  upon  'v'th  th^  greatest  scorn  and  oon- 

npt  Her  more  fortunat      >mpa.     -^a  are  by  no  means    ■  <-  _n  expressing  their  opinion 

her,  and  in  the  wedding-songs  suug  in  honour  of  a  bride  are  sure  to  introduce  a  line  . 

r  two  reflecting  upon  her  uselessness,  and  hoping  that  the  bride  will  not  be  so  unprofit- 

bleawife  as  to  give  neither  sons  nor  daughters  to  her  husband  as  a  recompense  for  the 

money  which  he  has  paid  for  her.     So  bitter  are  these  words,  that  the  woman  at  whom 

jiey  were  aimed  has  been  more  than  once  known  to  rush  off  and  clestroy  herself 

After  several  days  of  this  performance,  the  bride  is  taken  to  another  hut,  clothed  in 

the  finery  that  she  possesses  or  can  borrow  for  the  occasion,  led  out  in  public,  and 

ledged  as  a  married  woman.    She  then  goes  to  her  husband's  dwelling,  but  always 

I  a  hut  to  herself. 

Into  their  funeral  ceremonies  the  Angolese  contrive  to  introduce  many  of  their  super- 
titiona  Just  before  death  the  friends  set  up  their  wailing  cry  (which  must  be  very 
onsolatory  to  the  dying  person),  and  continue  this  outcry  for  a  day  or  two  almost 
nthout  cessation,  accompanying  themselves  with  a  peculiar  musical  instrument  which 
iroduces  tones  oi  a  similar  character. 
For  a  day  or  two  the  survivors  are  employed  in  gathering  materials  for  a  grand  feast, 
I  which  they  expend  so  much  of  their  property  that  they  are  often  impoverished  for 
Ifears.  They  even  keep  pigs  and  other  animals  in  case  some  of  their  friends  might  die, 
when  they  would  be  useful  at  the  funeral  True  to  the  idea  that  the  spirit  of  the  dead 
takes  of  the  pleasures  of  the  living,  they  feast  continually  until  all  the  food  is 
ended,  interposing  their  revelling  with  songs  and  dances.  The  usual  dinim-beating 
I  on  during  the  time,  and  scarcely  one  of  the  party  is  to  be  found  sober.  Indeed,  a 
I  who  would  voluntarily  remain  sober  would  be  looked  upon  as  despising  the  memory 
lof  the  dead.  Dr.  Livingstone  mentions  that  a  native  who  appeared  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion, and  was  blamed  for  it,  remarked  in  a  surprised  tone,  "  Why,  my  mother  is  dead  I " 
They  have  a  curious  hankering  after  cross-roads  as  a  place  of  interment,  and  although 
e  Portuguese,  the  real  masters  of  the  land,  have  endeavoured  to  abolish  the  custoin, 
hey  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  doing  so*  even  though  they  inflict  heavy  fines  on  those 
»ho  disobeyed  them,  and  appointed  places  of  public  interment.  Even  when  the  inter- 
ment of  the  body  in  the  cross-road  itseK  has  been  prevented,  the  natives  have  succeeded 
m  digging  the  grave  by  the  side  of  the  path.  On  and  round  it  they  plant  certain  species 
[>f  euphorbias,  and  on  the  grave  they  lay  various  articles,  such  as  cooking-vessols,  water- 
jottles,  pipes,  and  arras.  These,  however,  are  all  broken  and  useless,  being  thought  ciqually 
srviceable  to  the  dead  as  the  perfect  specimens,  and  affording  no  temptation  to  thieves. 

A  very  remarkable  and  striking  picture  of  the  Angolese,  their  superstitions,  and  their 
lountiy,  is  given  by  Dr.  Livingstone  in  the  following  passage : — 

"When  the  natives  turn  their  eyes  to  the  future  world,  they  have  a  view  cheerless 
knongh  of  their  own  utter  helplessness  and  hopelessness.    They  fancy  themselves  com- 
pletely in  the  power  of  the  disembodied  spirits,  and  look  upon  the  prospect  of  following 
hem  as  the  greatest  of  misfortunes.    Hence  they  are  constantly  deprecating  the  wrath 


?' 


i«    i\ 


•  ■     \ 

'lilt's 


,y 


M '  '  hi" 


426 


THE  ANGOLESE 


of  departed  souls,  believing  that,  if  they  are  appeased,  there  is  ixo  other  cause  of  death  k 
witchcraft,  which  may  be  averted  by  charms. 

"  The  whole  of  the  coloured  population  of  Angola  are  sunk  in  these  gross  superstitioiL. 
but  have  the  opinion,  notwithstanding,  that  they  are  wiser  in  these  matters  than  th^ 
white  neighbours.  Each  tribe  has  a  consciousness  of  following  its  own  best  iuteiests  d 
the  best  way.  They  are  by  no  means  destitute  of  that  self-esteem  which  is  so  commori 
in  other  nations ;  yet  they  fear  all  manner  of  phantoms,  and  have  half-developed  ideal 
and  traditions  of  something  or  other,  they  know  not  what  The  pleasures  of  animal  1^ 
are  ever  present  to  their  minds  as  the  supreme  ^ood;  and,  but  for  the  innumeralM 
invisibilities,  they  might  ei\joy  their  luxurious  climate  as  much  as  it  is  possible  foi 
man  to  do. 

"  I  have  often  thought,  in  travelling  through  their  land,  that  it  presents  pictues  oi 
beauty  which  angels  might  ei^joy.    How  often  have  I  beheld  in  still  mornings  scenes  M 
very  essence  of  l^uty,  and  all  bathed  in  a  quiet  air  of  delicious  warmth  I  yet  the  occi 
sional  soft  motion  impa.i»d  a  pleasing  sensation  of  coolness,  as  of  a  fan.    Qreen  grase 
meadows,  the  cattle  feedii  g,  the  goats  browsing,  the  kids  skipping ;  the  groups  of  herdl 
boys  with  miniature  bows,  >\rrows,  and  spears ;  the  women  wending  their  way  to  the  riverj 
with  water-pots  poised  jauntily  on  their  heads ;  men  sewing  imder  the  shady  banians;  t 
old  grey-headed  fathers  sitting  o:;  the  ground,  with  staff  in  hand,  listening  to  tiie  mdr 
gossip,  while  others  cany  trees  or  branches  to  repair  their  hedges ;  and  all  this,  i 
with  the  bright  African  sunshine,  and  the  birds  sincuig  among  the  bi'anches  before  thel 
heat  of  the  day  has  become  intense,  form  pictures  which  can  never  be  foigottea" 


r  cause  of  death  bi 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


THE  WAGOGO  AND  WANYAMUEZI. 


:  VAKT  AND  TBANSITOBT  TBXBB8  OF  AFBIOA — UQOOO  AND  THK  PEOPLB — rMFUtASANT  CBABACTXB 
or  TBI  WAOOOO— THXFT  AND  BXTOBTION — ^WAQOGO  OBEBDINBM — THB  WAXrAHOBKI  OB  VBBZBB 
TBIBR— THKIB  TALUB  AS  OmDES — DBEBS  OF  THB  MEN — "  BAUBO  "  BIN08 — WOMAN's  DBES8  AND 
0BMA1UNT8 — ^HAIB-DBBSSINQ — OBNBBAX  OHABAOTBB  OF  THB  WOHBN — WBEZEB  ABCBITKCTtTBB — 
Va  OF  THB  DBVM — SALVTATION — BUtTAN  BTIBABOCT — THB  HUBBAND's  WELCOIUC — OAHB8  AND 
DANCXS— SHAM  FIOHTB — PITCH  AND  T08B — NIGHT  IN  A  UrBBZRB  VILLAOB — ^BBBWINO  AND 
DBINKINO  POUBB — A  HABVBBT   8CBNB — BCPBBBTITIONB — FUNBBALS. 


/ 


IWe  will  now  pass  from  the  west  to  the  east  of  Africa,  and  acr  ^pany  Captains  Speke 
Imil  Giant  in  their  journey  through  the  extraordinary  tribes  that  xist  between  Zanzibar 
land  Northern  Africa  It  will  be  impossible  to  describe  in  detail  the  many  tribes  that 
liiihabit  this  track,  or  even  to  give  the  briefest  account  of  them.  We  shall  therefore  select 
la  few  of  the  most  important  among  them,  and  describe  them  as  fully  as  our  very  limited 
|ipace  will  permit. 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  think  it  strange  that  we  are  lingering  so  long  in  this  part  of 
Ithe  world.  The  reason  is,  that  Africa,  southern  and  equatoritd,  is  filled  with  a  bewildering 
Iroriety  of  singular  tribes,  each  of  which  has  mannsrs  and  customs  unique  in  themselves,  and 

seats  as  great  a  contrast  to  its  neighbours  as  if  they  were  separated  by  seas  or  moun- 
I  tain  ranges.  Sometimes  they  merge  into  each  other  by  indefinable  gradations,  but  often 
I  the  line  of  demarcation  is  boldly  and  sharply  drawn,  so  that  the  tribe  which  inhabits  one 
I  bank  of  a  river  is  utterly  imlike  that  which  occupies  the  opposite  bank,  in  appearance, 
I  in  kbits,  and  in  language.  In  one  case,  for  example,  the  people  who  live  on  one  side  of 
' !  river  are  remarkable  for  the  scrupulous  completeness  with  which  both  sexes  are  clad, 
I  while  on  the  other  side  no  clothing  whatever  is  worn. 

The  same  cause  which  has  given  us  the  knowledge  of  these  remarkable  tribes  will 
I  inevitably  be  the  precursor  of  their  disappearanca  'Hie  white  man  has  set  his  foot  on 
their  soil,  and  fix)m  that  moment  may  be  dated  their  gradual  but  certain  decadence.  They 
have  learned  the  value  of  fire-arms,  and  covet  them  beyond  everything.  Their  chiefs 
have  already  abandoned  the  use  of  their  native  weapons,  having  been  wealthy  enough 
to  purchase  muskets  from  the  white  men,  or  powerfiil  enough  to  extort  them  as  pre- 

ts.  The  example  which  they  have  set  is  sure  to  extend  to  the  people,  and  a  few 
I  years  will  therefore  witness  the  entire  abandonment  of  native-made  weapons.  With  the 
weapons  their  mode  of  warfare  will  be  changed,  and  in  course  of  time  the  whole  people 
will  undergo  such  modifications  that  they  will  be  an  essentially  different  race.  It  is 
the  object  of  this  work  to  bring  together,  as  far  as  possible  in  a  limited  space,  the  most 
remarkable  of  these  peiishing  usages,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  expend  the  most 
I  space  on  the  country  that  affords  most  of  them. 

The  line  that  we  now  have  to  follow  can  be  seen  by  turning  to  the  map  of  Africa  on 
page  37.    We  shall  start  from  Zanzibar  on  the  east  coast,  go  westward  and  northward. 


.  '  J 


428 


THE  WAGOGO. 


^1- 


4.' 


...(    ' 


I    \     * 


*<>    ;k 


f,    I 


passing  hy  the  Unyamuezi  and  Wahuma  to  the  great  N'yanza  lakes.   Here  we  shall  coJ 
upon  the  track  of  Sir  Samuel  Baker,  and  shall  then  accompany  him  northward  amonu  I 
tribes  which  he  visited. 

Passing  by  a  number  of  tribes  which  we  cannot  stop  to  investigate,  we  come  uponi 
Wagogo,  who  inhabit  Ugogo,  a  district  about  lat.  4°  S.  and  long.  36°  £.  Here  I 
mention  that,  although  the  language  of  some  of  these  tribes  is  so  diiTerent  that  the  pe^ 
cannot  understand  each  other,  in  most  of  them  the  prefix  "  Wa"  indicates  pluralityl 
the  word  "  men "  in  English.  Thus  the  people  of  Ugogo  are  the  Wagogo,  and  tU 
inhabitants  of  Unyamuezi  are  the  Wanyamuezi,  pronounced,  for  brevity's  stuce,  Wees 
An  individual  of  the  Wagogo  is  called  Mgo^o. 

The  Wagogo  are  a  wild  set  of  people,  such  as  might  be  expected  from  the  country  i 
which  they  uve.  Their  colour  is  reddish  brown,  with  a  tinge  of  black ;  and  when  the  skL 
happens  to  be  clean,  it  is  said  to  look  like  a  very  ripe  plum.  They  are  scanty  dressen 
wearing  little  except  a  cloth  of  some  kind  round  the  waist ;  but  they  are  exceemngly  fon 
of  ornaments,  by  means  of  which  they  generally  contrive  to  make  themselves  as  ugly&i 
possible.  Their  principal  ornament  is  the  tubular  end  of  a  gourd,  which  is  thrust  thioucl 
the  ear ;  but  they  also  decorate  their  heads  with  hanks  of  bark-fibre,  which  they  ml 
among  their  thick  woolly  hair,  and  which  have  a  most  absurd  appearance  when  t£i 
wearer  is  running  or  leaping.  Sometimes  they  weave  strings  of  beads  into  the  halt  i 
similar  manner,  or  fasten  an  ostrich  feather  upon  their  heaids. 

They  are  not  a  warlike  people,  but,  like  others  who  are  not  remarkable  for 
they  always  go  armed ;  a  Mgggo  never  walking  without  his  spear  and  shield,  and  periupi, 
a  short  club,  also  to  be  used  as  a  missile.  The  shield  is  oblong,  and  made  of  leather,  and 
the  spear  has  nothing  remarkable  about  it ;  and,  as  Captain  Speke  remarks,  these  vetpon 
are  carried  more  for  show  than  for  use. 

They  are  not  a  pleasant  people,  being  avaricious,  intrusive,  and  inquisitive,  ingrainedl 
liars,  and  sure  to  bully  if  they  think  they  can  do  so  with  safety.  If  travellers  patJ 
through  their  country,  they  are  annoying  beyond  endurance,  jeering  at  them  with  woldtl 
and  insolent  gestures,  intruding  themselves  among  the  party,  and  turning  over  eveTythingl 
that  they  can  reach,  and  sometimes  even  forcing  themselves  into  the  tents.  Consequentlyl 
the  travellers  never  enter  the  villages,  but  encamp  at  some  distance  from  them,  under  the! 
shelter  of  the  wide-spreading  "  gouty-limbed  trees  "  that  are  found  in  this  country,  andl 
surround  their  camp  with  a  strong  hedge  of  thorns,  which  the  naked  Mgogo  does  noti 
choose  to  encounter.  I 

Covetous  even  beyond  the  ordinary  avarice  of  African  tribes,  the  Wagogo  seize  ereiyl 
opportunity  of  tieecing  travellers  who  come  into  their  territory.  Beside  the  usual  tax,  oil 
"hongo,"  which  is  demanded  for  permission  to  pass  through  the  countiy,  they  demand  all  I 
sorts  of  presents,  or  rather  bribes.-  When  one  of  Captain  Speke's  porters  happened  to  I 
break  a  bow  by  accident,  the  owner  immediately  claimed  as  compensation  something  of  I 
ten  times  its  valu^.  I 

Magomba,  the  chief,  proved  himself  an  adept  at  extoition.  First  he  sent  a  very  polite 
message,  requesting  Captain  Speke  to  reside  in  his  own  house,  but  this  flattering  though 
treacherous  proposal  was  at  once  declined.  In  the  first  place,  the  houses  of  this  part  of 
the  country  are  small  and  inconvenient,  being  nothing  more  than  mud  huts  with  flat- 
topped  roofs,  this  kind  of  architecture'being  ca^ed  by  the  name  of  "  tembe."  In  the  next  | 
place,  the  chief's  object  was  evidently  to  isolate  the  leader  of  the  expedition  fromhig 
companions,  and  so  to  have  a  hold  upon  him.  This  he  could  more  easily  do,  as  the 
villages  are  strongly  walled,  so  that  a  traveller  who  is  once  decoyed  inside  them  could 
not  escape  without  submitting  to  tne  terms  of  the  inhabitants.  Unlike  the  villages  of 
the  southern  Africans,  which  are  invariably  circular,  these  are  invariably  oblong,  and 
both  the  walls  and  the  houses  are  made  of  mud. 

Next  day  Magomba  had  drank  so  much  pombe  that  he  was  quite  unfit  for  business, 
but  on  the  following  day  the  hongo  was  settled,  through  the  chief's  prime  minister,  who 
straightway  did  a  little  business  on  his  own  account  by  presenting  a  small  quaiitity  of 
food,  and  asking  for  an  adequate  return,  which,  of  course,  meant  one  of  twenty  times  its 
valua     Having  secured  this,  he  proceeded  to  further  extortion  by  accusing  Captain 


THEFT  AND  EXTORTION. 


429 


jot  of  having  shot  a  lizard  on  a  stone  which  he  was  pleased  to  call  sacred.  Then  none 
r^m  would  give  any  information  without  being  paid  for  it  Then,  because  they 
itht  tiiat  their  extortion  was  aot  suthciently  successful,  they  revenged  themselves  by 
_i  the  native  porters  such  hoiTifying  tales  of  the  countries  which  they  were  about 
rJMt  und  the  cruelty  of  the  white  in .::,  tluu,  bhe  porterb  were  frightened,  and  ran  away, 
pa  forgetting  to  put  down  their  loads. 

jbese  tactics  were  repeated  at  evety  village  near  which  the  party  had  to  pass,  and  at 
place  the  chief  threatened  to  attack  Captain  Speke's  party,  and  at  the  same  time  sent 
I  to  all  the  porters  tLat  they  had  better  escape,  or  they  would  be  killed.  Half  of  them 


Hi 


f 


I'M 


ifit  for  business, 
le  minister,  who 
nail  quantity  of 
iwenty  times  its 
ccusing  Captain 


WAGOGO   GREEDINESS. 


pi  escape,  taking  with  them  the  goods  which  would  have  been  due  to  them  as  payment; 
W,  as  appeared  afterwards,  ihe  rascally  Wagogo  had  arranged  that  they  should  do  so, 
ind  then  they  would  go  shares  in  the  plunder. 

They  were  so  greedy,  that  they  not  only  refused  to  sell  provisions  except  at  an 

aorbitant  rate,  but  when  the  leaders  of  the  expedition  shot  game  to  supply  food  for  their 

Ten,  the  Wagogo  flocked  to  the  spot  in  multitudes,  each  man  with  his  arms,  and  did  their 

rest  to  carry  off  the  meat  before  the  rightful  owners  could  reach  it.     Once,  when  they 

#ere  sadly  m  want  of  food.  Captain  Speke  went  at  night  in  search  of  game,  and  shot  a 

Ihinoceros.    By  earhest  dawn  he  gave  notice  to  his  men  that  there  was  plenty  of  meat 

lor  them, 

1  "We  had  all  now  to  hurry  back  to  the  carcase  before  the  Wagogo  could  find  it ;  but 
lliough  this  precaution  was  quickly  taken,  still,  before  the  tough  skin  of  the  beast  could 
^cut  through,  the  Wagogo  began  assembling  like  vultures,  and  fighting  with  my  men. 


i^xi  \ 


■  "iZ^ 


^'i 


M 


m 


mi 


mm  I' 


480 


'HE  WAKYAMUEZI. 


•'  A  more  savage,  filthy,  disgusting,  but  at  the  same  time  grotesque,  scene  than  l 
ivhioh  followed  cannot  be  described.    All  fell  to  work  with  swords,  spears,  knives  u. 
hatchets,  cutting  and  slashing,  thumping  and  bawling,  fighting  and  tearing,  up  to  tM 
knees  in  filth  and  blood  in  thb  middle  of  the  carcase.     When  a  tempting  morael  fell 
the  possession  of  any  one,  a  stronger  neighbour  would  seize  and  bear  off  the  prize ; 
triumph.    Alt  right  was  now  a  matter  of  pure  migbt,  and  lucky  it  was  that  it  did  not  < 
in  a  fight  between  our  men  and  the  villagers.    These  might  be  afterwards  seen,  cove., 
with  btood,  scampering  home  eacli  one  with  his  spoil — a  piece  of  tripe,  or  liver,  or  M 
or  wh  tever  else  it  might  have  been  his  fortune  to  get  off"  with." 

It  might  be  imagined  that  the  travellers  were  onlv  too  dad  to  be  fairly  out  of  til 
dominions  of  this  tnbe,  who  had  contrived  to  chetit  and  rob  them  in  every  way,  and  hJ 
moreover,  through  sheer  spite  and  covetousness,  frightened  away  more  than  a  hnndi^ 
porters  who  had  been  engaged  to  carry  the  vast  quantities  of  goods  with  which  tU 
traveller  must  bribe  the  chiefis  of  the  different  places  through  which  he  pas^. 


THE  WANYAMUEZI. 

The  next  tribe  which  we  shall  mention  is  that  which  is  called  Wanyamnezl  Foil 
tunately  the  natives  seldom  use  this  word  in  fuU,  and  speak  of  themselves  as  W^zi 
a  word  much  easier  to  say,  and  certainly  simpler  to  write.     In  the  singular  the  name  i| 
Myamuezi    The  country  which  they  inhabit  is  called  Unyamuezi,  the  Coontiy  of  i 
Moon. 

For  many  reasons  this  is  a  most  remarkable  tribe.  They  are  almost  the  only  peopll 
near  Central  Africa  who  will  willingly  leave  their  own  country,  and,  for  the  sake  of  vagd 
will  act  as  porters  or  guides  to  distant  countries.  It  seems  that  this  capability  of  trav^ 
is  hereditary  among  them,  and  that  they  have  been  from  time  immemorial  the  mak 
trading  tribe  in  Africa.  It  was  to  this  tribe  that  the  porters  belonged  who  were  indno 
by  the  Wagogo  to  desert  Captain  Speke,  and  none  knew  better  than  themselves  that  i^ 
no  other  tribe  could  he  find  men  to  supply  their  places. 

Unyamuezi  is  a  large  district  about  the  size  of  England,  in  lat.  5°  S.  and  hetweeJ 
long.  3°  and  5°  K  Formerly  it  must  have  been  a  great  empire,  but  it  has  now  suffered  tbi 
fate  of  most  African  tribes,  and  is  split  into  a  number  of  petty  tribes,  each  jealous  of  th^ 
other,  and  each  liable  to  continiul  subdivision. 

The  Weezee  are  not  a  handsome  race,  being  inferior  in  personal  appearance  to  M 
Wagogo,  though  handsome  individuals  of  both  sexes  may  be  found  among  them.  likj 
the  Wagogo,  they  are  not  a  martial  race,  though  they  always  travel  with  their  weapon 
such  as  they  are,  i.  e.  a  very  inefiicient  bow  and  a  couple  of  arrows.  Their  dress  is  simplJ 
enough.  They  wear  the  ordinary  cloth  round  the  loins ;  but  when  they  start  on  a  joumefl 
they  hang  over  their  shoulders  a  dressed  goatskin,  which  passes  over  one  shoulder  anJ 
under  the  other.  On  account  of  its  narrowness,  it  can  hardly  answer  any  purpose  ol 
warmth,  and  for  the  same  reason  can  hardly  be  intended  to  serve  as  a  covering.  However| 
it  seems  to  be  the  fashion,  and  they  all  wear  it 

They  decorate  themselves  with  plenty  of  ornaments,  some  of  which  are  u 
amulets,  and  the  others  merely  worn  as  decoration.     They  have  one  very  curious  model 
of  making  their  bracelets.     They  take  a  single  hair  of  a  giraffe's  tail,  wrap  it  rouniU 
with  wire,  just  like  the  bass  string  of  a  violin,  and  then  twist  this  compound  rope  roundl 
their  wrists  or  ankles.    These  rings  are  called  by  the  name  of  "  sambo,  *  and,  though  theyj 
are  mostly  worn  by  women,  the  men  will  put  them  on  when  they  have  nothing  betterJ 
Their  usual  bracelets  are,  however,  heavy  bars  of  copper  or  iron,  beaten  into  the  proper^ 
shape.    like  other  natives  in  the  extreme  south,  they  knock  out  the  two  central  uci ' 


DRESS  OF  THE  WOMEN. 


481 


I  of  the  lower  jaw,  and  chip  a  V-like  space  between  the  corresponding  teeth  of  the 

rjaw. 
'lie  itromen  are  far  better  dressed.  They  wear  tolerably  large  cloths  made  bv  them- 
dret  of  native  cotton,  and  cover  the  whole  body  from  under  the  arms  to  below  the 
They  wear  the  sambo  rings  in  vast  profusion,  winding  them  round  and  round 
leir  wrists  and  ankles  until  the  limbs  are  sheathed  in  metallic  armour  for  six  or  seven 
ichet.  if  they  can  do  so,  they  naturally  prefer  wearing  calico  and  other  materifds 
,^bt  from  Europe,  partly  because  it  is  a  sign  of  wealth,  and  partly  because  it  is  mudi 
hter  than  the  native-maae  cotton  cloths,  though  not  so  durable. 


wo  central  inc 


k//^?<-^> 


ARCHITBCTURB  OF  THE  WlU  :  .i.. 


Am  woolly  hair  is  plentifully  dressed  with  oil  and  twisted  up,  until  at  a  little  dis- 
I  tance  they  look  as  if  they  had  a  head-dress  of  bla< no-beetle  shards.  Sometimes  they  screw 
it  into  tassels,  and  hang  beads  at  the  end  of  tach  tassel,  or  decorate  them  with  little 
charms  made  of  beads.  The  manner  in  which  these  "  tags  "  are  made  is  very  simple. 
There  is  a  kind  of  banian  tree  called  the  miambo,  and  from  this  are  cut  a  quantity  of 
slender  twigs.  These  twigs  are  thea  split  longitudinally,  the  outer  and  inner  bark  sepa- 
rated, and  then  well  chewed  until  the  fibres  are  properly  arranged.  At  first  they  are 
niuch  lighter  in  colour  than  the  black  woolly  hair  to  which  they  are  fastened,  but  they 
I  soon  become  blackened  by  use  and  grease.  They  use  a  little  tattooing,  but  not  much, 
making  three  lines  on  each  temple,  and  another  down  the  middle  of  the  nose.  Lines  of 
blue  are  often  seen  on  the  foreheads  of  both  sexes,  but  these  are  the  permanent  remaina 
of  the  peculiar  treatment  which  they  pursue  for  the  headache,  and  which,  with  thesa^ 
seema  to  be  effectual 


! 

* 

.♦ 

Jt 

i 
1 

1 

t 

! 
I 

'1 

y 

1 

432 


THE  WANYAMUEZI 


B,>m: 


"f-jt'..       I 


.1 


>t     ».i 


tj..  JSt^ 


The  character  of  the  women  is,  on  the  whole,  good,  as  they  are  decent  and  well  conJ 
ducted  and,  for  aavagjes,  tidy,  though  scarcely  clean  in  their  persons.  They  will  aomeJ 
times  accompany  their  husbands  on  the  march,  and  have  a  weakness  for  smoking  all  thl 
time  that  they  walk.  They  carry  their  children  on  their  backs,  a  stool  or  two  and  otherl 
implements  on  their  heads,  and  yet  contrive  to  act  as  cooks  as  soon  as  they  halt,  prepanniJ 
some  savoury  dish  of  herbs  for  their  husbands.  They  have  a  really  wonderM  knowled^l 
of  practical  botany,  and  a  Weezee  will  live  in  comfort  where  a  man  from  another  tribe! 
would  starve.  Besides  cooking,  they  also  contrive  to  run  up  little  huts  made  of  hovdA 
in  shape  like  a  reversed  bell,  and  very  tiny,  but  yet  laige,  enough  to  afford  shelter  durisgl 
sleep.  I 

The  houses  of  the  Weezee  are  mostly  of  that  mud-walled,  flat-topped  kind  which  igl 
called  "  tembe,"  though  some  are  shaped  like  haystacks,  and  they  are  built  with  consideTablel 
care.  Some  of  these  have  the  roof  extending  beyond  the  wallS)  so  as  to  form  a  venndalil 
like  that  of  a  Bechuana  house ;  and  the  villages  are  surrounded  with  a  strong  fence.  The| 
door  is  very  small,  and  only  allows  one  person  to  pass  at  a  time.  It  is  made  of  kar 
and  can  be  lifted  to  allow  ingress  and  egress.  Some  of  the  stakes  above  and  at  the  si 
of  the  door  are  decorated  with  blocks  of  wood  on  their  tops ;  and  some  of  the  chiefs  l. 
in  the  habit  of  fixing  on  the  posts  the  skulls  of  those  whom  they  have  put  to  death,  justl 
as  in  former  years  the  heads  of  traitors  were  fixed  over  Temple  Bar.  I 

Some  of  the  villages  may  lay  claim  to  the  title  of  fortified  towns,  so  elaborately  atel 
they  constructed.  The  palisading  which  surrounds  them  is  very  high  and  strong,  aDdl 
defended  in  a  most  artistic  manner,  first  by  a  covered  way,  then  a  quickset  he4e  of! 
euphorbia,  and,  lastly,  a  broad  dry  ditch,  or  moat  Occasionally  the  wall  is  built  otitin| 
bastion -fashion,  so  as  to  give  a  good  flanking  fire.  Within  the  valleys  the  houses  extendi 
to  the  right  and  left  of  the  entrances,  and  are  carefully  railed  off,  so  that  the  ^ 
structure  is  really  a  very  strong  one  in  a  military  point  of  view. 

They  are  a  tolerably  polite  race,  and  have  a  complete  code  of  etiquette  for  receiving! 
persons,  whether  friends  or  strangers.  If  a  chief  receives  another  chief,  he  gets  up  quite  I 
a  ceremony,  assembling  all  the  people  of  the  village  with  their  drums  and  other  musical  I 
instruments,  and  causing  them  to  honour  the  coming  guest  with  a  dance,  and  as  mucti| 
noise  as  can  be  extracted  out  of  their  meagre  band  If  they  have  fire-arms,  they  will  I 
discharge  them  as  long  as  their  powder  lasts ;  and  if  not,  they  content  themselves  vith  | 
their  voices,  which  are  naturally  loud,  the  drums,  and  any  other  musical  instrument 
they  may  possess.         "^ 

But,  whatever  may  be  used,  the  drum  is  a  necessity  in  these  parts,  and  is  indispen- 
sable to  a  proper  welcome.  Even  when  the  guest  takes  his  leave,  the  drum  is  an 
essential  accompaniment  of  his  departure ;  and,  accordingly,  "  beating  the  drum "  is  a 
phrase  which  is  frequently  used  to  signify  departure  from  a  place.  For  example,  if  a 
traveller  is  passing  through  a  district,  and  is  bargaining  with  the  chief  for  the  "hongo" 
Mrhich  he  has  to  pay,  the  latter  will  often  threaten  that,  unless  he  is  paid  his  demands  in 
full,  he  will  not  "  beat  the  drum,"  i.e.  will  not  permit  the  traveller  to  pass  on.  60  well 
is  this  known,  that  the  porters  do  not  take  up  their  burdens  until  they  hear  the  welcome 
sound  of  the  dram.  This  instrument  often  calls  to  war,  and,  in  fact,  can  be  made  to  tell 
its  story  as  completely  as  the  bugle  of  Furopean  armies. 

When  ordinary  men  meet  their  chief,  they  bow  themselves  and  clap  their  hands 
twice,  and  the  women  salute  him  by  making  a  courtesy  as  well  as  any  lady  at  couii 
This,  however,  is  an  obeisance  which  is  only  vouchsafed  to  very  great  chiefs,  the  petty  I 
chiefs,  or  head-men  of  villages,  having  to  content  themselves  with  the  simple  clapping  of 
hands.  | 

If  two  women  of  unequal  rank  meet,  the  inferior  drops  on  one  knee,  and  bows  her 
head ;  the  superior  lays  one  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the  other ;  and  they  remain  in  this 
position  for  a  few  moments,  while  they  mutter  some  words  in  an  undertone.  They  then 
rise  and  talk  freely. 

To  judge  from  Captain  Grant's  account  of  the  great  chief  Ugalee  (ie.  Stirahout), 
who  was  considered  a  singularly  favourable  specimen  of  the  sultans,  as  these  great  chiefs 
are  called,  the  deference  paid  to  them  is  given  to  the  office,  and  not  to  the  individual  vho 


jdeverma 
I  names  foi 
I  "Afte 
I  on  the  21 

|twenty-tv( 
I  children  £ 
lliigb,9to\) 
I  pression. 
I  mi  of 
I  the  hair. 
Imund  w 
I  cotton   1< 
with  a  d 

his  feet 
monster 
wrist,  wh 

I  copper  rii 


SULTAN  UGALEE. 


433 


rV-ifc^/aaggi^jfti— Xagg^.j^i;']^ 


I  it  Ugalee,  who  was  the  finest  specimen  that  had  heen  seen,  was  supposed  to  be  a 
I  clever  man,  though  he  did  not  know  his  own  age,  nor  could  count  above  ten,  nor  had  any 
Lames  for  the  day  of  the  week,  the  month,  Or  the  year. 

"After  we  had  been  about  a  month  in  his  district,  Sultan  Ugalee  arrived  at  Mineenga 

oD  the  21st  of  April,  and  was  saluted  by  file-firing  from  our  volunteers  and  shrill  cries 

Lom  the  women.     He  visited  us  in  the  verandah  the  day  following.    He  looks  about 

twenty-two  years  of  age;  has  three 

children  and  thirty  wives ;  is  six  feet 

h,  stout,  with  a  stupid,  heavy  ex- 
I  piession.  His  bare  head  is  in  tqpsels, 
Uks  of  fibre  being  mixed  in  with 
the  hair.  His  body  is  loosely  wrapped 
Lund  with  a  blue  and  yellow 
cotton  loth,  his  loins  are  covered 
'  with  a  dirty  bit  of  oily  calico,  and 
his  feet  are  large  and  naked.  A 
monster  ivory  ring  is  on  his  left 
wrist,  while  the  right  one  bears  a 
copper  ring  of  rope  pattern ;  several 
hundreds  of  wire  rings  are  massed 
round  his  ankles. 

"He  was  asked  to  be  seated  on 
one  of  our  iron  stools,  but  looked  at 
first  frightened,  and  did  not  open  his 
mouth.  An  old  man  spoke  for  him, 
and  a  crowd  of  thirty  followers 
squatted  behind  him.  Speke,  to  amuse 
Lim,  produced  his  six-barrelled  re- 
volver,but  he  merely  eyed  it  intently. 
Tiie  book  of  birds  and  animals,  on 
being  shown  to  him  upside  down  by 
Sirboko.the  head  man  of  the  village, 
drew  from  him  a  sickly  smile,  and 
he  was  pleased  to  imply  that  he 
preferred  the  animals  to  the  birds. 
He  received  some  snuff  in  the  palm 
of  his  hand,  took  a  good  pinch,  and 
gave  the  rest  to  his  spokesman. 

"  He  wished  to  look  at  my  mos- 
quito-curtained bed,  and  in  moving 
away  was  invited  to  dine  with  us. 
We  sent  him  a  message  at  seven 
o'clock  that  the  feast  was  prepared, 
but  a  reply  came  that  he  was  full, 
and  could  not  be  tempted  even  with 

a  glass  of  rum.    The  following  day  he  came  to  bid  us  good  bye,  and  left  without  any 
exchange  of  presents,  being  thus  very  different  from  the  grasping  race  of  Ugogo." 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  Wanyamuezi  act  as  traders,  and  go  to  great  distances, 
and  there  is  even  a  separate  mode  of  greeting  by  which  a  wife  welcomes  her  husband 
back  from  his  travels.  As  soon  as  she  hears  that  her  husband  is  about  to  arrive  home 
after  his  journey  to  the  coast,  she  puts  on  all  her  ornaments,  decorates  herself  with  a 
feathered  cap,  gathers  her  friends  round  her,  and  proceeds  to  the  hut  of  the  chief's  prin- 
cipal wife,  before  whose  door  they  all  dance  and  sing. 

Dancing  and  singing  are  with  them,  as  with  other  tribes,  their  chief  amusement. 
ITiere  was  a  blind  man  who  was  remarkable  for  his  powers  of  song,  being  able  to  send 
his  voice  to  a  considerable  distance  with  a  sort  of  ventriloquial  effect.    He  was  extremely 

VOL  I.  F  £• 


/ 


?»,. 


WEZEE  SALUTATION. 


434 


THE  WANYAMUEZL 


i'  ■■!■ 


fr     ■=* 


;^ii 


popular,  and  in  the  evenings  the  chief  himself  would  form  one  of  the  audience,  and  join 
in  the  chorus  with  which  his  song  was  accompanied.  They  have  several  national  em 
which,  according  to  Captains  Speke  and  Grant,  are  really  line. 

Inside  each  village  there  is  a  club-house,  or  "  Iwansa,"  as  it  is  called.     This  is  a  I 
structure  much  larger  than  those  which  are  used  for  dwelling-houses,  and  is  built  in 


_t^  ^ 


///;;rn','-/T;n9j,|,,„,„„ 


ri  E 


ST--_^'-^'-h^ 


^  ^^H 


THE  BUSBAKO-S  WKLCOMB. 


different  manner.     One  of  these  iwansas,  which  was  visited  by  Captain  Grant,  "  was » 
long,  low  room,  twelve  by  eighteen  feet,  with  one  door,  a  low  ilat  roof,  well  blackened 

with  smoke,   and  no   chimney.     Along  its  length 

^^  there  ran  a  high  inclined  bench,  on  which  cow-skins 

^B  ^^^^  were  spread  for  men  to  take  their  seats.    Some  huge 

^^^L^        .^^^H^^        drums  were  hung  in  one  comer,  and  logs  smouldeied 

^■^^^^     ^V^^^K        on  the  floor. 

^m  ^^  ^B    ^V         SB  "  Into  this  place  strangers  are  ushered  when  they 

^B  ^P    ^V  Xp        first  enter  the  village,  and  here  they  reside  until  a 

V  ^r     ^V  ^w         house  can  be  appropriated  to  them.    Here  the  young 

%         M       ^^         m  men  all  gather  at  the  close  of  day  to  hear  the  news, 

^    M  ^L      M  and  join  in  that  interminable  talk  which  seems  one  of 

*    %  #  B  ^^M  the  chief  joys  of  a  native  African.     Here  they  per- 

•*  formed  kindly  offices  to  each  other,  such  as  puUing 

TWEEZERS.  out  the  hairs  of  the  eyelashes  and  eyebrows  with 

their  purious  little  tweezers,  chipping  the  teeth  into 
the  correct  form,  and  marking  on  the  chei3k£|  {|ad  temples  the  peculiar  marks  which 
desigiiate  the  clan  to  which  they  belong." 


WANYAMUEZI  AMUSEMENTS. 


485 


The  two  pairs  of  tweezers  shown  in  the  illustration  are  drawn  from  specimens  in 
Colonel  Lane  Fox's  collection.  They  are  made  of  iron,  most  ingeniously  flattened  and 
bent  so  as  to  give  the  required  elasticity.  These  instruments  are  made  of  different  sizes, 
but  they  are  seldom  much  larger  than  those  represented  in  the  illustratioa 

Smoking  and  drinking  also  go  on  laigely  in  the  iwansa,  and  here  the  youths  indulge  in 
varioas  games.  One  of  these  games  is  exactly  similar  to  one  which  has  heen  introduced 
into  England.  Each  player  has  a  stump  of  Indian  com,  cut  short,  which  he  stands  on 
the  ground  in  front  of  him.  A  rude  sort  of  teetotum  is  made  of  a  gourd  and  a  stick,  and 
is  spun  among  the  corn-stumps,  the  ohject  of  the  game  being  to  knock  down  the  stump 
belonging  to  the  adversary.  Thia  is  a  favourite  game,  and  elicits  much  noisy  laughter 
and  applause,  not  only  from  the  actual  players,  but  from  the  spectators  who  surround 


In  front  of  the  iwansa  the  dances  ate  conducted.  They  are  similar  in  some  respects 
to  those  of  the  Damaras,  as  mentioned  on  p«^  347,  except  that  the  performers  stand  in  a 
line  instead  of  in  a  circla  A  long  strip  of  bark  or  cow-skin  is  laid  on  the  ground,  and 
the  Weezees  arrange  themselves  along  it,  the  tallest  man  always  taking  the  place  of 
honour  in  the  middle.  When  they  have  arrai^ged  themselves,  the  drummers  strike  up 
their  noisy  instruments,  and  the  dancers  b^n  a  strange  chant,  which  is  more  like  a  howl 
than  a  song.  They  all  bow  their  heads,  low,  put  their  hands  on  their  hips, -stamp  vigo- 
loualy,  and  are  pleased  to  think  that  they  are  dancing.  The  male  spectators  stand  in 
front  and  encourage  their  friends  by  joining  in  the  chorus,  while  the  women  stand  behind 
and  look  on  silently.  Each  dance  ends  vrith*  a  general  shout  of  laughter  or  applause,  and 
then  a  fresh  set  of  dancers  take  their  place  on  the  strip  pf  skin. 

Sometimes  a  variety  is  introduced  into  their  dances.  On  one  occasion  the  chief  had 
a  number  of  bowls  fiUed  with  pomb^  and  set  in  a  row.  The  people  took  their  grass 
bowls  and  filled  them  again  and  again  from  the  jars,  the  chief  setting'  the  example,  and 
disking  more  pomo^  than  any  of  his  subjects.  When  the  bowls  had  circulated 
plentifidly,  a  couple  of  lads  leaped  into  the  circle,  presenting  a  ^lost  fantastic  appearance. 
They  had  tied  zebra  manes  over  their  heads,  and  had  furnished  thepfiselves  with  two  long 
bark  tubes  like  huge  bassoons,  into  which  they  blew  with  all  their  flight,  accompanying 
their  shouts  with  extravagant  contortions  of  the  limbs.  A9  8po;i  fis  the  pomb^  was  all 
gone,  five  drums  were  hung  in  a  line  upon  a  horizontal  bar,  fipd  the  performer  began  to 
hammer  them  furiously.  Inspired  by  the  sounds,  men,  wpmep,  find  children  began  to 
sing  and  clap  their  hands  in  time,  and  aU  danced  for  several  hours. 

"The  Weezee  boys  are  amusing  little  fellows,  and  ^five  quite  a  talent  for  games.  Of 
course  they  imitate  the  pursuits  of  their  fathers,  such  f^s  shooting  with  small  bows  and 
arrows,  jumping  over  sticks  at  various  heights,  pretending  to  shoot  game,  and  other 
amusements.  Some  of  the  elder  lads  converted  their  play  into  reality,  by  making  their 
bows  and  arrows  large  enough  to  kill  the  pigeons  and  other  birds  which  flew  about  them. 
They  also  make  very  creditable  imitations  of  the  white  man's  gun,  tying  two  pieces  of 
cane  together  for  the  barrels,  modelling  the  stock,  hampier,  and  trigger-guard  out  of  clay, 
and  imitating  the  smoke  by  tufts  of  cotton-wool  That  they  were  kind-hearted  boys  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  they  had  tamed  birds  ip  cages,  and  spept  much  tipie  in  teach- 
ing them  to  sing." 

From  the  above  description  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  Weezees  are  a  lively  race, 
and  such  indeed  is  the  fact.  To  the  traveller  they  are  amusing  companions,  singing  tdeir 
"joUiest  of  songs,  with  deep-toned  choruses,  from  their  thick  necks  and  throats."  But 
they  require  to  be  very  carefully  managed,  being  independent  as  knowing  their  own 
value,  and  apt  to  go  on,  or  halt,  or  encamp  ji^st  when  it  happens  to  suit  them.  Moreover, 
as  they  are  not  a  cleanly  race,  and  are  sociably  fond  of  making  their  evening  fire  close  by 
and  to  windward  of  the  traveller's  tent,  they  are  often  much  too  near  to  be  agreeable, 
especially  as  they  always  decline  to  move  from  the  spot  oii  which  they  have  established 
themselves. 

Still  they  are  simply  invaluable  on  the  march,  for  they  are  good  porters,  can  always 
manage  to  make  themselves  happy,  and  do  not  become  homesick,  as  is  the  case  with  men 
of  other  tribes.    Moreover,  from  their  locomotive  habits,  they  are  excellent  guides,  and 

vf2 


vA^l 


*<"■■■■■ 
% 


436 


THE  WANYAMUEZr. 


they  are  most  useful  assistants  in  Imnting,  detecting,  and  following  up  the  spoor  of  an 
animal  witli  unerring  certainty.  They  are  rather  too  apt  to  steal  the  flesh  of  the  animal 
when  it  is  killed,  and  quite  sure  to  steal  the  fat,  but,  as  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  would 
not  have  been  killed  at  all  without  their  help,  they  may  be  pardoned  for  those  acts  of 
petty  larceny.  They  never  seem  at  a  loss  for  anything,  but  have  a  singular  power  of 
supplying  themselves  out  of  the  most  unexpected  materials.  For  example,  if  a  Wanya- 
rauezi  wants  to  smoke,  and  has  no  pipe,  he  makes  a  pipe  in  a  minute  or  two  from  the 


if      I 


WAN'YAUUI<:ZI  UANCB 


nearest  trea  All  he  has  to  do  is  to  cut  a  green  twig,  strip  the  bark  off  it  as  boys  do 
when  they  make  willow  wliistles,  push  a  plug  of  clay  into  it,  and  bore  a  hole  through 
the  clay  with  a  smaller  twig  or  a  grass-blade. 

IJoth  sexes  are  inveterate  smokers,  and.  as  they  grow  their  own  tobacco,  they  can 
gratify  this  taste  to  their  hearts'  content.  For  sninkir)g,  they  generally  use  their  home- 
cured  tobacco,  which  they  twist  up  into  a  thick  rope  like  a  hayband,  and  then  coil  into  a 
flattened  spiral  like  a  small  target.  Sometimes  they  make  it  into  a  sugar-loaf  shape. 
Imported  tobacco  they  employ  as  snuff,  grinding  it  to  powder  if  it  should  be  given  to 
them  in  a  solid  form,  or  pushing  it  into  their  nostrils  if  it  should  be  in  a  cut  state,  like 
"  bird's-eye  "  or  "  returns." 

The  amusements  of  the  Weezees  are  tolerably  numerous.  Besides  those  which  have 
been  mentioned,  the  lads  are  fond  of  a  mimic  fight,  using  the  stalks  of  maize  instead  of 
spears,  and  making  for  themselves  shields  of  bark.  Except  that  the  Weezee  luds  are  on 
foot,  instead  of  being  mounted,  this  game  is  almost  exactly  like  the  "  djerid "  of  the 
Turks,  and  is  quite  as  likely  to  inflict  painful,  if  not  dangerous,  injuries  on  the  careless 
or  unskilfuL 


PASSION  FOR  GAMBLING. 


437 


Then,  for  more  sedentary  people,  there  are  several  games  of  chance  and  others  of 
skUl.  The  game  of  chance  is  the  time-honoured  "  pitch  and  toss,"  which  is  played  as 
eagerly  here  as  in  England.  It  is  true  that  the  Weezee  have  no  halfpence,  but  they  can 
always  cut  discs  out  of  bark,  and  bet  upon  the  rough  or  smooth  side  turning  uppermost. 
They  are  very  fond  of  this  game,  and  will  stake  their  most  valued  possessions,  such  as 
"sainbo"  rings,  bows,  arrows,  spear-heads,  and  the  like. 

The  chief  game  of  skill  has  probably  reached  them  through  the  Mohammedan 
traders,  as  it  is  almost  identical  with  a  game  long  familiar  to  the  Turks.  It  is  called 
Bao,  and  is  played  with  a  board  on  which  are  thirty-two  holes  or  cups,  and  with  sixty- 
four  seeds  by  way  of  counters.  Should  two  players  meet  and  neither  possess  a  board 
nor  the  proper  seeds,  nothing  is  easier  than  to  sit  down,  scrape  thirty -two  holes  in  the 
ground,  select  sixty-four  stones,  and  then  begin  to  play.  The  reader  may  perhaps  call  to 
mind  the  old  English  game  of  Merelles,  or  Nine-men's  Morris,  which  can  be  played  on 
an  extemporized  board  cut  in  the  turf,  and  with  stones  instead  of  countcirs. 

The  most  inveterate  gamblers  were  the  lifeguards  of  the  sultan,  some  twenty  in 
number.  They  were  not  agreeable  personages,  being  offensively  supercilious  in  their 
manner,  and  flatly  refusing  to  do  a  stroke  of  work.  The  extent  of  their  duty  lay  in 
escorting  their  chief  from  one  place  to  another,  and  conveying  his  orders  from  one 
village  to  another.  The  rest  of  their  time  was  spent  in  gambling,  drum-beating,  and 
similar  amusements;  and  if  they  distinguished  themselves  in  any  other  way,  it  was  by 
the  care  which  they  bestowed  on  their  dress.  Some  of  these  lifeguards  were  very  skilful 
in  beating  the  drum,  and  when  a  number  were  performing  on  a  row  of  suspended  drums, 
the  principal  drummer  always  took  the  largest  instrument,  and  was  the  conductor  of  the 
others,  just  as  in  a  society  of  bellringers  the  chief  of  them  takes  the  tenor  bell. 

For  any  one,  except  a  native,  to  sleep  in  a  Weezee  village  while  the  drums  are 
sounding  is  perfectly  impossible,  but  when  they  have  ceased  the  place  is  quiet  enough,  • 
as  may  be  seen  by  Captain  Grant's  description  of  a  night  scene  in  Wanyamuezi. 

"  In  a  Weezee  village  there  are  few  sounds  to  disturb  one's  night's  rest :  the  travellei's 
horn,  and  the  reply  to  it  from  a  neighbouring  village,  are  accidental  alarms  ;  the  chirping 
of  crickets,  and  the  cry  from  a  sick  child,  however,  occasionally  broke  upon  the  stillness 
of  one's  night.  Waking  early,  the  first  sounds  we  lieard  were  the  crowing  of  cocks,  the 
impatient  lowing  of  cows,  the  bleating  of  calves,  and  the  chirping  of  sparrows  and  other 
unmusical  birds.  The  pestle  and  mortar  shelling  corn  would  soon  after  be  heard,  or  the 
cooing  of  wild  pigeons  in  the  grove  of  palms. 

"The  huts  were  shaped  like  corn-stacks,  supported  by  bare  poles,  fifteen  feet  high, 
and  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  in  diameter.  Sometimes  their  grass  roofs  would  be  protected 
from  sparks  by '  michans,'  or  frames  of  Indian  corn-stalks.  There  were  no  carpets,  and 
all  was  as  dark  as  the  hold  of  a  ship.  A  few  earthen  jars,  made  like  the  Indian  '  gurrah,' 
for  boiling-  vegetables  or  stirabout,  tattered  skins,  an  old  bow  and  arrow,  some  cups  of 
grass,  some  gourds,  perhaps  a  stool,  constitute  the  whole  of  the  furniture.  Grain  was 
housed  in  hard  boxes  of  bark,  and  goats  or  calves  had  free  access  over  the  house." 

Their  customs  in  eating  and  drinking  are  rather  remarkable.  Perhaps  we  ought  to 
transfer  those  terms,  drinking  holding  the  first  place  in  the  mind  of  a  Weezee.  The  only 
drink  which  he  cares  about  is  the  native  beer  or  "  pombe,"  and  many  of  the  natives  live 
ahnost  entirely  on  pombe,  taking  scarcely  any  solid  nourishment  whatever. 

Porab^making  is  the  work  of  the  women,  who  brew  large  quantities  at  a  time.  Not 
being  able  to  build  a  large  tank  in  which  the  water  can  be  heated  to  the  boiling  point, 
the  ponibe-maker  takes  a  number  of  earthen  pots  and  places  them  in  a  double  row,  with 
an  interval  of  eighteen  inches  or  so  between  the  rows.  This  intermediate  space  is 
filled  with  wood,  which  is  lighted,  and  the  fire  tended  until  the  beer  is  boiled  simul- 
taneously in  both  rows  of  pots.    Five  days  are  required  for  completing  the  brewing. 

The  Sultan  Ukulima  was  very  fond  of  pomb^,  and,  indeed,  lived  principally  upon  it. 
He  used  to  begin  with  a  bowl  of  his  favourite  beverage,  and  continue  drinking  it  at 
intervals  until  he  went  to  his  tiny  sleeping-hut  for  the  night.  Though  he  was  half 
stupified  during  the  day,  he  did  not  suffer  in  health,  but  was  a  fine,  sturdy,  hale  old  man, 
pleasant  enough  in  manner,  and  rather  amusing  when  his  head  happened  to  be  clear.    He 


*%. 


''"  >■ 


438 


THE  WANYAMUEZL 


U    ' 


;■  ■■'' 


'1 


;f   )■' 


was  rather  fond  of  a  practical  joke,  and  sometimes  amused  himself  by  begging  some 
quinine,  mixing  it  slily  with  pouib^,  and  then  enjoying  the  consternation  which  appeared 
on  the  countenances  of  those  who  partook  of  the  bitter  draught. 

Every  morning  he  used  to  go  round  to  the  different  houses,  timing  his  visits  so  as  to 
appear  when  the  brewing  was  finished.  He  always  partook  of  the  first  bowl  of  beer,  and 
then  went  on  to  another  house  and  drank  more  pomb^,  which  he  sometimes  sucked 

through  a  reed  in  sherry-cobbler 
fashioa  Men  and  women  seldom 
drink  in  company;  the  latter 
assembling  together  under  the  pre- 
sidency  of  the  sultana,  or  chici 
wife,  and  drinking  in  company. 

As  to  food,  regular  m'-als  seem 
to  be  almost  unknown  anonothe 
men,  who  "drop  in"  it  their 
friends'  houses,  taking  a  small 
potato  at  one  place,  a  bowl  of 
pombe  at  another,  and,  m  pare 
occasions,  a  little  beef  indeed, 
Captain  Grant  says  that  he  seldom 
saw  men  at  their  meals,  unless 
they  were  assembled  for  pomW 
drinking.  "Women,  however,  who 
eat,  as  they  drink,  by  themselves, 
are  more  regular  in  thoir  meal,?, 
and  at  stated  times  have  tlieir 
food  prepared. 

The  grain  from  which  the 
pomb4  is  made  is  cultivated  by 
the  women,  who  undertake  most, 
though  not  all,  of  its  preparatioa 
"When  it  is  green,  they  reap  it  by 
cutting  off  the  ears  with  a  knife, 
just  a"^  was  done  by  the  Egyptians 
of  ancient  times.  They  then  carry 
the  ear?  in  baskets  to  the  village, 
empty  them  nut  upon  the  ground, 
and  spread  them  in  the  sunkams 
until  they  are  thoroughly  dried. 
The  men  then  thrash  out  the  grain 
with  curious  flails,  looking  like 
rackets,  with  handles  eight  or  nine 
feet  in  length. 

When  thrashed,  it  is  stored 
away  in  various  fashions.  Some- 
times it  is  made  into  a  miniature 
corn-rick  placed  on  legs,  like  the  "staddles"  of  our  own  farmyards.  Sometimes  a 
pole  is  stuck  into  the  earth,  and  the  corn  is  bound  round  it  at  some  distance  from 
the  ground,  so  that  it  resembles  an  angler's  float  of  gigantic  dimensions.  The  oddest, 
thougli  perhaps  the  safest,  AVay  of  packing  grain  is  to  tie  it  up  in  a  bundle,  and  hang  it 
to  the  branch  of  a  tree.  When  wanted  for  use,  it  is  pounded  in  a  wooden  mortar  like 
those  of  the  Ovambo  tribe,  in  order  to  beat  off  the  husk,  and  finally  it  is  ground  between 
two  stones. 

The  Wanyamuezi  are  not  a  very  superstitious  people, — at  all«events  they  are  not  such 
slaves  to  superstition  as  many  other  tribes.  As  far  as  is  known,  they  have  no  idols,  but 
then  they  have  no  religious  system,  except  perhaps  a  fear  of  evil  spirits,  and  a  belief  that 


naiNRINQ  FOMBli;. 


I;,  i;. 


EXORCISING  AN  EVIL  SPIEIT. 


439 


I  inch  spirits  can  be  exorcised  by  qualified  wizards.  A  good  account  of  one  of  tbese 
exorcisiona  is  given  by  Captain  Grant. 

"The  sultan  sits  at  the  doorway  of  his  hut,  which  is  decorated  with  lion's  paws. 

"  His  daughter,  the  possessed,  is  opposite  to  him,  completely  hooded,  and  guarded  by 
I  Ljjg  )Vatu3i  women,  one  on  each  side,  holding  a  naked  spear  erect.    The  sultana  com- 


»  eight  or  nine 


e^^ 
>>^^ 


HARVEST  PfrNB. 


pletes  the  circle.  Pomb^  is  spirted  up  in  the  air  so  as  to  fall  upon  them  all.  A  cow  is 
then  brought  in  with  its  mouth  tightly  bound  up,  almost  preventing  the  possibility  of 
breathing,  and  it  is  evident  that  the  poor  cow  is  to  be  the  sacrifice. 

"  One  spear-bearer  gives  the  animal  two  gentle  taps  with  a  hatchet  between  the  horns, 
and  she  is  followed  by  the  woman  with  the  evil  spirit  and  by  a  second  spear-bearer,  who 
also  tap  the  cow.  A  man  now  steps  forward,  and  with  the  same  hatchet  kills  the  cow 
by  a  blow  behind  the  horns.  The  blood  is  all  caught  in  a  tray  (a  Kaffir  custom),  and 
placed  at  the  feet  of  the  possessed,  after  which  a  .spear-bearer  puts  spots  of  the  blood  on 
the  woman's  forehead,  on  the  root'  of  the  neck,  the  palms  of  the  hands,  and  the  instep  of 
the  feet.  He  spots  the  other  spear-bearers  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  tray  is  then 
taken  by  another  man,  who  spots  the  sultan,  his  kind^ed^  and  household. 

"Again  the  tray  is  carried  to  the  feet  of  the  possessed,  and  she  spots  with  the  blood 
her  little  son  and  nephews,  who  kneel  to  receive  it.  Sisters  and  female  relatives  come 
next  to  be  nnointed  by  her,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  see  those  dearest  to  her  pressing  forward 
with  congratulations  and  wishes.  She  then  rises  from  her  seat,  uttering  a  sort  of  whining 
cry,  and  walks  ofif  to  the  house  of  the  sultana,  preceded  and  followed  by  spear-bearers. 


I 


440 


THE  WANYAMUEZI. 


1' 


ralks  about  the  village,  still  hooded,  and  attended  by  several  foUowersI 
lining  grain,  and  singing  '  Heigh-ho,  massa-a-no,'  or  '  masan-'a.'    AnI 


During  the  day  she  walks 

shaking  gourds  containing  gruiu,  unu  aingiiiK  xxoigu-uu,  iiioaau-a-iiu,  or  '  niasan<ra.'  AnI 
old  woman  is  appointed  to  wrestle  with  her  for  a  broomstick  which  she  carries,  andl 
finally  the  stick  is  left  in  her  hand.  '     I 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  a  change  is  wrought ;  she  appears  as  in  ordinary,  but  with  herl 
face  curiously  painted  in  the  same  way.    She  sits  without  smiling  to  receive  ufferincs  off 
grain,  with  beads  or  anklets  placed  on  twigs  of  the  broomstick,' which  she  holds  upright  i 
and  this  over,  she  walks  among  the  women,  who  shout  out,  '  Gnombe ! '  (cow),  or  somel 
other  ridiculous  expression  to  create,  a  laugh.    This  winds  up  the  ceremony  on  the  first 
day,  but  two  days  afterwards  'the  now  emancipated  woman  is  seen  parading  about  with 
the  broomstick  hung  with  beads  and  rings,  and  looking  herself  again,  being  completely 
cured.    The  vanquished  spirit  had  been  forced  to  fly ! " 

Like  many  other  African  tribes,  the  Weezees  fully  believe  that  when  a  person  is  ill 
witchcraft  must  have  been  the  cause  of  the  malady,  and  once,  when  Captain  Grant  was 
in  their  country,  a  man  who  used  to  sell  fish  to  him  died  suddenly.  His  wife  was  at 
once  accused  of  murdering  him  by  poison  (which  is  thought  to  be  a  branch  of  sorcery), 
was  tried,  convicted,  and  killed.  The  truth  of  the  verdict  wa:  confirmed  by  the  iact  that 
the  hyeenas  did  not  touch  the  body  after  death. 

They  have  all  kinds  of  odd  superstitions  about  a  als.  Captain  Grant  had  shot  an 
antelope,  which  was  quite  new  to  him,  and  which  was  cherefore  a  great  prize.  With  the 
unwilling  aid  of  his  assistant  he  carried  it  as  far  as  the  village,  but  there  the  man  laid  it 
down,  declining  to  carry  it  within  the  walls  on  the  plea  that  it  was  a  dangerous  animal, 
and  must  not  be  brought  to  the  houses.  The  Sultan  Ukalima  was  then  asked  to  have  it 
brought  in,  but  the  man,  usually  so  mild,  flew  at  once  into  a  towering  rage,  and  would 
not  even  allow  a  piece  of  the  skin  to  be  brought  within  the  village.  He  said  that  if  its 
flesh  were  eaten  it  would  cause  the  fingers  and  toes  to  fall  off,  and  that  if  its  saliva 
touched  the  skin  an  ulcer  would  be  the  result.  Consequently,  the  skin  was  lost,  and 
only  a  sketch  preserved.  These  ideas  about  the  "  bawala,"  as  this  antelope  was  called, 
did  not  seem  to  have  extended  very  far ;  for,  while  the  body  was  still  lying  outside  the 
walls,  a  party  of  another  tribe  came  up,  and  were  very  glad  to  cook  it  and  eat  it  on 
the  spot. 

All  lions  and  lynxes  are  the  property  of  the  sultan.  No  one  may  wear  the  lion-skin 
except  himself,  and  he  decorates  his  dwelling  with  the  paws  and  other  spoils.  This  may 
be  expected,  as  the  lion-skin  is  considered  as  an  emblem  of  royalty  in  other  lands  beside 
Africa.  But  there  is  a  curious  superstition  about  the  lion,  which  prohibits  any  one  from 
walking  round  its  body,  or  even  its  skin.  One  day,  when  a  lion  had  been  killed,  and  its 
body  brought  into  the  village.  Captain  Grant  measured  it,  and  was  straightway  assailed 
by  the  chief  priest  of  the  place  for  breaking  the  law  in  walking  round  the  animal  while 
he  was  measuring  it.  He  gave  as  his  reason  that  there  was  a  spell  laid  on  the  hens 
which  kept  them  from  entering  the  villages,  and  that  the  act  of  walking  round  the 
animal  broke  the  spell.  He  said,  however,  that  a  payment  of  four  cloths  to  him  would 
restore  the  efficacy  of  the  spell,  and  then  he  would  not  tell  the  sultan.  Captain  Grant 
contrived  to  extricate  himself  very  ingeniously  by  arguing  that  the  action  which  broke 
the  spell  was  not  walking  round  the  body,  but  stepping  over  it,  and  that  he  had  been 
careful  to  avoid. 

After  sundry  odd  ceremonies  have  been  performed  over  the  dead  body  of  the  lion,  the 
flesh,  which  is  by  that  time  half  putrid,  is  boiled  by  the  sultan  in  person,  the  fat  is 
skimmed  off,  and  preserved  as  a  valued  medicine,  and  the  skin  dressed  for  regal  wear. 

The  Wanyamuezi  have  a  way  of  "  making  brotherhood,"  similar  to  that  which  has 
already  been  described,  except  that  instead  of  drinking  eajch  other's  blood,  the  newly- 
made  brothers  mix  it  with  buttet  on  a  leaf  and  exchange  leaves.  The  butter  is  then 
rubbed  into  the  incisions,  so  that  it  acts  as  a  healing  ointment  at  the  «ame  time  that  the 
blood  is  exchanged.  The  ceremony  is  concluded  by  tearing  the  leaves  to  pieces  and 
showering  the  fragments  on  the  heads  of  the  brothers. 

The  travellers  happened  to  be  in  the  country  just  in  time  to  see  a  curious  mourning 
ceremony.    There  was  a  tremendous  commotion  in  the  chiefs  "tembe,"  and  on  inquiry 


CURIOUS  FUNERAL  CEREMONY. 


441 


^yseveralfollowej 
or'masanga'    M 

ich  she  carries,  andl 

iinary,  but  with  herl 
•receive  offerings  J 

'  she  holds  upright! 

remony  on  the  fJRtl 

)arading  about  wjthl 

In,  being  completelyl 

'hen  a  person  is  ili| 
Captain  Grant  was! 
'■  His  wife  was  atl 
branch  of  sorcery)  | 
ledbythelactthatl 

Grant  had  shot  an 
tt  prize.  With  the 
ere  the  man  laid  it 

dangerous  aninia]  [ 
sn  asked  to  have  it 
ng  rage,  and  would  I 
He  said  that  if  its 
3  that  if  its  saliva 
skin  was  lost,  and 
mtelope  was  called, 

lying  outside  the 
c  it  and  eat  it  oa 

wear  the  lion-skin 
spoils.    This  may 
other  lands  beside! 
ibits  any  one  iiom 
een  killed,  and  its 
raightway  assailed 
the  animal  while  f 
I  laid  on  the  lions 
'alking  round  the) 
aths  to  him  would  I 
I.     Captain  Grant 
Dtion  which  broke 
that  he  had  been  j 

ly  of  the  lion,  the 
person,  the  lat  is  j 
or  regal  wear. 
>  that  which  has  | 
lood,  the  newly- 
le  butter  is  then  I 
(le  time  that  the  | 
33  to  pieces  a 

iirious  mourning  j 
and  on  inquiiy 


turned  out  that  twins  had  been  borne  to  one  of  his  wives,  but  that  they  were  both 
'ml.  All  the  women  belonginj»  to  his  household  marched  about  in  procession,  painted 
lind  aJoniLHl  in  a  very  grotesque  manner,  singing  and  dancing  with  strange  gesticulations 
lof  anus  and  legs,  and  looking,  indeed,  as  if  they  had  been  indulging  in  pombd  rather  than 
J  jjjjgted  by  grief.  This  went  on  all  day,  and  in  the  evening  they  collected  a  great  bundle 
lof  bulrushos,  tied  it  up  in  a  cloth,  and  carried  it  to  the  door  of  the  mother's  hut,  just  as  if 
it  hud  been  the  dead  body  of  a  man.  They  then  set  it  down  on  the  ground,  stuck  a 
Luantity  of  the  rushes  into  the  earth,  at  each  side  of  the  door,  knelt  down,  and  began  a 
loiig  shrieking  wail,  which  lasted  for  several  hours  together. 


i*MM« 


rOFTED  BOW  AND  SFBAB. 

[LmtbyMr.  Wanham.) 


'»■■■;., 


u|>: 


i.  i 


;    If 


I       *     I 


,    .1 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


KABAQUE. 


LOOAUTT  OF  KABAGUF — THS  DISTINCT  0LAB8XB  OT  THK  INHABITANTfl— THBIB  GaNBBAl  CBABACTM 

MODB    OF    SALUTATION — THE     BVUNQ     CASTS,    OB    VABUHA,    AND     THB    BOYAL    CA8TI,   OB 

UOHKRNDA — LAW   OF   SUCCKSSION THK   SULTAN  BUMANIKA  AND  UIB  FAMILY — PLANTaKi  VIN1-. 

HOW   BUHANIKA   GAINED   THK    THRONK — OBSKQUIES   OV  HIS  FATHEB — NKW-MOON  CKBXUONIU-. 

TWO  BOYAL  PROPHETS THK  UAOIC   HORNS — MABRtAOB — ^EASY   LOT  OF  THB  WAHUMA  WOMRN— 

WIFK-FATTKNINO — AN  ODD  U8K  OF  OBESITY — DBESS  OF  THB  WOMBN'— KVBIOAL  ZMSTBUIIBRTS^  | 
BUMANIKa's  PBIVATF  band— FUNEBAL  CUSTOMS. 


Passing  by  a  nuinl)er  of  tribes  of  more  or  less  importance,  we  come  to  the  country  called 
Kakaoue  (pronounced  Kah-rah-g6o-eli),  which  occupies  a  district  about  lat.  3°  S.  and 
long.  31"  £.  The  people  of  this  district  are  divided  into  two  distinct;  classes,— namely, 
the  reigning  race,  or  Wahuma,  and  the  peasantry,  or  Wanyambo.  These  latter  were  the 
criginal  inht.'ntants  of  the  land,  but  were  dispossessed  by  the  Wahuma,  who  have  turned 
them  into  slaves  and  tillers  of  the  ground.  Among  the  Wahiuna  there  is  another  distino 
tion, — UBiDely,  a  royal  caste,  or  Moheenda. 

As  lo  the  Wanyambo,  although  they  are  reduced  to  the  condition  of  peasants,  and 
have  been  compared  to  the  r^'ots  of  India,  they  seem  to  preSferve  their  self-respect,  and 
have  a  kind  of  government  among  themselves,  the  country  being  divided  into  districts, 
each  of  which  has  its  own  governor.  These  men  are  called  Wakunga,  and  are  distin- 
guished by  a  sort  of  uniform,  consisting  of  a  sheet  of  calico  or  a  scarlet  blanket  in 
addition  to  the  ordinary  dress. 

They  ai'e  an  excitable  and  rather  quarrelsome  people,  and  are  quite  capable  of  taking 
their  own  parts,  even  against  the  Weezees,  with  whom  they  occasionally  quarrel.  They 
do  not  carry  their  weapons  continually,  like  the  Wagogo  and  the  Weezees,  contenting 
themselves  with  a  stick  about  five  feet  long,  with  a  knob  at  the  end,  without  whicli  they 
are  seldom  to  be  seen,  and  which  is  not  only  used  as  a  weapon,  but  is  employed  in 
greeting  a  friend. 

The  mode  of  saluting  another  is  to  hold  out  the  stick  to  the  friend,  who  touches  the 
knobbed  end  with  his  hand,  and  repeats  a  few  words  of  salutation.  Yet,  although  they 
do  not  habitually  carry  weapons^  they  are  very  well  armed,  their  bows  being  exceedingly 
powerful  and  elastic,  more  than  six  feet  in  length,  and  projecting  a  spear-headed  arrow  to 
a  great  distance.    Spears  are  also  employed,  but  the  familiar  weapon  is  the  bow. 

A  bow  belonging  to  M'nanagee,  the  brother  of  Rumanika,  the  then  head  chief  or 
"  sultan "  of  Karague,  was  a  beautiful  specimen  of  native  workmanship.  It  was  six  iwt 
three  inches  in  length,  i.e.  exactly  the  height  of  the  owner,  and  was  so  carefully  made 
that  there  was  not  a  curve  in  it  that  could  offend  the  eye.  The  string  was  twisted  from 
the  sinews  of  a  cow,  a'ld  the  owner  could  project  an  arrow  some  two  hundred  yards, 
The  wood  of  which  it  was  made  looked  very  like  our  own  ash. 


BUMANIKA  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


443 


The  Wanyambo  were  very  polite  to  Captain  Graus,  taking  great  care  of  him,  and 
iiing  bini  how  to  preserve  his  health,  thus  affording  a  pn*ctical  reftitation  of  the 
ling  stories  respecting  their  treachery  and  ferocity  of  wliich  he  had  been  told 
,  determining  to  pass  through  their  country.  The  Wanyambo  are  obliged  to 
jiih  provisions  to  travellers  free  of  charge,  but,  although  they  obey  the  lettt^r  of  the 
,  they  always  expect  a  present  of  brass  wire  in  lieu  of  payment.  They  are  slenderly 
lit  rery  dark  in  complexion,  and  grease  themselves  abundantly.  They  do  not,  however, 
Lm  such  an  evil  odour  as  other  grease-using  tribes,  as,  after  they  have  anointed  them- 
bn,  they  Hsht  a  firo  of  aromatic  wood,  and  stand  to  leeward  of  it,  so  as  to  allow  the 
lifuned  smoke  to  pass  over  them. 

The  Wahuma  are  of  much  lighter  complexion,  and  the  royal  caste,  or  Moheenda,  are 
narkable  for  their  bronze-like  complexions,  their  well-cut  features,  and  their  curiously 
J  heads.  The  members  of  this  caste  are  further  marked  by  some  scars  under  the  eyes, 
I  their  teeth  are  neither  filed  nor  chipped.  There  is  rather  a  curious  law  about  the 
aion  to  the  throna  As  with  us,  the  King's  eldest  son  is  the  acknowledged  heir,  but 
must  have  been  born  when  his  father  was  ar 'nally  king.  Consequently,  the 
gest  of  a  familv  of  brothers  is  sometimes  tha  heir  to  the  throne,  his  elder  brothers, 
[  bom  before  their  father  was  king,  being  ineligible  for  the  crown. 
_.coidiog  to  Captain  Speke,  the  Wahuma,  the  Gallas,  and  the  Abyssinians  are  but 
lerent  branches  of  the  same  people,  having  fought  and  been  beaten,  and  retired,  and  so 
k  their  way  westward  and  southward,  until  tiiey  settled  down  in  the  country  which 
jthea  inhabited  by  the  Wanyambo.  Still,  although  he  thinks  them  to  have  derived 
jeiriouroe  from  Abyssinia,  and  to  have  spread  themselves  over  the  whole  of  the  country 
I  which  we  are  now  engaged,  he  mentions  that  they  always  accommodated  themselves 
jtheioanners  and  customs  of  the  natives  whom  they  supplanted,  and  that  the  Gallas  or 
fahuma  of  Karague  have  different  customs  from  the  Wanuma  of  Unyoro. 

The  king  or  sultan  of  Karague,  at  the  time  when  our  travellers  passed  through  the 
lantry,  was  Rumanika.  He  was  the  handsomesv  and  most  intelligent  ruler  that  they 
et  in  Africa,  and  had  nothing  of  the  African  in  his  appearance  except  that  his  hair  was 
ort  and  woully.  He  was  six  feet  two  inches  in  height,  and  had  a  peculiarly  mild  and 
len  expression  of  countenance.  He  wore  a  robe  made  of  small  antelope  skins,  and 
jiiother  of  bark-cloth,  so  that  he  was  completely  covered.  He  never  wore  any  head-dress, 
nt  had  the  usual  metallic  armlets  and  anklets,  and  always  canied  a  long  staff  in  his 
ad. 

His  tour  sons  appear  to  have  been  worthy  of  their  father.  The  oldest  and  youngest 
lem  to  have  been  peculiarly  favourable  specimens  of  their  race.  The  eldest,  named 
fchunderah,  was  twenty-five  years  old,  and  very  fair,  so  that,  but  for  his  woolly  hair  and 
[is  rather  thick  lips,  he  might  have  been  taken  for  a  sepoy.  "  He  affected  the  dandy, 
leing  more  neat  about  his  lion-skin  covers  and  ornaments  than  the  other  brothers.  He 
laf(ay  life,  was  always  ready  to  lead  a  war  party,  and  to  preside  at  a  dance,  or  wherever 
liere  was  wine  and  women. 

"From  the  tuft  of  wool  left  unshaven  on  the  crown  of  his  head  to  his  waist  he  was 
m,  except  when  decorated  round  the  muscle  of  the  arms  and  neck  with  charmed  horns, 
l^trips  of  ottor-skin,  shells,  and  bands  of  wood.  The  skin-covering,  which  in  the  Karague 
ople  is  peculiar  in  shape,  reaches  below  the  knee  behind,  and  is  cut  away  in  front. 
From  below  the  calf  to  the  ankle  was  a  mass  of  iron  wire,  and  when  visiting  from 
Wi^thbour  to  neighbour,  he  always,  like  every  Karague,  carried  in  his  hand  a  five-feet 
IttatTwitli  a  knob  at  the  end. 

"  lie  constantly  came  to  asTc  after  me,  bringing  llowers  in  his  hand,  as  he  knew  my 
jfondness  for  them,  and  at  night  he  would  take  Frij,  my  headman,  into  the  palace,  along 
jwith  his '  zeze,'  or  guitar,  to  amuse  his  sisters  with  Zasizibar  music.  In  turn,  the  sisters, 
Ibrothers,  and  followers  would  sing  Karague  music,  ami  early  in  the  morning  Master  Frij 
laiidChunderah  would  return  rather  jolly  to  their  huts  outside  the  palace  enclosure.  This 
jsliows  Jie  kindly  feeling  existing  between  us  and  the  family  of  the  sultan ;  and,  although 
this  young  prince  had  showed  me  many  attentions,  he  never  once  asked  me  for  a 
present." 


I-M 


i  '  "^ 


^im^ 


444 


KARAQUK 


Tlio  Bocond  son,  who  was  by  a  different  mother,  was  not  so  a^froeahla  Ilia  dispova 
was  not  bail,  but  ho  was  stupid  and  slow,  and  anything  hvt  ip.iiuKoino.  Tim  younJ 
of  the  four,  uaniod  Kukoko,  seomod  to  have  boconie  a  pcc^...  iuvounlo,  and  woscl  I 
the  pet  of  his  father,  who  never  wont  anywhere  without,  .  hx  TI(j  ..'aa  so  mildl 
pleasant  in  his  manaer,  that  the  travellers  presented  him  with  •.  pair  of  white  kidolnj 
and,  afier  much  trouble  in  coaxing  them  on  his  unaccustomed  fingers,  were  much  tuLn 
by  the  your.^  mr.a's  added  dignity  with  which  he  walked  away. 


1^ 


y^  j^y 


I 


OHUNDERAH  PLATING  THBOUITAR. 


Contrary  to  the  usual  African  custom,  Rumanika  was  singularly  abstemious,  livir 
almost  entirely  upon  milk,  and  merely  sucking  the  juice  of  boiled  beef,  without  eatinj,'tlj 
meat  itself.  He  scarcely  ever  touched  the  plantain  wine  or  beer,  that  is  in  such  genetj 
use  throughout  the  country,  and  never  had  been  known  to  be  intoxicated.  This  wine i 
beer  is  made  in  a  very  ingenious  manner.  A  large  log  of  wood  is  hollowed  out  so  astofoij 
a  tub,  and  it  seems  essential  that  it  should  be  of  considerable  size.  One  end  of  it  is  raisi 
upon  a  support,  and  a  sort  of  barrier  or  dam  of  dried  grass  is  fixed  across  the  centre. 

Ripe  plantains  are  then  placed  in  the  upper  division  of  the  tub,  and  mashed  byt 
women's  feet  and  hands  until  they  are  reduced  to  a  pulp.  The  juice  flows  dowiitlj 
inclined  tub,  straining  itself  by  passing  through  the  grass  barrier.  When  a  suRiciei 
quantity  has  been  pressed,  it  is  strained  several  times  backwards  and  forwards,  and  is  thej 
passed  into  a  clean  tub  for  fermentation.  Some  burnt  sorghum  is  then  bruised  and  throw 
into  the  juice  to  help  fermentation,  and  the  tub  is  then  covered  up  and  placed  in  tl 
sun's  rays,  or  kept  warm  by  a  fire.  In  the  course  of  three  days  the  brewing  process | 
supposed  to  be  completed,  and  the  beer  or  wine  is  poured  off  into  calabashes. 

The  amount  of  this  wine  that  is  drunk  by  the  natives  is  really  amazing,  every  oil 


THE  SULTAN  RUMANIKA. 


445 


aWa  nisdiRpofliJ 
isoino.  The  yomj 
inii),  and  was  clJ 
'Ifa  '.'aa  BO  inildi 
r  of  white  kid  gU 
•8,  mm  much  oiaa 


y  abstemious,  livii 
f,  without  eatinjjtlj 
at  is  in  such  geiieij 
cated.  This  wine  J 
wed  out  so  as  to  foij 
ne  end  of  it  is  raia 
cross  the  centre. 

and  mashed  by  tU 
nice  flows  downtlJ 

Wlien  a  suBicieJ 
brwards,  and  is  thej 

bruised  and  throw 
p  and  placed  in  tij 
i  brewing  process  | 
bashes, 
amazing,  every  od 


ving  atout  with  them  a  calabash  full  of  it,  and  even  the  youngest  rhiUlren  of  the 
Lw  (lrinkinj(  it  freely.  It  is  never  bottled  for  preservation,  and,  in  fact,  it  is  in  such 
mt  tliat  scarcely  a  calabash  full  can  bo  found  within  two  or  three  days  after  tlio 
ujni'  is  completed.  This  inordinate  fondness  for  plantain  wine  makes  liumanika's 
tinence  the  more  remarkable. 

But  Ruraanika  was  really  a  wonderful  man  in  his  way,  and  was  not  only  kinp,  but 
staaJ  prophet  also.  His  very  elevation  to  the  throne  was,  according  to  the  account 
inbyhim  and  his  friends,  entirely  duo  to  supernatural  aid. 

When  his  father,  Dagara,  died,  ho  and  two  brothers  claimed  the  throne.  In  order  to 
le  their  pretensions  a  small  magic  drum  wa.s  laid  before  them,  and  he  who  could  lift  it 
to  take  the  crown.  The  drum  was  a  very  small  one,  and  of  scarcely  any  weight,  but 
.  it  were  laid  certain  potent  charms.  The  conseciuence  was,  that  although  his  brothers 
li  their  strength  to  the  task,  they  could  not  stir  the  drum,  while  Kumanika  raised  it 
with  his  little  finger.  Ever  afterwards  he  carried  this  drum  with  him  on  occasions 
eereinony,  swinging  it  about  to  show  how  easy  ib  was  for  the  rightful  sovereign  to 

-it 

Being  dissatisfied  with  such  a  test,  one  of  the  chiefs  insisted  on  Eumanika's  trial  by 

er  ordeal.     He  was  then  brought  into  a  sacred  spot,  where  he  was  required  to  seat 

ilf  on  the  groimd.  and  await  the  result   of  the  charms.     If  he  were  really  the 

jted  king,  the  portion  of  the  ground  on  which  he  was  seated  would  rise  up  in  the 

iBtil  it  reached  the  sky ;  but  if  he  were  the  wrong  man,  it  would  collapse,  and  dash 

to  pieces.    According  to  all  accounts,  his  own  included,  Eumanika  took  his  seat,  was 

jd  up  into  the  sky,  and  his  legitimacy  acknowledgod. 

Altogether,  his  family  seem  to  have  been  noted  for  their  supernatural  qualities.  When 

tuber,  Dagara,  died,  his  body  was  sewn  up  in  a  cow-hide,  put  into  a  canoe,  and  set 

iog  on  the  lake,  where  it  was  allowed  to  decompose.    Three  maggots  were  then  taken 

I  the  canoe  and  given  in  charge  of  Kumanika,  but  as  soon  as  they  came  into  his  house 

of  them  became  a  lion,  another  a  leopard,  and  the  third  was  transformed  into  a  stick. 

body  was  then  laid  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  a  hut  built  over  it,  five  girls  and  fifty  cows 

it  into  it,  and  the  door  blocked  up  and  watched,  so  that  the  inmates  gradually  died 

itarration. 

The  lion  which  ...sueu  from     e  corpse  was  supposed  to  be  an  emblem  of  the  peculiar 

ter  of  the  Karague  country,  which  is  supposed  to  be  guarded  by  lions  from  the 

ik  of  other  tribes.    It  was  said  that  whenever  Dagara  heard  that  the  enemy  was 

ling  into  his  country,  he  used  to  call  the  lions  together,  send  them  against  the 

icing  force,  and  so  defeat  them  by  deputy. 

In  his  character  of  high-priest,  Rumanika  was  very  imposing,  especially  in  his  new- 

in  levee,  which  took  place  every  month,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  loyalty  of 

subjects. 

On  the  evening  of  the  new  moon  he  clothes  himself  in  his  priestly  garb,  i.e.  a  quantity 

feathers  nodding  over  his  forehead,  and  fastened  with  a  kind  of  strap  of  beads.    A 

ge  white  beard  covers  his  chin  and  descends  to  his  breast,  and  is  fastened  to  his  face  by 

bell  of  beads.    Having  thus  prepared  himdelf,  he  sits  behind  a  screen,  and  waits  for  the 

imony  to  begin. 

This  is  a  very  cunous  one.    Thirty  or  forty  long  drums  are  ranged  on  the  ground,  just 

:e  a  battery  of  so  many  mortars ;  on  their  heads  a  white  cross  is  painted.  The  drummers 

ind  behind  them,  each  with  a  pair  of  sticks,  and  in  front  is  their  leader,  who  has  a  pair 

small  drums  slung  to  his  neck. 

The  leader  first  raises  his  right  arm,  and  then  his  left,  the  performers  imitating  him 

ith  exact  precision.    He  then  brings  down  both  sticks  on  the  drums  with  a  rapid  roll, 

hich  becomes  louder  and  louder,  until  the  noise  is  scarcely  endurable.    This  is  continued 

intervals  for  several  hours,  interspersed  with  performances  on  smaller  drums,  and  other 

iiisical  instruments.    The  various  chiefs  and  officers  next  advance  in  succession,  leaping 

id  gesticulating,  shouting  expressions  of  devotion  to  their  sovereign,  and  invoking  his 

[engeance  on  them  should  they  ever  fail  in  their  loyalty.    As  they  finish  their  salutation 

ley  kneel  successively  before  the  king,  and  hold  out  their  knobbed  sticks  that  he  may 


«    '■  Jl 


446 


KABAQUH 


is  H 


touch  them,  and  then  retire  to  make  room  for  their  snccessors  in  the  ceremony,  in  ^ 
to  give  added  force  to  the  whole  proceeding,  a  horn  is  stuffed  full  of  magic  powder! 
placed  in  the  centre,  with  its  opening  directed  towards  the  quarter  from  which  danoj 
to  be  feared.  'I 

A  younger  brother  of  Eumanika,  named  M'nanagee,  was  even  a  greater  prophet  I 
diviner  than  his  royal  brother,  and  was  greatly  respected  by  the  Wahuma  in  consequenj 
his  supernatural  powers.  He  had  a  sacred  stone  on  a  hill,  and  might  be  seen  daily  walU 
to  the  spot  for  the  purpose  of  divination.  He  had  also  a  number  of  elephant  tusks  \^ 
he  had  stuffed  with  magic  powder  and  placed  in  the  enclosure,  for  the  purpose  of  al 
of  i-eligious  worship. 

M'nanagee  was  a  tall  and  stately  personage,  skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  plants,  i 
strange  to  say,  ready  to  impart  his  knowledge.  As  insignia  of  his  priestly  office,  he  i 
an  abundance  of  charms.  One  charm  was  fastened  to  the  back  of  his  shaven  h, 
others  hung  from  his  neck  and  arms,  while  some  were  tied  to  his  knees,  and  even  the] 
of  his  walking-stick  contained  a  charm.  He  was  always  attended  by  his  page,  a  littlj 
boy,  who  carried  his  fly-flapper,  and  his  master's  pipe,  the  latter  being  of  considei 
length,  and  having  a  bowl  of  enormous  size. 

He  had  a  full  belief  in  the  power  of  his  magic  horns,  and  consulted  them  on  Ui 
every  occasion  of  life.  If  any  one  were  ill,  he  asked  their  opinion  as  to  the  nature  rfl 
malady  and  the  best  remedy  for  it.  If  he  felt  ctirious  about  a  friend  at  a  distance,! 
magic  horns  gave  him  tidings  of  the  absent  one.  If  an  attack  were  intended  on  [ 
country,  the  horns  gave  him  warning  of  it,  and,  when  rightly  invoked,  they  either  avei 
the  threatened  attack,  or  gave  victory  over  their  enemies. 

The  people  have  an  implicit  faith  in  the  power  of  their  charms,  and  believe  that  1 
nob  only  inspire  courage,  but  rendei;  the  person  invulnerable.  Bumanika's  head  magici, 
K'yeugo,  told  Captain  Speke  that  the  Watuta  tribes  had  invested  his  village  for] 
months ;  and  when  all  the  cattle  and  other  provisions  were  eaten,  they  took  the  villl 
and  killed  all  the  inhabitants  except  himself.  Him  they  could  not  kill  on  account  of] 
power  of  his  charms,  and,  although  they  struck  at  him  with  their  spears  as  he  lay  ou  I 
ground,  they  could  not  even  wound  him. 

The  Wahuma  believe  in  the  constant  presence  of  departed  souls,  and  that  theyi 
exercise  an  influence  for  good  or  evil  over  those  whom  they  had  known  in  life.  So,  \ 
field  happens  to  be  blighted,  or  the  crop  does  not  look  favourable,  a  gourd  is  laid  on] 
path.  All  passenger^who  see  the  gourd  know  its  meaning,  and  set  up  a  wailing  ci] 
the  spirits  to  give  n,  good  crop  to  their  surviving  friends. 

In  order  to  propitiate  the  spirit  of  his  father,  Dagara,  Bumanika  used  annueil}! 
sacrifice  a  cow  on  his  tomb,  and  was  accustomed  to  lay  com  and  beer  near  the  grave,! 
offerings  to  his  father's  spirit. 

In  Karague,  mai/iage  is  little  more  than  a  species  of  barter,  the  father  receiving  ( 
sheep,  slaves,  and  other  property  for  his  daughter.     But  the  transaction  is  not  a  final  i 
for  if  the  bride  does  not  happen  to  approve  of  her  husband,  she  can  return  the  nan 
gifts  and  return  to  her  father.     There  is  but  little  ceremony  in  their  marriages,  the  pi| 
cipal  one  seeming  to  consist  of  t}riug  up  the  bride  in  a  blackened  skin,  and  carrying  hei 
noisy  procession  to  her  husband. 

The  Wahuma  women  lead  an  easy  life  compared  with  that  of  the  South  ifriij 
women,  and  indeed  their  chief  object  in  life  seems  to  be  the  attainment  of  corpulci| 
Either  the  ¥7ahuina  women  are  specially  constituted,  or  the  food  which  they  eat  is  i 
ceptionally  nutritious,  for  they  attain  dimensions  that  are  almost  incredible.  1 
example,  Rttmanika,  though  himself  a  slight  and  well-shaped  man,  had  five  wives  of  enj 
mous  fatness.  Three  of  them  were  unable  to  enter  the  door  of  an  ordinary  hut,  orj 
move  about  withouw  being  supported  by  a  person  on  either  side.  They  are  fed  on  toil 
plantains  and  milk,  and  consume  vast  quantities  of  the  latter  article,  eating  it  all  daylol 
Indeed,  they  are  fattened  as  systematically  as  turkeys,  and  are  "crammed"  witli[ 
equal  disregard  of  their  feelings. 

Captain  Speke  gives  a  very  humorous  account  of  his  interview  with  one  of 
women  of  rank,  together  with  the  measurements  which  she  permitted  him  to  take:- 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS. 


447 


•After  a  long  and  amusing  conversation  with  Bumanika  in  the  morning,  I  called  on 
.^of  his  sisters-in-law,  married  to  an  elder  brother,  who  was  born  before  Dagara 
[I^Dded  the  throne.  She  was  another  of  these  victims  of  obesity,  unable  to  stand  except 
liffl  all  fours.  I  was  desirous  to  obtain  a  good  view  of  her,  and  actually  to  measure  her, 
Ld  induced  her  to  give  me  facilities  for  doing  so  b^  offering  in  return  to  show  her  a  bit 
Lqiy  naked  legs  and  arms.  The  bait  took  as  I  wished  it,  and,  after  getting  her  to  sidle 
'  vrigggle  into  the  middle  of  the  hut,  I  did  as  I  had  promised,  and  then  took  her 
jensions  as  noted. 

"Bound  arm,  one  foot  eleven  inches.    Chest,  four  feet  four  inches.    Thigh,  two  feet 

tea.  inches.    Calf,  one  foot  eight  inches.    Height,  five  feet  eight  inches.    All  of  these 

•  exact  except  the  hei(fht,  and  I  believe  I  could  have  obtained  this  more  accurately  if  I 

„ald  have  had  her  laid  on  the  floor.    But  knowing  what  difficulties  I  should  have  to 

intend  with  in  such  a  piece  of  engineering,  I  tried  to  get  her  height  by  raising  her  up. 

fiaa,  after  infinite  exertions  on  the  part  of  us  both,  was  accomplished,  when  she  sank 

lown  a<%in  fainting,  for  the  blood  had  rushed  into  her  head. 

"Meanwhile  the  daughter,  a  lass  of  sixteen,  sat  stark  naked  before  us,  sucking  at  a 

k-pot,  on  which  the  '"ther  kept  her  y.c  work  by  holding  a  rod  in  his  hand ;  for,  as 

ening  is  the  first  duty  v<.  fashionable  female  life,  it  must  be  duly  enforced  with  the  rod 

[necessary.    I  got  up  a  bit  of  a  flirtation  with  missy,  and  induced  her  to  rise  and  shake 

nds  with  me.    Her  features  were  lovely,  but  her  body  was  as  round  as  a  ball." 

la  one  part  of  the  country,  the  women  turned  their  obesity  to  good  account.    In  ex- 

jancing  food  for  beads,  the  usual  bargain  was  that  a  certain  quantity  of  food  should  be 

laid  for  by  a  belt  of  beads  that  would  go  round  the  waist.    But  the  women  of  Karague 

ere,  on  an  average,  twice  as  large  round  the  waist  as  those  of  other  districts,  and  the 

taral  consequence  was,  that  food  practically  rose  one  hundred  per  cent.  :n  price. 

Despite  their  exceeding  fatness,  their  features  retain  much  beauty,  the  face  being  ova], 

ndthe  eyes  peculiarly  fine  and  intelligent    The  higher  class  of  women  are  very  modest, 

tot  ouly  wearing  the  cow-skin  petticoat,  but  also  a  large  wrapper  of  black  cloth,  with 

rhich  they  envelope  their  whole  bodies,  merely  allowing  one  eye  to  be  seen.    Yet  up  to 

iie  marriageable  age  no  clothing  of  any  kind  is  worn  by  either  sex,  and  both  boys  and 

pk  will  come  up  to  the  traveller  and  talk  familiarly  with  him,  as  unconscious  of  nudity 

9  their  first  parents.     Until  they  are  married  they  allow  the  hair  to  grow,  and  then  shave 

toff,  sometimes  entirely,  and  sometimes  partially.    They  have  an  odd  habit  of  making 

ap3  of  cane,  which  they  cover  on  the  outside  with  the  woolly  hair  shaved  o£f  their 


Mention  has  been  made  of  various  musical  instnments  used  in  Earague.    The  most 

nportant  are  the  drums,  which  vary  in  size  as  much  as  they  do  in  England.    That 

1  corresponds  to  our  side-drum  is  about  four  feet  in  length  and  one  ii^  width,  and  is 

overed  at  the  wide  end  with  an  ichneumon  skin.    This  instrument  is  slung  from  the 

balder,  and  is  played  with  the  fingers  like  the  Indian  "  tom-tom."    The  large  dnims 

led  at  the  new-moon  levee  are  of  similar  structure,  but  very  much  larger.    The  war 

utn  is  beaten  by  the  women,  and  at  its  so\md  the  men  rush  to  arms  and  repair  to  the 

Bveral  quarters. 

There  are  also  several  stringed  instruments  employed  in  Earague.    The  principal  of 

I  is  the  nanga,  a  kind  of  guitar,  which,  according  to  Captain  Grant,  may  be  called 

i national  instrument     There  are  several  varieties  of  the  nanga.    "In  one  of  these, 

lyed  by  an  old  woman,  six  of  the  seven  notes  were  a  perfect  scale,  the  seventh  being 

he  only  faulty  string.     In  another  played  by  a  man,  three  f^trings  were  a  full  harmonious 

Ichord.   These  facts  show  that  the  people  are  capable  of  cultivation.    The  nanga  was 

Iformed  of  heavy  dark  wood,  the  shape  of  a  tray,  twenty-two  by  nine  inches,  or  thirty 

jby  eight,  with  three  crosses  in  the  bottom,  and  laced  with  one  string  seven  or  eight 

■times  over  bridges  at  either  end.     Sometimes  a  gourd  or  sounding-board  was  tied  on 

Itothebick. 

"Pnuce  M'nanagee,  at  my  request,  sent  the  best  player  he  knew.    The  man  boldly 
I  entered  without  introduction,  dressed  in  the  usual  Wanyambo  costume,  and  looked  a  wild, 
excited  creatuia  '  After  restdug  his  spear  against  the  roof  of  the  hut,  he  took  a  nanga 


^^  !:v  m 


^ 


'9' 


■■-."%! 


S*;. 


I . 


T' 


l>  r 


li  ! 


jf. 


J^' 


448 


KABAGUE. 


from  tinder  his  arm,  and  commenced.    As  he  sat  upon  a  mat  ivith  his  head  averted  I 
sang  something  of  his  having  been  sent  to  me,  and  of  the  favourite  dog  Keeromba.   ThJ 


i4.  VI 


^-1^ 


.S! 


'^^*g 


jB-_si2i 


a^uc^jij^.. 


BUMANIKA'S  PRIVATE  BAND. 


■wild  yet  gentle  music  and  words  attracted  a  crowd  of  admirers,  who  sang  the  dog 
song  for  days  afterwards,  as  we  had  it  encored  several  times.  ' 


CODE  OF  LAWa 


449 


lis  head  averted,  111 
3g  Keeromba.    ij 


I4vi 


•Another  player  was  an  old  woman,  calling  herself  Keeleeamyagga.  As  she  played 
liile  standing  in  front  of  me,  all  the  song  she  could  produce  was  '  sh !  sh  1 '  screwing 
r  mouth,  rolling  her  hody,  and  raising  her  feet  from  the  ground.  It  was  a  miserable 
jformance,  and  not  rei)eated." 

There  is  another  stringed  instrament  called  the  "  zeza"    It  differs  from  the  nanga 

I  having  only  one  string,  and,  like  the  nanga,  is  used  to  accompany  the  voice  in  singing. 

0  wind  instruments  may  be  called  the  flageolet  and  the  bugle.    The  former  huo  six 

sr'holes ;  and  as  the  people  walk  aloug  with  a  load  on  their  heads,  they  play  the 

olet  to  lighten  their  journey,  and  really  contrive  to  produce  sweet  and  musical  tones 

,  it   The  so-called  "  bugle "  is  made  of  several  pieces  of  gourd,  fitting  into  one 

ier  in  telescope  fashion,  and  is  covered  with  cow-skin.    The  notes  of  a  common  chord 

l)e  produced  on  the  bugle,  the  thumb  acting  as  a  key.      It  is  about  one  foot  in 

A 

Eamanika  had  a  special  military  band  comprised  of  sixteen  men,  fourteen  of  whom 
^  bugles  and  the  other  two  carried  hand-drums.  They  formed  in  three  ranks,  the 
mnmers  being  in  the  rear,  and  played  on  the  march,  swaying  their  bodies  in  time  to 
J  music,  and  the  leader  advancing  with  a  curiously  active  step,  in  which  he  touched 
aground  with  each  knee  alternately. 

The  code  of  laws  in  Karague  is  rather  severe  in  some  cases,  and  strangely  mild  in 

lets.   For  example,  theft  is  punished  with  the  stocks,  in  which  the  offender  is  some- 

jnes  kept  for  many  months.      Assault  with  a  stick  entails  a  fine  of  ten  goats,  but  if 

Ejtii  a  deadly  weapon,  the  whole  of  the  property  is  forfeited,  the  injured  party  taking 

J  half,  and  the  sultan  the  other.    In  cases  of  actual  murder,  the  culprit  is  executed, 

ihia  entire  property  goes  to  the  relations  of  the  murdered  man.    The  most  curious 

bw  is  that  against  adidtery.     Should  the  offender  be  an  ordinary  wife,  the  loss  of  an  ear 

I  thought  to  be  sufficient  penalty  ;  but  if  she  be  a  slave,  or  the  daughter  of  the  sultan, 

)th  parties  are  liable  to  capital  punishment. 

When  an  inhabitant  of  Karague  dies,  his  body  is  disposed  of  according  to  his  rank. 
loold  he  be  one  of  the  peasants,  or  Wanyambo,  the  body  is  sunk  in  the  water ;  'but  if 
J  should  belong  to  the  higher  caste,  or  Wahuma,  the  corpse  is  buried  on  an  island  in  the 
ke,  all  such  islands  being  considered  as  sacred  ground.  Near  the  spot  whereon  one  of 
>  Wahuma  has  died,  the  relations  place  a  symbolical  mark,  consisting  of  two  sticks 
J  to  a  stone,  and  laid  across  the  pathway.  The  symbol  informs  the  passenger  that  the 
ithway  is  for  the  present  sacred,  and  in  consequence  he  turns  aside,  and  makes  a  ditour 
to  he  resumes  the  pathway.    The  singular  funeral  of  the  sultan  has  already  been 


les* 


■'■■mini 

*««Hll.rt 


I-        i 


?*3 


^P' 


^ 

^^i 

who  sang  the  do; 


THE  WAZARAMO  AND  WASAGARA. 


Before  proceeding  to  other  African  countries,  it  will  be  as  well  to  give  a  few  lines  to 
»o  other  tribes,  namely, — the  Wazaramo  and  the  Wasagara. 

The  country  in  which  the  former  people  live  is  called  Uzaramo,  and  is  situated 

mediately  southward  of  Zanzibar,  being  the  first  district  through  which  Captains  Speke 
od  Grant  passed. 

The  country  is  covered  with  villages,  the  houses  of  which  are  par<-ly  conical  after  the 
dinary  African  fashion,  and  partly  gable-ended,  according  to  the  architecture  of  the 
loast,  the  latter  form  being  probably  due  to  the  many  traders  who  con^e  from  different  parts 
If  the  world.  The  walls  of  the  houses  are  "wattle  and  daub,"  i.e.  h\^rdle-work  pkatered 
pith  clay,  and  the  roofs  are  thatched  with  grass  or  reeds.  Over  these  villages  are  set 
lead-men,  called  Phanzes,  who  ordinarily  call  themselves  subjects  of  Said  Majid,  the 
pultan  of  Zanzibar.    Dat  as  soon  as  a  caravan  passes  through  their  country,  each  head 

'vol.  I.  QQ        '  ^ 


"?r' 


'  /' 


N,.; 


1 


4Hi 


\  ' 


460 


TEE  WAZARAMO. 


man  considers  himself  as  a  sultan  in  his  own  right,  and  levies  tolls  from  the  travellen 
They  never  allow  strangers  to  come  into  their  villages,  differing  in  this  resi)ei;t  from  oth 
tribes,  who  use  their  towns  as  traps,  into  which  the  vmwary  traveller  is  induced  to  con 
and  from  which  he  does  not  escape  without  suffering  severely  in  purse. 

The  people,  although  rather  short  and  thick-set,  are  good-looking,  and  very  fond 
dress,  although  their  costume  is  but  limited,  consisting  only  of  a  cloth  tied  round  th 
waist.    They  are  very  fond  of  ornaments,  such  as  shells,  pieces  of  tin,  and  beads  ani 
rub  their  bodies  with  red  clay  and  oil  until  they  look  as  if  they  were  new  cast  i] 
copper.    Their  hair  is  woolly,  and  twisted  into  numerous  tufts,  each  of  which  is  elonKit< 
'  by  bark  fibres.    The  men  are  very  attentive  to  the  women,  dressing  their  hair  for  the 
or  escorting  them  to  the  water,  lest  any  harm  should  befall  them. 


BAIA-DBESSIKa. 


A  wise  traveller  passes  through  Uzaramo  as  fast  as  he  can,  the  natives  never  furnishira 
guides,  nor  giving  ihe  least  assistance,  but  being  always  ready  to  pounce  on  him  sliould 
he  be  weak,  and  to  rob  him  by  open  violence,  instead  of  employing  the  more  refineij 
"  hongo  "  system.  They  seem  to  be  a  boisterous  race,  but  are  manageable  by  mm 
gentleness  and  determinatioa  Even  when  they  had  drawn  out  their  warrioi"s  in  batdd 
array,  and  demanded  in  a  menacing  manner  a  larger  hongo  than  they  ought  to  expectJ 
Captain  Speke  found  that  gentle  words  would  always  cause  them  to  withdraw,  anf 
leave  the  matter  to  peaceful  arbitration.  Should  they  come  to  blows,  they  are  rathen 
formidable  enemies,  being  well  armed  with  spears  and  bows  and  arrows,  the  latter  being 
poisoned,  and  their  weapons  being  always  kept  in  the  same  state  of  polish  and  noatnes! 
as  their  owners. 

Some  of  these  Phanzes  are  apt  to  be  verj'  troublesome  to  the  traveller,  almost  al 
demanding  more  than  they  expect  to  get,  and  generally  using  threats  as  the  simplestj 
means  of  extortion.  One  of  them,  named  Khomb^  la  Simba,  or  Lion's-claw,  was  veiyl 
troublesome,  sending  back  contemptuously  the  present  that  had  been  given  him,i 
threatening  the  direst  vengeance  if  his  demands  were  not  complied  with.  Five  miles! 
further  inland,  another  Phanze,  named  Mukia  ya  Nyani,  or  Monkey's-tail,  demandedj 
another  hongo;  but,  as  the  stores  of  the  expedition  would  have  been  soon  exhausted  atl 


I ;. 


THE  WASAGAEA. 


451 


J  rate,  Captain  Speke  put  an  abrupt  stop  to  this  extortion,  giving  the  chiefs  the  option 

[  tjjang  what  he  chose  to  give  them,  or  fighting  for  it ;  and,  as  he  took  care  to  display 

I  armory  and  the  marksmanship  of  his  men,  they  thought  it  better  to  comply  rather 

jn  fight  and  get  nothing. 

Owing  to  the  rapidity  with  which  the  travellers  passed  through  this  inhospitable  land, 

[the  necessity  for  a\  oiding  the  natives  as  much  as  possible,  very  little  was  learned  of 

manners  and  oust  )ms.    The  Wazaramo  would  flock  round  the  caravan  for  the 

086  of  barter,  and  to  inspect  the  strangers,  but  their  ordinary  life  was  spent  in  their 

EflLes,  which,  as  has  bei  i  already  mentioned,  are  never  entered  by  travellers.    Nothing 

I  known  of  their  religion  though  it  is  possib^'s  that  the  many  Mahometans  who  pass 

■ough  their  land  may  have  introduced  some  -races  of  their  own  religion,  just  as  is  the 

je  in  Londa,  where  the  religion  is  an  odd  mixture  of  idolatrous,  Mahometan,  and 

Ichristian  rites,  with  the  meaning  ingeniously  excluded.    In  fact  they  do  not  want  to 

linow  the  meaning  of  the  i  tes,  leaving  that  to  the  priests,  and  being  perfectly  contented 

Ib  long  as  the  witch-doctor   >erforms  his  part.    That  the  Wazaramo  have  at  all  events  a 

leerlain  amount  of  superstit  »n,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  they  erect  little  model  huts 

Ltemples  to  the  Spirit  of  B  in.     Such  a  hut  or  temple  is  called  M'ganga.    They  also  lay 

Ibrokea  articles  on  graves,  a:,d  occasionally  carve  rude  wooden  dolls  and  fix  them  in  the 

Bund  at  the  end  of  the  gr  ve ;  but,  as  far  as  is  known,  they  have  no  separate  burying- 


THE  WASAGAEA. 


The  second  of  these  tribes,  the  Wasagara,  inhabits  a  large  tract  of  country,  full  a  hundred 
ilea  in  length,  and  is  composed  of  a  great  number  of  inferior  or  sub-tribes.  Like 
jotlier  African  nations,  who  at  one  time  were  evidently  great  and  powerful,  the  Wasagara 
Ikve  become  feeble  and  comparatively  insignificant,  though  still  numerous.  Being  much 
Ipereecuted  by  armed  parties  from  the  coast,  who  attack  and  carry  them  off  for  slaves, 
jtesides  stealing  what  property  they  have,  the  Wasagara  have  mostly  taken  to  the  lofty 
1  mountains  that  form  such  conspicuous  objects  in  their  country,  and  there  are 
Itolerably  safe.  But,  as  they  are  thus  obliged  to  reside  in  such  limited  districts,  they  can 
)  but  little  in  agriculture,  and  they  are  afraid  to  descend  to  the  level  ground  in  order  to 
[take  part  in  the  system  of  commerce,  which  is  so  largely  developed  in  this  country. 
Ilheir  villages  are  mostly  built  on  the  hill-spurs,  and  they  cultivate,  as  far  as  tliey  can, 
jthe  fertile  lant^s  which  lie  between  them.  But  the  continual  inroads  of  inimical  tribes, 
lis  well  as  th<  -c  of  the  slave -dealers,  prevent  the  inhabitants  from  tilling  more  land  than 
lean  just  supply  their  wants. 

So  utterly  dispirited  are  they,  that  as  soon  as  a  caravan  is  seen  by  a  sentry,  warning 
lis  given,  and  all  the  population  flock  to  the  hill-top,  where  they  scatter  and  hide  them- 
Ifdves  80  completely  that  no  slaving  party  would  waste  its  time  by  trying  to  catch  them. 
lEesistance  is  never  even  thought  of,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to  induce  the  Wasagara  to 
id  the  hills  until  the  caravan  has  passed.  Consequently  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
lobtain  a  Msagara  as  a  guide  through  his  country.  If,  however,  the  traveller  does  succeed 
litt  so  doing,  he  finds  that,  the  man  is  trustworthy,  lively,  active,  and  altogether  an  amusing 
|(«mi»nion.  The  men  seem  to  be  good  hunters,  displaying  great  skill  in  discovering  and 
[tracking  game. 

Owing  to  the  precarious  nature  of  their  lives,  the  Wasagara  have  but  little  dress,  a 
lonall  strip  of  cloth  round  the  waist  being  the  ordinaiy  costume. 


m 
■m 


-^ 

^n^ 

^^m 

-If^. 

'^ 

^^Hs 

:3i^ 

i! 

HKn 

Jas: 

«^^ 

—-^ 

w  t\ '  y^ 

3B: 

"I  '-^ 

^ 

i'f]| 

=Si 

-..4^M 

OM.^ 

'HI 

■H 

T"*^ 

^Jh  j 

iHHRn 

-**MH%A    s 

^t?  jflR^Bl 

^^^^c^n 

UtZi   ■ 

'"Sb^S' 

m^^^^ 

rC 

m.^^® 

^ 

',  ■ 

Ilpf 

■'■'■nil 

• 

i 

ao8 


?ra 


.1  J 


M, 


k'  G: 


^v;^ 


'#' 


1 


'I 


rf  . 
it  ' 


It."    ! 


OHAFTEE  XXXIX. 


THE  WATUSI  AND  WAGANDA.     * 


lOCAUTT  OF  THS  WATUSI  TBIBB — ^MOI>B  OV  SBBS8 — A  WATUSI  WOMAN — THBIB  TALUS  AS 

MRN — SALUTATION — WATUSI    DANCINa THB     WAOANDA — BOAD    SYSTEM    OF   UGANDA— CODB  Oil 

KT«JU?1TTB — DISBBOABD     OF    HITMAN    LIFB — CBUBLTT THE    WIFE-WHIP — AN     AFRICAN   BWjJ 

B'tABD ^LIFB   IN   THB   PALACB — BEVIEWINO     THE     TBOOFS ORIGIN     OF   THB   WAOANDA  TEXBR- 

KiMERA,   AND   HIS   MODE  OF   QOTRBNMEMT — SYSTEM  OF  ORGANIZATION — THB   LAW  OF  SUCCBSSIOIt 
— M'tBSA,  THB   PRBSENT   KING,  AND   HIS   OOUBT — THK   BOYAL  PALACE — OENBBAL  ABCHITXCT 

OF  THB  WAGANDA— BEOBPTION    OF   A    GUEST THB    BOYAL    WALK A  COUNCIL — SUPEBSTITION* 

THB  WATEB-8PIBIT  AND   HIS  HIOH-PBIE8T — BELIOION   OF   THB  WAOANDA — ^HUMAN  BACIlinCl»--| 
THB  BLAVB-TBADB — ^BUBYINa-OBOUNDB  OF  THB  WAOANDA. 

Ttt^rb  is  one  tribe  which,  though  small,  has  sufficient  individuality  to  deserve  a  brief| 
•  jtice.  The  Watusi  are  a  race  of  herdsmen,  who  live  on  either  side  of  the  equator,  i 
according  to  Captain  Grant,  resemble  the  Somalia  in  general  appearance.  They  generally! 
take  service  in  the  households  of  wealthy  persons,  and  devote  themselves  almost  entirely! 
to  the  care  of  the  cattle. 

They  have  plentiful  and  woolly  hair,  and  the  men  shave  their  beards  with  the  I 
exception  of  a  crescent-shaped  patch.  They  have  an  odd  fashion  of  staining  their  gums  I 
black,  using  for  the  purpose  a  mixture  of  the  tamarind  seed  "-alcined  and  powdered,  and! 
then  mixed  with  a  salt  of  copper.  The  men  carry  their  weapons  when  walking,  and! 
seldom  appear  without  a  bow  and  arrows,  a  five-feet  long  stick  with  a  knob  at  one  end,| 
and  a  pipe. 

When  they  meet  a  friend,  they  hold  out  the  knobbed  end  oiF  the  stick  to  him; 
touches  it,  and  the  demands  of  etiquette  are  supposed  to  be  fulfilled.    This  knobbed! 
stick  is  quite  an  institution  among  the  tribes  that  have  recently  been  mentioned,  and  a 
mansee.nst:  be  quite  unhappy  unless  he  has  in  his  hand  one  of  these  curious  implements.] 
They  are  foad  of  ornament,  and  wear  multitudinous  rings  upon  their  wrists  and 
the  latter  being  generally  of  iron  and  the  former  of  brass. 

They  are  a  fine-lookin<?  race,  and  the  women  are  equally  remarkable  in  this  respect! 
with  the  men, — a  pheno'v'non    arely  seen  in  this  part  of  the  world.     They  are  tall, 
erect,  and  well-feati'-red,  tad,  as  a  rule,  ar**  decently  clad  in  dressed  cow-skins.   The 
general    appearance  of    iln  Watusi  womuii   can    be  gathered  from  Captain  Grant's] 
description. 

"  One  morning,  to  my  surprise,  in  a  wild  jungle  wo  came  upon  cattle,  then  upon  a  I 
'  bomah '  or  ring  fence,  concealed  by  beautiful  umbrageous  large  trees,  quite  the  place  for  | 
a  gipsy  camp.  At  the  entry  two  strapping  fellows  met  me  and  invited  my  approach. 
I  mingled  with  the  people,  got  water  from  them,  and  was  asked,  '  Would  I  prefer  some  j 
milk  ? '  This  sounded  to  me  more  civilized  than  I  expected  from  Africans,  so  I  followed  I 
the  men,  who  led  me  up  to  a  beautiful  lady-like  creature,  a  Watusi  woman,  sitting  alone 
under  a  tree. 


WATUSI  BELLES. 


453 


"She  received  me  without  any  expression  of  surprise,  in  the  most  dignified  manner ; 
I  jifter  talking  with  the  men,  rose  smiling,  showing  great  gentleness  in  her  manner,  and 
I  me  to  her  hut    I  had  time  to  scrutinise  the  interesting  stranger :  she  wore  the  usual 
Ifatusi  costume  of  a  cow's  skin  reversed,  teased  into  a  fringe  with  a  needle,  coloured 
0n,  and  wrapped  round  her  body  from  below  the  chest  to  the  ankles.    Lappets, 
towing  zebra-like  stripes  of  many  colours,  she  wore  as  a  '  turn-over  '•  round  the  waist, 
except  where  ornamented  on  one  arm  with  a  highly  polished  coil  of  thick  brass  wire, 
vo  qually  bright  and  massive  rings  on  the  right  wrist,  and  a  neck  pendant  of  brass  wire, 
Except  these,  and  her  becoming  wrapper— she  was  au  naturelle. 
"I  was  struck  with  her  pecidiarly-formed  head  and  graceful  long  neck;  the  beauty  of 
i  eyes,  mouth,  and  nose;  the  smallness  of  her  hands  and  naked  feet— all  were 
iltless ;  the  only  bad  feature,  which  is  considered  one  of  beauty  with  them,  was  her 
ears.     The  arma  and  elbows  were  rounded  off  like  an  egg,  the  shoulders  were 
ping,  and  her  small  breasts  were  those  of  a  crouching  Venus — ^a  perfect  beauty,  though 
irker  than  a  brunette. 

"Her  temporary  residerce  was  peculiar;  it  was  formed  of  grass,  was  flat-roofed,  and 
glow  that  1  could  not  stand  upright  in  it.  The  fireplace  consisted  of  three  stones ;  milk 
aels  of  wood,  shining  white  from  scouring,  were  ranged  on  one  side  of  the  abode.  A 
l-lookini,'  woman  sat  rocking  a  gourd  between  her  knees  in  the  process  of  churning 
Mter.  After  the  fair  one  had  examined  my  skin  and  my  clothes,  I  expressed  great 
et  that  I  had  no  beads  to  present  to  her.  '  They  are  not  wanted,'  she  said ;  '  sit  down, 
Imk  this  buttermilk,  and  here  is  also  some  butter  for  you.'  It  was  placed  on  a  clean 
>af.  I  shook  hands,  patted  her  cheek,  and  took  my  leave,  but  some  beads  were  sent  her, 
nd  she  paid  me  a  visit,  bringing  butter  and  buttermilk,  and  asking  for  niore  presents, 
irhich  she  of  course  got,  and  I  had  the  gratification  to  see  her  eyes  sparkle  at  the  sight 
df  them. 

"This  was  one  of  the  few  women  I  met  during  our  whole  journey  that  I  admired. 
Ifcne  of  the  belles  in  Usui  could  approach  her;  but  they  were  of  a  different  caste,  though 
pressing  much  in  the  same  style.  When  cow's  skins  were  not  worn,  these  Usui  women 
very  tidily  in  bark  cloths,  and  had  no  marks  or  cuttings  observable  on  their 
dies.  Circles  of  hair  were  often  sha^'ed  off  the  crowns  of  their  heads,  and  their  neck 
Itrnameats  showed  considerable  taste  ia  the  selection  of  the  beads.  The  most  becoming 
jveie  a  string  of  the  M'zizama  spl:eres  of  marble-sized  white  porcelain,  and  triangxUar 
pieces  of  shell  rounded  at  the  corners. 

"An  erect  fair  girl,  daughter  of  a  chief,  paid  us  a  visit,  accompanied  by  six  maids,  and 
lat  silently  for  half  an  hour.  She  '.lad  a  spiral  circle  of  wool  shaved  off  the  crown  of  her 
1;  her  only  ornament  was  a  rieckli\ce  of  green  beads ;  she  wore  the  usual  wrapper,  and 
icross  her  shoulders  a  strip  of  scarlet  <iloth  was  thrown ;  her  other  fineries  were  probably 
peft  at  home.  The  women  of  the  district  generally  had  grace  and  gentleness  in  their 
nner." 

Some  of  the  women  tattoo  themselves  on  the  shoulders  and  breasts  in  rather  a  curious 
bhion,  producing  a  pattern  that  looks  in  front  like  point  lace,  and  which  then  passes 
lover  the  shoulders  and  comes  on  the  back  down  to  the  w  aist,  like  a  pair  of  braces.  A  band 
|of  similar  markings  runs  round  the  waist. 

The  wages  of  the  Watusi  tribe  for  the  management  of  the  cattle  are  simple  enough.  Half 
hlie  milk  is  their';,  and  as  a  cow  in  these  regions  is  singularly  deficient  in  milk,  producing 
pint  per  diem,  the  herdsmen  have  but  small  reward  for  their  labour.    They  are 
Ivery  clever  at  managing  the  animals  placed  under  their  control.     If  they  have  to  drive 
«n  unruly  cow,  they  simply  tie  a  cord  to  the?  hock  of  one  of  the  hind  legs,  and  walk 
|behind  it  holding  the  end  of  the  cord     This  vv^ry  simple  process  has  the  effect  of  sub- 
duing the  cow,  who  yields  as  if  to  a  cha.  i,  and  walks  quietly  in  wh'r.tever  direction  she 
)  told  to  go.    Goals  are  led  by  taking  up  one  of  the  fore  legs  in  the  hand,  when  it  is 
jfound  that  the  ani  tnal  walks  along  quietly  on  thrje  legs ;  the  temporary  deprivation  of 
jtlie  fourth  limb  being  no  particular  impediment.    Perhaps  on  account  of  this  mastery 
lover  the  cattle,  even  the  Wanyamuezi  look  upon  the  Watusi  with  great  respect.     Should 
pembers  of  those  tribes  meet,  the  Weezee  presses  the  palms  of  his  hands  together,  and 


h-*^ 


£  ■  :i 


iJi.  <.  »i  J 


tUmtttS-' 


454 


THE  WATUSI. 


ix 

'    r.  tOBH, 

M , ; 

..  ''^9 

l' , '  i'     i  .  ■ 

''rKOgS 

i!; 


!iii 


the  Watusi  gently  clasps  them  in  his  own,  muttering  at  the  same  time  a  few  words  m  l 
low  tone  of  voica  If  a  Watusi  man  meets  a  woman  of  the  same  tribe,  she  allows  M 
anns  to  fall  by  her  side,  and  he  gently  presses  her  arms  below  the  shoulders.  [ 

They  are  an  industrious  people,  and  make  baskets  with  considerable  skill,  oginn 
sharp«pointed  spear,  and  doing  nearly  as  much  of  the  work  with  their  feet  as  with  thei 
hands.    They  also  work  in  metals,  and  have  a  kind  of  bellows  made  of  wood,  with  ci 
handles, — very  small,  but  efficient  enough  for  the  purpose.    The  dances  with  wUch 
Watusi  amuse  themselves  in  the  evening  are  as  simple  and  peaceful  as  the  danceni  i 


SALUTATION. 


women  take  equal  part  with  the  men  in  them.  They  array  themselves  in  a  circle,  singini, 
and  clapping  hands  in  tima  Presently  a  woman  passes  into  the  ring,  dances  alone,  and 
then,  making  a  graceful  obeisance  to  some  favourite  in  the  ring,  she  retires  backwards  to 
her  place.  A  young  man  then  comes  forward,  goes  through  a  number  of  evolutions,  bows 
to  one  of  the  girls,  and  then  makes  way  for  a  successor. 

Captain  Grant  always  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  Watusi,  whom  he  designato 
as  his  favourite  race.  He  states  that  they  never  will  permit  themselves  to  be  sold  into 
slavery,  but  prefer  death  to  such  dishonour.  This  people  are  always  distinguishable  by 
their  intelligence  and  the  easy  politeness  of  their  maimers.  They  are  also  remarkable  for 
their  neatness  and  personal  cleanliness^  in  which  they  present  a  strong  contrast  to  the 
neighbouring  tribes. 


y 


THE  WAGANDA  TBIBR 

Passiko  still  northwards,  aud  keeping  to  the  westward  of  the  Victoria  N'yanza,  we 
Icoine  to  the  Uganda  distnct,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  named  Waoanda. 
I  This  country  is  situated  on  the  equator,  and  is  a  much  more  pleasant  land  than  might 
Ijie  supposed  from  its  geographical  position,  being  fertile,  and  covered  with  vegetatioa  It 
I  jg  a  peculiarly  pleasant  land  for  a  traveller,  as  it  is  covered  with  roads,  which  are  not  only 
[broad  and  firm,  but  are  cut  almost  in  a  straight  line  from  one  point  to  another.  Uganda 
lieems  to  be  unique  in  the  matter  of  roads,  the  like  of  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  any 
I  part  of  Africa,  except  those  districts  which  are  held  by  Europeans.  The  roads  are  wide 
I  enough  for  carriages,  but  far  too  steep  in  places  for  any  wheeled  conveyance  ;  but  as  the 
»aada  do  not  use  carriages  of  any  kiud,  the  roads  are  amply  sufficient  for  their 
[purposes.  The  Waganda  have  even  built  bridges  across  swamps  and  rivers,  but  their 
knowledge  of  engineering  has  not  enabled  them  to  build  a  bridge  that  would  not  decay  in 
I  a  few  years. 

Like  many  other  tribes  which  bear,  but  do  not  deserve,  the  name  of  savages,  the 

iganda  possess  a  curiously  strict  code  of  etiquette,  which  is  so  stringent  on  some 
I  points  that  an  offender  against  it  is  likely  to  lose  his  life,  and  is  sure  to  incur  a  severe 
penalty. 

1     If,  for  example,  a  man  appears  before  the  king  with  his  dress  tied  carelessly,  or  if  he 

I  makes  a  mistake  in  the  mode  of  saluting,  or  if,  in  squatting  before  his  sovereign,  he  allows 

I  the  least  portion  of  his  limbs  to  be  visible,  he  is  led  off  to  instant  execution.    As  the  fatal 

I  sign  is  given,  the  victim  is  seized  by  the  royal  pages,  who  wear  a  rope  turban  round  their 

s,  and  at  the  same  moment  all  the  drums  aud  other  instruments  strike  up,  to  drown 

his  cries  for  mercy.     He  is  rapidly  bound  with  the  ropes  snatched  hastily  from  the  heads 

of  the  pages,  dragged  off,  and  put  to  death,  no  one  daring  to  take  the  least  notice  while 

the  tragedy  is  being  enacted. 

They  have  also  a  code  of  sumptuary  laws  which  is  enforced  with,  the  greatest  severity. 
The  skin  of  the  serval,  a  kind  of  leopard  cat,  for  example,  may  only  be  worn  by  those  of 
loyal  descent.  Once  Captain  Speke  was  visited  by  a  very  agreeable  young  man,  who 
evidently  intended  to  strike  awe  into  the  white  man,  and  wore  round  his  neck  the  serval- 
skin  emblem  of  royal  birth.  The  attempted  deception,  however,  recoiled  upon  its  author, 
who  suffered  the  fate  of  the  daw  with  borrowed  plumes.  An  officer  of  rank  detected  the 
imposture,  had  the  young  man  seized,  and  challenged  him  to  show  proofs  of  his  right  to 
wear  the  emblem  of  royalty.  As  he  failed  to  do  so,  he  was  threatened  with  being  brought 
before  the  king,  and  so  compounded  with  the  chief  for  a  fine  of  a  hundred  cows. 

Heavy  as  the  penalty  was,  the  young  man  showed  his  wisdom  by  acceding  to  it ;  for 
if  he  had  been  brought  before  the  king,  he  would  assuredly  have  lost  his  life.-and  pro- 
bably have  been  slowly  tortured  to  death.  One  punishment  to  which  M'tesa,  the  king  of 
Uganda,  seems  to  have  been  rather  partial,  was  the  gradual  dismemberment  of  the  criminal 
for  the  sake  of  feeding  his  pet  vultures  ;  and 'although  on  some  occasions  he  orders  them 
to  be  killed  before  they  are  dismembered,  he  sometimes  omits  that  precaution,  and  the 
wretched  beings  are  slowly  cut  to  pieces  with  grass  blades,  as  it  is  against  etiquette  to 
use  knives  for  this  purpose. 

The  king  alone  has  the  privilege  of  wearing  a  cock'a-comb  of  hair  on  the  top  of  his 
head,  the  remainder  being  shaved  off.  This  privilege  is  dometimes  extended  to  a  favourite 
queen  or  two,  so  that  actual  royalty  may  be  at  once  rjcoj^nised. 

Even  the  mode  of  sitting  is  carefully  regulated.  Only  the  king  is  allowed  to  sit  on  a 
chair,  all  his  subjects  being  forced  to  place  themselves  on  the  ground.    "When  Captains 


-mm 

kii 

Wm 

1 

R^ 

H^ 


T 


456 


THE  WAGANDA. 


c 


w- 


Speke  and  Grant  visited  Uganda,  there  was  a  constant  f-rugfj"  on  this  point,  the  travellei 
insisting  on  sitting  in  their  arm-chairs,  and  the  king  wa)itiiig  them  to  sit  on  the  fi^umx 
On  one  occasion,  when  walking  with  M'tesa  and  his  suite,  a  halt  was  ordered,  luidCupul 
8peke  looked  about  for  something  to  sit  upon.  The  king,  seeing  this,  and  Loiiiir  (let,,,! 
juin<  i  not  to  be  outdone,  called  a  page,  made  him  kneel  on  all  fours,  and  then  nat  on  hil 
back  The  controversy  at  last  ended  in  a  compromise,  the  t ' nvellers  abandonintr  ti,J 
chairs  in  the  king's  ])rosence,  but  sitting  on  bundles  of  grass  wli    h  were  (|uite  us  hjch. 

When  an  inferior  presents  any  article  to  his  superior,  he  always  pats  iiiid  riilis  it  wjtU 
his  hands,  and  then  strokes  with  it  eacli  side  of  his  face.  This  is  done  in  <»,der  to  ihoJ 
that  no  witchcraft  has  been  practised  with  it,  as  in  such  u  oi  i*^  the  intended  evil  woul] 
recoil  on  the  donor.  This  ceremony  is  well  enough  when  t;i..pioyed  with  articles  of  ui 
or  apparel ;  but  when  meat,  plantains,  or  other  articles  of  fooa  are  rubbed  with  tlio  i[fi 
liands  and  wf- 11  greased  face  of  the  donor,  the  recipient,  if  li'>  should  liappfn  to  bej 
white  man,  w  aid  be  only  too  happy  to  dispense  with  the  ceremony,  and  run  his  risk  on 
witchcraft,  I 

The  officers  of  the  court  are  required  to  shave  off  all  thci  hair  except  a  single  cockadel 
at  the  back  of  tuo  head,  while  the  pages  are  distinguished  by  ivvo  cockades,  one  over  each! 
temple,  so  that,  even  if  they  happen  to  be  without  their  rope  turbans,  their  rank  audi 
authority  ae  at  once  indicated.  When  the  king  sends  the  pages  on  a  message,  a  niMtl 
picturcsqre  siglil  is  {presented.  All  the  commands  of  the  king  have  to  be  done  at  fulll 
speed,  ana  when  ten  di'  a  dozen  pages  start  off  in  a  body,  their  dresses  streaming  in  thel 
air  behind  them,  ach  striviiig  to  outrun  the  other,  they  look  at  a  distance  like  a  flight  ofl 
birds  rather  than  human  beings.  I 

Here,  as  in  many  other  countries,  human  life,  that  of  the  king  excepted,  is  not  of  thel 
least      hie.     On  one  oirudion  Ljptain  Sj)eke  had  given  M'tesa  a  new  ritle,  witli  which  hel 
Wad  much  pleased.     After  examining  it  for  some  time,  he  loaded  it,  handed  it  to  one  of  I 
bis  pages,  and  tol'  hun  to  go  and  shoot  somebody  in  the  outer  court.    The  page,  a  inew I 
boy,  took  the  rifle,  went  into  the  court,  and  in  a  nionx-ut  the  report  of  the  rifle  showed 
thai  the  king's  orders  had  been  obeyed.     The  urchin  came  back  grinning  with  delight  at 
the  feat  which  he  had  achieved,  just  like  a  schoolboy  who  has  bhot  his  first  sparrow,  and 
handed  back  the  rifle  to  his  master.    As  to  the  unfortunate  man  who  was  fated  to  bo  the 
target,  n<  thing  was  heiird  about  him,  the  murder  of  a  man  being  far  too  conujicu  on | 
incident  to  attract  not  ice. 

>'  '•!  file  occasion,  when  M'tesa  and  his  wives  wei^  on  a  pleasure  excursion,  one  of  the 
favouritod,  ii  singularlv  good-looking  woman,  })lucked  a  I'ruit,  and  oflered  it  to  the  king, 
evident!}'  intciiding  to  pleise  him.  Instead  of  taking  it  as  intended,  he  flew  into  a  violtnt 
passion,  declared  that  it  was  the  first  time  that  a  woman  had  ever  dared  to  offer  him 
anything,  and  ordered  the  pages  to  lead  her  off  to  execution.  "  These  words  were  no 
sooner  uttered  by  the  king  than  the  whole  bevy  of  pages  slipped  their  cord  turbans  from 
their  heads,  and  rushed  like  a  pack  of  Cupid  beagles  upon  the  fairy  queen,  who,  indignant 
at  the  little  urchins  daring  to  touch  her  majesty,  remonstrated  with  the  king,  and  tried 
to  beat  them  off  like  flies,  but  was  soon  captured,  overcome,  and  dragged  away,  crying  in 
the  names  of  the  Kamraviona  and  M'zungu  (myself  [i.e.  Captain  Speke])  for  lielji  and 
protection,  whdst  Lubuga,  the  pet  sister,  and  all  the  other  women  clasped  the  king  by  his 
legs,  and,  kneeling,  implored  forgivenesii  for  their  sister.  The  more  they  craved  for  mercy, 
the  more  brutal  he  became,  till  at  last  he  took  a  heavy  stick  and  began  to  belabour  the 
poor  victim  on  the  head. 

"  Hitherto  I  had  been  extremely  careful  not  to  interfere  with  any  of  the  king's  acts  of 
arbitrary  cruelty,  knowing  that  such  interference  at  an  early  stage  would  j)rciduce  more 
liarra  than  good.  This  last  act  of  barbarism,  however,  was  too  nmch  for  my  English  blood 
to  stand ;  and  as  I  heard  my  name,  M'zungu,  imploringly  pronounced,  I  rushed  at  the 
king,  and,  staying  his  uplifted  arm,  demanded  from  him  the  woman's  life.  Of  course  1  run 
imminent  risk  of  losing  my  own  in  thus  thwarting  the  capricious  tyrant,  but  his  cuprite 
proved  the  friend  of  both.  The  novelty  of-  interference  made  him  smile,  and  the  wuiuan 
was  instantly  released." 

On  another  occasion,  when  M'tesa  had  been  out  shooting,  Captain  Grant  asked  what 


CRUELTY. 


407 


'  point,  the  travellm 
o  sit  on  tliu  ,,,,„„3 
ordered.  ,u,d  Cur  J 
18.  and  being  U\ 
and  then  m  on  |,jj 
Ts  abandoiiiiij,  thej 
3ro  quite  ii«  lii„ij^  1 
ata  iuldnil)8itwiij 
'ne  in  order  to  »hoJ 
litended  evil  woJ 
with  articles  of  uJ 
3bed  with  the  dirS 
lid  happm  to  be] 
aud  run  his  risk  oil 

Tt  a  single  cockadji 
:ade8,  one  over  eachi 
ins,  their  rank  andl 
a  message,  a  niMtl 
to  be  done  at  fuul 
38  streaming  in  the  I 
auce  like  a  flight  of 

epted,  is  not  of  the 
rifle,  with  which  he 
anded  it  to  our  of 

The  page,  a  mew 
of  the  rilie  showed 
ingwith  dehghtat 
tirst  sparrow,  and 
VRs  fated  to  bo  the 
ir  too  conuuou  aii 

nirsion,  one  of  the 
led  ii  to  the  king, 
Hl'W  into  a  violent 
ared  to  offer  him 
se  words  were  no 
cord  turbans  from 
en,  who,  indignant 
le  king,  and  tried 
d  away,  crying  in 
ke])  for  help  and 
id  the  king  by  his 
craved  for  mercy, 
a  to  belabour  the 


rant  asked  what 


yirt  ho  had  enjoyed.    The  unexpected  answer  was  that  game  had  been  very  scarce,  but 
itt  he  had  fhot  a  good  many  men  instead.     Beside  Uie  pa^es  who  have  been  mentioned, 


f^3 


-Ii 


*Mi  ^'i**'''*^- 


^ 


p 


JkliliEST  OF  THG  QUEEN. 


jthere  were  several  executioners,  who  were  pleasant  and  agreeable  men  in  private  life,  and 
'■"'d  in  great  respect  by  the  people.    They  were  supposed  to  be  in  command  of  the  pages 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


%< 
^ 


r/_ 


ii 


K 


1.0 


1.1 


1^ 


L£|28    |25 
Ui  Ki2   12.2 

uuu 

1.4    IIIIII.6 


—    6" 


^. 


7 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WtST  MAIN  SIRir 

WI»>i«.N'V.  I4SU 

(»1»|»3-4JM 


f 


488 


THE  WAGANDA. 


.^i^^^i 


who  bound  with  their  rope  turbans  the  unfortunates  who  weie  to  suffer,  and  mogt], 
inflicted  the  punishment  itself. 

This  particular  king  seems  to  have  been  rather  exceptionally  cruel,  his  very  vivi 
being  subject  to  the  same  capriciousness  of  temper  as  the  rest  of  his  subjects.  Of  com 
he  beat  them  occasionally,  but  as  wife-beating  is  the  ordinaiy  custom  in  Uganda,  be  wi 
only  following  the  ordinary  habits  of  the  people. 

There  is  a  peculiar  whip  made  for  the  special  purpose  of  beating  wives.  It  is  foi^, 
of  a  long  strip  of  hippopotunus  hide,  split  down  the  middle  to  witmn  three  or  four  inch 
of  the  end.  The  entire  end  is  beaten  and  scraped  until  it  is  reduced  in  size  to  the  pm 
dimensions  of  a  handle.  The  two  remaining  thongs  are  suffered  to  remain  square,  but 
,twisted  in  a  screw-like  fashion,  so  as  to  present  sharp  edges  throughout  their  whole  leni,. 
When  dry,  this  whip  is  nearly  as  hard  as  iron,  and  scarcely  less  heavy,  so  that  at  evei 
blow  the  sharp  edges  cut  deeply  into  the  flesh. 

I  Wife-floggmg,  however,  was  not  all ;  he  was  in  the  habit  of  killing  his  wives  and  theii 
attendants  without  the  least  remorte.  While  Captain  Speke  was  residing  within  thi 
limits  of  the  palace,  there  was  scarcely  a  day  when  some  woman  was  not  led  to  execution 
and  some  days  three  or  four  were  murdered.  Mostly  they  were  female  attendants  of  thi 
queens,  but  frequently  the  royal  pages  dragged  out  a  woman  whose  single  cockade  on  thi 
top  of  her  head  announced  her  as  one  of  the  king's  wives. 

•  M'tesa,  in  fact,  was  a  complete  African  Bluebeard,  continually  marrying  and 

the  brides,  however,  exceeding  the  victims  in  number.  Boyal  marriage  is  a  very  sinpii 
business  in  Uganda  Parents  who  have  offended  their  king  and  want  to  pacify  him,  oi 
who  desire  to  be  looked  on  favourably  by  him,  bring  their  daughters  and  offer  thein  as  h 
sits  at  the  door  of  his  house.  As  is  the  case  with  all  his  female  attendants,  they  are  totall; 
unclothed,  and  stand  before  the  king  in  ignorance  of  their  futura  If  he  accept  them,  lii 
makes  them  sit  down,  seats  himself  on  their  knees,  and  embraces  them.  This  is  the  wholi 
of  the  ceremony,  and  as  each  girl  is  thus  accepted,  the  happy  parents  perform  thecurioo! 
salutation  called  "  n'yanzigging,"  i.e.  prostrating  themselves  on  the  ground,  flounderiii{ 
about,  clapping  their  hands,  and  ejaculating  the  word  "n'yans,"  or  thanks,  as  fast  as  die; 
can  say  it 

Twenty  or  thirty  brides  will  sometimes  be  presented  to  him  in  a  single  morning,  ani 
he  will  accept  more  than  half  of  theUi,  some  of  them  being  afterwards  raised  to  the  rani 
of  wives,  while  the  others  are  relegated  to  the  position  of  attendants,  lb  was  rathei 
remarkable,  that  although  the  principal  queen  was  most  liberal  with  these  atteu ! 
offering  plenty  of  them  to  Captain  Speke  and  his  companions,  not  one  of  them  «x)uli 
have  been  permitted  to  marry  a  native,  as  she  might  have  betrayed  the  secrets  of  thi 
palace. 

Life  in  the  palace  may  be  honourable  enough,  but  seems  to  be  anything  but  agreeabli 
except  to  the  kmg.  The  whole  of  the  court  are  abject  slaves,  and  at  the  mercy  of  an; 
momentary  caprice  of  the  merciless,  thoughtless,  irresponsible  despot  Whatever  wisi 
may  happen  to  ent,er  the  king's  head  must  be  executed  at  ones,  or  woe  to  the  delinqueni 
who  fails  to  carry  it  out  Bestless  and  captious  as  a  spoilt  child,  he  never  seemed  t 
know  exactly  what  he  wanted,  and  would  issue  simultaneously  the  most  contradivtoi 
orders,  aud  then  expect  them  to  be  obeyed. 

As  for  the  men  who  held  the  honourable  post  of  his  guards,  they  were  treated  some-l 
thing  worse  than  dogs — far  worse  indeed  than  M'tesa  treated  his  own  dog.  They  might 
lodge  themselves  as  they  could,  and  were  simply  fed  by  throwing  great  lunnps  of  beef  and 
plantains  among  them.  For  this  they  scramble  just  like  so  many  dogs,  scratching  and 
tearing  the  morsels- from  each  other,  and  trying  to  devour  as  much  as  possible  within  a| 
given  number  of  seconds. 

The  soldiers  of  M'tesa  were  much  better  off  than  his  guards,  altl-ough  their  position 
was  not  so  honourable. 

They  are  well  dressed,  and  their  rank  is  distinguished  by  a  sort  of  uniform,  theofficei8| 
of  royal  birth  wearing  the  leopard-skin  tippet  while  those  of  inferior  rank  are  distin- 
guished by  coloured  cloths,  and  skin  cloaks  made  of  the  hide  of  oxen  or  antelopes.  Each 
carries  two  spears,  and  an  oddly-formed  shield,  originally  oval,  but  cut  into  deep  scallops, 


REVIEWING  THE  TROOPS. 


459 


suffer,  and  mostlMmd  having  at  everj-  point  a  pendent  tuft  of  hair.  Theii  beads  are  decorated  in  a  most 
curious  maaner,  some  of  the  men  wearing  a  crescent-like  ornament,  and  some  tying  round 
their  heads  vrreaths  made  of  different  materials,  to  which  a  horn,  a  bunch  of  beads,  a  dried 
Ijjtrd,  or  some  such  ornament,  is  appended. 

Kot  deficient  in  personal  courage,  their  spirits  were  cheered  in  combat  by  the  certainiy* 
(f  reward  or  punishment  Should  they  behave  themselves  bravely,  treasures  would  hb 
ketped  upon  them,  and  they  would  receive  from  their  royal  master  plenty  of  cattle  and 
fires.  But  if  they  behaved  badly,  the  punishment  was  equally  certam  and  most  terrible. 
A  recreant  soldier  was  not  only  put  to  death,  but  holes  bored  in  his  body  with  red-bot 
gggs  ttutil  ho  died  from  sheer  pain  and  exhaustion. 


lel,  his  very  viv( 
abjects.  Of  conn 
in  Uganda,  he  vi 


ives.    It  is  fotuK 
three  or  four  inch( 
a  size  to  the  pn] 
lain  square,  but 
I  their  whole  lengi 
Y,  so  that  at  evei 

his  wives  and  thei] 
esiding  within  thl 
lot  led  to  execution] 
e  attendants  of  ^1 
tgle  cockade  on  tU 

irrying  and  killingl 
;e  is  a  very  simpll 
it  to  pacify  him,  oi 
od  offer  them  as  M 
mts,  they  are  totalk 
he  accept  them,  M 
.  This  is  the  whoM 
perform  the.cnrioaa 
2[round,  ftounderina 
iks,  as  fast  as  Haj 

lingle  morning,  and 
raised  to  the  rank 

ts.  lb  was  ratheq 
these  attenlaDtsJ 

3ne  of  them  ymU 
the  secrets  of  the! 

hing  but  agreeable^ 

the  mercy  of  any 

Whatever  wish 

to  tlie  delinquentj 

e  never  seemed  t« 

most  contradiutorjn 


/ 


i 


BBVIEW. 


xrere  treated  some 
dog.    They  mightl 
lumps  of  beef  andl 
>gs,  scratching  andl 
I  possible  within  al 

ugh  their  positioni 

niform,  theofficersj 
r  rank  are  distin-l 
)r  antelopes.  EachI 
into  deep  scallopsj 


Now  and  then  the  king  held  a  review,  in  which  the  valiant  and  the  cowards  obtained 
tleir  fitting  rewards.  These  reviews  offered  most  picturesque  scenes.  "  Before  us  was  a 
large  open  sward,  with  the  huts  of  the  queen's  Kamraviona  or  commander-in-chief  beyond. 
Tne  battalion,  consisting  of  what  might  be  termed  three  companies,  each  containing  two 
hundred  men,  being  drawn  up  on  the  left  extremity  of  the  parade-ground,  received  orders 
to  march  past  in  single  file  from  the  right  of  companies  at  a  long  trot,  and  re-form  again  at 
the  end  of  the  square! 

Nothing  conceivable  could  be  more  wild  or  fantastic  than  the  sight  which  ensued ; 
the  men  all  nearly  naked,  with  goat  or  cat  skins  depending  from  their  girdles,  and  smeared 
with  war-colours  according  to  the  taste  of  the  individual ;  one  half  of  the  body  red  or 
the  other  blue,  not  in  regular  order;  as,  for  instance,  one  stocking  would  be  red,  and 


4eo 


THE  WAGANf)A. 


p.      ' 


I  .„  4   S,      .^^ 


the  other  black,  nvhilat  the  breeches  above  would  be  the  opposite  colours,  and  so  with  thJ 
sleeves  and  waistcoat. 

"  Every  man  carried  the  same  arms,  two  spears  and  one  shield,  held  as  if  approachin, 
an  enemy,  and  they  thus  moved  in  three  lines  of  single  rank  and  file,  at  fifteen  or  tweni^ 
paces  asunder,  with  the  same  high  action  and  elongated  step,  the  ground  leg  only 
bdnt,  to  give  their  strides  the  greater  force. 

"After  the  men  had  all  started,  the  captains  of  companies  followed,  even  more 
fantastically  dressed ;  and  last  of  all  came  the  great  Colonel  Congow,  a  perfect  KobinW 
Crusoe,  with  his  long  white-haired  goat-skins,  a  fiddle-shaped  leather  shield,  tufted  witU 
hair  at  all  six  extremities,  bands  of  long  hair  tied  below  the  knees,  and  a  magnificent 
helmet  covered  with  rich  beads  of  every  colour  in  excellent  taste,  surmounted  with  a  phimel 
of  crimson  feathers,  in  the  centre  of  which  rose  a  bent  stem  tufted  with  goat's  hair.  Nextl 
they  charged  in  companies  to  and  fro,  and  finally  the  senior  officers  came  charging  at  theil 
king,  making  violent  professions  of  faith  and  honesty,  for  which  they  were  applauded.! 
The  parade  tnen  broke  up,  and  all  went  home." 

At  these  reviews,  the  king  distributes  rewards  and  metes  out  his  punishtnents.   Th^ 
scene  is  equally  stirring  and  terrible.    As  the  various  officers  colne  before  the  king,  they 
prostrate  themselves  on  the  ground,  and,  after  going  through  their  elabomte  salutation,! 
they  deliver  their  reports  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  men  under  their  command.    To  somel 
are  given  various  presents,  with  which  they  go  off  rejoicing,  after  floundering  about  on  theL 
ground  in  the  extremity  of  theii  gratitude  ;  while  others  are  seized  by  the  ever-oiiiciousi 
pages,  bound,  and  dragged  off  to  execution,  the  unfortunate  men  struggling  with  thei 
captors,  fighting,  and  denying  the  accusation,  until  they  are  out  of  hearing. 

As  soon  as  the  king  thinks  that  he  has  had  enough  of  the  business,  he  rises  abruptly,! 
picks  up  his  spears,  and  goes  off,  leading  his  dog  with  him.  I 

The  native  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Waganda  kingdom  is  very  curious.  Accordirgl 
to  them,  the  country  which  is  now  called  Uganda  was  previously  united  with  Unyoro,  a| 
more  northerly  kingdom,  of  which  we  shall  presently  treat.  Eight  generations  back  there! 
came  from  Unyoro  a  hunter  named  Uganda,  bringing  with  him  a  spear,  a  shield,  a  woman,! 
and  a  pack  of  dogs.  He  began  to  hunt  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  was  so  successful! 
that  he  was  joined  by  vast  numbers  of  the  people,  to  whom  he  became  a  chief. 

Under  his  sway,  the  hitherto  scattered  people  assumed  the  character  of  a  nation,  and! 
began  to  feel  their  strength.  Their  leading  men  then  held  a  council  on  their  government,! 
and  determined  on  making  Uganda  their  king.  "  For,"  said  they,  "  of  what  avail  to  us  isl 
the  king  of  Unyoro  ?  He  is  so  far  distant  that,  when  we  sent  him  a  cow  as  a  presentij 
the  cow  had  a  calf,  and  that  calf  became  a  cow  and  gave  birth  to  another  calf,  and  yet  the  I 
presient  has  not  reached  the  king.  Let  us  have  a  king  of  our  own."  So  they  induced! 
Uganda  to  be  their  king,  changed  his  name  to  Kimera,  and  assigned  his  former  name  tol 
the  country.  I 

Kimera,  thus  made  king,  took  his  station  on  a  stone  and  showed  himself  to  his  new  I 
subjects,  having  in  his  hand  his  spears  and  shield,  and  being  accompanied  by  a  woman  I 
and  a  dog;  and  in  this  way  all  succeeding  kings  have  presented  themselves  to  theiil 
subjects.  All  the  Waganda  are,  in  consequence,  expected  to  keep  at  least  two  spears,  a 
shield  and  a  dog,  and  the  officers  are  also  entitled  to  have  drums.  The  king  of  Unyoro 
heard  of  the  new  monarch,  but  did  not  trouble  himself  about  a  movement  at  such  a  | 
distance,  and  so  the  kit»gdom  of  Uganda  became  an  acknowledged  reality. 

However,  Kimera  organized  his  r  le  in  so  admirable  a  manner,  that  he  became  a  I 
perfect  terror  to  the  king  of  Unyoro, .  caused  him  to  regret  that,  when  Kiniera's  power 
was  not  yet  consolidated,  he  had  not  crushed  him.  Kimera  formed  his  men  into  soldiers, 
draughted  them  into  different  regiments,  drilled  and  organized  them  thoroughly.  He  cut 
roads  through  his  kingdom,  traversing  it  in  all  directions.  He  had  whole  fleets  of  boats 
built,  and  threw  bridges  over  rivers  wherever  they  interrupted  his  line  of  road.  He  ] 
descended  into  the  minutest  particulars  of  domestic  polity,  and  enforced  the  strictest 
sanitary  system  throughout  his  country,  not  even  suffering  a  house  to  be  built  unless  it 
possessed  the  meaiis  of  cleanliness. 

Organization,  indeed,  seems  now  to  be  implanted  in  the  Waganda  mind.    Even  the 


ITTESA,  THE  PEESENT  KING. 


m 


business  of  taking  bundles  of  wood  into  the  palace  must  be  done  in  militaTy  styla 

liter  the  logs  are  carried  a  certain  distance,  the  men  charge  up-hill  wjth  walking-sticks 

the  slope,  to  the  sound  of  the  drum,  shouting  and  chorusing.     On  reaching  their 

Jeer,  they  drop  on  their  knees  to  salute,  by  saying  repeatedly  in  one  voice  the  word 

gVaiu'  (thanks).     Then  they  go  back,  charaing  down-hill,  stooping  simultaneously  to 

ik  up  the  wood,  till  step  by  step,  it  taking  several  hours,  the  neatly  cut  logs  are 

nlarly  stacked  in  the  palace  yards." 

Each  otficer  of  a  distiict  would  seem  to  have  a  different  mode  of  drill.  The  Wazeewah, 
ith  long  sticks,  were  remarkably  well-disciplined,  shouting  and  marching  all  in  i-egular 
le,  every  club  goiug  through  the  same  movement ;  the  most  attractive  part  of  the  drill 
M  whea  all  crouched  simultaneously,  and  then  advanced  in  open  ranks,  swinging  their 
lies  to  the  roll  of  their  drums. 

By  such  means  Kimera  soon  contrived  to  make  himself  so  powerful  that  his  very 

le  was  dreaded  throughout  Unyoro,  into  which  country  he  was  continually  making 

s.   If,  for  example,  at  one  of  his  councils  he  found  that  one  part  of  his  dominions  was 

icient  in  cattle  or  women,  he  ordered  one  or  two  of  his  generals  to  take  their  troops  into 

Byoio,  and  procure  the  necessary  number.     In  order  that  he  might  always  have  the 

1U3  of  carrying  his  ideas  into  effect,  the  officers  of  the  army  are  expected  to  present 

jnuelves  at  the  palace  as  often  as  they  possibly  can,  and  if  they  fail  to  do  so,  they  are 

iverely  punished ;  their  rank  is  taken  from  them,  their  property  confiscated,  and  their 

is,  their  wives,  and  their  children  are  given  to  others. 

la  fact,  Kimera  proceeded  on  a  system  of  reward  and  punishment :  the  former  he 

d  out  with  a  liberal  hand ;  the  latter  was  certain,  swift,  and  terrible. 

In  process  of  time  Kimera  died,  and  his  body  was  dried  by  being  placed  over  an  oven. 

len  it  was  quite  dry,  the  lower  jaw  was  removed  and  covered  with  beads ;  and  this, 

^jther  with  the  body,  were  placed  in  tombs,  and  guarded  by  the  deceased  monarch's 

imrite  women,  who  were  prohibited  even  from  seeing  his  successor. 

After  Kimera's  death,  the  people  proceeded  to  chose  a  king  from  among  his  many 

lildren,  called  "  Warangira,"  or  princes.    The  king  elect  was  very  young,  and  was  separated 

m  the  others,  who  were  placed  in  a  suite  of  huts  under  charge  of  a  keeper.    As  soon 

the  young  prince  reached  years  of  discretion,  he  was  publicly  made  king,  and  at  the 

le  time  all  his  brothers  except  two  were  burned  to  death.    The  two  were  allowed  to 

in  case  the  new  king  should  die  before  he  had  any  sons,  and  also  as  companions  for 

As  soon  as  the  line  oi  direct  succession  was  secured,  one  of  the  brothers  was 


m 


nind.    Even  the 


Ibanished  into  Unyoro  and  the  other  allowed  to  live  in  Uganda. 

When  Captains  Speke  and  Grant  arrived  in  Uganda,  the  reigning  sovereign  wasM'tesa, 
Idle  seventh  in  succession  from  Kimera.  He  was  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and, 
lilthoagh  he  had  not  been  formally  received  as  king,  wielded  a  power  as  supreme  as  if  he 
llad  passed  through  this  ceremony.  He  was  wise  enough  to  keep  up  the  system  which 
ly  been  bequeathed  to  him  by  his  ancestors,  and  the  Uganda  kingdom  was  even  more 
IpoweiMin  his  time  than  it  had  been  in  the  days  of  Kimera.  A  close  acquaintance  proved 
■that  his  personal  character  was  not  a  pleasant  one,  as  indeed  was  likely  when  it  is  remem- 
Iked  that  he  had  possessed  illimitable  power  ever  since  he  was  quite  a  boy,  and  in 
|eoQseqnence  had  never  known  contradiction. 

He  was  a  very  fine-looking  young  man,  and  possessed  in  perfection  the  love  of  dress, 
Irhich  is  so  notable  a  feature  in  the  character  of  the  Waganda.  They  are  so  fastidious  in 
Ithis  leapect,  that  for  a  man  to  appear  untidily  dressed  before  his  superiors  would  entail 
lieTere  punishment,  while,  if  he  dared  to  present  himself  before  the  king  with  the  least 
Idisorder  of  apparel,  immediate  death  would  be  the  result.  Even  the  royal  pages,  who 
Inish  about  at  full  speed  when  performing  their  commissions,  are  obliged  to  hold  their 
likm  cloaks  tightly  round  them,  lest  any  portion  of  a  naked  limb  should  present  itself  to 
|the  royal  glanca 

The  appearance  of  M'tesa  is  well  described  by  Captain  Speke  : — **  A  more  theatrical 
[ht  I  never  saw.  The  king,  a  good-looking,  well-formed  young  man  of  twenty-five,  was 
;  upon  a  red  blanket,  spread  upon  a  square  platform  of  royal  grass,  encased  in  tiger- 
Igrass  reeds,  scrupulously  dressed  in  a  new  'mbugu  (or  grass-cloth).    The  hair  of  his  head 


p-r  mmm 


t'mm 


462 


THE  WAGANDA. 


iC 


was  cut  short,  except  upon  the  top,  where  it  was  combed  up  into  a  high  ridge,  i_ 
from  stem  to  stem,  like  a  cock's  comb.    On  his  neck  was  a  very  neat  ornament— a  ._ 
ring  of  beautifully-worked  small  beads,  forming  elegant  patterns  by  their  various  colon 
On  one  arm  was  another  bead  ornament,  prettily  devised,  and  on  the  other  a  wo. 
charm,  tied  by  a  string  covered  with  a  snake  skin.    On  every  finger  and  toe  he 
alternate  brass  and  copper  rings,  and  above  the  ankles,  half-way  up  the  calf,  a  stocl^ 
of  very  pretty  beads. 

"  Everytmng  was  light,  neat,  and  elegant  in  its  way ;  not  a  fault  could  be  found  wit] 
the  taste  of  his  '  getting-up.'  For  a  handkerchief,  he  had  a  well-folded  piece  of  bark,  an 
a  piece  of  gold-embroidered  silk,  which'  he  constantly  employed  to  hide  his  large  mouti 
when  laughing,  or  to  wipe  it  after  a  drink  of  plantain  wme,  of  which  he  took  constanl 
and  copious  draughts  from  little  gourd  cups,  administered  by  his  ladies  in  waiting,  whd 
Were  at  onco  liis  sisters  and  his  wives.  A  white  dog,  spear,  shield,  and  woman— th 
Uganda  cognizance — were  by  his  side,  as  also  a  host  of  staff  officers,  with  whom  he  kep 
up  a  brisk  conversation,  on  one  side :  and  on  the  other  was  a  band  of  '  Wichv^zi,' 
lady  sorcerers." 

These  women  are  indispensable  appendages  to  the  court,  and  attend  the  king  wheievei 
he  goes,  their  office  being  to  avert  the  evil  eye  from  their  monarch,  and  to  pour  the  pla 
tain  wine  into  the  royal  cups.    They  are  distinguished  by  wearing  dried  lizards  on  iiiei| 
heads,  and  on  their  belts  are  fastened  goat-skin  aprons,  edged  with  little  bells.    Ji 
emblems  of  their  office,  they  also  carry  very  small  shields  and  spears,  ornamented  wit^ 
cock-hackles. 

M'tesa's  palace  is  of  enormous  dimensions,  and  almost  deserves  the  name  of  a  viljagel 
or  town.  Tt  occupies  the  whole  side  of  a  hill,  and  consists  of  streets  of  huts  arranged  ail 
methodically  as  the  houses  of  a  European  town,  the  line  being  preserved  by  fences  of  thel 
tall  yellow  tiger-grass  of  Uganda  lliere  are  also  squares  and  open  spaces,  and  the  wholej 
is  kept  in  perfect  order  and  neatness.  The  inner  courts  are  entered  by  means  of 
each  j^ate  being  kept  by  an  officer,  who  permits  no  one  to  pass  who  has  not  the  kin(ft| 
permission.  In  case  his  vigilance  should  be  evaded,  each  gate  has  a  bell  fastened  to  it  ( 
the  inside,  just  as  they  are  hung  on  shop-doors  in  England. 

In  the  Illustration  on  page  463,  the  artist  has  selected  the  moment  when  the  visitoil 
is  introduced  to  the  immediate  presence  of  the  king.  Under  the  shade  of  the  hut  thel 
monarch  is  seated  on  his  throne,  having  on  one  side  the  spears,  shield,  and  dog,  and  on  | 
the  other  the  woman,  these  being  the  accompaniments  of  royalty.  Some  of  his 
are  seated  near  him,  with  their  cord  turbans  bound  on  their  tufted  heads,  ready  to  obey  I 
his  slightest  word.  Immediately  in  front  are  some  soldiers  saluting  him,  and  one  of  I 
them,  to  whom  he  has  granted  some  favour,  is  floundering  on  the  ground,  thanking,  or  | 
"n'yanzigging,"  according  to  the  custom  of  the  place. 

On  the  other  side  is  the  guest,  a  man  of  rank,  who  is  introduced  by  the  officer  of  thel 
gate.    The  door  itself,  with  its  bells,  is  drawn  aside,  and  over  the  doorway  is  a  rope,  on  | 
which  are  hung  a  row  of  charms.    The  king's  private  band  is  seen  in  the  distance,  per> 
forming  with  its  customary  vigour. 

The  architecture  of  the  huts  within  these  enclosures  is  wonderfully  good,  the  Waganda  I 
having  great  natural  advantages,  and  making  full  use  of  theuL  The  principal  material  in 
their  edifices  is  reed,  which  in  Uganda  grows  to  a  very  great  height,  and  is  thick  and 
strong  in  the  stem.  Grass  for  thatching  is  also  found  in  vast  quantities,  and  there  it 
plenty  of  straight  timber  for  the  rafters.  The  roof  is  double,  in  order  to  exclude  the 
sunbeams,  and  the  outer  roof  comes  nearly  to  the  ground  on  all  sidet.  The  fabric  is 
upheld  by  a  number  of  poles,  from  which  are  hung  com-sac^cs,  meat,  and  other  necessaries, 

The  interior  is  separated  into  two  compartments  by  a  high  screen  made  of  Dlantain 
leaf,  and  within  the  inner  apartment  the  cane  bedstead  of  the  owner  is  placed.  Yet,  with 
all  this  care  in  building,  there  is  only  one  door,  and  no  window  or  chimney  ;  and  althoueh 
the  Waganda  keep  their  houses  tolerably  clean,  the  number  of  dogs  which  they  keep  nil 
their  huts  with  fleas,  so  that  when  a  traveller  takes  possession  of  a  house,  he  generally 
has  the  plantain  screen  removed,  and  makes  on  the  floor  as  lai;ge  a  fire  as  possible, sou  | 
to  exterminate  the  insect  inhabitants. 


.vL$'i 


EECEPTION  OF  A  GTTEST. 


468 


»uld  be  found  wit! 
i  piece  of  bark,  snl 
le  his  large  mom 
I  he  took  constanj 
iea  in  waiting;  wM 
1,  and  woman— th 


J  name  of  a  vilL„ 
•f  huts  arranged  ail 
jd  by  fences  of  thel 
aces,  and  tie  whole! 
by  means  of  gates! 
las  not  the  king'al 
;11  fastened  to  it  oq  I 

it  when  the  visitoij 
ide  of  the  hut  thel 
Id,  and  dog,  and  on  I 
Some  of  his  pages  I 
5ad8,  ready  to  obey  I 
g  him,  and  one  ofl 
ound,  thanking,  or  f 

r  the  officer  of  the 

irway  is  arope,oa| 

the  distance,  per> 

pod,  the  Waganda  I 
incipal  material  io 
and  is  thick  and 
ities,  and  there  it 
er  to  exclude  the 
it.  The  fabric  ii 
.  other  necessaries. 
made  of  plantain 
placed.  Yet,  with 
ey ;  and  although 
lich  they  keep  nil 
}use,  he  generally 
as  possible,  so  M 


the  eenmonies  of  receiving  a  royal  guest  are  as  elaborate  as  the  architeetoK.    Officers 

f  lUik  step  forward  to  greet  him,  while  musicians  are  in  attendance,  playing  on  the 

ggi  instruments  of  Uganda,  most  of  them  beine  similar  to  those  which  nave  already 

I  described.    Even  the  height  of  the  seat  on  which  the  visitor  is  to  place  himself  is 

foosly  determined,  the  chief  object  seeming  to  be  to  force  him  to  take  a  seat  lower 

^  that  to  which  he  is  entitled.    In  presence  of  the  king,  who  sits  on  a  chair  or  throne, 

I  subject  is  allowed  to  be  seated  on  anything  higher  than  the  ground ;  and  if  he  can  be 

oed  to  sit  in  the  blazing  sunbeams,  and  wait  until  the  king  is  pleased  to  see  him,  a 

npb  of  diplomacy  haa  been  secured. 


ilBCBFTIOM  OF  ▲  VI8IT0& 


When  the  king  has  satisfied  himself  with  his  guest,  or  thinks  that  he  is  tired,  he  rises 
without  any  wammg,  and  marches  off  to  his  room,  using  the  peculiar  gait  affected  by  the 
kinga  of  Uganda,  and  supposed  to  be  imitated  from  the  walk  of  the  lion.  To  the  eyes  of 
the  Waganda,  the  "  lion's  step,"  as  the  peculiar  walk  is  termed,  is  very  majestic,  but  to 
the  eyes  of  a  European  it  is  simply  ludicrous,  the  feet  being  planted  widely  apart,  and 
the  body  swung  from  side  to  side  at  each  step.  If  any  of  my  readers  should  have  known 
Christ's  Hospital,  they  may  remember  the  peculiar  style  of  walking  which  was  termed 
"spadging,"  and  whicn  used  to  be,  and  may  be  now,  an  equivalent  to  the  "  lion-step  "  of 
the  Uganda  king. 

After  M'tesa  had  received  his  white  visitor,  he  suddenly  rose  and  retired  after  the 
nyal  custom,  and,  as  etiquette  did  not  permit  him  to  eat  until  he  bad  seen  his  visitors,  he 
took  the  opportunity  of  breaking  his  fast. 

Bound  the  king,  as  he  sits  on  his  grass-covered  throne,  are  his  councillors  and  officers, 


/■ 


i 


^.  K    i 


464 


THE  WAOANDA. 


»<  > 


Hj'i  Ki«i 


,1      • 


squatted  on  the  ground,  with  their  dresses  drawn  tightly  around  them,  and  partly  seatt, 
on  the  royal  leopard  skins  which  are  strewed  on  the  ground.  There  is  also  a  large  dnin 
decorated  with  little  bells  strung  on  wire  arches,  and  some  smaller  drums,  covered  wit 
beads  and  cowrie  shells,  worked  into  various  patterns. 

Outside  the  inner  circle  sit  the  ordinary  officers,  and  while  the  kin^  is  present  not] 
word  is  spoken,  lest  he  should  take  offence  at  it ;  and  not  an  eye  is  hfted,  lest  a  caau 
glance  might  ftdl  on  one  of  the  king's  women,  and  be  the  precursor  of  a  cruel  death. 

The  "V^ganda  are  much  given  to  superstition,  and  have  a  most  implicit  faith  in  chan. 
The  king  is  very  rich  in  charms,  and  whenever  he  holds  his  court,  has  vast  numbers" 
them  suspended  behind  him,  besides  those  which  he  carries  on  his  persoa    These  chaiu, 
are  made  of  almost  anything  that  the  magician  chooses  to  select.    Horns,  filled  witi] 
magic  powder,  are  perhaps  the  most  common,  and  these  are  slung  on  the  neck  or  tie 
on  the  head  if  small,  and  kept  in  the  huts  if  large. 

Their  great  object  of  superstitious  dread  is  a  sort  of  water-spirit,  which  is  supposed  I 
inhabit  the  lake,  and  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  those  who  disturb  him.  Like  thJ 
water-spirits  of  the  Rhine,  this  goblin  has  supreme  jurisdiction,  not  only  on  the  lake  itaelfl 
but  in  all  rivers  that  communicate  with  it ;  and  the  people  are  so  afi  lid  of  this  aquatic 
demon,  that  they  would  not  allow  a  sounding-line  to  be  thrown  into  the  water,  lest  pe^ 
chance  the  weight  should  happen  to  hit  the  water-spirit  and  enrage  him.  The  name  oj 
this  spirit  is  M'gussa,  and  he  communicates  with  the  people  by  means  of  his  own  specit^ 
minister  or  priest,  who  lives  on  an  island,  and  is  held  in  nearly  as  much  awe  aa 
master. 

IiTtesa  once  took  Captain  Speke  with  him  to  seethe  magician.  He  took  also  a  numl.. 
of  his  wives  and  attendants,  and  it  was  very  amusingf  when  they  reached  the  boats,  tol 
see  all  the  occupants  jump  into  the  water,  ducking  their  heads  so  as  to  avoid  seeing  the! 
royal  women,  a  stray  glance  being  sure  to  incur  immediate  death.  They  proceeded  tol 
the  island  on  which  the  wizard  lived.  I 

"  Proceeding  now  through  the  trees  of  this  beautiful  island,  we  next  turned  bto  thel 
hut  of  the  M'gussa's  familiar,  which  at  the  further  end  was  decorated  with  many  mystiol 
symbols,  among  them  a  paddle,  the  badge  of  his  high  office ;  and  for  some  time  we  satl 
chatting,  when  pomb^  was  brought,  and  the  spiritual  medium  arrived;  He  was  dressed! 
Wichw^zi  fashion,  with  a  little  white  goatskin  apron,  adorned  with  various  charms,  and! 
used  a  paddle  for  a  walking-stick.  He  was  not  an  old  man,  though  he  affected  to  be  so,  I 
walking  very  slowly  and  deliberately,  coughing  asthmatically,  glimmering  with  his  eyes,! 
and  mumbling  like  a  witch.  With  much  affected  difficulty  he  sat  at  the  end  of  the  hut, I 
beside  the  symbols  alluded  to,  and  continued  his  coughing  full  half  an  hour,  when  his  I 
wife  came  in  in  the  same  manner,  without  saying  a  word,  and  assumed  the  samel 
affected  style. 

"The  king  jokingly  looked  at  me  and  laughed,  and  then  at  these  strange  creatures  by  I 
turns,  as  much  as  to  say, '  What  do  you  think  of  them  ? '  but  no  voice  was  heard,  save 
that  of  the  old  wife,  who  croaked  like  a  frog  for  water,  and  when  some  was  brought, 
croaked  again  because  it  was  not  the  purest  of  the  lake's  produce — had  the  first  cup  | 
changed,  wetted  her  lips  with  the  second,  and  hobbled  away  in  the  same  manner  as : 
had  come." 

The  scene  within  the  sorcerer's  hut  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  465.  The  I 
king  is  seated  near  the  door,  accompanied  by  his  wives,  while  the  sorcerer's  wife  is  seeu 
hobbling  out  of  the  hut,  leaning  on  a  staff.  The  man  himself  is  distinguished  by  the 
paddle  in  his  hand,  the  emblem  of  the  deity  whom  he  serves,  and  listening  to  him  is  a 
group  of  the  king's  officers.  Behind  the  screen  are  a  number  of  paddles  and  other  aquatic 
implements,  and  on  the  ground  is  laid  the  whitened  skull  of  a  hippopotamus. 

Some  of  their  magic  horns  are  thought  to  have  the  power  of  attracting,  and  others  of 
repelling,  rain,  according  as  they  are  exposed  or  taken  under  shelter.  The  powder  in  these 
horns  has  to  be  renewed  periodically — a  clever  invention  of  the  magicians  for  increasing 
their  fees.  On  their  pathways  and  roads,  which  are  very  numerous  and  well  kept,  they 
occasionally  place  a  long  stick  in  the  ground,  with  a  shell  or  other  charm  on  the  top,  or 
suspend  the  shell  on  the  overhanging  branch  of  a  tre^    Similar  wands,  on  a  smaller  scale, 


,1  ,  ) 


BELIGIOUS  CEBEMONIES. 


4ff6 


(kept  in  tho  houses,  and  bits  of  feathers,  rushes,  and  other  articles  are  tied  behind  the 
f.  Snake-skin  is  of  course  much  used  in  making  these  charms,  and  a  square  piece  of 
jirticle  is  hung  round  the  neck  of  almost  every  man  of  this  country. 
The  religion  of  the  Waganda  is  of  course  one  inspired  by  terror,  and  not  by  love, 
(Object  of  all  their  religious  rites  being  to  avert  the  anger  of  malignant  spirits.  Every 
rmoon  has  its  own  peculiar  worship,  wnich  is  conducted  by  banging  drums,  replenishing 
)  magic  horns,  and  othoc  ceremonies  too  long  to  describe.  The  most  terrible  of  their 
( ia  that  of  human  saoiifice,  which  is  usually  employed  when  the  king  desires  to 
[into  the  fatura 


/ 


'i 

jii 

1 

1 
i 

1^   -1 

Fl^Hi^^B  t  H 

Wi.j,^^        h          I    \ 

'1                         '1    * 

^  ^  #;g^"^^v 

kI 


THB  WATER-SPIRIT'S  HIOH-PRIESS 


The  victim  is  always  a  child,  and  the  sacrifice  is  conducted  in  a  most  cruel  manner, 
jHaving  discovered  by  his  incantations  that  a  neighbour  is  projecting  war,  the  magician 
lllays  a  young  child,  and  lays  the  bleeding  body  in  the  path  on  which  the  soldiers 
■JMs  to  battle.  Each  warrior  steps  over  the  bleeding  body,  and  thereby  is  supposed  to 
Ipwcure  immunity  for  himself  in  the  approaching  battle.  When  the  king  makes  war,  his 
jchief  magician  uses  a  still  more  cruel  mode  of  divination.  He  takes  a  large  earthen  pot, 
jlialf  fills  it  with  water,  and  then  places  it  over  the  fireplace.  On  the  mouth  of  the  pot 
iJiBlftys  a  small  platform  of  crossed  sticks,  and  having  bound  a  young  child  and  a  fowl,  he 

'lys  them  on  the  platform,  covering  them  with  another  pot,  which  he  inverts  over  them. 

te  fire  is  then  lighted,  and  suffered  to  bum  for  a  given  time,  when  the  upper  pot  is  re- 
jiiiovecl,  and  the  victims  inspected.  If  they  should  both  be  dead,  it  is  taken  as  a  sign  that 
Ithe  war  must  be  deferred  for  the  present ;  but  if  either  should  be  alive,  war  may  be  made 

tonce. 

VOL  L  H  H 


406 


THE  WAGANDA. 


Speaking  of  these  and  other  black  tribes,  Captain  Speke  very  rightly  observes ; "  Bowf 
negro  has  lived  so  many  ages  without  advancing  seems  marvellous,  when  all  the  countri 
surrounding  Africa  are  so  forward  in  comparison.  And,  judging  from  the  progressive  sti 
of  the  world,  one  is  led  to  suppose  that  the  African  must  soon  either  step  out  from  L 
darkness,  or  be  superseded  by  a  being  superior  to  himself  Could  a  government  be  foro] 
for  them  like  oura  in  India,  they  would  be  saved,  but  without  it  I  rear  there  is  voiv  litq 
chance.  For  at  present  the  Au*ican  neither  can  help  himself  nor  be  helped  by  otheil 
because  his  country  is  in  such  a  constant  state  of  turmoil  that  he  has  too  much  uuM 
on  hand  looking  out  for  his  food  to  think  of  anything  else. 

"  As  his  fatnors  did,  so  does  he.    He  works  his  wife,  sells  his  children,  enslaves 
he  can  lay  hands  on,  and,  unless  when  fighting  for  the  property  of  others,  coDteo] 
himself  with  drinking,  singing,  and  dancing  like  a  baboon,  to  drive  dull  care  away. 
few  only  make  cotton  cloth,  or  work  in  wool,  iron,  copper,  or  salt,  their  rule  being  toca 
as  little  as  possible,  and  to  store  up  nothing  beyond  the  necessities  of  the  next  mm 
lest  their  chiefs  or  neighbourly  should  covet  and  take  it  from  them." 

The  same  experienced  traveller  then  proceeds  to  enumerate  the  many  kinds  of  h 
which  the  climate  atlbrJs  to  any  one  of  ordinary  indnstiy,  such  as  homed  cattle,  b)i$$ 
goats,  pigs,  fowls,  ducks,  and  pigeons,  not  to  mention  the  plantain  and  other  vegetabfl 
products,  and  expresses  a  feeling  of  surprise  that,  with  such  stores  of  food  at  his  connnand 
the  black  man  should  be  so  often  driven  to  feed  on  wild  herbs  and  roots,  dogs,  cats,  raq 
snakes,  lizards,  insects,  and  other  similar  animals,  and  should  be  frequently  found  o| 
the  point  of  starvation,  and  be  compelled  to  sell  his  own  children  to  procure  fix 
Moreover,  there  are  elephants,  rhinoceroses,  hippopotamus,  buifaloes,  giraffes,  antelop 
guinea-fowls,  and  a  host  of  other  animals,  which  can  be  easily  captured  in  traps  or  pjd 
falls,  so  that  the  native  African  lives  in  the  midst  of  a  countiy  which  produces  food  i 
boun<Uess  variety.    The  reasons  for  such  a  phenomenon  are  simple  enough,  and  may  1 
reduced  to  two,  — namely,  utter  want  of  foresight  and  constitutional  indolence. 

As  to  the  question  of  slavery,  it  may  perhaps  be  as  well  to  remark  that  sla 
not  excluaively  sold  to  white  men.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  no  slave-holder  so  teuaciouL 
of  his  acquired  rights  as  the  black  man,  and,  for  every  slave  sold  to  a  white  nan,  tel 
are  bought  by  the  dark  races,  whether  on  the  east  or  west  of  Africa.  And,  when  ( 
slave  begins  to  raise  himself  above  a  mere  menial  rank,  his  first  idea  is  to  buy  slaves  fd 
himself,  because  they  are  the  articles  of  merchandise  which  is  most  easily  to  be  procuntfj 
and  so,  as  Captain  Speke  well  observes,  slavery  begets*  slaveiy  ad  infinitum.  The  suuJ 
mary  of  Captain  Spake's  experience  is  valuable.  "  Possessed  of  a  wonderful  amount  J 
loquacity,  great  risibility,  but  no  stability — a  creature  of  impulse — a  grown  child  d 
short — ^at  first  sight  it  seems  wonderful  how  he  can  be  trained  to  work,  for  there  is  nl 
law,  no  home  to  bind  him.  He  would  run  away  at  any  moment,  and,  presuming  on  thisl 
he  sins,  expecting  to  be  forgiven.  Great  forbearance,  occasionally  tinctured  with  a  littll 
fatherly  severity,  is,  I  believe,  the  best  dose  for  him.  For  be  says  to  his  master,  aftej 
sinning, '  You  ought  to  forgive  and  to  forget,  for  are  you  not  a  big  man  who  would  be  aliovj 
harbouring  spite,  though  for  a  moment  you  may  be  angry  ?  Flog  me  if  you  like,  but 
not  keep  count  against  me,  or  else  I  shall  run  away,  and  what  will  you  do  then  ? ' " 

The  burying-places  of  the  Waganda  are  rather  elaborate.  Captain  Grant  bad  M 
curiosity  to  enter  one  of  them,  and  describes  it  as  follows :  "  Two  huts  on  a  heighj 
appeared  devoted  to  the  remains  of  the  dead.  On  getting  over  the  fence  surroundJBfl 
them,  a  lawn  having  straight  walks  led  up  to  the  doors,  where  a  screen  of  bark-cloto 
shut  out  the  view  of  the  interior.  Conquering  a  feeling  of  delicacy,  I  entered  one  of  thd 
huts.  I  found  a  fixed  bedstead  of  cane,  curtained  as  if  to  shade  its  bed  of  grass  Ax)mtlid 
mosquito,  spears,  charms,  sticks  with  strange  crooks,  tree-creepers,  miniature  idol-huts  oj 
grass,  &c.  These  were  laid  in  order  in  the  interior,  but  no  one  was  there,  and  we  wen 
told  that  it  was  a  mausoleum." 

Many  of  such  houses  w^ere  seen  on  the  hill-sides,  but  few  so  elaborately  builtj 
Usually  they  were  little  moi-e  than  square  pntrhes  of  pround  enclosed  with  a  reed-fena 
These  were  called  by  the  name  of  "  Looahleh,"  or  sacred  ground. 


OHAFTEE  XL. 


THE  WAUYORO. 


letOAom  or  tbtr  itavtobo  tiubv — dibtt  rabit8 — ^mods  ov  ooyBBmotxr — kino  kaiibasi^ 

BU  DISFOTIO  CHABACTBB — HIS  BODT-OUABS  AND  THBIB  PBIVILKOEB — HIS  PBB80NAL  APPKARANOB 
—BIS  OBASFINa  BBLFIBHNBSS — A  BOTAI.  VISIT— KAHBASl's  COWABDICB — BXBCVTION  OF  CBIMIMALS 

^OBirSHIMa  A  BBBBLLION — LAVS   OF   SUCCBS8ION — THB    KINO's    BIBTSBS — VANYOBO   BIMOINO 

COlfSITION  OF  WOMBN — FOOD  OF  THB  WANYOBO — CABBYIMO  FBOTISIOMB  OB  THB  UABCH — 17SK8 
or  TBB  PLABTAIN-TBBB — ^FBAVOB  IN  TBADB— BUPBB8TITI0NB — THB  XAOIOUX  AT  WOBX — THB 
HOBRBD  DOO— BPADB-HONBY. 


|pROGiBDma  still  northwards,  we  come  to  the  land  of  TJnyoro,  from  which,  as  the  reader 
I  will  remember,  the  country  of  Uganda  was  separated.  Ine  inhabitants  of  Unyoro  form 
ireiy  unpleasant  contrast  to  those  of  Uganda,  being  dirty,  mean-looking,  and  badly  dressed. 
The  country,  too,  is  far  inferior  to  Uganda,  which  might  be  made  into  a  perpetually 
blooming  garden ;  for,  as  the  traveller  leaves  the  equator  and  passes  to  the  north,  he  finds 
that  the  rains  gradually  decrease,  and  that  vegetation  first  becomes  thin,  then  stunted, 
tnd  lastly  disappears  altogether.  The  same  structure  of  language  prevails  here  as  in 
Uganda,  so  that  the  people  of  Unyoro  are  called  Wanyoro,  and  a  single  person  is  a 
M'yoro.  ' 

Tiie  character  of  the  Wanyoro  is  quite  on  a  par  with  their  appearance,  for  they  are  a 

I  mean,  selfish,  grasping  set  of  people,  sadly  lacking  the  savage  virtue  of  hospitality,  and 

I  ilways  on  the  look-out  for  opportunities  to  procure  by  unfair  means  the  property  of 

I  others.    They  seem,  indeed,  to  be  about  as  unpleasant  a  nation  as  can  well  be  imagined, 

and  in  ahnost  every  point  afford  a  strong  contrast  to  others  which  have  already  been 

described. 

They  are  singularly  dirty  in  their  domestic  habits,  their  huts  being  occupied  equally 
by  men,  goats,  and  fowls,  and  the  floor,  which  is  thickly  covered  with  straw,  is  conse- 
quently in  a  most  abominable  conditioa  It  is  so  bad,  indeed,  that  even  the  natives  are 
obliged  to  make  a  raised  bedstead  on  which  to  sleep.  Even  the  king's  palace  is  no  excep- 
tion to  the  general  rule ;  the  cattle  are  kept  within  the  enclosure,  and  even  his  very 
«leeping-hut  is  freely  entered  by  calves.  To  visit  the  "palace"  without  stilts  and  a 
respirator  was  too  severe  a  task  even  to  so  hardened  a  traveller  as  Captain  Speke,  but 
the  king  walked  about  among  the  cows,  ankle-deep  in  all  sorts  of  horrors,  and  yet  per- 
fectly at  his  ease. 

The  government  of  this  country  is  pure  despotism,  the  king  possessing  irresponsible 
and  unquestioned  power.  The  subject  can  really  possess  property,  but  only  holds  it  by 
the  king's  pleasura  -This  theory  is  continually  reduced  to  practice,  the  king  taking  from 
one  person,  and  giving,  or  rather,  lending  to  another,  anything  that  he  chooses, — land, 
cattle,  slaves,  wives,  and  children  being  equally  ranked  in  the  category  of  property. 

The  king  who  reigned  over  Uganda  at  the  time  when  Captain  Speke  visited  it  was 
named  Kamrasi    Ue  was  a  man  who  united  in  himself  a  singular  variety' <^  characters. 

hh2 


B 


1 


i; 


i 


468 


THE  WANTORO. 


Meroiless,  eren  beyond  the  ordinary  type  of  African  omelty ;  capricions  u  a  ipoiled  chfld, 
and  scattering  death  and  torture  around  for  the  mere  whim  of  the  moment ;  inhoepitaiie 
and  repellent  according  to  the  usual  Wanyoro  character;  covetous  and  grasping  to  the 
last  degree ;  ambitious  of  regaining  the  lost  portion  of  his  kingdom,  and  vet  too  cowardly 
to  declare  war,  h^  was  a  man  wqo  scarcely  seemed  likely  to .  retain  his  hold  on  the 
•oeptre. 

Tet,  although  contemptible  as  he  was  in  many  things,  he  was  not  to  be  despised,  and, 
although  no  one  cared  to  meet  him  as  a  friend,  all  knew  that  he  could  be  a  moit 
dangerous  enemy.  For  he  possessed  a  large  share  of  cunning,  which  stood  him  in  stead 
of  the  nobler  virtues  which  ought  to  adorn  a  throne,  and  rul^  his  subjects  by  a  mixtnn 
of  craft  and  force.  His  system  of  espionage  would  have  done  honour  to  M.  de  Sartinei; 
and  there  was  nothing  that  happened  in  his  country  that  he  did  not  know. 

The  whole  land  was  divided  into  districts,  and  over  each  district  was  set  an  officer 
who  was  responsible  for  everything  which  occurred  in  it,  and  was  bound  to  give  infonna- 
tion  to  the  king.    The  least  fiedlure  in  this  respect  entailed  death  or  the  "  shoe,"  ^irhich 

was  nearly  as  bad,  and  often  termi. 
nated  in  death.  The  "  shoe "  is 
simply  a  large  and  heavy  log  of 
wood  with  an  oblong  slit  cut 
through  it.  Into  this  slit  the  feet 
are  passed,  and  a  stout  wooden 
peg  is  then  driven  through  the 
log  and  between  the  ankles,  so  as 
to  hold  the  fe^t  tightly  imprisoned. 
As  to  the  exact  position  of  the 
peg,  the  executioner  is  in  no 
way  particiilar ;  and  if  he  should 
happen  to  drive  it  against,  instead 
of  between,  the  ankles,  he  cares 
nothing  about  it  Consequently, 
the  torture  is  often  so  great,  that  I 
those  who  have  been  so  imprisoued 
have  died  of  sheer  exhaustion. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  cany 
out  his  orders  without  having  a 
chance  of  disobedience,  he  kept  a 
guard  of  armed  soldiers,  some  five 
hundred  in  number.  These  men 
always  carried  their  shields  and 
spears ;  the  latter  have  hard  blades,  kept  very  sharp,  and  their  edges  defended  by  a  sheath, 
neatly  made  of  antelope-skin,  sewn  together  with  thongs.  The  ordinary  spears  are  not 
nearly  so  good,  because  the  Wanyoro  are  not  remarkable  for  excellence  in  smith's  vrork, 
and  the  better  kind  of  spear-heads  which  are  hawked  through  the  country  are  bought  by 
the  Waganda,  who  are  a  richer  people. 

This  body-guard  is  dressed  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner,  their  chief  object 
seeming  to  be  to  render  themselves  as  unlike  men  and  as  like  demons  as  possible,  '^ej 
wear  leopard  or  monkey  skins  by  way  of  tunic,  strap  cows'  tdls  to  the  small  of  their 
backs,  and  tie  a  couple  of  antelope's  horns  on  their  heads,  while  their  chins  are  decorated 
with  long  false  beards,  made  of  the  bushy  ends  of  cows'  tails. 

When  Sir  S.  Baker  visited  Kamrasi,  this  body-guard  rushed  out  of  the  palace  to  meet 
him,  dancing,  yelling,  screaming,  brandishing  their  spears,  pretending  to  fight  among 
themselves,  and,  when  they  reached  their  visitors,  flourishing  their  spears  in  the  faces  of 
the  strangers^  and  making  feints  of  attack.  So  sudden  was  their  charge,  and  so  mpnacing 
their  aspect,  that  several  of  his  men  thought  that  they  were  charging  in  real  earnest,  and 
begged  him  to  fire  at  them.  Being,  however,  convinced  that  tlieir  object  was  not  to  kill, 
but  to  do  him  honour,  he  declined  to  fire,  and  found  that  the  threatening  body  of  men 


OULFRIT  IN  THB  SHOD. 


CHARACTER  OF  KAMRASI 


469 


Ivm  (imply  sent  by  Kamrasi  as  his  escort.  Had  his  armed  Turks  been  with  him,  they 
IfOttld  certainly  have  received  these  seeming  demons  with  a  volley. 
I  A  curious  instance  of  his  craft  was  ^iven  by  his  reception  of  Sir  S.  Baker.  When 
■Ae  traveller  was  first  promised  an  interview,  Kamrasi  ordered  his  brother,  M'Oambi,  to 
Ipenouate  him,  while  ne  himself,  dissuised  as  one  of  the  escort,  secretly  watched  the 
^Tellers.  M'Gambi  executed  his  office  admirably,  and  personated  his  royal  brother  to 
Lrfection,  asking  for  everything  which  he  saw— ^ns,  watches,  beads,  and  clothes  being 
Luailv  acceptable,  and  finished  by  asking  for  Lady  Baker.  In  case  the  latter  article 
liboula  be  thought  more  valuable  than  the  others,  he  offered  to  give  one  of  his  own  wives 
in  exchange.  This  proposal  nearly  cost  M'Gambi  his  life,  and  it  may  be  that  the  wily 
king  had  foreseen  the  possibility  of  some  such  result  when  he  ordered  his  brother  to 

Esonate  him,  and  permitted  him  to  take  his  place  on  the  copper  stool  of  royaltv.    In 
t,  M'Oambi  did  admit  that  the  king  was  afraid  that  his  visitors  might  be  in  league 

I  fitii  an  adverse  power. 

In  order  to  attach  his  guards  to  his  person,  Kamrasi  allowed  them  all  kinds  of 
licence,  permitting  them  to  rob  and  plunder  as  much  as  they  liked ;  his  theory  being  that 

Leveiything  within  his  reach  belonged  to  him,  he  in  reality  did  no  harm  to  his  subjects, 

I  the  loss  eventually  falling  on  himself.    Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  king  was  a  far- 
;hted  man  in  some  things,  and  that  he  knew  how  to  rule  by  fear,  if  not  by  love. 
He  was  tall  and  slender,  and  scarcely  looked  his  age,  which  was  about  forty,  and  his 

I  ieitiires  on  the  whole  were  good,  as  were  his  eyes,  which  were  soft  and  gentle,  sadly 
tielying  his  character.  His  face  was,  however,  disfigured  by  the  national  custom  of 
lemoving  the  lower  incisor  and  eye-teeth,  and  he  said  that  the  dentist  who  performed 
the  operation  had  been  rewarded  with  a  fee  of  a  hundred  cows.  His  colour  was  dark 
brown,  and  but  for  the  sinister  expression  of  his  countenance,  he  would  really  be  a 

I  handsome  man. 

His  features  were,  however,  rather  disfigured  by  the  scars  which  covered  his  forehead,  and 

I  which  still  remained  as  vestiges  of  sundry  cauterizations.  In  Unyoro,  the  actual  cautery, 
it,  a  red-hot  iron,  is  in  great  favour  as  a  means  of  cure ;  and  whenever  a  man  chooses  to 
intoxicate  himself  with  native  beer  or  imported  rum,  and  to  suffer  the  usual  penalty  of  a 
headache  on  the  following  morning,  he  immediately  thinks  that  he  is  bewitched,  and 

I  proceeds  to  drive  out  the  demon  by  burning  his  forehead  in  a  multitude  of  spots. 
kamrasi  had  gone  a  little  beyond  the  ordinary  custom,  and  had  applied  the  hot  iron  to 
hia  nose,  causing  such  a  scar  that  he  was  anxious  to  have  it  removed,  and  his  nose 
leatored  to  its  ordinary  colour. 

He  did  not  take  to  European  clothing,  preferring  the  manufactures  of  his  own  country. 
Hia  ordinary  dress  was  a  mantle  tied  round  his  waist  and  descending  to  his  feet  Some* 
times  it  was  made  of  cloth,  and  at  others  of  skins ;  but  it  was  always  of  a  light  red 
colour,  and  was  decorated  with  little  patches  of  black  cloth,  with  which  it  was  covered. 
He  had  his  head  shaved  at  intervals,  but  between  the  times  of  shaving  his  hair  grew  in 
little  knobby  tufts,  like  those  of  the  Bosjesman.  He  wore  but  few  ornaments,  the  chief 
beioe  a  necklace  of  beads,  which  hung  to  his  waist. 

Kamrasi  had  a  very  tolerable  idea  of  effect,  as  was  seen  from  the  manner  in  which  he 
Kceived  his  guests.  A  hut  was  built  for  the  express  purpose,  and  within  it  was  the  royal 
dirone,  i.e.  a  stool — to  sit  on  which  is  the  special  privilege  of  royalty.  A  quantity  of 
grass  was  formed  into  a  rather  high  platform,  which  was  covered  first  with  cow-hides  and 
then  witl)  leopard-skins,  the  latter  being  the  royal  fur.  Over  this  throne  was  hung  a 
canopy  of  cow-skin,  stretched  on  every  side  ana  suspended  from  the  roof,  in  order  to 
keep  dust  off  the  royal  head.  On  the  throne  sat  Kamrasi,  enveloped  in  fine  grass-cloth, 
bis  left  wrist  adorned  with  a  bracelet,  and  his  hair  carefully  dressed.  He  sat  calm, 
motionless,  and  silent,  like  an  Egyptian  statue,  and  with  unchanged  countenance  contem- 
plated the  wonderftil  white  men  of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a  more  unpleasant  person  than  Kamrasi,  putting 
aside  the  total  want  of  cleanliness  which  he  exhibited,  and  which  may  be  considered  as  a 
national  and  not  as  an  individual  characteristic.  His  avarice  induced  him  to  wish  for  the 
presence  of  travellers  who  would  create  a  new  line  of  trade,  while  his  intense  cowardice 


i!fl  lit 


'X-M, 


470 


THE  WANYORO. 


[JL:.  r 


'va-ji' 


•i  %q 


ivfi 


fe,^r?? 


r'A,j 


made  him  fear  a  foe  in  every  stranger.    He  was  horribly  afraid  of  M'tesa,  and  when 
found  that  white  travellers  had  been  hospitably  received  by  that  potentate,  he  thoa 
tnat  they  must  come  with  sinister  intentions,  and  therefore  was  on  his  guard  against 
fancied  foes. 

When  he  got  over  his  fears,  he  was  as  provoking  in  the  character  of  mendicant  as  1 
had  been  in  that  of  a  territied  despot.    When  Sir  S.  Baker  was  in  his  dominion^ 
Kamrasi  insisted  on  paying  him  a  visit,  although  he  knew  well  that  his  guest  was  oqI 
just  recovering  from  fever,  and  therefore  had  not  been  able  to  attend  at  the  palace. 

"  Although  I  had  but  little  remaining  from  my  stock  of  luggage  except  the  gunl 
ammunition,  and  astronomical  instruments,  I  was  obliged  to  hide  everything  underneatl 
the  beds,  lest  the  avaricious  eyes  of  Kamrasi  should  detect  a  'want.'  True  to  hj 
appointment,  he  appeared  with  numerous  attendants,  and  was  ushered  into  my  little  hul 
I  had  a  very  rude  but  serviceable  arm-chair  that  one  of  my  men  had  constructed— in  tL 
the  king  was  invited  to  sit.  Hardly  was  he  seated,  when  he  leant  back,  stretched  out  hil 
legs,  and,  making  some  remark  to  his  attendants  concerning  his  personal  comfort,! 
asked  for  the  chair  as  a  present.  I  promised  to  have  one  made  for  him  immediateH 
This  being  arranged,  he  surveyed  the  barren  little  hut,  vainly  endeavouring  to  fix  ht 
eyes  upon  something  that  he  could  demand.  But,  so  fruitless  was  his  search,  that  hi 
laughingly  turned  to  his  people  and  said, '  How  was  it  that  they  wanted  so  many  porten 
if  they  have  nothing  to  carry  ? '  My  interpreter  explained  that  many  things  had  been 
spoiled  during  the  storms  on  the  lake,  and  had  been  left  behind ;  that  our  provisions  haj 
long  since  been  consumed,  and  that  our  clothes  were  worn  out — that  we  had  nothing  lefj 
but  a  few  beads.  1 

" '  New  varieties,  no  doubt,'  he  replied;  '  give  me  all  that  you  have  of  the  small  bluj 
and  the  large  red.' 

"  We  had  carefully  hidden  the  main  stock,  and  a  few  had  been  arranged  in  bags  to  1 
produced  as  the  occasion  might  require.  These  were  now  unpacked  by  the  boy  Saat,  and 
laid  before  the  king.  I  told  him  to  make  his  choice,  which  he  did,  precisely  as  I  liaq 
anticipated,  by  making  presents  to  his  surrounding  friends  out  of  my  stock,  and  mono] 
polizing  the  remainder  for  his  share.  The  division  of  the  portions  among  his  people  waa 
a  modest  way  of  taking  the  whole,  as  he  woxild  immediately  demand  their  return  on 
quitting  my  hut. 

"No  sooner  were  the  beads  secured  than  he  repeated  the  original  demand  for  my 
watch  and  the  No.  24  double  rifle ;  these  I  resolutely  refused.  He  then  requested  perJ 
mission  to  see  the  contents  of  a  few  of  the  baskets  and  bags  that  formed  our  worn-oun 
luggage.  There  was  nothing  that  took  his  fancy  except  needles,  thread,  lancets,  modij 
cines,  and  a  small  tooth-comb.  The  latter  interested  him  exceedingly,  as  I  explained 
that  the  object  of  the  Turks  in  collecting  ivory  was  to  sell  it  to  Europeans,  whol 
manufactured  it  into  many  articles,  among  which  were  small  tooth-combs,  such  as  hej 
then  examined.    He  could  not  understand  how  the  teeth  could  be  so  finely  cut. 

"  Upon  the  use  of  the  comb  being  explained,  he  immediately  attempted  to  practisel 
upon  his  woolly  head.  Failing  in  the  operation,  he  adapted  the  instniment  to  a  ditferentj 
purpose,  and  commenced  scratching  beneath  the  wool  most  vigorously.  The  effect  being 
satisfactory,  he  at  once  demanded  the  comb,  which  was  handed  to  each  of  the  surrounding 
chiefs,  all  of  whom  had  a  trial  of  its  properties.  Every  head  having  been  scratched,  itl 
was  returned  to  the  king,  who  handed  it  to  Quonga,  the  headman  that  received  hisi 
presents.  So  complete  was  the  success  of  the  comb,  that  he  proposed  to  send  me  one  ofl 
the  largest  tusks,  which  I  was  to  take  to  England  and  cut  into  as  many  small  tooth-conib3| 
as  it  would  produce  for  himself  and  his  chiefs." 

During  thb  interview,  Kamra«i  discovered  a  case  of  lancets,  and  begged  for  them,  asl 
they  were  so  well  adapted  for  paring  his  nails.  Also,  he  opened  the  medicine-chest,  andj 
was  so  determined  to  take  a  dose  at  once  that  Sir  S.  Baker  took  a  little  revenge,  i 
^administered  three  grains  of  tartar  emetic,  not  to  be  taken  until  he  reached  his  own  hut  I 
As  to  the  No.  24  rifle,  which  has  been  already  mentioned,  Kamrasi  was  always  hankeringl 
after  it,  at  one  time  openly  begging  for  it,  and  at  another  asking  to  borrow  it  just  for  al 
day  or  two,  when,  of  course,  it  never  would  have  escaped  the  grasp  of  the  royal  clutches,  r 


EXECUTION  OF  CEIMINALS. 


471 


^e  of  the  small  bluJ 


This  provoking  man  evidently  considered  his  gtiests  to  be  sent  especially  for  his  own 
indizement,  and  his  only  idea  was,  how  to  use  them  best  for  his  sei-vice.  Having 
got  them  safely  into  his  domains,  he  had  no  intention  of  letting  them  go  again  until 
had  squeezed  them  quite  dry.  First,  he  wanted  to  make  them  pay  for  the  privilege 
entering  his  dominions ;  and  when  they  had  once  entered,  lie  was  sure  to  make  them 
ly  before  they  got  out  again.  His  first  ruse  was,  to  pretend  that  Ihey  were  weak  and 
agnificant,  whereas  he  was  great  and  strong,  and  that,  if  they  wanted  his  protection, 
ley  must  pay  for  it.  "When  once  they  had  entered  his  district,  and  had  shown  them- 
Ives  to  be  more  formidable  than  he  had  chosen  to  admit,  he  asked  them  to  aid  him 
inst  his  enemies,  and  to  lead  his  army  against  the  adverse  tribe. 
This  stratagem  failing,  even  though  he  was  good  enough  to  offer  half  his  kingdom 
jrthe  privilege  of  alliance,  he  had  still  one  refource, — namely,  forbidding  them  to  leave 
is  kingdom  until  he  gave  permission,  i.e.  until  he  had  extracted  from  them  eveiything 
value.  To  leave  the  country  without  his  permission  was  simply  impossible,  on  account 
the  system  of  espionage  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  and,  although  it  might 
ive  been  possible  to  force  a  way  by  dint  of  superior  arms,  such  a  struggle  would  have 
utralized  the  very  object  of  the  expedition. 

Bully  though  he  was  where  he  could  tyrannize  with  safety,  he  was  a  most  contemptible 
iward  when  he  thought  himself  in  the  least  danger.  A  very  amusing  example  was 
own  during  the  visit  of  Sir  S.  Baker. 

One  morning,  just  at  sunrise,  Kamrasi  came  hastily  into  his  hut  shorn  of  all  regal 
[dignity.  In  his  hands  he  grasped  two  spears  and  a  rifle,  and  wanted  to  bring  them  into 
fte  hut,  contrary  to  all  etiquette.  This  could  not  be  allowed,  and  he  reluctantly  left  them 
outside.  He  had  laid  aside  his  usual  cold  and  repellent  manner,  and  was  full  of  eagerness. 
[e  had  also  thrown  off  hia  ordinary  apparel  of  oeauti fully-dressed  skins,  and  only  wore 
jkind  of  short  kilt  and  a  scarf  across  his  shoulders.  Knowing  that  an  attack  was  medi- 
tated by  a  neighboiiring  chief,  and  having  seen  the  people  all  in  war  costume — homed, 
learded,  and  tailed— Sir  S.  Baker  naturally  thought  that  Kamrasi  was  in  fighting  costume, 
and  congratulated  him  on  its  appropriate  lightness. 

"I  fight ! "  exclaimed  the  king.  "  I  am  not  going  to  fight ;  I  am  going  to  run  away, 
and  put  on  this  dress  to  be  able  to  run  faster." 

He  then  explained  in  great  trepidation  that  the  enemy  were  approaching  with  a 
hedred  and  fifty  muskets,  and  that,  as  it  was  useless  to  fight  against  such  odds,  he  meant 
tonin  away  and  hide  himself  in  the  long  grass,  and  his  guest  had  better  follow  his  ex- 
ample. From  the  anticipated  attack  he  was  saved  by  the  timely  intervention  of  his 
guest,  and  the  only  maik  of  gratitude  which  he  showed  was  to, ask  again  for  the  double- 
barrellpd  rifle. 

Still,  in  spite  of  these  unamiable  characteristics,  the  man  had  his  redeeming  points ; 
and  although  he  was,  on  occasions  and  on  a  large  scale,  almost  as  cruel  as  a  man  could  be, 
he  did  not  commit  those  continual  murders  of  his  subjects  which  disgraced  the  reign  of 
M'tesa.  Personal  chastisement  was  used  in  many  cases  in  which  M'tesa  would  have 
inflicted  death,  and  probably  a  lengthened  torture  besides. 

The  mode  of  passing  sentence  on  a  prisoner  was  very  remarkable.  Should  the  king 
or  his  brother  M'Gambi  touch  him  with  the  point  of  a  spear,  the  executioners  imme- 
diately fall  upon  him  with  their  clubs,  and  beat  him  to  death.  But,  if  he  should  touch 
the  prisoner  with  his  stick,  the  executioners  instantly  pierce  him  with  their  spears  ;  so 
that  the  instrument  used  in  killing  the  man  is  always  the  opposite  to  that  with  which 
the  king  touches  him. 

Even  m  cases  where  death  was  inflicted,  the  criminal  was  generally  killed  by  a  blow 
with  &  club  on  the  back  of  the  neck.  There  were  of  course  exceptions  to  this  rule.  For 
example,  a  hostile  chief,  named  Eionga,  one  of  his  thirty  brothers,  had  been  taken  prisoner 
by  a  treacherous  act  on  the  part  of  Kamrasi,  who  first  pretended  to  make  peace,  then 
invited  him  to  a  banquet,  and  seized  upon  him  while  he  was  off  his  guard.  Kamrasi  then 
ordered  him  to  die  by  a  cruel  death.  There  was  a  hut  with  high  mud  walls  and  no  door- 
way. Into  this  hut  Rionga  was  hoisted,  and  the  king  gave  orders  tnat  on  the  following 
morning  the  hut  should  be  tired,  and  its  inmate  burned  to  death. 


/  ilK 


ife  i 


ft 


472 


THE  WANYORO. 


Another  chief,  however,  named  Sali,  ingeniously  brought  out  great  quantities  of  _ 
knowing  that  the  guards  would  be  sure  to  assemble  in  any  spot  where  beer  was  to", 
found.  This  they  did ;  and  while  they  were  engaged  at  one  side  of  the  prison  drinkk 
dancing,  and  singing,  Sali's  men  were  engaged  on  the  other  side  in  digging  a  hole  throue 
the  mud  wall  of  the  hut,  and  soon  succeeded  in  making  an  aperture  large  enough 
allow  the  prisoner  to  make  his  escape.  , 

After  this  feat,  Sali,  having  seen  how  treacherous  Kamrasi  could  be,  ought  to  liavi 
secured  his  own  safety  by  flight,  but  chose  to  remain,  thinking  that  his  share  in  the  rescu 
would  not  be  discovered.    Kamrasi,  however,  suspected  his  complicity,  and  had  _ 
arrested  at  once.    He  was  sentenced  to  the  cruel  death  of  being  dismembered  while  aliv. 
and  the  sentence  was  carried  out  by  cutting  off  his  hands  at  the  wrists,  his  arms  at  thj 
elbows,  and  so  on  until  every  joint  was  severed.  While  undergoing  this  torture,  he  provet 
himself  a  brave  man  by  trying  to  help  his  friends,  calling  aloud  from  the  stake  that  thq 
had  better  escape  while  they  cotild,  lest  they  should  sufi'er  the  same  penalty. 

A  curious  custom  prevails  in  Unyoro  with  regard  to  the  king's  sisters.  Like  othe. 
women  of  rank,  they  are  fattened  on  curdled  milk,  and  attain  such  a  size  that  thev  ari, 
not  able  to  walk,  and,  whenever  they  leave  the  hut,  each  has  to  be  borne  on  a  litter  b] 
eight  men.  Each  woman  consumes  daily  the  milk  of  fifteen  or  twenty  cows,  a  cow  pn 
ducing  barely  one  quart  of  milk.  Yet,  though  this  fattening  process  is  an  ordinal 
preliminary  to  marriage,  the  king's  sisters  are  forbidden  to  marry,  and  are  kept  in  strici 
seclusion  in  his  palace.  So  are  his  brothers ;  but,  unlike  the  king  of  Uganda,  he  does  no| 
think  it  necessary  to  kill  them  when  he  reaches  the  throne. 

During  the  short  interval  of  peace  which  followed  upon  Sir  S.  Baker's  intervention,  thj 
people  gave  themselves  up  to  debauchery,  the  men  drinking  and  dancing  and  yelling 
blowing  horns  and  beating  drums  all  through  the  night  The  women  took  no  pan 
this  amusement,  inasmuch  as  they  had  been  hard  at  work  in  the  fields  all  day,  while  thdj 
husbands  had  been  sleeping  at  home.  Consequently  they  were  much  too  tired  to  danc 
and  tried  to  snatch  what  rest  they  could  in  the  midst  of  the  night-long  din. 

"  The  usual  style  of  singing  was  a  rapid  chant,  delive):ed  as  a  solo,  while  at  intervals 
the  crowd  burst  out  in  a  deafening  chorus,  together  with  the  drums  and  horns.  Ihi 
latter  wore  formed  of  immense  gourds,  which,  growing  in  a  peculiar  shape,' with  lonj» 
bottle  necks,  were  easily  converted  into  musical  instruments.  Every  now  and  then  a  cij 
of  '  Fire ! '  in  the  middle  of  the  night  enlivened  the  ennui  of  our  existence.  The  hub 
were  littered  deep  with  straw,  and  the  inmates,  intoxicated,  frequently  fell  asleep  with 
their  huge  pipes  alight,  which,  falling  in  the  d>y  straw,  at  once  occasioned  a  conflagration 
In  such  cases  the  flames  spread  from  hut  to  hut  with  immense  rapidity,  and  frequently 
four  or  five  hundred  huts  in  Kamrasi's  large  camp  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  rebuilt  in  i 
few  days.  I  was  anxious  concerning  my  p(jwder,  as,  in  the  event  of  fire,  the  blaze  of  thd 
straw  hut  was  so  instantaneous  that  nothing  could  be  saved ;  should  my  powder  explode,! 
I  should  be  entirely  defenceless.  Accordingly,  after  a  conHagration  in  my  neighbourhood,! 
I  insisted  on  removing  all  huts  within  a  circuit  of  thirty  yards  of  my  dwelling.  The! 
natives  demurring,  I  at  once  ordered  my  men  to  pull  down  the  houses,  and 
relieved  myself  from  drunken  and  dangerous  neighbours." 

The  condition  of  the  women  in  Unyoro  is  not  at  all  agreeable,  as  indeed  may  bel 
inferred  from  the  brief  mention  of  the  hard  work  which  they  have  to  perform.  Theyl 
are  watche(i  very  carefully  by  their  husbands,  and  beaten  severely  if  they  ever  venturel 
outside  the  palisades  after  sunset.  For  unfaithfulness,  the  punishment  seems  to  he  leitl 
to  the  aggrieved  husband,  who  sometimes  demands  a  heavy  fine,  sometimes  cuts  ofi'afoot| 
or  a  hand,  and  sometimes  inflicts  the  punishment  of  death. 

Dirty  as  are  the  Wanyoro  in  some  things,  in  others  they  are  very  neat  and  clean.! 
They  are  admirable  packers,  and  make  up  the  neatest  imaginable  parcels.  Some  of  these  I 
parcels  are  surrounded  with  the  bark  of  the  {)lantain,  and  some  with  the  pith  or  interior  I 
of  a  reed,  from  which  the  outside  has  been  carefully  stripped,  so  as  to  leave  a  numherofl 
snow-white  cylinders.  These  are  laid  side  by  side,  and  bound  round  the  object,  producing  f 
a  singularly  pretty  effect.  Little  mats,  formed  of  shreds  of  these  reeds,  are  very  much 
used,  especially  as  covers  to  beer  jars.    When  a  M'yoro  is  on  the  march,  he  always  cairies 


FRAUDS  IN  TRADE. 


478 


J  him  a  gonrd  full  of  plantain  wine.  The  month  of  the  gourd  is  stopped  with  a 
jdle  of  these  reed-shreds,  through  which  passes  a  tube,  so  that  the  traveller  can  always 
nk  without  checking  his  pace,  and  without  any  danger  of  spilling  the  liquid  as  he 

ilka. 

In  their  diet  the  Wanyoro  make  great  use  of  the  plantain,  and  it  is  rather  remarkable 

,  in  a  land  which  abounds  with  this  fruit,  it  is  hardly  possible  to  procure  one  in  a 
^  state,  the  natives  always  eating  them  while  still  green.  The  plantain-tree  is  to  the 
Ufanyoro  the  chief  necessity  of  existence,  as  it  affords  them  means  for  supplying  all  the 

1  wants  of  life.  Sometimes  the  plantain  is  boiled  and  eaten  as  a  vegetable,  and  some- 
I  it  is  dried  and  ground  into  meal,  which  is  used  i^  making  porridge.    The  fruit  is 

)  peeled,  cut  into  slices,  and  dried  in  the  sun,  so  as  to  be  stowed  away  for  future  con- 
jiption,  and  from  this  dried  plantain  the  Wanyoro  make  a  palatable  and  nutritious 
gp.  Wine,  or  rather  beer,  is  made  from  the  same  fruit,  which  thus  supplies  both  food 
d  drink. 

The  tree  itself  is  most  useful,  the  leaves  being  split  into  shreds,  and  woven  into  cloth 
(remarkable  elegance,  and  the  bark  is  stripped  off,  and  employed  like  paper  in  wrapping 
1  parcels  of  the  meal.     Strong  ropes  and  the  finest  thread  are  twisted  from  the  plantain 

«,  and  the  natives  are  clever  at  weaving  ornamental  articles,  which  look  so  like  hai^, 
a  very  close  inspection  is  needful  to  detect  the  difference.    In  all  these  manufactures 

I  Wanyoro  show  a  neatness  of  hand  and  delicacy  of  taste  that  contrast  strangely  witii 

!  slovenly,  careless,  and  repulsive  habits  of  their  daily  life. 

Curdled  milk  is  much  used  by  the  natives,  who  employ  it  in  fattening  their  wives 
jiiid  daughters,  but,  unlike  the  Arabs,  they  will  not  mix  red  pepper  with  it,  believing  that 
jtiiose  who  eat  the  capsicum  will  never  be  blessed  with  children.  Butter  is  used  as  an 
liiiguent,  and  not  for  food,  and  the  natives  are  very  much  scandalized  at  seeing  the  white 
Ifisitors  eat  it. 

Accurding  to  the  custom  of  their  nation,  they  once  played  a  clever  trick.  Butter  is 
[packed  most  carefully  in  leaves,  a  little  bit  being  allowed  to  project  as  a  sample.  One 
[day  the  natives  brought  some  butter  to  their  white  visitors,  but  as  it  was  quite  rancid  it 
[was  Injected  They  took  it  away,  and  then  brought  a  fresh  supply,  which  was  approved 
[and  purchased.    But,  when  the  wrapper  was  taken  off,  it  was  found  that  the  butter -was 

i  same  that  had  been  refused,  the  natives  having  put  a  little  piece  of  fresh  butter 
I  at  the  top. 

Itinerant  cheesemongers  play  very  similar  tricks  at  the  present  day,  plugging  a  totally 
[meatable  cheese  with  bits  of  best  Cheshire,  and  scooping  out  the  plugs  by  way  of  sample. 

As  to  religion,  the  Wanyoro  have  none  at  all.    They  are  full  of  superstition,  but,  as 

Ik  as  is  known,  they  have  not  the  least  idea  of  a  religion  which  can  exercise  any  influence 

pa  the  actions.    In  common  with  modt  uncivilized  people,  they  make  much  of  each  new 

MOOD,  this  being  the  unit  by  which  they  reckon  their  epochs,  and  salute  the  slender 

Iciesoent  by  profuse  dancing,  and  gesticulation. 

They  have  a  wonderful  faith  in  demons,  with  whom  the  prophets  or  wizards  aver 
I M  they  hold  communication.  Some  of  their  guesses  at  the  future  occasionally  come 
|troe.  For  example,  one  of  the  men  of  the  expedition  was  said  to  be  possessed  by  a 
<\,  who  told  him  that  the  expedition  would  Succeed,  but  that  the  demon  required 
[one  man's  life  and  another  man's  illness.    This  prediction  was  literally  accomplished, 

of  the  escort  being  murdered,  and  Captain  Grant  falling  seriously  ilL     Again  the 

I  same  man  saw  the  demon,  who  said  that  in  Uganda  one  man's  life  would  be  required, 

I  and  accordingly  Kari,  a  man  belonging  to  the  expedition,  was  murdered.    A  third  time, 

|wheain  Unyoro,  he  saw  the  demon,  who  said  that  no  more  lives  were  needed,  but  that 

the  expedition  would  succeed,  thtagh  it  would  be  protracted.    And  such  eventually 

proved  to  be  the  case. 

The  magicians  lay  claim  to  one  most  valuable  power, — namely,  that  of  finding  lost 
articles.  On  one  occasion  Captain  Speke  saw  the  whole  process.  A  rain-gauge  and  its 
bottle  had  been  stolen,  and  every  one  disclaimed  knowledge  of  it.  A  sorcerer  was  there- 
fore summoned  to  find  the  missing  article.  The  following  account  of  the  proceeding  is 
given  by  Captain  Speke  :— 


/ 


474 


THE  WANTOEO. 


"  At  9  A.M.  the  time  for  measuring  the  fall  of  rain  for  the  last  twenty-fonr  hoiii8,i 
found  the  rain-gauge  and  bottle  had.  been  removed,  so  we  sent  Kidgwiga  to  intoiiu't|,| 
king  we  wished  his  magicians  to  come  at  once  and  institute  a  search  for  it.    Kidgwia 
immediately  returned  with  the  necessaiy  adept,  an  old  man,  nearly  blind,  dressed  in  strip, 
of  old  leather  fastened  to  the  waist,  and  carrying  in  one  hand  a  cow's  horn  primed  vritl 
magic  powder,  carefully  covered  on  the  mouth  with  leather,  from  which  dangled 
iron  bell 


THE  MAGICIAN  AT  WORK. 


i    \' 


'    I     t\ 


\§     5;    .    , 


"  The  old  creature  jingled  the  bell,  entered  our  hut,  squatted  on  his  hams,  looTced  first! 
at  one,  then  at  the  other — inquired  what  the  missing  things  were  like,  grunted,  inovcdl 
his  skinny  arm  round  his  head,  as  if  desirous  of  catching  air  from  all  four  sides  of  tliel 
hut,  then  dashed  the  accumulated  air  on  the  head  of  his  horn,  smelt  it  to  see  if  all  vim 
going  right,  jingled  the  bell  again  close  to  his  ear,  and  grunted  his  satisfaction;  tliej 
missing  articles  must  be  found. 

"To  carry  out  the  incantation  more  effectually,  however,  all  my  men  were  sent  for  to  I 
sit  in  the  open  before  the  hut,  but  the  old  doctor  rose,  shaking  the  horn  and  tinkling  the! 
bell  close  to  his  ear.  He  then,  confronting  one  of  the  men,  dashed  the  horn  forward  aal 
if  intending  to  strike  him  on  the  face,  then  smelt  the  head,  then  dashed  at  another,  and  J 
80  on,  till  he  became  satisfied  that  my  men  were  not  the  thieves. 

"  He  then  walked  into  Grant's  hut,  inspected  that,  and  finally  went  to  the  place  wkrej 
the  bottle  had  been  kept.  Then  he  walked  about  the  grass  with  his  ami  up,  and  jinj.lingj 
the  bell  to  his  ear,  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other,  till  the  track  of  a  hya;ra  gavel 
him  the  clue  and  in  two  or  three  more  steps  he  found  it.    A  hyeena  had  carried  it 


EEUGIOUS  MENDICANTS. 


475 


I  the  grass  and  dropped  it.  Bravo,  for  the  infallible  horn!  and  well  done  the  king 
bja  honesty  in  sending  it !  so  I  gave  the  king  the  bottle  and  gauge,  which 
ffhted  him  amazingly ;  and  the  old  doctor,  who  begged  for  pomb^,  got  a  goat  for  his 

^ble." 

As  in  Uganda,  the  sorcerers  are  distinguished  by  the  odd  ornaments  which  they  wear ; 

roots,  lizards,  lions'  claws,  crocodiles'  teeth,  ittle  tortoise-shells,  and  other  objects 

[^  strong  together  and  tied  on  their  heads.     There  is  also  an  order  of  religious 

ndicants  called  "  Bandwa,"  both  sexes  being  eligible  to  the  office.    They  are  distin- 

Ji^  by  an  abundance  of  ornaments,  such  as  bits  of  shining  metal,  a&d  little  tinkling 

,  and  one  man  had  distinguished  himself  greatly  by  wearing  the  skin  of  a  Ions- 

1  monkey  down  his  back  from  the  top  of  his  head,  to  which  he  had  attached  a  couple 

[antelope  horns.    The  women  when  dressed  in  the  full  robes  of  office  look  very 

iidsome,  being  clothed  in  coloured  skins,  and  wearing  turbans  made  of  the  plantain 

They  walk  about  from  house  to  house  singing  their  peculiar  songs,  and  always 

lecting  a  present.    The  office  of  a  Bandwa  is  not  hereditary,  for  any  one  may  join 

Bieni  by  undergoing  certain  ceremonies,  and  the  children  of  a  Bandwa  are  at  liberty 

follow  any  business  that  they  may  happen  to  like.    Although  they  are  mendi- 

uts,  they  do  not  wholly  depend  on  their  profession,  having  cattle  and  other  property 

[their  own. 

In  many  countries  where  superstition  takes  the  place  of  religion,  the  birth  of  twins 
I  looked  upon  as  a  bad  omen,  which  must  be  averted  by  the  sacrifice  of  one  or  both 
the  children.    In  Unyoro  the  case  is  different.    Captain  Speke  had  been  annoyed 
Ij  certain  drums  and  other  musical  instruments  which  were  played  day  and  night 
rithout  cessation,  and,  when  he  inquired  as  to  their  object,  was  told  that  they  were  in 
lonour  of  twins  that  had  been   born  to 
iimrasi,and  that  they  would  be  played 
ithe  same  manner  for  four  months. 
The  use  of  the  cow's  horn  in  magic  is 
■explained  by  a  tradition  that  once  upon  a 
i  there  was  a  dog  with  a  horn.    When 
Ithe  dog  died,  the  horn  was  stuffed  with 
Imiigic  powder,  and  was  a  powerful  charm 
lin  war,  soldiers  who  stepped  over  it  when 
Ion  the  march  being  thereby  rendered  vic- 
Itorious.    Kamrasi  possessed  several  magic 
Iboms,  and  when  he  sent  an  ambassador  to 
|i  neighbouring  potentate,   one  of  these 
lloms  was  hung  round  the  man's  neck,  aa 
I  Ms  credentials ;  and  when  he  returned,  he 
I  brought  with  him  another  magic  horn  as 
la  proof  that  his  message  had  been  de- 
jlivered.    No  one  dared  to  touch  a  man 
I  who  bore  so  potent  an  emblem,  and  this 
I  TO  peculiarly  fortunate,  as  on  one  occa- 
sion Kamrasi  had  sent  an  expedition  which 

took  with  them  six  hundred  majerab^,  or  iron  spades,  which  form  a  sort  of  currency, 
the  expenditure  of  two  majemb^  per  diem  being  sufficient  to  buy  food  for  the  whole 
party.  Laden  with  wealth  therefore  as  they  were,  the  magic  horn  protected  the  party, 
and  they  performed  their  journey  in  safety. 

War  charms  are  in  great  request,  and  while  Captain  Speke  was  in  Unyoro  he  saw  the 
preliminary  act  in  charm-making.  A  feud  was  in  action  between  Kamrasi  and  the  Chopi 
tribe.  Kamrasi  therefore  sent  spies  into  the  Chopi  district,  with  orders  to  bring  some 
pass  from  the  hut  of  a  chief  This  they  did,  with  the  addition  of  a  spear,  much  to 
I  Kainrasi's  delight,  who  thought  that  the  possession  of  this  weapon  would  enable  him  to 
bewitch  the  spears  as  well  a3  the  courage  of  his  enemies,  and  so  prevent  the  weapons 
from  hurting  his  tiibe. 


/I 


THE  UAJEMBi,  OR  SPADB-HONBT. 


1^  1'. 


476 


THE  WANYORO. 


In  order  to  ensure  prosperity  to  their  family,  or  to  cure  a  siok  relative,  the  WkqtoI 
kill  some  animal,  split  it  open,  and  lay  it  at  the  intersection  of  two  cross  roads  IvA 
spot  heing  held  by  them,  as  by  the  Balonda,  in  great  reverence.  If  the  man  is  J 
enough,  he  sacrifices  a  goat,  but  if  not,  a  fowl  will  answer;  and  if  a  man  is  very  i 
indeed,  he  makes  a  frog  serve  his  purpose. 

These  people  seem  to  have  kept  their  burial  ceremonies  very  secret,  as  a  fUneral  \ 
never  seen  in  Central  Africa,  but  it  is  said  that  the  dead  are  buried  near  the  house  or  L 
the  cattle-fold,  wrapped  in  bark-cloth  or  a  cow-skin.    When  the  king  dies  his  bodyl 
first  dried,  and  then  the  lower  jaw-bone  is  removed  and  buried  by  itself.    Officers  of  t| 
palace  are  privileged  to  have  their  heads  and  hands  treated  in  the  same  manner. 


OBWAmSTBD  SFKHnmtAft 


OHAPTEE  XLL 


OANI,  MADI,  OBBO,  AND  KYTCH. 


nOlf  or  THB  OANZ  TBIBB — THBIB  HOSPITABLB  OHABACTBB^-OANI  ABCHITBCTTTSB — BINOTTLAIt 
MODR  or  DBB88 — THB  OANI  QVEUB — ^TOILET  HAKINO  IS  PUBLIC — TUB  MADI  TKIBB — CABB 
or  OHILDBBN — DBBS8  OF  THB  WOUBN — VAIUOrs  DANCES — MADI  VILLAOKB — ILL-TBBATMENT  OF 
TBR  HATIVB8  >— POarriOM  OF  THB  OBBO  TRIBE  —  OENBBAL  APPKAUANCB  OF  THE  NATIVES — 
HJWCLAB  MODE  OF  DBE8S — KATCHIBA,  THE  OBBO  CHIEF — HIS  I.ARQK  FAMILY — HIS  BEPUTA-* 
TIOM  AS  A  80BCBBBB — INORNIOUB  ESCAPE  FROM  A  DILEMMA— KATCHIBa's  PALACE — A  VISIT 
TO  TUI  OBIBF— HIS  HOSPITALITY   AND  OENBBOUS   CONDUCT— CHABACTEB   OF   KATCHIBA. 


It  now  come  to  a  large  district  about  lat.  3°  N.  and  long.  32°  E,  This  country  is 
ihabited  by  a  group  of  tribes,  who  are  perhaps  more  remarkable  for  their  style  of  dress 
lan  any  which  we  have  yet  noticed.  We  will  first  take  the  Gani. 
Tlie  Qaui  are  a  hospitable  people,  and  when  Captains  Speke  and  Grant  passed  through 
I3ir  country,  received  them  with  great  kindness,  even  though  they  had  never  seen  white 
^;a  before,  and  might  be  expected  to  take  alarm  at  an  armed  party  penetrating  into 
lair  laud. 

One  day,  when  Captain  Grant  was  walking  in  search  of  plants,  he  was  hailed  by  a 
ttive,  who  contrived  to  make  him  understand  that  he  wished  to  conduct  the  white  man. 
iVM  very  polite  to  his  guest,  acting  as  pioneer,  beating  down  the  thorny  branches  that 
titructed  the  path,  au  I  pointiu'^  out  the  best  places  for  crossing  rocks.  He  evidently 
M%\A  that  Captain  Grant  had  lost  his  way,  and  so  guided  him  back  to  the  camp, 
leviousljy  leaving  his  spear  in  a  hut,  because  to  appear  armed  in  the  presence  of  a 
■perior  is  contrary  to  their  system  of  etiquette. 

The  mode  of  welcome  was  rather  remarkable.     The  old  chief  of  the  village  advanced 

iDi'^t  the  strangers,  accompanied  by  his  councillors  and  a  number  of  women,  one  of 

ihora  carried  a  white  chiclien,  and  the  others  beer  and  a  bunch  of  a  flowering  plant, 

Jfhen the  two  parties  mjt,  the  chief,  whose  name  was  Chongi,  took  the  fowl  by  one  log, 

poped,  and  swimt;  it  backwards  and  forwards  close  to  the  ground,  and  then  passed  it  to 

iraale  attendants,  who  did  the  same  thing.      He  then  took  a  gourd  full  of  beer,  dipped 

plant  in  it,  and  sprinkled  the  liquid  over  his  guests,  and  then  spread  cow-skins 

lier  a  tree  by  way  of  couches,  on  which  his  guests  might  repose.    They  were  next 

esented  with  a  supply  of  beer,  which  was  politely  called  water. 

The  villages  of  the  Gani  are  extremely  neat,  and  consist  of  a  quantity  of  huts  built 

md  a  flat  cleared  space  which  is  kept  exceedingly  smooth  and  neat    In  the  middle 

this  space  are  one  or  two  miniature  huts  made  of  grass,  and  containing  idols,  and  a 

'  horns  are  laid  near  them.     When  the  Gani  lay  out  plans  for  a  new  village,  they 

»tly  allow  one  large  tree  to  remain  in  the  centre  of  the  cleared  space,  and  under  its' 

Np  the  inlmbitnnts  assemble  and  receive  their  guests.    The  houses  are  shaped  like  bee- 

m,  are  veiy  low,  and  composed  simply  of  a  mud  wall  and  a  roof  made  of  bamboo 


478 


THEGANI 


thatched  with  grass.    The  doors  are  barely  two  feet  high,  but  the  supple-bodied  0| 
who  have  never  been  encumbered  with  clothes,  can  walk  through  the  aperture 
perfect  eas&    The  floor  is  made  of  clay  beaten  hard,  and  is  swept  with  great  care.   Co 
skins  are  spread  on  the  floor  by  way  of  beds,  and  upon  these  the  Gani  sleep  without  i 
covering. 

Close  to  the  huts  are  placed  the  grain-stores,  which  are  very  ingeniously  mada  Fii 
a  number  of  rude  stone  pillars  are  set  in  a  circle,  having  flat  stones  laid  on  their  ton 
much  resembling  the  remains  of  Stonehenge.  Upon  these  is  secured  an  enomd 
cylinder  of  basket-work  plastered  with  clay,  the  top  of  which  is  covered  with  a  conJ 
roof  of  bamboo  and  grass.  When  a  woman  wishes  to  take  grain  out  of  the  store-hou 
she  places  against  it  a  large  branch  from  which  the  smaller  boughs  have  been  en 
leaving  stumps  of  a  foot  or  ten  inches  in  length,  and  by  meand  of  this  rude  ladder  i 
easily  ascends  to  the  roof. 

The  app^bance  of  this  tribe  is  most  remarkable,  as  they  use  less  clothing  and  mol 
ornament  than  any  people  at  present  known.  We  will  begin  with  the  mea  Their  dn 
is  absolutely  nothmg  at  all  as  far  as  covering  the  body  is  concerned,  but,  as  if  to  con 
pensate  for  this  nudity,  there  is  scarcely  a  square  inch  of  the  person  without  its  adon 
ment.  In  the  first  place,  they  use  paint  as  a  succedaneum  for  dress,  and  cover  themselvj 
entirely  with  colours,  not  merely  rubbing  themselves  over  with  one  tint,  but  using  seven 
colours,  and  painting  themselves  in  a  wonderful  variety  of  patterns,  many  of  them  showi  j 
real  artistic  power,  while  others  are  simply  grotesque. 

Two  young  men  who  came  as  messengers  from  Chongi  had  used  three  colours.   The! 
had  painted  their  faces  white,  the  pigment  being  wood  ashes,  and  their  bodies  were  coven 
with  two  coats  of  paint,  the  first  purple,  and  the  second  ashen  grey.    This  latter  coat  the! 
had  scraped  off  in  irregular  patterns,  just  as  a  painter  uses  his  steel  comb  when  gra;ain| 
wood,  so  that  the  purple  appeared  through  the  grey,  and  looked  much  like  the  grain 
mahogany.    Some  of  the  men  cover  their  bodies  with  horizontal  stripes,  like  those  i 
the  zebra,  or  with  vertical  stripes  running  along  the  curve  of  the  spine  and  limbs,  or  witj 
zigzag  markings  of  light  colours.    Some  very  great  dandies  go  still  further,  and  paint  theJ 
bodies  chequer-fashion,  exactly  like  that  of  a  harlequin.     AVhite  always  plays  a  \m 
part  in  their  decorations,  and  is  often  applied  in  broad  bands  round  the  waist  and  neck. 

The  head  is  not  less  gorgeously  decorated.  First  the  hair  is  teased  out  with  a  piil 
and  is  then  dressed  with  clay  so  as  to  form  it  into  a  thick  felt-like  mass.  This  is  oftei 
further  decorated  with  pipe-clay  laid  on  in  patterns,  and  at  the  back  of  the  neck  isinserl 
a  piece  of  sinew  about  a  foot  in  length.  This  odd-looking  queue  is  turned  up,  and  iinishei 
off  at  the  tip  with  a  tuft  of  fur,  the  end  of  a  leopaixi's  tail  being  the  favourite  ornamentj 
Shells,  beads,  and  other  ornaments  are  also  woven  into  the  hair,  and  in  most  cases  i 
feather  is  added  by  way  of  a  finishing  touch.  The  whole  contour  of  the  head-dress ; 
exactly  like  that  of  the  pantaloon  of  the  stage,  and  the  sight  of  a  man  with  the  body  of  i 
harlequin  and  the  head  of  a  pantaloon  is  too  much  for  European  gravity  to  withstand. 

Beside  all  this  elaborate  decoration,  the  men  wear  a  quantity  of  bracelets,  anklets,  ani] 
earrings.,  The  daily  toilet  of  a  Gani  dandy  occupies  a  very  long  time,  and  in  m 
morning  the  men  may  be  seen  in  numbers  sitting  under  the  shade  of  trees,  employed  in 
painting  their  own  bodies  or  dressing  the  hair  of  a  friend,  and  applying  paint  where  hJ 
would  not  be  able  to  guide  the  brush.  As  may  be  inferred,  they  are  exceedingly  vain  oi 
theii'  personal  appearance;  and  when  their  toilet  is  completed,  they  strut  about  in  order  tif 
show  themselves,  and  continually  poae  themselves  in  attitudes  which  they  think  grace' ' 
but  which  might  be  characterised  as  conceited. 

Each  man  usually  carries  with  him  an  odd  little  stool  with  one  leg,  and  instead  of 
sitting  on  the  ground,  as  is  done  by  most  savages,  the  Gani  make  a  point  of  seatioj 
themselves  on  these  little  stools,  which  lopk  very  like  those  r  hich  are  used  by  Swisi 
herdsmen  when  they  milk  the  cows,  and  only  differ  from  them  in  not  being  tied  ( 
the  body. 

The  women  are  not  nearly  such  votaries  of  fashion  as  their  husbands,  princip 
because  they  have  to  work  and  to  nurse  the  children,  who  would  make  short  work  of  any 
paint  that  they  might  use. ,  Like  the  parents,  the  childieu  have  no  clothes,  and  arcmerelTJ 


THE  MADL 


479 


aded  in  a  Tatlier  wide  strap  passing  over  one  shoulder  of  the  mother  and  under  the 
jt,  A  i'owever,  the  rays  of  the  sua  might  be  iiy  urious  to  them,  a  large  gourd  ia  cut 
(two  piooi99,  hollowed  out,  and  one  of  the  pieces  inverted  over  the  child's  head  and 
Dulders. 

The  Oatii  have  cattle,  but  are  very  poor  herdsmen,  and  have  suffered  the  herd  to 
«riorote  in  size  and  quality.  Tliey  cannot  even  drive  their  cattle  properly,  each  cow 
gnising  a  special  driver,  who  grasps  the  tail  in  one  hand  and  a  horn  in  the  other,  and 
I  drags  and  pushes  the  animal  along. 


hree  colours.   The] 
bodies  were  coveil 
This  latter  coat  the! 
lomb  when  gra'oinl 
ih  like  the  grain 
tripes,  liice  thase  u 
B  and  limbs,  or  will 
rther,  and  paint  tiieij 
Iways  plays  a  laij 
e  waist  and  neck. 
led  out  with  a  pii 
lass.    This  is  ofteil 
the  neck  is  insert, 
ned  up,  and  finishfe, 
favourite  ornament 
nd  in  most  cases  i 
if  the  head-dress : 
with  the  body  of  i 
ty  to  withstand, 
acelets,  anklets,  anil 
time,  and  in  M 
trees,  employed  in 
ing  paint  where  bd 
exceedingly  vain  ol 
ut  about  in  order  tf 
they  think  grace 


sbands,  principally 
short  work  of  m 
hes,  and  arc  mem 


GROUP  OF  GANI  AND  MADL 


THE  MADI  TRIBE. 


Not  ver^  far  from  the  Gani  are  situated  the  Madi  tribe.  They  are  dressed,  or  rather 
I  undressed,  m  a  somewhat  similar  fashion.  The  women  are  very  industrious,  and  are 
liemarkable  for  the  scrupulously  neat  and  clean  state  in  which  they  keep  their  huts. 
I  Every  morning  the  women  may  be  seen  sweeping  out  their  houses,  *or  kneeling  in  front 
I  cf  the' aperture  which  serves  as  a  door,  and  patting  and  smoothing  the  space  in  front 
of  the  doorway.  They  are  also  constantly  employed  in  brewing  be«^r,  grinc^g  com,  and 
baking  bread. 

They  take  great  care  of  their  children,  washing  them  daily  with  warm  water,  and  then, 
as  they  have  no  towels,  licking  them  dry  as  a  cat  does  with  her  kittens.  When  the  child 
is  washed  and  dried,  the  mother  produces  some  fat  with  which  vermilion  has  been  mixed, 
wd  rubs  it  over  the  child's  body  until  it  is  all  red  and  shining.  The  next  process  is  to 
liiy  the  child  on  its  back  upon  a  goatskin,  the  corners  of  wh'ch  are  then  gathered  up  and 
tied  together  so  as  to  form  a  cradle.    Should  the  mother  be  exceedingly  busy,  she  hangs 


;:!      ,1 


480 


THEMADL 


mm 


the  cradle  on  a  peg  or  the  branch  of  a  tree^  the  child  offering  no  objection  to  thi 
oeatment 

The  dress  of  the  women  consists  of  a  petticoat  reaching  a  little  below  the  knees,  bnl 
they  oftun  dispense  with  this  article  of  dress,  and  content  themselves  with  a  few  leathei 
thonss  in  front,  and  another  cluster  of  thongs  behind.    In  default  of  leathern  thongs, 
bunch  of  chick  weed  answers  every  purpose  of  dress.    They  wear  iron  rings  round  thei 
arms  above  the  elbow,  and  generally  have  a  small  knife  stuck  between  the  rings 
the  arm. 

They  are  fond  of  wearing  little  circular  discs  cut  from  a  univalve  shell.    These  shel 
are  laid  out  to  bleach  on  the  tops  of  the  huts,  and,  when  whitened,  are  cut  into  circi 
about  as  laige  as  fourpenny  pieces,  each  having  a  hole  bured  through  the  middle.   Thei 
are  then  strung  together  and  worn  as  belts,  and  have  also  the  advantage  of  being  used 
coin  V  th  which  small  articles  of  food,  as  fruit  or  beer,  could  be  purchased.    The  men  au 
in  the  habit  of  wearing  ornaments  made  of  the  tusks  of  the  wild  boar.    The  tusks  are  tiedl 
on  the  arm  above  the  elbow,  and  contrast  well  with  the  naturally  dark  hue  of  the  skin 
and  the  brilliant  colours  with  which  it  is  mostly  painted. 

Whenever  a  child  is  born,  the  other  women  assemble  round  the  hut  of  the  mother,  and 
make  a  hideous  noise  by  way  of  congratulation.  Drums  are  beaten  violently,  songs  are 
sung,  hands  are  clapped,  gratulatory  sentences  aro  yelled  out  at  the  full  stretch  of  the 
voice,  while  a  wild  and  furious  dance  acts  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  noise.  As  ami 
as  the  mother  has  recovered,  a  goat  is  killed,  and  she  steps  backwards  and  forwards  over| 
its  body. 

One  of  the  women,  the  wife  of  the  commandant,  went  through  a  very  curious  cere 
mony  when  she  had  recovered  her  health  after  her  child  was  born.  She  took  a  biinch  of| 
dry  grass,  and  lighted  it,  and  then  passed  it  from  hand  to  hand  three  times  round  her 
body  while  she  walked  to  the  left  of  the  door.  Another  grass  tuft  was  then  lighted,  and 
she  went  through  a  similar  performance  as  she  walked  to  the  front  of  the  door,  and  the 
process  was  again  repeated  as  she  walked  to  the  right 

The  dances  of  the  Madi  are  rather  variable.  The  congratulatory  dance  is  performed 
by  jumping  up  and  down  without  any  order,  ilinging  the  legs  and  arms  about,  and  flapping 
the  ribs  with  the  elbows.  The  young  men  have  a  dance  of  their  own,  which  is  far  more 
pleasing  than  that  of  the  women.  Each  takes  a  stick  and  a  drum,  and  they  arrange  them- 
selves in  a  circle,  beating  the  drums,  singing,  and  converging  to  the  centre,  and  then 
retiring  again  in  exact  time  with  the  rhythm  of  the  drum  beats. 

Sometimes  there  is  a  grand  general  dance,  in  which  several  hundred  performers  take 
part.  "Six  drums  of  different  sizes,  slung  upon  poles,  were  in  the  centre;  around 
these  was  a  moving  mass  of  people,  elbowing  and  pushing  one  another  as  at  a  fair ;  and 
outside  them  a  ring  of  girls,  women,  and  infants,  faced  an  outer  circle  of  men  sounding 
horns  and  armed  with  spears  and  clubs,  their  heads  ornamented  with  ostrich  leathers, 
helmets  of  the  cowrie  shell,  &;c.  Never  had  I  seen  such  a  scene  of  animated  savage  life, 
nor  heard  a  more  savage  noise.  As  the  two  large  circles  of  both  sexes  jumped  simul- 
taneo'usly  to  the  music,  and  moved  rotmd  at  every  leap,  the  women  sang  and  jingled  their 
masses  of  bracelets,  challenging  and  exciting  the  men,  forcing  them  to  various  acts  of 
gallantry,  while  our  Seedees  joined  in  the  dance,  and  no  doubt  touched  many  a  iiur 
breast." 

The  weapons  of  the  Madi  are  spears  and  bows  and  arrows.  The  spears  are  about  six 
feet  long,  with  bamboo  shafts,  and  with  an  iron  spike  at  the  butt  for  the  purpose 
of  sticking  it  in  the  ground.  They  are  better  archers  than  the  generality  of  African 
tribes,  and  amuse  themselves  by  setting  up  marks,  and  shooting  at  them  from  a  dis- 
tance of  forty  or  fifty  yards.  The  arrows  are  mostly  poisoned,  and  always  so  when 
used /or  war. 

The  villages  of  the  Madi  are  constructed  in  a  very  neat  manner,  the  floors  being  made 
of  a  kind  of  red  clay  beaten  hard  and  smoothed.  The  thresholds  of  the  doors  are  of  the 
same  material,  but  are  paved  with  pieces  of  broken  earthenware  pressed  into  the  clay,  and 
ingeniously  joined  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  pattern.  In  order  to  prevent  cattle  fmm 
entering  the  huts,  movable  bars  of  bamboo  are  generally  set  across  the  entrance.    The 


TURKISH  CRUELTY. 


481 


are  enclosed  with  a  fence,  and  the  inhabitants  never  allow  the  sick  to  reside 
_j  the  enclosure.  They  do  not  merely  eject  them,  as  they  do  in  some  parts  of  Africa, 
jbaUd  a  number  of  huts  outside  the  walls  by  way  of  a  hospital, 
llie  roofs  of  the  huts  are  cleverly  made  of  bamboo  and  grass,  and  upon  them  is  lavished 
I  greater  part  of  the  labour  of  housebuilding.  If  therefore  the  Mndi  are  dissatisfied 
b  the  position  of  a  village,  or  find  that  neighbouring  tribes  are  becoming  troublesome, 
rqoietly  move  oft'  to  another  spot,  carrying  with  them  the  most  important  part«f  their 

\,  namely  the  roofs,  which  are  so  light  that  a  few  men  can  caiiry  them.    A  village 
march  presents  a  most  curious  and  picturesque  spectacle,  the  roofs  of  the  huts 
,..J  on  the  heads  of  four  or  five  men,  the  bamboo  stakes  borne  by  others,  while  some 
jdiiTing  the  cattle,  and  the  women  are  carrying  their  children  and  their  simple  house* 

furniture. 


!M 


/ 


of  the  mother,  andl 
i^iolently,  songs  are! 
full  stretch  of  the! 
le  noise.    As  snonl 

and  forwards  overl 

very  curious  cere-l 
le  took  a  bunch  ofl 
e  times  round  herl 
8  then  lighted,  and! 
the  door,  and 

ance  is  perfonnedl 
about,  and  flapping  I 
which  is  far  morel 
they  arrange  them- 
i  ceutre,  and  then  I 

ed  performers  take 
he  centre;  around 
sr  as  at  a  fair ;  and 
I  of  men  sounding  I 
th  ostrich  ieathers, 
imated  savage  life,  | 
ces  jumped  siniul- 
B[and  jingled  their  I 
to  various  acts  ofl 
Lched  many  a  faiif 

lears  are  about  six 
it  for  the  purpose 
lerality  of  African 
them  from  a  dis- 
always  so  when 


REMOVAL  OF  A  VILLAGE. 


The  Turkish  caravans  that  occasionally  pass  through  the  country  are  the  chief  causa 

(these  migrations,  as  they  treat  the  Madi  very  roughly.    When  they  come  to  a  village, 

ley  will  not  take  up  their  abode  inside  it,  but  carry  off  the  roofs  of  the  huts  and  form  a 

np  with  them  outside  the  enclosure.     They  also  rob  the  corn-stores,  and  if  the 

rieved  owner  ventures  to  remonstrate,  he  is  knocked  down  by  the  butt  of  a  musket, 
t  threatened  with  its  contents.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  these  men  had  behaved 
I  cnielly  to  the  natives  that,  as  soon  as  the  inhabitants  of  a  village  saw  a  caravan 
ipproaching,  all  the  women  and  children  forsook  their  dwellings,  and  hid  themselves  in 
lie  bush  and  grass. 


%i 


H\ 


TOLl 


XI 


48i 


THE  OBBO. 


THE  OBBO. 


ri  ji 


|:,i  ! 


Wi  now  come  to  Obbo,  a  district  situated  in  lat  4*  65'  N.  and  long.  SI"  46' £  Sij 
S.  Baker  spent  a  considerable  time  in  Obbo — much  more,  indeed,  than  was  desirable 
and  in  consequence  learned  much  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  inhabitants. 

In  some  respects  the  natives  look  something  like  the  Gani  and  Madi,  especially  i 
their  fondness  for  paint,  their  disregard  of  clothing,  and  the  mode  in  which  they  dreL 
their  heads.  In  this  last  respect  they  are  even  more  fastidious  than  the  tribes  whicl 
have  been  just  mentioned,  some  of  them  having  snowy  white  wigs  descending  over  theij 
shoulders,  and  finished  off  with  the  curved  and  tufted  pigtail.  The  shape  of  the.  Obbl 
head-dress  has  been  happily  compared  to  that  of  a  beaver's  tail,  it  being  wide  and  flatt 
and  thicker  in  the  middle  than  at  the  edges.  The  length  of  this  head-dress  is  not  owin] 
to  the  wearer's  own  hair,  but  is  produced  by  the  interweaving  of  hair  from  other  sources 
If,  for  example,  a  man  dies,  his  hair  is  removed  by  his  relations,  and  woven  with  theu 
head-dress6s  as  a  souvenir  of  the  departed,  and  an  addition  to  their  ornaments.  Thei 
also  make  caps  of  shells  strung  together  and  decorated  with  feathers ;  and  instead  o| 
clothing  they  wear  a  small  skin  slung  over  one  shoulder. 

The  men  have  an  odd  fashion  of  wearins  round  their  necks  several  thick  iron  ring 
sometimes  as  many  as  six  or  eight,  all  brightly  polished,  and  looking  like  a  row  of  dog] 
collars.  Should  the  wearer  happen  to  b^ome  stout,  these  rings  press  so  tightlv  on  bii 
throat  that  he  is  nearly  choked.  They  also  are  fond  of  mfiking  tufts  of  cow's  tails,  wiiiclj 
they  suspend  from  their  arms  just  above  the  elbows.  The  most  fashionable  omnmenti 
however,  are  made  of  horse-tails,  the  hairs  of  which  are  also  highly  prized  for  striogioJ 
beads.  Gonsequentl)',  a  horse's  tail  is  an  article  of  considerable  value,  and  in  Obbo-lanaj 
a  cow  can  be  purchased  for  a  horse's  tail  in  good  condition. 

Paint  is  chiefly  used  as  a  kind  of  war  uniform.  The  colours  which  the  natives  use  i 
vermilion,  yellow,  and  white,  but  the  particular  pattern  is  left  much  to  their  own  inven-l 
ticp.  Stripes  of  alternate  scarlet  and  yellow,  or  scarlet  and  white,  seem,  however,  to  foniJ 
the  ordinary  pattern,  probably  because  they  are  easily  drawn,  and  present  a  bold  contrast 
of  colour.  The  head  is  decorated  with  a  kind  of  cap  made  of  cowrie  shells,  to  which  ar^ 
fixed  several  long  ostrich  plumes  that  droop  over  the  shoulders. 

Contrary  to  usual  custom,  the  women  are  less  clad  than  the  men,  and,  until  they  an 
married,  wear  either  no  clothing  whatever,  or  only  three  or  four  strings  of  white  beads! 
some  three  inches  in  length.  Some  of  the  prudes,  however,  tie  a  piece  of  string  round  theirl 
waists,  and  stick  in  it  a  little  leafy  branch,  with  the  stalk  uppermost  "  One  grieat  advan-[ 
tage  was  possessed  by  this  costume.  It  was  always  clean  and  fresh,  and  the  nearest  busbl 
(if  not  thorny)  provided  a  clean  petticoat.  When  in  the  society  of  these  verj'  simple,! 
and,  in  demeanour,  always  modest  Eves,  I  could  not  help  redecting  upon  the  Mosaicalj 
description  of  our  first  parents." 

Married  women  generally  wear  a  fringe  of  leathern  thongs,  about  four  inches  long  and! 
two  wide.  Old  women  mostly  prefer  the  leaf  branch  to  the  leathern  fringe.  When  young  I 
they  are  usually  pretty,  having  well-formed  noses,  and  lips  but  slightly  partaking  of  the  I 
negro  character.    Some  of  the  men  remind  the  spectators  of  the  Somaull  I 

Katchiba,  the  chief  of  Obbo,  was  rather  a  fine-looking  man,  about  sixty  years  ofl 
a^e,  and  was  a  truly  remarkable  man,  making  up  by  craft  the  lack  of  force,  and  ruling  | 
his  little  kingdom  with  a  really  firm,  though  apparently  lax,  grasp.    In  the  first  place,! 
having  a  goocBy  supply  of  sons,  he  made  them  all  into  sub-chiefs  of  the  many  different  I 
districts  into  which  he  divided  his  domains.    Owing  to  the  great  estimation  in  which  he 
was  held  by  his  people,  fresh  wives  were  continually  being  presented  to  him,  and  at  first 
he  was  rather  perplexed  by  the  difficulty  of  accommodating  so  many  in  his  "palace.   At 
last  he  hit  on  the  expedient  of  distributing  them  in  the  various  villages  through  which  be  | 
was  accustomed  to  make  his  tour,  so  that  wherever  he  was  he  found  himself  at  home. 


KATOHIBA'S  POLICY. 


483 


i{ 


It  80  happened,  that  when  Sir  S.  Baker  visited  Katchiba  hu  had  one  hundred  and 
i  children  livins.    This  may  not  seem  to  be  a  very  wonderful  fact  when  the  number 
f  bit  wives  is  consicured.    But,  in  Africa,  plurality  of  wives  does  not  necessarily  imply 
Lmsponding  number  of  children,  several  of  these  many-wived  chiefs  having  only  one 
tild  to  every  ten  or  twelve  wives.     Therefore  the  fact  that  Katchiba's  family  was 
irery  large  raised  him  greatly  in  the  minds  of  his  people,  who  looked  upon  him  as  a 
tit  sorcerer,  and  had  the  most  profound  respect  for  his  supernatural  power. 
Katchiba  laid  claim  to  intercourse  with  the  uustH^n  world,  and  to  authority  over  the 
^•oents;  rain  and  drought,  calm  and  tempent,  being  supposed  by  his  subjects  to  be 
Mgilly  under  his  command.    Somcti/nes,  if  the  countrv  had  been  afflicted  with  drought 
rond  the  usual  time  of  rain,  Katchiba  would  assemble  his  people,  and  deliver  a  long 
.tngue,  inveighing  against  their  evil  doings,  which  had  kept  off  the  rain. 
These  evil  doings,  on  being  analysed,  generally  proved  to  be  little  more  than  a  want 
[libenditv  towards  himself.     He  explained  to  them  that  he  sincerely  regretted  their 
duct,  which  "  has  compelled  him  to  atflict  them  with  unfavourable  weather,  but  that 
iii  their  own  fault.    If  they  ave  so  greed v  and  so  stingy  that  they  will  not  supply  him 
,erly,  how  can  they  expect  him  to  think  of  their  interests  ?    No  goats,  no  rain ;  that's 
lior  contract,  my  friends,"  says  Katchiba.    "Do  as  you  like:  /  can  wait;  I  hope  you 
Ittn."  Should  his  people  complain  of  too  much  rain,  he  threatens  to  pour  storms  and 
itning  upon  them  for  ever,  unless  they  bring  him  so  many  hundred  baskets  of  com, 
lie,  &c    Thus  he  holds  his  sway. 

<  No  man  would  think  of  starting  on  a  journey  without  the  blessing  of  the  old  chief, 
lind  a  peculiar '  hocus-pocus '  is  considered  necessary  from  the  magic  hands  of  Katchiba, 
Ithat  shall  charm  the  traveller,  and  preserve  him  from  all  danger  of  wild  animals  upon  the 
livad.  Id  case  of  sickness  he  is  called  in,  not  as  M.D.  in  our  acceptation,  but  as  Doctor 
y  Uagic,  and  he  charms  both  the  hut  and  the  patient  against  death,  with  the  fluctuating 
lietults  that  must  attend  professionals,  even  in  sorcery. 

'  His  subjects  have  the  most  thorough  confidence  in  his  power ;  and  so  great  is  his 
Ireptttation,  that  distant  tribes  frequently  consult  him,  and  beg  his  assistance  as  a  magician. 
ILi  this  manner  does  old  Katchiba  hold  his  sway  over  his  savage  but  credulous  people  ;  and 
to  long  has  he  imposed  upon  the  public,  that  I  believe  he  has  at  ledgth  imposed  upon 
jliiniseif,  and  that  he  really  believes  that  he  has  the  power  of  sorcery,  notwithstanding 
jiepeated  failures." 

Once,  while  Sir  S.  Baker  was  in  the  country,  Katchiba,  like  other  rain-makers,  fell 
I  into  a  dilemma.  There  had  been  no  rain  for  a  long  time,  and  the  people  had  become  so 
iDgiyat  the  continued  drought,  that  they  assembled  round  his  house,  blowing  horns,  and 
liiouting  execrations  against  their  chief,  because  he  had  not  sent  them  a  shower  which 
would  allow  them  to  sow  their  seed.  True  to  his  policy,  the  crafty  old  man  made  light 
of  their  threats,  telling  them  that  they  night  kill  him  if  they  liked,  but  that,  if  they  did 
8u,  no  more  rain  would  ever  fall.  Rain  in  the  country  was  the  necessary  resiilt  of  goats 
and  provisions  given  to  the  chief,  and  as  soon  as  he  got  the  i^  >per  fees,  the  rain  should 
I  come.    The  rest  of  the  story  is  so  good,  that  it  must  be  told  in  the  author's  own  words. 

"With  all  this  bluster,  I  saw  that  old  Katchiba  was  in  a  great  dilemma,  and  that  he 
I  would  give  anything  for  a  shower,  but  that  he  did  not  know  how  to  get  out  of  the  scrape. 
It  was  a  common  freak  of  the  tribes  to  sacrifice  their  rain-maker,  should  he  be  unsuc- 
cessful   He  suddenly  altered  his  tone,  and  asked, '  Have  you  any  rain  in  your  country  ? " 
!  1  replied  that  we  had  every  now  and  then.    '  How  do  you  bring  it  ?    Are  you  a  rain- 
maker?'   I  told  him  that  no  one  believed  in  rain-makers  in  our  country,  but  that  we 
knew  how  to  bottle  lightning  (meaning  electricity).    '  I  don't  keep  mine  in  bottles,  but  I 
I  iiave  a  house  full  of  thunder  and  lightning,'  he  most  coolly  replied ;  '  but  if  you  can 
bottle  lightning,  you  must  understand  rain-making.    What  do  you  think  of  the  weather 
to-day?' 

"  I  immediately  saw  the  drift  of  the  cunning  old  Katchiba ;  he  wanted  professional 

advice.    I  replied  that  he  must  know  all  about  it,  as  Le  was  a  regular  rain-maker.     '  Of 

course  I  do,'  he  answered ;  '  but  I  want  to  know  what  you  think  of  it'    'Well,'  I  said, 

Idou't  thiiik  we  shall  have  any  steady  rain,  but  I  think  we  may  have  a  heavy  shower 

Ii2 


484 


THE  OBBO. 


Iif-"'^M 


$'  I 


■ff 


Iff 


C'l 


ir  days'  (I  said  this,  as  I  had  observed  fleecy  clouds  gathering  daily  in  tJ 
'  Just  my  opinion,'  said  Katchiba,  delighted.    '  In  four,  or  perhaps  in  five] 


in  about  four 

afternoon),  'jusc  my  opinion,  saia  jvaicnioa,  aeiigniea.  'xn  lour,  or  perhaps  infiveJ 
days  I  intend  to  give  them  one  shower— just  one  shower ;  yes,  I'll  just  step  down  td 
them,  and  tell  the  rascals  that  if  they  will  bring  me  some  goats  by  this  evening,  and  som] 
corn  by  to-morrow  mornii^,  I  will  give  them  in  four  or  five  days  just  one  shower.' 

"  To  give  effect  to  his  declaration,  he  gave  several  toots  on  his  magic  whistle.  <DJ 
you  use  whistles  in  your  country  ? '  inquired  Katchiba.  I  only  replied  by  giving  so  shrill 
and  deafening  a  whistle  on  my  fingers,  that^Katch^ba  stopped  his  ean,  and,  relapsing  intuL 
a  smile  of  admiration,  he  took  a  glance  at  the  sky  from  the  doorway,  to  see  if  any  effect! 
had  been  produced.  '  Whistle  again,'  he  said ;  and  once  more  I  pertbrmed  Hke  the  whistle! 
of  a  locomotive.  '  That  will  do ;  we  shall  have  it,  said  the  cunning  old  rain-maker ;  and  I 
proud  of  having  so  knowingly  obtained  'counsel's  opinion'  in  his  case,  he  t6ddled'off  tol 
nis  impatient  subjecta  | 

"  In  a  few  days  a  sudden  storm  of  rain  and  violent  thunder  added  to  Eatchiba'sl 
renown,  and  after  the  shower  horns  were  blowing  and  nogaras  beating  in  honour  of  theirl 
chief.    Entre  nous,  my  whistle  was  considered  infallible."  I 

When  his  guests  were  lying  ill  in  their  huts,  struck  down  with  the  fever  which  is  pre- 1 
•valent  in  hot  and  moist  climates  such  as  that  of  Obbo,  Katchiba  came  to  visit  them  in  his  I 
character  of  magician,  and  performed  a  curious  ceremony.  He  took  a  small  leafy  branch  I 
filled  his  mouth  with  water,  and  squirted  it  on  the  branch,  which  was  then  waved  about! 
the  hut,  and  lastly  stuck  over  the  door.  He  assured  his  sick  guests  that  their  recovery! 
was  now  certain;  and,  as  they  did  recover,  his  opinion  of  his  magical  powers  was  doubtless! 
confirmed. 

After  their  recovery  they  paid  a  visit  to  the  chief,  by  his  special  desire.  His  palace! 
consisted  of  an  enclosure  about  a  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  within  which  were  a  nunuier 
of  huts,  all  circular,  but  of  different  sizes ;  the  largest,  which  was  about  twenty-five 
feet  in  diameter,  belonging  to  the  chief  himself.  The  whole  of  the  courtyard  was  paved 
v/ith  beaten  clay,  and  was  beautifully  clean,  and  the  palisades  were  covered  with  gourds 
and  a  species  of  climbing  yam.  Katchiba  had  but  little  furniture,  the  chief  articles  being 
a  few  cow-hides,  which  were  spread  on  the  floor  and  used  as  couches.  On  these  primi- 
tive sofas  he  placed  his  guests,  and  took  his  place  between  them.  The  rest  of  his  furniture 
consisted  of  earthen  jars,  holding  about  thirty  gallons  each,  and  intended  for  containiuo  | 
or  brewing  beer. 

After  offering  a  huge  gourd  full  of  that  beverage  to  his  guests,  and  having  done  ample 
justice  to  it  himself,  he  poli*:ely  asked  whether  he  should  sing  them  a  song.    Now  Katchiba,  I 
in  spite  of  his  grey  hairs,  his  rank  as  chief,  and  his  dignity  as  a  sorcerer,  was  a  notable ' 
buffoon,  a  savage  Grimaldi,  fiill  of  inborn  and  grotesque  fun,  and  so  they  naturally  expected  I 
that  the  performances  w^ould  be,  like  his  other  exhibitions,  extremely  ludicrous.    They 
were  agreeably  disappointed.    Taking  from  the  hand  of  one  of  his  wives  a  "  rababa  *  or  | 
rude  harp  with  eight  strings,  he  spent  some  time  in  tuning  it,  and  then  sang  the  promised 
song.    The  air  was  strange  and  wild,  but  plaintive  and  remarkably  pleasing,  with  accom- 
paniment very  appropriate,  so  that  this  "  delightful  old  sorcerer  "  proved  himself  to  be  a 
man  of  genius  in  music  as  well  as  in  policy. 

When  his  guests  rose  to  depart,  he  brought  them  a  sheep  as  a  present ;  and  when  they 
refused  it,  he  said  no  more,  but  waited  on  them  through  the  doorway  of  his  hut,  and  theu 
conducted  them  by  the  hand  for  about  a  hundred  yards,  gracefully  expressing  a  hope  that 
they  would  repeat  their  visit.  When  they  reached  their  hut,  they  found  the  sheep  there, 
Katchiba  having  sent  it  on  before  them.  In  fine,  this  chief,  who  at  first  appeared  to  be 
little  more  than  a  jovial  sort  of  buffoon,  who  by  accident  happened  to  hold  the  chiefs 
place,  turned  out  unexpectedly  to  be  a  wise  and  respected  ruler,  a  polished  and  accom- 
plished  gentleman. 


:  i 


GROUP  OF  THE  RYTCH  TRIBE. 


THE  KYTCa 


es  a  "  rababa,''  or  { 


iNoT  far  from  Obbo-land  there  is  a  district  inhabited  by  the  Kytch  tribe.  In  1825 
Itberewas  exhibited  in  the  principal  cities  of  Europe  a  Frenchman,  named  Claude  Ambroise 
ISeurat,  who  was  popularly  called  the  "  Living  Skeleton,"  on  account  of  his  extraordinary 
IkanDess,  his  body  and  limbs  looking  just  as  if  a  skeleton  had  been  clothed  with  skin,  and 
loidowed  with  life.  Among  the  Kytch  tribe  he  would  have  been  nothing  remarkable, 
likost  every  man  being  formed  after  much  the  same  model.  In  fact,  as  Sir  S.  Baker 
I  remarked  of  them,  they  look  at  a  distance  like  animated  slate-pencils  with  heads  to 
Ithea 

The  men  of  the  Kytch  tribe  are  tall,  and,  but  for  their  extreme  emaciation,  would  be 
line  figures ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  women.  Almost  the  only  specimens  of  the 
I  Kytch  tribe  who  had  any  claim  to  rounded  forms  were  the  chief  and  his  daughter,  the 
[latter  of  whom  was  about  sixteen,  and  really  good-looking.  In  common  with  the  rest  of 
Ithe  tribe  she  wore  nothing  except  a  little  piece  of  dressed  hide  about  a  foot  square,  which 
Ivashung  over  one  shoulder  and  fell  upon  the  arm,  the  only  attempt  at  clothing  being  a 
I  belt  of  jingling  iron  circlets,  and  some  beads  on  the  head. 

Her  father  wore  more  clothing  than  his  inferiors,  though  his  raiment  was  more  for 

Idiowthan  for  use,  being  merely  a  piece  of  dressed  leopard  skin  hung  over  his  shoulders 

lis  an  emblem  of  his  rank.    He  had  on  his  head  a  sort  of  skull-cap  made  of  white  beads, 

I  from  which  drooped  a  crest  of  white  ostrich  feathers.    He  always  carried  with  him  a 

curious  instrument, — namely,  an  iron  spike  about  two  feet  in  length,  with  a  hollow  socket 

at  the  butt,  the  centre  being  bound  with  snake-skin.     In  the  hollow  butt  he  kept  his 

tobacco,  so  that  this  instrument  served  at  once  the  offices  of  a  tobacco-box,  a  dagger,  and 

I  a  club. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a  more  miserable  and  degraded  set  of  people  than  the 
I  Kytch  tribe,  and,  were  it  not  for  two  circumstances,  they  might  be  considered  as  the  very 
lowest  examples  of  humanity. 


486 


THE  KYTCH. 


<    'I 


For  their  food  they  depend  entirely  upon  the  natural  productions  of  the  earth,  an] 
pass  a  life  which  is  scarcdy  superior  to  that  of  a  baboon,  almost  all  their  ideas  beiiii 
Umited  to  the  discovery  of  their  daily  food.  From  the  time  when  they  wake  to  the  hoi 
when  they  sleep,  they  are  incessantly  looking  for  food.  Their  country  is  not  a  productivl 
one ;  they  never  till  the  ground,  and  never  sow  seed ;  so  that  they  are  always  taking  froiT 
the  ground,  and  never  putting  anything  into  it.  They  eat  almost  every  imaginable  sabL 
stance,  animal  and  vegetable,  thiuking  themselves  very  fortunate  if  they  ever  find  thl 
hole  of  a  field-mouse,  which  they  will  painfully  dig  out  with  the  aid  of  a  stick,  and  thei 
feed  luxuriously  upon  it. 

So  ravenous  are  they,  that  they  eat  bones  and  skin  as  well  as  flesh ;  and  if  by  chancL 
they  should  procure  the  body  of  an  animal  so  large  that  its  bones  cannot  be  eaten  whoM 
the  Kytch  break  the  bones  to  fra^ents  between  two  stones,  then  pound  them  to  powdeJ 
and  make  the  pulverized  bones  mto  a  sort  of  porridge.  In  fact,  as  has  been  forcibll 
remarked,  if  an  animal  is  killed,  or  dies  a  natural  death,  the  Kytch  tribe  do  not  leavl 
enough  for  a  fly  to  feed  upon.  ,  | 

The  two  facts  that  elevate  the  Kytch  tribe  above  the  level  of  the  beasts  are,  that  thej 
keep  cattle,  and  that  they  have  a  law  regarding  marriage,  which,  although  repugnant  t 
European  ideas,  is  still  a  law,  and  has  its  parallel  in  many  countries  which  are  far  mon 
advanced  in  civilization. 

The  cattle  of  the  Kytch  tribe  are  kept  rhore  for  show  than  for  use,  and,  unless  theyl 
die,  they  are  never  used  as  food.    A  Kytch  cattle-owner  would  nearly  as  soon  kill  hinisel) 
and  quite  as  soon  murder  his  nearest  relation,  as  he  would  slau<^hter  one  of  his  belove( 
^ttle.    The  milk  of  the  one  is,  of  course,  a  singular  luxury  in  so  half-starved  a  countiy] 
and  none  but  the  wealthiest  men  are  likely  ever  to  taste  it. 

The  animals  are  divided  into  little  herds,  and  to  each  herd  there  is  attached  i 
favourite  bull,  who  seems  to  be  considered  as  possessing  an  almost  sacred  characterJ 
Every  morning,  as  the  cattle  are  led  out  to  pasture,  the  sacred  bull  is  decorated  withf 
bunches  of  feathers  tied  to  his  horns,  and,  if  possible,  with  little  bells  also.    He  is  solemnly! 
adjured  to  take  great  care  of  the  cows,  to  keep  them  from  straying,  and  to  lead  them  tol 
the  best  pastures,  so  that  they  may  give  abundance  of  milk.  I 

The  law  of  marriage  is  a  very  peculiar  one.  Polygamy  is,  of  course,  the  custom  in) 
Kytch-land,  as  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  the  husband  providing  himself  with  a  successiouj 
of  young  wives  as  the  others  become  old  and  feeble,  and  therefore  unable  to  perform  the! 
hard  work  which  falls  to  the  lot  of  African  wives.  Consequently,  it  mostly  happens  thati 
when  a  man  is  quite  old  and  infirm  he  has  a  number  of  wives  much  younger  than] 
himself,  and  several  who  might  be  his  grandchildren.  Under  these  circumstances,  thel 
latter  are  transferred  to  his  eldest  son,  and  the  whole  family  lives  together  harmoniously,] 
until  the  death  of  the  father  renders  the  son  absolute  master  of  all  the  pronertv. 


IVOBT  WAB-TBUHPBT.    CENTBAL  AFRICA. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


THE  NEAM-NAM,  d6R,  AND  DJOUB  TBIBES. 


llOCAUTT   OF  THE   NBAM-XAM   TBIBB — ^THBIB  WABLtKE    NATirBB A    SmOTTLAB    BECBPTION — BTFKCT 

OF  FIBB-ABH8 — DBB8S  AND  OENBBAL  AFPBABANCB  OF  THE  NBAH-NAH  TBIBB — HOOB  OF  HVMTINO 
BLRPHANTS— BBHABKABLB  VBAPONS— THE  DOB  TBIBB  AND  ITS  8UBDITI8I0N8 — WBAP0N8  OF  THB 
Dda — A  BBUABKABtB  POUCH  OB  QUIVEB — THE  ABB0V8  AND  THEIB  TEBBIBLB  BABB8 — A  DdB 
BATTLE — TBBATUBNT  OF  DEAD   BNEIOBS — "  DBOPPINQ  DOWN  "   UPON  THB   BLBFHANT — DBB88  OF 

THB  DOB — TUB  UF-OBNAICBNT — THEIB   ABCHITECTVBB— CUBIOUS  APPROACH  TO  THE  TILLAOB 

THE  WOODEN  CHIBF8  AND  THBQt  F0LL0WBB8 — MUSICAL  INSTBUMENTS — THB  DJOUB  TBIBB — 
ABSRNCB  OF  CATTLE — THB  T8ETSB-FLT — UBTALLUBOT — ^INOBNIOUS  SIZBLTINO  FUBKACB — WOMXN'S 
KNIVES— KXTBN8IVB  TBAFFIO — BMOKINO — THB  BABK  "  QUIDS." 

JpsT  over  the  Equator,  and  In  the  Nile  district,  is  a  very  remarkaWe  tribe  called  the 
Neam-Nam.  They  are  a  fierce  and  warlike  people,  and  aggressive  towards  all  the 
surrounding  tribes,  making  incursions  into  their  tenitories,  and  carrying  off  their  children 
I  into  slavery.  Consequently  they  are  held  in  the  utmost  dread,  and  the  lands  that  surround 

!  Neam-Nam  borders  ate  left  uncultivated,  no  one  daring  to  occupy  them  for  fear  of 
their  terrible  neighbours.  The  Neam-Nam  seem  not  only  to  have  firmly  established  them- 
selves, but  even  to  have  gradually  extended  their  boundaries,  their-  neighbours  fiedling 
farther  and  farther  back  at  each  successive  raid. 

When  Mr.  Petherick  passed  through  their  country,  many  of  his  porters  could  not  be 
induced  to  enter  the  territory  of  such  a  terrible  tribe,  even  though  protected  by  the 
white  man's  weapons.  Several  of  them  deserted  on  the  way,  and  at  last,  when  they 
were  come  in  sight  of  the  first  village,  the  rest  flung  down  their  loads  and  ran  away,  only 
the  interpreter  being  secured. 

As  they  neared  the  village,  the  menacing  sound  of  the  alarm  drum  was  heard,  and  out 
came  the  Neam-Nams  in  fuU  battle  array,  their  lances  in  their  right  hands  and  their  large 
shields  covering  their  bodies.  They  drew  up  in  line,  and  seemed  disposed  to  dispute  the 
passage ;  but  as  the  party  marched  quietly  and  unconcernedly  onwards,  they  opened  their 
ranks  and  allowed  them  to  enter  the  village,  from  which  the  women  and  children  had 
already  been  removed.  They  then  seated  themselves  under  the  shade  of  a  large  sycamore 
tree,  deposited  the  baggage,  and  sat  in  a  circle  round  it,  keeping  on  all  sides  a  front  to  the 
armed  natives,  who  now  began  to  come  rather  nearer  than  was  agreeable,  some  actually 
seating  themselves  on  the  travellers'  feet.  They  were  all  very  merry  and  jocose,  pointing 
at  their  visitors  continually,  and  then  bursting  into  shouts  of  approving  laughter.  There 
was  evidently  some  joke  which  tickled  their  fancy,  and  by  means  of  the  interpreter  it  was 
soon  discovered. 

The  fact  was,  that  the  Neam-Nam  were  cannibals,  and  meant  to  eat  the  strangers  who 
had  80  foolishly  trusted  themselves  in  the  country  without  either  spears,  swords,  or 
shields,  but  they  did  not  like  to  kill  them  before  their  chief  arrived.  When  this  pleasant 
joke  was  explained,  the  astonished  visitors  were  nearly  as  amused  as  the  Neam-Nant 


"'^ }  •,  ^ 


i-^ 


mm 


t 


*1<*^ 


;  !< 


S'     . 


1^     •      k 


-fi 


488 


THE  NEAM-NAM. 


knowing  perfectly  well  that  their  weapons  were  sufficient  to  drive  off  ten  times  tl 
number  of  such  foes.  1 

Presently  the  chief  arrived — an  old,  grey-headed  man,  who,  by  his  sagacity,  certain! 
showed  himself  worthy  of  the  post  which  he  held.    After  a  colloquy  with  the  interpret! 
he  turned  to  his  people,  and  the  following  extraordinary  discourse  took  place : — 

"  Neam-Nam,  do  not  insult  these  strange  men.     Do  you  know  whence  they  come  ?" 

"  No ;  but  we  will  feast  on  them,"  was  the  rejoinder.    Then  the  old  man,  holding  i 
his  spear,  and  commanding  silence,  proceeded  thus : 

"  Do  you  know  of  any  tribe  that  would  dare  to  approach  our  village  in  such 
numbers  as  these  men  have  done  ?" 

"  No  "  was  again  vociferated. 

"  Very  well ;  you  know  not  whence  they  come,  nor  do  T,  who  am  greatly  you 
senior,  and  whose  voice  you  ought  to  respect.  Their  country  must  indeed  be  distant,  and  L 
traverse  the  many  tribes  between  their  country  and  ours  ought  to  be  a  proof  to  you  of  the! 
valour.  Look  at  the  things  they  hold  in  their  hands :  they  are  neither  spears,  clubs,  nol 
bows  and  arrows,  but  inexplicable  bits  of  iron  mounted  on  wood.  Neither  have  thei 
shields  to  defend  their  bodies  from  our  weapons.  Therefore,  to  have  travelled  thus  fall 
depend  on  it  their  means  of  resistance  must  be  as  puzzling  to  us,  and  far  superior  to  anj 
arms  that  any  tribe,  ay,  even  our  own,  can  oppose  to  them.  Therefore,  Neam-Nam,  I  whi 
have  led  you  to  many  a  fight,  and  whose  counsels  you  have  often  followed,  say,  shed  nol 
your  blood  in  vain,  nor  bring  disgrace  upon  your  fathers,  who  have  never  been  vanquished! 
Touch  them  not,  but  prove  yourselves  to  be  worthy  of  the  friendship  of  such  a  handfuj 
of  brave  men,  and  do  yourselves  Tionour  by  entertaining  them,  rather  than  degrade  then 
by  the  continuance  of  your  insults." 

It  is  impossible  not  to  admire  the  penetration  of  this  chief,  who  was  wise  enongli 
to  deduce  the  strength  of  his   visitors   from  their  apparent  weakness,  and  to  feaq 
them  for  those  veiy  reasons  that  caused  his  more  ignorant  and  impetuous  people 
despise  them. 

Having  thus  calmed  the  excitement,  he  asked  to  inspect  the  strange  weapons  of  hiaj 
guests.  A  gun  was  handed  to  him — the  cap  having  been  removed — and  very  much  iiS 
puzzled  him.  From  the  mode  in  which  it  was  held,  it  was  evidently  not  a  club ;  and| 
yet  it  could  not  be  a  knife,  as  it  had  no  edge ;  nor  a  spear,  as  it  had  no  point  Indeed,  the 
fact  of  the  barrel  being  hollow  puzzled  him  exceedingly.  At  last  he  poked  his  fingerl 
down  the  muzzle,  and  looked  inquiringly  at  his  guest,  as  if  to  ask  what  could  be  the  usel 
of  such  an  article.  By  way  of  answer,  Mr.  Petherick  took  a  gun,  and,  pointing  to  a  vulture| 
that  was  hovering  over  their  heads,  fired,  and  brought  it  down. 

"  But  before  the  bird  ti  uched  the  ground,  the  crowd  were  prostrate  and  grovellingj 
in  the  dust,  as  if  every  man  of  them  had  been  shot  The  old  man's  head,  wiih  hial 
hands  on  his  ears,  was  at  my  feet ;  and  when  I  raised  him,  his  appearance  was  ghastly,! 
and  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  me  with  a  meaningless  expression.  I  thought  that  he  m\ 
lost  his  senses. 

"  After  shaking  him  several  times,  I  at  length  succeeded  in  attracting  his  attention  to  I 
the  fallen  bird,  quivering  in  its  last  agonies  between  two  of  his  men.  The  first  sign  of  I 
returning  animation  he  gave  was  putting  his  hand  to  his  head,  and  examining  himself  as 
if  in  search  of  a  wound.  He  gradually  recovered,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  regain  his 
voice,  called  to  the  crowd,  who  one  after  the  other  first  raised  their  heads,  and  then  again 
dropped  them  at  the  sight  of  their  apparently  lifeless  comrades.  After  the  repeated  cull 
of  the  old  man,  they  ventured  to  rise,  and  a  general  inspection  of  imaginary  wounds  { 
commenced." 

This  man,  Mur-mangae  by  name,  was  only  a  sub-chief,  and  was  inferior  to  a  very  great  1 
chief,  whose  name  was  Dimoo.  There  is  one  single  king  among  the  Neam-Nam,  who  are ! 
divided  into  a  number  of  independent  sub-tribes,  each  ruled  by  its  own  chief,  and  deriving  I 
its  importance  from  its  numbers.  While  they  were  recovering  from  the  effect  of  the  shot,  ] 
Dimoo  himself  appeared,  and,  after  hearing  the  wonderful  tale,  seemed  inclined  to  dis- 
credit it,  and  drew  up  his  men  as  if  to  attack.  Just  then  an  elephant  appeared  in  the 
distance,  and  he  determined  to  use  the  animal  as  a  test,  asking  whether  the  white  men's 


DEESS. 


e  off  ten  times  tl 


ider  could  kill  an  elephant  as  well  as  a  vulture,  and  that,  if  it  could  do  so,  he  would 
3ct  them.  A  party  was  at  once  dispatched,  accompanied  by  the  chief  and  all  the 
,oes.  At  the  first  volley  down  went  most  of  the  Neam-Nam,  including  the  chief,  ihe 
running  away  as  fast  their  legs  could  carry  them. 

After  this  event  the  whole  demeanour  of  the  people  was  changed  from  aggressive 

jlence  to  humble  respect,  and  they  immediately  showed  their  altered  feelings  by 

iJiQcr  large  quantities  of  milk  and  porridge  for  the  party,  and  half  a  fat  dog  for  Mr. 

—itlienck's  own  dinner.    They  also  began  to  open  a  trade,  and  were  equally  astonished 

illage  m  such  sma^^  amused  that  such  common  and  useless  things  as  elephants'  tusks  could  be  exchanged 

such  priceless  valuables  as  beads,  and  were  put  in  high  good-humour  accordingly.    Up 

that  time  trade  had  been  entirely  unknown  among  the  Neam-Nam,  and,  though  the 

made  great  use  of  ivory  in  fashioning  ornaments  for  themselves,  they  never  had 

luglit  of  peaceful  barter  with  their  neighbours,  thinking  that  to  rob  was  better  than  to 


lis  sagacity,  certain) 
with  the  interprel 
>k  place : — 
lence  they  come  ?" 
old  man,  holding 


ho  am  greatly  yoi 
led  be  distant,  and , 
proof  to  you  of  thei, 
ler  spears,  clubs,  no] 
Neither  have  thei 
3  travelled  thus  fa, 
i  far  superior  to  an' 
!,  Neam-Nam,  I  whl 
lowed,  say,  shed  nol 

irer  been  vanquished 
p  of  such  a  handful 
:  than  degrade  thei 

o  was  wise  enougll 
kneas,  and  to  feai] 
oapetuous  people 

inge  weapons  of  hid 
-and  very  much  il 
ly  not  a  club ;  andl 
point.  Indeed,  the! 
le  poked  his  finger! 
at  could  be  the  use! 
ointing  to  a  vulturel 

rate  and  grovelling  I 
n's  head,  wiih  hisi 
arance  was  ghastly,! 
ought  that  he  had! 

ig  his  attention  to 
The  first  sign  of 
^mining  himself  as 
le  could  regain  his 
ids,  and  then  again 
jr  the  repeated  call 
imaginary  wounds 

rior  to  a  very  great  | 
eam-Nam,  who  are 
chief,  and  deriving  | 
}  effect  of  the  shot, 
id  inclined  to  dis- 
nt  appeared  in  the 
er  the  white  men's 


Dimoo,  howcNer,  still  retained  some  of  his  suspicious  nature,  which  showed  itself  in 

ious  little  ways.    At  last  Mr.  Petherick  invented  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  a  plan 

r  which  he  completely  conquered  his  host.    Dimoo  had  taken  an  inordinate  fancy  for 

i  tobacco  of  his  guests,  and  was  always  asking  for  some.    As  the  supply  was  small, 

.Petherick  did  not  like  to  make  it  still  smaller,  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  refusal 

lould  have  been  impolitic.    So,  one  day,  when  the  usual  request  was  made,  he  acceded  to 

at  the  same  time  telling  Dimoo  that  the  tobacco  was  unsafe  to  smoke,  because  it 

^vays  broke  the  pipes  of  those  who  meditated  treachery  towards  him. 

Meanwhile,  a  servant,  who  had  been  previously  instructed,  filled  Dimoo's  pipe,  at  the 

netime  inserting  a  small  charge  of  gunpowder,  for  which  there  was  plenty  of  room,  in 

tonsequence  of  the  inordinate  size  of  the  bowl.    Dimoo  took  the  pipe  and  began  to  smoke 

(defiantly,  when  all  at  once  an  explosion  took  place,  the  bowl  was  shattered  to  pieces, 

ind  Dimoo  and  his  councillors  tumbled  over  each  other  in  terror.    Quite  conquered  by 

last  proof  of  the  white  man's  omniscience,  he  humbly  acknowledged  that  he  did 

ditate  treachery — not  against  his  person,  but  against  his  goods — and  that  his  intention 

}  to  detain  the  whole  party  until  he  had  got  possession  of  all  their  property. 

The  appearance  of  the  Neam-Nam  tribe  is  very  striking.    They  are  not  quite  black, 

nt  have  a  brown  and  olive  tint  of  skin.    The  men  are  better  clothed  than  is  usually 

case  in  Central  Africa,  and  wear  a  home-made  cloth  woven  from  bark  fibres.    A 

iiably  large  piece  cf  this  cloth  is  slung  round  the  body  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave 

ii^arms  at  liberty.    The  hair  is  plaited  in  thick  masses,  extending  from  the  neck  to 

i  shoulders. 

In  the  operation  of  hair-dressing  they  use  long  ivoiy  pins,  varying  from  six  to  twelve 
r  fourteen  inches  in  length,  and  very  slightly  curved.  One  end  is  smoothly  pointed,  and 
Ihe  other  is  much  thicker,  and  for  some  four  inches  or  so  is  carved  into  various  patterns, 
lostly  of  the  zig-zag  character  which  is  so  prevalent  throughout  Africa.  When  the  hair 
|is  fully  combed  out  and  arranged,  two  of  the  largest  pins  are  stuck  through  it  horizontally, 
od  a  number  of  shorter  pins  are  arranged  in  a  radiating  form,  so  that  they  form  a  semi- 
tile,  something  like  the  large  comb  of  a  Spanish  lady. 

One  of  these  pins  is  now  before  me.    It  is  just  a  foot  in  length,  and  at  the  thick  end 

Is  almost  as  large  as  a  black-lead  pencil,  tapering  gradually  to  the  other  end.    The  butt, 

prbase,  is  covered  with  a  multitude  of  scratches,  which  are  thought  to  be  ornamental,  but 

vhich  look  exactly  as  if  they  had  been  cut  by  a  child  who  for  the  first  time  had  got  hold 

I  a  knife,  and  they  are  stained  black  with  a  decoction  of  some  root. 

The  dress  of  the  women  consists  partly  of  a  piece  of  cloth  such  as  has  been  described, 

it  of  smaller  dimensions,  and,  besides  this,  they  wear  a  rather  curious  apron  made  of 

lleather.    The  illustration  on  page  490  exhibits  two  of  these  aprons,  both  of  which  were 

ht  from  Central  Africa  by  Mr.  Petherick.    The  left-hand  specimen  is  in  my  coUec- 

|tion,  and  will  therefore  be  described. 

Its  general  appearance  somewhat  resembles  that  of  the  Zulu  apron,  shown  at  page  25, 
llig.  3,  but  it  is  not  nearly  so  thick  nor  so  heavy,  and  indeed  is  made  on  a  different  plan. 
Ilhe  solid  square  at  the  top  is  a  piece  of  thick  leather  doubled  in  the  middle  and  then 


l*,t^ 


..  '\" 


;■    5 


UJ 


490 


THE  NEAM-NAM. 


u 


B.  i- 


beaten  flat    To  both  of  the  edges  has  been  firmly  sewn  a  triple  row  of  flat  leathe 
thongs,  almost  the  eighth  of  an  inch  in  width,  and  scarcely  thicker  than  brown  pap 
Six  rows  of  these  flat  thongs  are  therefore  attached  to  the  upper  leather.    All  the  oiL 
ment  simple  as  it  is,  is  contined  to  the  front  layer  of  thongs,  and  consists  entirely  of  iiol 
iiat  strips  of  iron,  evidently  made  by  beating  wire  flat,  are  twisted  round  the  thonm  anl 
then  hammered  down  upon  them,  while  the  end  of  each  thong  is  further  decorated  witf 

a  ring  or  loop  of  iron  wire.  1 

The  centre  of  the  solid  leather  is  ornamented  will 
a  circular  piece  of  iron,  boss-shaped,  scratched  rounl 
the  edges,  and  having  an  iron  ring  in  its  centre.  Thl 
strap  which  supports  the  apron  is  fastened  to  a  couplf 
of  iron  rings  at  the  upper  comers.  I  n  some  aprons  bcal 
ornaments  take  the  place  of  the  iron  boss,  but  in  almol 
every  instance  there  is  an  ornament  of  some  kind 
The  women  have  also  an  ornament  made  by  cuttin] 
little  flat  pieces  of  ivory,  and  placing  them  on  a  stril 
of  leather,  one  over  the  other,  like  fish-scales.  Thij 
ornament  is  worn  as  a  necklace.  They  also  carvl 
pieces  of  ivory  into  a  tolerable  imitation  of  cowriJ 
shells,  and  string  them  together  as  if  they  were  tlJ 
veritable  shells.  1 

Another  ornament  is  here  shown,  as  it  exhibin 
a  type  of  decoration » which  is  prevalent  througlJ 
out  the  whole  of  Central  i\frica.  It  is  conipoBPi 
of  a  belt  of  stout  leather — that  of  the  hippopot'iinu 
being  preferred,  on  account  of 
its  strength  and  thickness — to 
which  are  attached  a  quantity 
of  empty  nutshells.  Through 
the  upper  endof  th<^  nut  a  hole 
is  bored  with  a  red-hot  iron, 
and  an  iron  ring  passes  through 
this  hole  and  another  which 
has  been  punched  through 
the  leather.  Two  of  these 
nuts  are  here  shown  half  the 
size  of.  the  specimens.  The 
shell  is  very  hard  and  thick, 
and,  when  the  wearer  dances  with  the  enGrpfitil 
gesture    which  accompany  such  performances,  thl 


NUTBELU 


WOMEN'S  APKON3. 


nuts  keep  up  a  continual  and  rather  loud  clatter. 


■■" 


OIBL'S  DANCING  BELll 


M: 


ELEPHANT  HUNTING. 


481 


Xhe  Neam-Nam  all  wear  leather  sandals,  and  although  their  clothing  is  so  scanty,  thejjr 
iiemarkable  for  their  personal  cleanliness,  a  virtue  which  is  so  rare  in  Africa  that  it 
_re8  commemoration  whenever  it  does  occur. 
"ja  may  already  have  been  seen,  the  Neam-Nam  are  a  cannibal  race,  and  always  devour 
)  bodies  of  slain  enemies.  This  repulsive  custom  is  not  restricted  to  enemies,  but  is 
lended  to  nearly  all  human  beings  with  whom  they  come  in  contact,  their  own  tribe 
^  proving  any  exception.  Mr.  Petherick  was  told  by  themselves  that  when  a  Neam- 
[fim  became  old  and  feeble,  he  was  always  killed  and  eaten,  and  that  when  any  one 
J  at  the  point  of  death,  the  same  fate  befell  them. 

Siioold  one  of  their  slaves  run  away  and  be  captured,  he  is  always  slain  and  eaten 
1 1  warning  to  other  slaves.     Such  an  event,  however,  is  of  very  rare  occurrence. 


mm 

m 


'     NUT-BEUA 

with  the  enerfffitil 
ti  perforinaiices,  tlil 


/ 


■•'■"Mi   ""tK'ifl 


\i 


ir/i 


NEA2I-NAM   FIGHTING. 


!  slaves  being  treated  with  sinj^ular  kindness,  end  master  and  slave  being  mutually 
I  proud  of  each  other.  Indeed,  in  many  families  the  slaves  are  more  valued  than 
I  the  children. 

Indeed,  much  of  the  wealth  of  the  Neam-Nam  consists  of  slaves,  and  a  man  measures 
his  importance  by  the  number  of  slaves  whom  he  maintains.  All  these  slaves  belong  to 
wme  other  tribe,  and  were  captured  by  their  owner,  so  that  they  are  living  witnesses  of 
prowess  as  well  as  signs  of  wealth.  They  are  never  sold  or  bartered,  and  therefore  a  slave- 
dealer  is  not  known  among  them,  and  they  are  spared  one  of  the  chief  curses  of  Afi-ica. 
As  a  general  rule,  the  slaves  are  so  faithful,  and  are  so  completely  incorporated  with  the 
household  to  which  they  belong,  that  in  case  of  war  they  are  aimed,  and  accompany  their 
masters  to  battle. 


■i  m 


492 


THE  NEAM-NAM. 


tM> 


pa- 


-it**tT- 


"  Successive  showers  followed,  and,  after  a  fortnight's  sojourn,  a  herd  of  eifflifiw.j 
elephants  was  announced  by  beat  of  tom-tom,  as  being  in  the  vicinity  Old  3 
boys,  women,  and  children,  collected  with  most  sanguine  expectations  •  and  anxini,. 
to  witness  the  scene,  I  accompanied  the  hunters  — a  finer  body  of  well-CTown  3 
active  men  I  never  beheld.  The  slaves,  many  of  them  from  the  Baer,  but  most Tli 
them  appertaining  to  unknown  tribes  from  the  west,  were  nearly  black,  and  foliowpi 
thew  more  noble-lookiug  and  olive-coloured  masters.  Two  hours'  march— the  first  mrt 
through  cultivated  grounds  and  the  latter  through  magnificent  bush— brouclit  us  tn 
the  open  plain,  covered  hip  deep  with  dry  grass,  and  there  were  the  elephants  maruhin 
leisurely  towards  us.  ^  "laimmg 

"  The  negroes,  about  five  hnndredj 
swift  as  antelopes,  formed  a  vast  circld 
round  them,  and  by  their  yells  broughd 
the  huge  game  to  a  standstill.   As  i| 
by  magic,  the  plain  was  on  fire,  andl 
the  elephants,  in  the  midst  of  tliel 
roar  and  crackling  of  the  flames,  werel 
obscured  from  our  view  by  the  smokal 
"Where  I  stood,  and  along  the  line,  ag 
far  as  I  could  see,  the  grass  was  beateu, 
down  to  prevent  the  outside  ol"  tliel 
circle  from  being  seized  in  the  con.| 
flagration ;  and  in  a  short  time— -notl 
ore  than  half  an  hour —the  firel 
having  exhausted  itself,  the  cloud  ot 
smoke,   gradually  rising,  again  dis-L 
played  the  group  of  elephants  standin  J 
as  if  petrified.   As  soon  as  the  burningl 
embei-s  had  become  sufficiently  extinct,! 
the  negroes  with  a  whoop  closed  froml 
all  sides  upon  their  prey.    The  firel 
and  smoke  had  blinded  them,  and,! 
unable   to   defend   themselves,  they! 
successively  fell  by  the  lances  of  tlieirl 
assailants.    The  sight  was  grand,  and,! 
although  their  tusks  proved  a  richj 
prize,  I  was  touched  at  the  massacre."! 
When  the  Neam-Nam  warrior  goes  I 
out  to  battle,  he  takes  with  him  a  I 
curious  series  of  weapons.    He  has,  of  I 
^  course,  his  lance,  which  is  veil  and| 

strongly  put  together,  the  blade  being  leaf-shaped,  like  that  of  a  hog-spear,  only  very 
much  longer.  On  his  left  arm  he  bears  his  shield,  which  is  made  of  bark-fibro,  woven 
very  closely  together,  and  very  thick.  The  maker  displays  his  taste  in  the  patterns  of 
the  work,  and  in  those  which  he  traces  upon  it  with  variously  coloured  dyes.  Within 
the  shield  he  has  a  sort  of  wooden  handle,  to  which  are  attached  one  or  two  most 
remarkable  weapons.  I 

One  of  these  is  shown  at  fig.  1  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  and  is  taken,  as  are 
the  other  figures,  from  specimens  in  Colonel  Lane  Fox's  collection.  They  were  all  brought 
from  Central  Africa  by  Mr.  Petherick,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  our  knowledge  of 
this  singular  tribe.  The  weapon  is  wholly  fiat,  the  handle  included,  and  is  about  the 
thickness  of  an  ordinary  sword-blade.    The  projecting  portions  are  all  edged,  and  kept 


WEAP0X8. 


REMAKKABLE  WEAPONS. 


498 


;remely  sharp,  while  the  handle  is  rather  thicker  than  the  hlade,  and  is  mnnded  and 
hened,  so  as  to  afford  a  firm  grip  to  the  hand. 

When  the  Neam-Nam  comes  near  his  toemy,  ani  before  he  is  within  range  of  a 
,r.thrust,  he  snatches  one  of  these  strange  weapons  from  his  shield,  and  hurls  it  at  the 
much  as  an  Australian  flings  his  boomerang, 
American  Indian  his  tomahawk,  and  a  Sikn 
chakra,  giving  it  a  revolving  motion  as  he 
ws  it.  Owing  to  this  mode  of  flinging,  the 
jDoa  covers  a  considerable  space,  and  if  the 
ijecting  blades  come  in  contact  with  the  enemy's 

n,  they       sure  to  disable,  if  not  to  kill  him 
the  spot. 
And  as  several  of  these  are  hurled  in  rapid 

ision,  it  is  evident  that  a  Neam-Nam  warrior 
DO  ordinary  foe,  and  that  even  the  possessor  of 

ms  might  in  reality  be  overcome  if  taken  by 
rise,  for,  as  the  "  boomerangs  "  are  concealed 
itW  the  shield,  the  first  intimation  of  their 
iistenoe  would  be  given  by  their  sharp  blades 
hirling  aucoedsively  through  the  air  with  deadly 

Besides  the  lance  and  the  "  boomerangs,"  each 

|[eam-Nam  carries  a  strangely-shaped  knife  in  a 

athera  sheath,  and,  oddly  enough,  the  hilt  is 

llffiys  downwards.    One  of  these  knives  is  shown 

ithe  left-hand  figure  of  the  illustration  on  page 

It  is  dharp  at  both  edges,  and  is  used  as  a 

nd-to-hand  weapon  after  the  boomerangs  have 

len  thrown,  and  the  parties  have  come  too  close 

I  use  the  spear  effectually.    From  the  projection 

tthe  base  of  the  blade  a  cord  is  tied  loosely  to 

I  handle,  and  the  loop  passed  over  the  wrist,  so 

I  to  prevent  the  warrior  from  being  disarmed. 

Some  of  the  Neam-Nam  tribe  use  a  very  remark- 
Ible  shield.  It  is  spindle-shaped,  very  long  and 
nrj  narrow,  measurmg  only  four  or  five  inches  in 

dth  in  the  middle,  and  tapering  to  a  point  at 
iiuer  end.  In  the  middle  a  hole  is  scooped,  large 
DUgh  to  contain  the  hand,  and  a  bar  of  wood  is 
]  so  as  to  form  a  handle.     This  curious  shield  is 

|tmed  in  the  left  hand,  and  is  used  to  ward  off  the  lances  or  arrows  of  the  enemy,  which 
done  by  giving  it  a  smart  twist. 

In  principle  and  appearance  it  resembles  so  closely  the  shield  of  the  native  Australian, 
lat  it  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  one  of  those  weapons.    Sometimes  a  warrior  decorates 
^shield  by  covering  it  with  the  skin  of  an  anl^lope,  wrapped  round  it  while  still  wet, 

1  then  sown  together  in  a  line  with  the  handle.  The  Shilloch  and  Dinka  tribes  use 
Hilar  weapons,  but  their  shields  are  without  the  hollow  guard  for  the  hand,  and  look 

ctly  like  bows  without  the  strings. 

Each  warrior  has  also  a  whistle,  or  call,  made  of  ivory  or  antelope's  horn,  which 

used  for  conveying  signals ;  and  some  of  the  officers,  or  leaders,  have  large  war 
limpets,  made  of  elephant's  tusks.  Two  of  these  trumpets  are  shown  in  the  iUustra- 
ion,  and  the  reader  will  observe  that,  as  is  usual  throughout  Africa,  they  are  sounded 
M  the  side,  like  a  flute,  and  not  from  the  end,  like  ordinary  trumpets.  Fig.  1  is 
"de  from  a  single  large  tusk,  but  fig.  2  represents  a  composite  ioBtrument  made  of 

od  and  ivory  bound  firmly  together.  Both  these  instruments  are'  from  Colonel  Lane 
Fox's  collection. 


~y 


W4B  TBUMFETS. 


;;.;!;' 


4H 


THE  d6R. 


Altogether  Mr.  Petherick  passed  a  considerable  time  among  this  justly-dreaded  trib 
and  was  so  popular  among  them,  that  when  he  left  the  country  he  was  accompanied  b 
crowds  of  natives,  and  the  great  chief  Diraoo  not  only  b^^ged  him  to  return,  hut  generoutll 
offered  his  daughter  as  a  wife  in  case  the  invitation  were  accepted,  and  promised  to  keel 
her  until  wanted. 


■  j  I  'HI 


I    I. 


V     ' 


f 
I 


I 


THE  DOR 

Passino  by  a  number  of  small  and  comparatively  insignificant  tribes,  we  come  to  th 
lai^ge  and  important  tribe  of  the  Ddr. 

Like  iU  African  tribes  of  any  pretence,  it  includes  a  great  number  of  smaller  or  8ut) 

tribes,  which  are  only  too  glad  to 
ranked  among  so  important  and  powej 
ful  a  tribe,  and,  for  the  sake  of  belott 
ing  to  it,  they  foi-ego  their  own  ind 
viduality. 

Like  the  Nein-Nam.  the  Ddr 
knowledge  no    paramount   chief,  th 
innumerable  8  ab  tribes  of  which  it 
composed  being  each  independent,  anj 
nearly  all  at  feud  with  one  anothej 
Indeed  the  whole  political  condition 
the  D6r  is  wonderfully  similar  to  thfJ 
of  Scotland,  when  clan  was  set  againsj 
clan,  and  a  continual  state  of  feud  pn 
vfi.led  among  them,  though  they 
gloiiod  in  the  name  of  Scotchmen. 

As  in  the  old  days  of  Chevy  Cha 
a  hunt  is  almost  a  sure  precursor  of  | 
fight.     The  D6r  are  much  given 
hunting,  and  organize  battues  on  a  granJ 
scale.    They  weave  strong  nets  of  bark 
fibre,  and  fasten  them  between  trunk 
of  trees,  so  as  to  cover  a  space  of  seven 
miles.    Antelopes  and  other  game 
driven  from  considerable  distances  inti 
these  nets ;  and  as  the  hunters  have  I 
pass  over  a  large  space  of  country,  somi 
of  which  is  sure  to  be  claimed  byinima 
cal  tribes,  a  skirmish,  if  not  a  regula[ 
battle,  is  sure  to  take  place. 

The  weapons  carried  by  the  Dor  arj 
of  rather  a  formidable  description,  anj 
some  of  them  are  figured  in  the  accompanying  illustration.  One  of  the  most  curioij 
weapons  is  the  club,  which  is  shown  at  fig.  2.  It  is  about  two  feet  six  inches  in  lengtlj 
and  is  remarkable  for  the  shape  of  the  head,  which  is  formed  like  a  mushroom,  but  I 
sharp  edges.  As  it  is  made  (»f  very  hard  wood,  it  is  a  most  effective  weapon,  and  noj 
even  the  stone-like  skull  of  a  D6r  warrior  can  resist  a  blow  from  it 

The  bow  exhibits  a  mode  of  construction  which  is  very  common  in  this  part 
Africa,  and  which  must  interfere  greatly  with  the  power  of  the  weapon.    The  string  do 


BOW,  MUSHROOM  CLUB,  ARROWS,  AND  QUIVER 


QUIVER  AND  ARROWS. 


495 


ibes,  we  come  to  th 


(extend  to  the  tips  of  the  bow,  bo  that  eighteen  inches  or  so  of  the  HmHto  aie  «  sted, 

e  elasticity  impaired.    The  reader  will  see  that,  if  the  ends  of  t'    b<tw  wert     it  off 

..iiately  above  the  string,  the  strength  and  elasticity  would  sutl'ei        iiminuti>      and 

,  in  fact,  the  extra  weight  at  each  end  of  the  bow  only  gives  the  weapon  mur«  .sork 

The  Africans  have  a  strange  habit  of  making  a  weapon  in  such  a  way  that  its  efficienrv 
I  be  .weakened  as  much  as  possible.  Not  content  with  leaving  a  foot  or  so  of  useless 
1  at  each  end  of  the  bow,  some  tribes  ornament  the  weapon  with  large  tutts  of  loose 
gg  or  fibres,  about  half  way  between  the  handle  and  the  tip,  as  if  to  cause  as  much 
irbance  to  the  aim  as  possible.  Spears  again  are  decorated  with  tufts  to  such  an  extent 
,  they  are  rendered  quite  unmanageable.    Examples  of  such  weapons  are  given  on 

'Much  more  care  is  taken  with  the  arrows  than  with  the  bows.    As  may  be  seen  by 

ence  to  the  illustration,  there  is  a  great  variety  in  the  shape  of  the  arrows,  as  also  in 

jtir  length.    They  are  all  iron-beaded,  and  every  man  seems  to  make  his  arrows  after 

^  own  peculiar  fashion.    The  large,  broad-headed  form  shown  at  fig.  8  is  not  at  all 

Bon,  neither  is  the  slightly  barbed  arrow  seen  at  fig.  7.    Figs.  3  and  4  exhibit  the 

t  common  type  of  arrow,  not  only  among  the  Ddr,  but  among  other  tribes  of  Centi-al 

\m,  while  fig.  5  is  rather  an  exceptional  modification  of  the  preceding  specimen. 

Perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  and  characteristic  form  is  that  shown  at  fig.  6.     In  my 

Oection  there  is  a  most  remarkable  quiver,  once  belonging  to  a  warrior  of  one  of  the 

i3r  8ab-tribes.    It  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  496,  and,  like  the  preceding 

apons,  was  brought  from  Central  Africa  by  Mr.  Petherick. 

The  quiver  seen  in  the  preceding  illustration  is  a  very  good  specimen  of  native  work, 
leiog  made  of  leather  neatly  formed,  while  wet,  upon  a  mould,  and  evidently  being  the 
ndiwork  of  an  experienced  artist.    My  own  specimen,  however,  is  the  very  rudest 
nple  of  a  quiver  that  can  be  conceived,  and  clearly  the  work  of  a  mere  beginner  in 
iart. 

Nothing  can  be  simpler  than  the  construction  of  this  quiver.    The  maker  has  cut  a 

rip  of  antelupe  hide  rather  more  than  three  feet  in  length  and  fourteen  inches  in  width. 

Ee  has  then  poked  his  knife  through  the  edges  at  moderately  reigular  intervals,  so  as  to 

ke  a  series  of  holes.    A  thong  about  half  an  inch  wide  has  next  been  cut  from  the 

ne  hide,  and  passed  through  the  topmost  hole  or  slit,  a  large  knot  preventing  it  from 

pping  through.     It  has  then  been  passed  through  the  remaining  slits,  so  as  to  lace  the 

ledges  together  like  the  sides  of  a  boot.    The  bottom  is  closed  by  the  simple  plan  of 

ning  it  up  and  lacing  it  by  the  same  thong  to  the  side  of  the  quiver. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  any  rougher  work.    The  maker  has  cut  the  slits  quite 

t random,  so  that  he  has  occasionally  missed  one  or  two,  and  he  has  not  taken  the  least 

Ipains  to  bring  the  sides  of  the  quiver  together  throughout  their  length.    So  stupid  or 

Icareless  has  he  been,  that  he  has  begun  by  cutting  the  strip  of  skin  much  too  narrow, 

Itnii  then  has  widened  it,  never  taking  the  pains  to  sew  up  the  cut,  which  extends  two- 

Ithiids  down  the  quiver. 

Four  or  five  of  the  arrows  have  the  leaf-shaped  head  seen  in  the  preceding  cut,  and 
JBeed  not  be  particularly  described.  Fig.  1  is  much  the  largest  of  the  arrows,  being 
ji"  cloth-yard  shaft,"  which,  but  for  the  absence  of  feathers,  might  vie  with  the  weapons 
lof  the  old  English  archers.  The  head  is  remarkable  for  a  heavy  ridge  which  runs 
l^ong  the  centre  on  both  sides.  The  arrow  shown  at  fig.  3  is  not  so  boldly  barbed  as 
1  which  has  just  been  mentioned,  but  is  quite  as  formidable  a  weapon,  on  account  of  a 
Ithick  layer  of  poison,  which  begins  just  behind  the  head,  and  extends  nearly  as  far  as 


Figs  2  ana  4  are,  however,  the  most  characteristic  foims.  Fig.  2  represents  an  arrow 
jwhich is  barbed  with  a  wonderful  ingenuity,  the  barbs  not  b^iig  mere  projections,  but 
j actual  spikes,  more  than  an  inch  in  length,  and  at  the  base  nearly  as  thick  as  a  crow-quill. 
I  They  have  been  separated  from  the  iron  head  by  the  blow  of  a  chisel,  or  some  such 
I  implement,  and  have  then  been  bent  outwards,  and  sharpened  until  the  points  are  like 
I  those  of  needles.    Besides  these  long  barbs,  the  whole  of  the  square  neck  of  the  iroa  is 


496 


THE  DOR. 


*€    ' 


V(< 


§1 


■\'i 


a.  I  «. 


ili 


1 


QUIYBB  AND  ABBOW& 


mgged  exnctly  like  the  Bechuaua  assagai  whicj 
has  buoii  fi^'ured  on  page  314. 

Such  an  arrow  catiiiot  be  extracted,  and  th, 
only  mode  of  removing  it  is  to  push  it  throujil 
the  wound.  But  tlie  Central  Ar'icans  havl 
evidently  thought  that  their  enemy  was  let  o4 
too  cheaply  by  being  allowed  to  nd  himself  ni 
the  arrow  by  so  simple  a  process,  nnd  acconl] 
ingly  they  have  invented  a  kind  of  anew  whicJ 
can  neither  be  drawn  out  nor  pushed  throiiRh, 
One  of  these  arrows  is  shown  at  fig.  4,  and  M 
reader  will  see  that  there  is  a  pair  of  reversed 
barbs  just  at  the  junction  of  the  shaft  and  m 
iron  head,  so  that  when  the  arrow  has  oncd 
penetrated,  it  must  either  be  cut  out  or  alloweJ 
to  remain  where  it  is.  Such  an  ritow  is  noi 
poisoned,  nor  does  it  need  any  such  addiiioj 
to  its  terrors. 

Both  these  arrows  are  remarkable  for  havinn 
the  heads  fastened  to  the  shaft,  first,  in  tliel 
ordinary  way,  by  raw  hide,  and  then  by  a  band 
of  iron,  about  the  sixth  of  an  inch  in  vidllij 
Though  shorter  than  some  of  the  other  nrrowsj 
they  are  on  that  account  much  heavier. 

One  of  the  fights  consequent  on  a  Imut  lai 
well  described  by  Mr.  Petherick.    He  was  sit 
ting  in  the  shade  at  noon-dpy,  when  he  pcrJ 
ceived  several  boys  running  in  haste  to  tlief 
village  for  an  additional  su})ply  of  weapons  ion 
their  fathers.   "  The  alarm  spread  instantly  thnl^ 
a  fight  was  taking  place,  and  the  women 
masse  proceeded  to  the  scene  with  yellings  and 
shrieks  indescribable.     Seizing  my  rifle,  and 
accompanied  by  four  of  my  followers,  curiosity 
to  see  a  negro  fight  tempted  me  to  accompany 
them.    After  a  stiff  march  of  a  couple  of  houra| 
through  bush  and  glade,  covered  with  waving 
grass  reaching  nearly  to  our  waists,  the  return  ofl 
several  boys  warned  us  of  the  proximity  of  thej 
Jight,  and  of  their  fear  of  its  turning  against  thein.r 
the  opposing  party  being  the  most  numerou3.| 
Many  of  the  women  hun-ied  back  to  their  homes,! 
to  prepare,  in  case  of  emergency,  for  flight  andl 
safety  in  the  bush.    For  such  an  occurrence,  tol 
a  certain  extent,  they  are  always  prepared;! 
several  parcels  of  grain  and  provisions,  neatlyl 
packed  up  in  spherical  forms  in  leaves  sur-j 
rounded  by  network,  being  generally  kept  ready  j 
in  every  hut  for  a  sudden  start. 

"  Accelerating  our  pace,  and  climbing  up  al 
steep  li  '1,  as  we  reached  the  summit,  and  werel 
procee(.ing  down  a  gentle  slope,  I  came  in  con-l 
tact  with  Djau  and  his  party  in  full  retreat,  andl 
leaping  like  greyhounds  over  the  low  under- 1 
wood  and  high  grass.  On  perceiving  me,  they  I 
halted,  and  rent  the  air  with  wild  shouts  ofl 


TREAT.MENT  OF  DEAD  ENEMIES. 


497 


rTheW]iite  Chief!  the  White  Chief  t'  and  I  was  almost  suffocated  by  the  embraces  of 
de  chief.  My  prasence  gave  them  courage  to  face  the  enemy  again ;  a  loud  peculiar 
litill  whoop  from  the  grey-headed  but  still  robust  chief  was  the  signal  for  attack,  and, 
louading  forward,  they  were  soon  out  of  sight.  To  keep  up  with  them  would  have 
>eD  an  in)i)0ssibility  ;  but,  marching  at  the  top  of  our  pace,  we  followed  them  as 
gt  we  could.     After  a  long  march  down  a  gentle  declivity,  at  the  bottom  of  which 

a  beautiful  glude,  we  again  came  up  with  them  drawn  up  in  line,  in  pairs,  some 
nft  apart  from  each  other,  within  the  confines  of  the  bush,  not  a  sound  indicating 
leir  presence. 

"Joining  them,  and  inquiring  what  had  become  of  the  enemy,  the  man  whom  I 

jtlressed  silently  pointed  to  the  bush  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  glado,  some  three 

gindred  yards  across.     Notwithstanding  my  intention  of  being  a  mere  spectator,  I  now 

t  myself  compromised  in  the  fight ;  and,  although  unwilling  to  shed  blood,  I  could  not 

uist  my  aid  to  the  friends  who  afforded  me  nn  asylum  amongst  them.     Marching, 

Itcordingly,  into  the  open  space  with  my  force  of  four  men,  I  resolved  that  we  should  act 

ukirmishers  on  the  side  of  our  hosts,  who  retained  their  position  in  the  bush.    "We  had 

[ooeeded  about  a  third  of  the  way  across  the  glnde,  when  the  enemy  advanced  out  of  the 

Irooil  and  formed,  in  a  long  line  of  two  or  three  deep,  on  its  confines  opposite  to  us.    I  also 

[ewup  my  force,  and  for  an  instant  we  stood  looking  at  each  other.    Although  within 

m(t,  at  about  two  hundred  yards'  distance,  I  did  not  like  to  fire  upon  them  ;  but  in  pre- 

^rence  continued  advancing,  thinking  the  prestige  of  my  fire-arms  would  be  sufficient. 

'I  was  right.  We  had  scarcely  marched  fifty  yards  when  a  general  flight  took 
kke,  and  in  an  instant  Bjau  and  ins  host,  aniouiiting  to  some  three  or  four  hundred 
len,  passed  in  hot  pursuit.    After  reflection  on  the  rashness  of  exposing  myself  with 

few  men  to  the  hostility  of  some  six  hundred  negroes,  and  in  self-congratulation 
1  the  effect  my  appearance  in  the  fight  had  produced,  I  waited  the  return  of  my  hosts. 
1  the  course  of  an  hour  this  took  place ;  and  as  they  advanced  I  shall  never  forget  the 
mpression  they  made  upon  me.  A  more  complete  picture  of  savage  life  I  could  not 
lave  imagined.  A  large  host  of  naked  negroes  came  trooping  on,  grasping  in  their  hands 
iow  and  arrow,  lances  and  clubs,  with  wild  gesticulations  and  frightful  yell'^  proclaiming 
^eir  victory,  whilst  one  displayed  the  reeking  head  of  a  victim.  I  refused  to  join  them 
1  following  up  the  defeat  of  their  enemies  by  a  descent  on  their  villages. 

"With  some  difficulty  they  were  persuaded  to  be  content  with  the  success  already 
kbieved— that  of  having  beaten  off  a  numerically  superior  force — and  return  to  their 
lomes.  Their  compliance  was  only  obtained  by  an  actual  refusal  of  further  co-operation ; 
nt  in  the  event  of  a  renewed  attack  upon  their  villages,  the  probability  of  which  was 

gested,  I  promised  them  my  willing  support" 

The  death  of  an  enemy  and  the  capture  of  his  body  are  always  causes  of  great  rejoicing 
mong  the  Dor  tribes,  because  they  gain  trophies  whereby  they  show  their  skill  in  war- 
In  the  centre  of  every  village  there  is  a  large  open  space,  or  circus,  in  the  middle 
;  which  is  the  venerated  war-tree.  Beneath  this  tree  are  placed  the  great  war-drums, 
deep,  booming  notes  can  be  heard  for  miles.  On  the  branches  are  hung  the 
|rhitened  skulls  of  slain  warriors,  and  the  war-drums  only  sound  when  a  new  head  is 
idded  to  the  trophy,  or  when  the  warriors  are  called  to  ami& 

Four  of  the  enemy  were  killed  in  this  skirmish,  and  their  bodies  were  thrown  into  the 
ish,  their  heads  being  reserved  for  the  trophy.  On  the  same  evening  tliey  were  brought 
bto  the  village  circus,  and  dances  performed  in  honour  of  the  victors.  The  great  drums 
fere  beaten  in  rhythmic  measure,  and  the  women  advanced  in  pairs,  dancing  to  the  sound 
f  the  drum  and  chanting  a  war-song.  As  they  approached  the  heads  of  the  victims,  they 
ilted,  and  addressed  various  insulting  epithets  to  thefli,  clanking  their  iron  anklets  and 
^elliug  with  excitement. 

On  the  following  day  the  heads  were  taken  into  the  bush  to  be  bleached,,  and,  after 
ley  were  completely  whitened,  they  were  hung  on  the  trophy  with  the  accompaniment  of 
fiore  shouts  and  dances. 

All  their  hunting  parties,  however,  are  not  conducted  in  this  manner,  nor  do  they  all 
»d  to  bloodshed.    When  they  hunt  the  elephant,  for  example,  the  animal,  is  attacked 

VOL  L  K  K 


498 


THE  D6R 


M  -■^* 


m 


I 


by  a  small  party,  and  for  the  sufficient  reason,  namely,  that  he  who  first  wounds  tU 

elephant  takes  the  tusks,  and  therefore  every  additional  iiian  only  decreases  the  chance.] 

They  have  one  singularly  ingenious  modfi  of  hunting  the  elephant,  which  is  conductJ 

by  one  man  alone. 

The  hunter  takes  with  him  a  remarkable  spear  made  for  the  express  purpose.  One  [ 
these  spears,  which  was  brought  from  Central  Africa  by  Mr.  Petherick,  is  in  my  collectiol 
and  a  representation  of  it  may  be  seen  on  page  103,  fig.  2.  They  vary  slightly  in  sizl 
but  my  specimen  is  a  very  fair  example  of  the  average  dimensions.  It  is  rather  hioi 
than  six  feet  in  length,  three  feet  of  which  are  due  to  the  iron  head  and  the  socket  in] 
which  the  shaft  passea  As  may  be  seen,  the  shaft  tapers  gradually,  so  as  to  pemit  it  1 
pass  into  the  socket.  To  the  butt  is  fastened  a  heavy  piece  of  wood,  rather  more  M 
four  inches  in  diameter.  It  is  a  heavy  weapon,  its  whole  weight  being  a  little  more  thd 
seven  pounds,  and  is  so  ill-balanced  and  so  unwieldy,  that,  unless  its  use  were  known,) 
would  seem  to  be  about  the  most  clumsy  weapon  that  ever  was  invented. 

This,  however,  is  the  spear  by  which  the  D6r  and  Baer  tribes  kill  the  elephant,  i 
very  ingeniously  the^  do  it. 

Knowing  the  spots  where  the  elephant  loves  to  hide  itself  in  the  noon-tide,  and  whicl 
are  always  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  the  hunter  proceeds  thither  in  the  eaily  momiDl 
and  carries  with  him  his  heavy  spear  and  some  rope.  When  he  approaches  the  place,  li 
proceeds  to  take  some  large  stoues,  and  binds  them  to  the  butt  of  the  spear,  plasteris 
them  over  thickly  with  lumps  of  clay,  so  as  to  make  his  heavy  weapon  still  heavier.  " 
then  ties  one  end  of  the  rope  to  the  spear,  and  after  selecting  a  suitable  tree,  climbs  it,  an| 
works  his  way  out  upon  one  of  the  horizontal  branches,  hauling  up  his  weapon  when  1 
has  settled  himself 

He  now  awaits  the  coming  of  the  herd,  and,  when  they  are  close  to  the  tree,  unties  tlj 
spear,  and  holds  it  in  readinesa  When  an  elephant  with  good  tusks  passes  under  hira, 
drops  the  spear  upon  the  animal's  back,  the  weight  of  the  weapon  causing  it  to  penetratl 
deeply  into  the  body.  Startled  at  the  sudden  pang,  the  elephant  rushes  through  the  trecl 
trying  to  shake  oflF  the  terrible  spear,  which  sways  about  from  side  to  side,  occasionallj 
striking  against  the  trunks  or  branches  of  the  trees,  and  so  cutting  its  way  deeper  amon 
the  vital  organs,  until  the  unfortunate  animal  falls  from  loss  of  blood. 

The  hunter  does  not  trouble  himself  about  chasing  his  victim  at  once.  He  cai 
always  track  it  by  its  bloody  traces,  and  knows  full  well  that  within  a  moderate  distanq 
the  unfortunate  animal  will  halt,  and  there  die,  imless  it  is  disturbed  by  the  presence  ( 
man,  and  urged  to  further  exertions. 

The  reader  will  note  the  curious  similarity  between  this  mode  of  elephant  huntinj 
and  the  Banyai  method  of  trapping  the  hippopotamus,  as  described  on  page  401.  Tli 
Ddr  also  use  lances,  at  least  eleven  feet  long,  for  elephant  hunting,  the  blades  measurinl 
between  two  and  three  feet  in  length.  These,  however,  are  not  dropped  from  a  tree,  hif 
wielded  by  hand,  the  hunters  surrounding  the  animal,  and  each  watching  his  opportunity 
and  driving  his  spear  into  its  side  when  its  attention  is  directed  towards  some  on  tb| 
other  side. 

The  D8r  hold  in  great  contempt  the  perfect  nudity  which  distinguishes  the  Kytcl 
and  several  other  tribes,  but  no  one  on  first  entering  their  villages  would  suppose  such  t| 
be  the  cas&    The  dress  which  the  men  wear  is  simply  a  little  flap  of  leather  haTigin 
behind  them.  This,  however,  in  their  ideas  constitutes  dress  ;  and  when  some  of  the  Djoul 

{)eople  entered  a  D8r  village,  the  latter,  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  visitors,  turned  thei[ 
ittle  aprons  to  the  front,  and  so  were  considered  as  having  put  on  full  dress. 

The  women  use  a  still  simpler  dress.    Until  they  are  married,  they  wear  no  dress  i 
all ;  but  when  that  event  takes  place,  they  clothe  themselves  in  a  very  simple  manner] 
In  their  country  is  an  abundance  of  evergreens  and  creepers,  and  with  these  they  fon 
their  dress,  a  branch  tucked  into  the  girdle  in  front,  and  another  behind,  answering  a 
purposes  of  clothing.    They  use  these  leafy  dresses  of  such  a  length  that  they  fall  nearl]| 
to  the  ground. 

Ornaments,  nowever,  they  admire  exceedingly,  and  the  weight  of  a  DeSr  woman'^ 
decorations  is  more  than  an  ordinary  man  would  like  to  carry  about  with  nim  for  i 


THE  "WOODEN  CHIEFS." 


499 


L)le  day.  Heavy  strings  of  beads  are  hung  on  their  necks  and  tied  round  their  waists, 
|(  most  valued  beads  being  as  large  as  pigeon's  eggs,  and  consequently  very  heavy. 
LiT8  of  beads  also  fall  from  their  ears.  On  their  wrists  they  wear  bracelets,  made 
«pfy  of  iron  bars  cut  to  the  proper  length,  and  bent  round  the  wrist.  Others,  but  of 
■et  dimensions,  encircle  the  ankles  ;  and  as  some  of  them  are  fully  an  inch  thick,  and 
ute  solid,  their  united  weight  is  very  considerable. 

like  most  African  tribes,  the  D6r  are  fond  of  wearing  amulets,  though  they  do  not  seem 
[lave  any  particular  idea  of  their  meaning,  and  certainly  do  not  attach  any  sanctity  to 
They  have  a  hazy  idea  that  the  posses- 
of  a  certain  amulet  is  a  safeguard  against 
in  dangers,  but  they  do  not  trouble  them- 
fes  about  the  modus  operandi.  One  of  these 
■Haces,  made  of  scraps  of  wood,  is  shown  in 
accompuiiying  illustration.  It  was  brought 
Central  Africa  by  Mr.  Petherick,  and  is  in 
collection  of  Colonel  Lane  Fox. 
In  this  tribe  we  may  notice  the  re-appear- 
of  the  lip  ornament.  In  the  manner  in 
fch  it  is  worn  it  resembles  the  "  pelele " 
iribed  on  page  395,  but  it  is  worn  in  the 
ir  instead  of  the  upper  lip.  One  of  these 
lents  is  now  before  me.  It  is  cylindrical, 
a  conical  top,  and  measures  three-quarters 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  exactly  an  inch  in 
;b.  The  base,  which  comes  against  the 
teeth  and  gum,  is  nearly  flat,  and  well 
ihed,  while  the  conical  top,  which  projects 
mt  of  the  mouth,  is  carved  very  neatly  with 
cross-hatching  "  sort  of  a  pattern,  the  effect  of 
Kh  is  heightened  by  the  charring  of  certain 
ions  of  it,  the  blackened  and  polished  sur- 
contrasting  well  with  the  deep  red  colour 
the  wood.  In  order  to  keep  it  in  its  place, 
[ihallow  groove  runs  round  it.    This  is  one 

^e  smaller  specimens,  but  it  is  the  custom  of  the  owner  to  wear  larger  and  larger 
ornaments,  until  some  of  them  contrive  to  force  into  their  lips  pieces  uf  wood  three 

in  circumference. 

More  taking  leave  of  the  D6r  costume,  it  may  be  as  well  to  observe  that  in  the  Boto- 
tribe  of  Tropical  America  both  sexes  wear  a  similar  ornament  in  their  lips,  and  iu 
instances  have  these  strange  decorations  twice  as  large  as  those  of  the  Dor  women. 
The  villages  of  the  Dir  tribes  are  really  remarkable.    The  houses  are  neatly  con- 
ited  of  canes  woven  into  a  sort  of  basket-work.     The  perpendicular  walls  are  about 
feet  high,  and  are  covered  by  a  conical  roof,  the  whole  shape  of  the  hut  being  almost 
ly  like  that  of  the  lip  ornament  which  has  just  been  described.    The  reed  roof  is 
lented  on  the  exterior  with  pieces  of  wood  carved  into  the  rude  semblance  of  birds. 
In  the  middle  of  each  hut  is  the  bedstead,  and,  as  no  cooking  is  done  within  it,  the 
"ior  of  the  hut  is  very  clean,  and  in  that  respect  entirely  unlike  the  sooty  homes  ol  tlid 
it  tribes.    All  the  cooking  is  performed  in  a  separate  hut,  or  kitchen,  and  is  of  a 
ir  simple  character,  the  chief  food  being  a  kind  of  porridge. 

The  doorway  is  very  small,  and  is  barricaded  at  night  by  several  logs  of  wood  laid 

ntally  upon  each  other,  and  supported  at  each  end  by  two  posts  driven  into  the 

ind.   The  whole  village  is  kept  as  clean  as  the  individual  houses,  and  the  central 

18  is  not  only  swept,  but  kept  well  watered,  so  as  to  lay  the  dust. 

The  most  singular  point  in  the  D6r  village  lies  in  the  approaches  to  it,  which  are 

iw  footpaths,  marked  out  on  each  side  by  wooden  posts  roughly  carved  into  the  human 

They  are  placed  about  four  feet  apart,  and  are  different  in  size.    The  one  nearest 

kk2 


AMtriiET  NECKLACB. 


¥ 


500 


THE  d6r 


the  village  is  the  largest,  whUe  the  others  are  much  smaller,  and  are  represented 
carrying  bowls  on  their  heads.    The  natives  say  that  the  first  is  the  chief  goiii<T  to  a  fea 
and  that  the  others  are  his  attendants  carrying  food  on  their  heads.  " 

Several  of  these  wooden  figures  were  brought  to  England  by  Mr.  Petherick,  and  t 

of  the  chiefs  are  here  represented,  the  one  on  the  Id 
heing  drawn  from  a  specimen  in  Colonel  Lane  Fol 
collection,  and  that  on  the  right  from  a  figure  kindl 
lent  by  Mr.  Wareham.  They  are  about  four  feet  i 
length.  It  may  be  imagined  that  a  donltle  row 
such  figures  must  give  a  most  curious  aspect  to  tH 
road.  1 

"  The  village,"  writes  Mr.  Petherick, "  was  prettii 
situated  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  around  which  were  tn 
or  three  other  villages,  this  forming  the  entire  cod 
nnniity  of  a  large  district.  From  its  summit  a  leal 
tiful  view  of  the  surrounding  countiy  was  obtaim 
Surrounding  the  village  at  a  moderate  distance  m 
the  unfenQed  gardens  of  the  villagers,  in  which  citcu 
bits,  vegetables,  and  seeds  were  groM'n  ;  and  heyoii 
to  the  eastward,  was  a  large  plain  of  cultivatl 
dourra  fields ;  and  southward,  at  about  a  mile  di 
tant,  a  winding  brook  was  to  be  seen,  bordered  wil 
superb  trees  and  flourishing  canes.  The  bush  sul 
plied  a  variety  of  game,  consisting  of  partrid"! 
guinea-fowl,  a  large'  white  boar,  gazelles,  anteJopJ 
and  giraffes.  Elephants  and  buffaloes  I  did  not  ej 
counter,  and  I  was  told  that  they  only  frequentJ 
the  locality  in  the  rainy  season." 

Thiee  i'orms  of  the  guitar,  or  rababa,  are  shv 
in  the  illustration  on  page  501.  The  left-liai) 
specimen,  which  was  brought  by  Mr.  Petherick  i'ri^ 
the  Dor  tribe,  is  remarkable  for  the  elegance  of 
form,  the  two  scoops  in  the  sides  being  curiously  lij 
the  same  portion  of  a  European  violin.  The  readf 
will  probably  observe  that  in  neither  instnimeiit  I 
the  neck  rigid,  as  in  the  guitars  and  viulins  with  wliij 
WOODEN  CHIEFS.  WO  .ire  all  familiar.    This  is,  however,  intentional  i 

the  part,  of  the  maker,  its  object  being  to  keep  t| 
strings  at  a  proper  tension. 
This  principle  is  carried  out  to  its  fullest  extent  in  the  right-hand  instrument,  in  wliij 
there  are  five  strings,  each  string  having  its  separate  elastic  neck.  The  mode  in  wbij 
it  is  tuned  is  equally  simple  and  effective.  A  ring,  mostly  made  of  the  same  fibre  as  tj 
strings,  is  passed  over  each  neck,  so  that,  as  it  is  slipped  up  or  down,  the  sound  becon 
proportionately  grave  or  acute.  It  can  be  thus  tuned  with  reasonable  accuracy,  as  1 1 
testify  by  experience,  the  only  drawback  being  that  the  notes  cannot  be  altered 
pressure  of  the  fingers  upon  the  strings,  on  account  of  the  angle  which  they  make  vij 
the  neck.  Five  sounds  only  can  be  produced  by  this  instrument,  but  it  is  worthy  f 
notice  that  one  string  is  very  much  longer  than  the  others,  so  that  it  produces  a  deeptoij 
analogous  to  the  "  drone  "  in  the  bagpipes. 

Although  tolerably  well-mannered  to  travellers  with  whom  they  were  acquainted,  1 
Dor  are  very  apt  to  behave  badly  to  those  whom  they  do  not  know.  Mr.  Petherick  nead 
lost  his  life  by  a  sudden  and  treacherous  attack  that  was  made  on  him  by  some  of  thistria 
Accompanied  by  the  friendly  chief,  Djau,  he  went  to  a  village,  and  began  to  purcha 
ivory.  In  spite  of  Djau's  presence  the  people  were  suspicious,  and  became  more  81 
more  insolent,  asking  higher  prices  for  every  tusk,  and  at  last  trying  to  run  off  witij 
tusk  and  the  beads  that  had  been  ofiered  in  payment  for  it. 


ATTACK  UPON  MR  PETHERICK 


501 


are  represented  i 
hief  going  to  a  fea 

Petherick,  and  i„ 
I,  the  one  on  the  l3 

Colonel  LaneFoi 
from  a  figure  kind] 
e  about  four  feet  i 
lat  a  doiil)le  row  l 
urious  aspect  to  d 

[lerick,  "wasprettil 
und  which  were  tv^ 
ling  the  entire  cod 
n  its  summit  a  lea] 
mntiy  was  obtaiiiJ 
derate  distance  wel 
ipers,  in  which  ciicu 
Jiown  ;  and  beyoD 
plain  of  cultivatJ 
it  about  a  mile  di 
1  seen,  bordered  wil 
les.  The  bush  sul 
isting  of  parlridgl 
,  gazelles,  antolopJ 
ffaloes  I  did  rot  el 
hey  only  frequentj 

fr  rababa,  are  show 
01.  The  left-liaf 
y  Mr.  Petherick  frcj 
•  the  elegance  of 
5  being  curiously  lil 
n  violin.  The  reiiJ 
leither  instnnuent  \ 
nd  violins  with  vl 
wever,  intentional  ( 
ct  being  to  keep  tl 

instrnment,inv'lii| 
The  mode  in  vliij 
the  same  fibre  as  t| 
1,  the  sound  becon 
le  accuracy,  as  1 1 
annot  be  altered 
hich  they  make  wil 
,,  but  it  'is  worthy  r 
produces  a  deep  tod 


iTlietnsk  was  regained,  whereupon  a  sudden  attack  was  made,  and  a  Jance  hurled  at 
Petherick,  whom  it  missed,  but  s'luck  one  of  his  men  in  the  shoulder.  Three  more 
.wounded  by  a  volley  of  spears,  and  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  fire.  One  of  the 
ilants  having  been  wounded  in  the  leg,  firing  was  stopped.  On  going  for  their  donkey, 
I  had  been  brou^dit  to  carry  back  the  tusks,  he  was  found  lying  dead,  having  been 
[by  the  vengeful  D6v. 


m 


GUITARS. 


Hereupon  Djau  recommended  that  the  village  should  be  sacked  as  a  warning,  which 
done,  and  the  spoil  carried  home.  Next  day  the  chief  of  the  village  came  very 
3!y  to  apologise,  bringing  some  tusks  as  an  equivalent  for  the  donkey,  and  as  a  proof 

goodwill  for  the  future.     So  the  tusks  were  accepted,  the  plunder  of  the  viDa^e 

itored,  and  harmony  was  thus  established,  a  supplemcuiaiy  present  of  beads  being 

ied  as  a  seal  to  the  bargain. 


'■| 


Hi 


ng  to  run  off  witlj 


'((.  • 


i)     I. 


502 


THE  DJOUR 


»     1 

i 

1.  . 

it 

1 
^1  f,r 

1 

i'ii 

;! 

>» 


THE  DJOUR 

Tftt!  DjouT  tribe  afford  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  influence  wbicb  is  exercised  ov| 
man  by  the  peculiarities  of  the  country  in  which  he  is  placed.  Surrounded  by  pastoif 
tribes,  which  breed  cattle  and  trouble  themselves  but  little  about  the  cultivation  of  t] 
jjround,  the  Djour  are  agriculturists,  and  have  no  cattle  except  goats.  The  sole  reason  1 
this  fact  is,  that  the  dread  tsetse-fly  is  abundant  in  the  land  of  Djour,  and  consequentl 
neither  horse  nor  ox  has  a  chance  of  life.  This  terrible  insect,  harmless  to  man  and  f 
most  animals,  is  certain  death  to  the  horse,  dog,  and  ox  tribe. 

It  is  very  little  larger  than  the  horse-fly,  and  its  only  weapons  are  a  kind  of  lancet,  whiJ 
projects  from  its  mouth,  as  one  may  see  in  the  gad-fly.    Like  the  gad-fly,  the  tsetse  on 

causes  a  temporary  irritation  when  I 

bites  a  human  being,  and  the  stranfjeL 

thing  is  that  it  does  no  harm  to  cafvl 

until  they  are  weaned.    It  does  nl 

sting,  but.  like  the  gnat,  inserts  I 

sharp  proboscis  into  the  skin  for  t| 

purpose  of  sucking  the  blood.    At'lJ 

an  ox  has  been  bitten,  it  loses  col 

dition,  the  coat  starts,  the  mnscll 

become  flaccid,  and  in  a  short  tin 

the  animal  dies,  even  the  muscle 

the  heart  having  become  so  soft  tlij 

when  pinched,  the  fingers  can  be  ma 

to  meet  through  it 

Yet  the  mule,  ass,  and  goat  enjJ 
a  perfect  immunity  from  this  pest,  an 
consequently   the   only  doniesticatf 
animal  among  the  Djour  is  tlie  goal 
The  tsetse  is  a  singularly  localiuseij 
It  will  swarm  along  one  bank  of  1 
river,  and  the  other  bank  be  free ; 
it  will  inhabit  little  hills,  or  perhapsl 
patch  of  soil  on  level  ground.  Tsetsi 
haunted  places  are  well  known  to  ii 
natives,  and  it  has  often  happened  tlia 
when  a  herd  of  oxen  has  been  drivfl 
through  one  of  these  dreaded  spolj 
not  a  single  animal  has  escaped. 
Being  deprived  of  fattle,  the  Djour  do  not  depend  wholly  upon  agriculture,  but  aj 
admirable  workers  in  iron,  and  by  them  are  made  many  of  the  weapons  and  polisha 
iron  ornaments  which  are  so  much  in  request  throughout  Central  Africa.    Iron  ore 
abundant  in  their  country,  and,  after  they  have  finished  getting  in  their  crops,  tij 
industrious  Djour  set  to  work  at  their  metallurgy,  at  which  every  man  is  more 
less  an  adept     After  procuring  a  sufficient  quantity  of  ore,  they  proceed  to  smelt 
,  iu  furnaces  very  ingeniously  built. 

"  The  cupolas  are  constructed  of  stiff  clay,  one  foot  thick,  increasing  towards  till 
bottom  to  about  fourteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  four  feet  in  height  Underneath  isf 
small  basin  for  the  reception  of  the  metal,  and  on  a  level  with  the  surface  are  foij 
apertures,  opposite  each  other,  for  the  reception  of  the  blast  pipes.  These  are  made 
burnt  clay,  and  are  attached  to  earthen  vessels  about  eighteen  inches  in  diameter  and  sij 
inches  in  height,  covered  with  a  loose  dressed  goat-skin  tied  tightly  over  them,  au| 


ORNAMENTS. 


IRON  ORNAMENTS. 


603 


Iperforated  with  a  few  small  holes.    In  the  centre  there  is  a  loop  to  contain  the  fingers  of 

Itbe  operator.  A  lad,  sitting  between  two  of  these  vessels,  by  a  rapid  alternate  vertical 
potion  with  each  hand  drives  a  current  of  air  into  the  furuace,  which,  charged  with 
iltemate  layers  of  ore  and  charcoal,  nourished  by  eight  of  these  rude  bellows,  emits  a 
Jane  some  eighteen  inches  in  height  at  the  top. 

"  Relays  of  boys  keep  up  a  continual  blast,  and,  when  the  basin  for  the  reception  of 
U  metal  is  nearly  full,  the  charging  of  the  furnace  is  discontinued,  and  it  is  blown  out. 
Ihrough  an  aperture  at  the  bottom  the  greater  part  of  the  slag  is  withdrawn,  and  the 
temperature  of  the  furnace  not  being  sufficient  to  reduce  the  metal  to  the  fluid  state,  it  is 
nixed  up  with  a  quantity  of  impurities,  and  broken,  when  still  warm,  into  small  pieces. 
Iliese  are  subsequently  submitted  to  the  heat  of  a  smith's  hearth,  and  hammered  with  a 
liiige  granite  boulder  on  a  small  anvil,  presenting  a  surface  of  one  and  a  half  inches  square, 
ituck  into  an  immense  block  of  wood. 

"By  this  method  the  metal  is  freed  from  its  impurities,  and  converted  into  malleable 
iron  of  the  best  quality.  The  slag  undergoes  the  operations  of  crushing  and  washing,  and 
small  globules  of  iron  contained  in  it  are  obtained.  A  crucible  charged  with  them  is 
exposed  to  welding  heat  on  the  hearth,  and  its  contents  are  welded  and  purified  as  above. 
"  The  iron  being  reduced  to  small  malleable  ingots,  the  manufacture  of  lances,  hoes, 
hatchets,  &c.  is  proceeded  with.  These  are  beaten  into  shape  by  the  boulder  wielded  by 
t  powerful  man ;  and  the  master  smith  with  a  hammer,  handleless,  like  the  pestle  of  a 
mortar,  finishes  them.  With  these  rude  implements,  the  proficiency  they  have  attained 
is  truly  astonishing,  many  lances  and  other 

lirticles  of  their  manufacture  which  I  now 
^  sess   having    been    pronounced    good 

I  specimens  of  workmanship  for  an  ordinaiy 

I  English  smith." 

In  the  illustration  on  page  502  examples 

I  are  seen  of  the  workmanship  of  the  Djour 

[tribe.  The  remarkable  ornament  with  a 
long  hook  is  an  armlet,  the  hooked  portion 
beiug  passed  over  the  arm,  and  then  bent, 
so  as  to  retain  its  hold.  The  other  two 
ornaments  are  entirely  iron,  end  are  either 
wora  by  themselves,  or  sold  to  the  Dinka 

land  other  neighbouring  tribes  for  food. 
Tiie  four  singular  objects  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration  are  women's  knives, 
and  are  good  examples  of  the  patient  skill 
displayed  by  the  Djour  tribe  with  such 

I  very  imperfect  tools. 

These  and  other  products  of  their  in-^ 

Igenuity  are  dispersed  throughout  several 
of  the  tribes  of  Central  Africa,  many  of 
them  being  recognised  as  currency,  just  as 
is  the  English  sovereign  on  the  Continent. 
As  if  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  the  proverb, 
that  men  are  always  longing  for  that  which  they  do  not  possess,  the  Djour  are  always 

I  hankering  after  beef,  and  in  consequence  buy  cattle  largely  from  their  warlike  neighbours, 
the  Dinka  tribe.  The  tsetse  prevents  the  Djour  from  keeping  the  cattle  just  purchased, 
and  so  they  only  buy  them  in  order  to  kill  and  eat  them  at  once. 

Owing  to  this  traffic,  the  Djour  are  recognised  as  the  chief  smiths  of  Central  Africa, 
and  they  can  always  find  a  market  for  their  wares.  Consequently,  they  are  a  very  pros- 
perous tribe,  as  even  the  Dinkas  would  not  wish  to  destroy  a  people  from  whom  they 
procure  the  very  weapons  with  which  they  fight ;  and  there  is  not  a  Djour  man  who 
cannot  with  ordinary  industry  earn  enough  for  the  purchase  and  maintenance  of  a  wife  as 
soon  as  he  is  old  enough  to  take  one.    Among  themselves  they  do  not  care  particularly 


WOMEN'S  KNIVES. 


504 


THE  DJOUR 


-ii  ^  , 


m 


■at 


■t'*  ,1^4^ 


about  wearing  as  ornaments  the  products  of  their  o\vn  skill,  but  prize  beads  above  ever 
other  personal  decoration ;  and  so  far  do  they  carry  this  predilection,  that  their  wives  an 
pnrchased  with  beads,  and  not  with  goats — the  only  cattle  which  they  can  breed.    Them 

is  scarcely  a  Djour  of  full  age  who  has  not  a  wife,  if  not! 
in  fact,  yet  in  view;  and  so  brisk  is  the  matrimoninll 
market,  that  there  is  not  a  girl  in  the  country  above  eic'litl 
years  of  age  who  has  not  been  purchased  by  some  one  ul 
a  wife.  I 

Tobacco  is  as  dear  to  the  Djour  as  to  other  Africnnl 
tribes,  and  they  are  fond  of  smoking  it  in  pipes  of  voiyl 
great  capacity.  They  have  a  rather  odd  mode  of  manngiiiffj 
their  pipes.  The  bowl  is  of  reddish  clay,  worked  on  tliol 
outside  iuto  a  kind  of  pattern  like  that  in  frosted  uliissj 
The  stem  is  of  bamboo,  and  is  very  thick,  and  the  jimcl 
tion  between  the  stem  and  the  bowl  is  made  toleral)lyl 
air-tight  by  binding  a  piece  of  raw  hide  round  it.  A  loiinj 
and  narrow  gourd  forn)s  the  mouthpiece,  and  round  it  is  I 
wrapped  a  piece  of  leather  like  that  which  fastens  tliel 
bowl  to  the  stem.  Lest  the  mouthpiece  should  fall  off,  a  I 
string  is  passed  round  it,  and  the  other  end  fastened  to  I 
the  lower  end  of  the  stem.  I 

When  the  pipe  is  used,  a  quantity  of  fine  bark-filiregl 
are  rolled  up  into  little  balls,  and,  the  gourd  moutlipicce 
being  removed,  they  are  thrust  into  it  and  into  the  stem 
so   that,  when  the  pipe  is  lighted,  they  may  becoiiio 
saturated  with  tobacco  oil.     This  fibre  is  not  inseitudl 
for  the  purpose  of  purifying  the  smoke,  for  the  tolmccol 
oil  is  thought  to  be  much  too  valuable  on  article  to  lie  I 
wasted,  and  the  fibre  bulls,  when  thoroughly  satnmtcd, 
are  taken  out  and  chewed  as  if  they  were  tiie  best  pi<j 
tobacco. 

It  is  thought  to  be  a  delicate  attention  for  t«o| 
friends  to  exchange  "quids"  from  each  otiier's  pijic, nml 
when  one  person  has  obtained  as  much  tobacco  oil  113 1 
he  cares  for,  he  passes  the  quid  to  another,  and  so  011,  | 
until  the  flavour  has  all  been  extracted.  The  accom- 
panying illustration  represents  one  of  these  pipes,  kindly  I 
lent  by  Mr.  Wareham.  It  is  two  feet  in  length,  audi 
the  bowl  is  capable  of  holding  a  large  handful  of  tobdcco. 

Pipes  of  this  description,  though  differing  slightly  in  I 
details,  prevail  through  the  whole  of  Central  Africa,  nnd 
especially  along  the  east  bank  of  the  Nile.     In  tliel 
splendid  collection  gathered  by  Mr.  Petherick,  and  (x- 
hibited  in  London  in  1862,  more  than  twenty  such  pipes  I 
were  exhibited,  several  with  horn  stems,  some  mounted 
with  iron,  and  in  one  or  two  the  bark  "quids"  were 
still  in  their  places.     The  specimen   described  above! 
PIPE  (/««  Mr.  pourtcK*  eduction).      b«longed  to  the  coUection. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


THE  LATOOKA  TKIBE. 


'mm  LIVEI.T  AND  PLEASANT  DISPOHITION—  BINOULAR  HRAS-STtESS — 'WEAl  ONS — ^THE  ABMED  BRACE- 
IBT  AND  ITS  U8K — LATOOKA  MOMEN  AND  THKIR  DBES8 — THE  CURIOUS  LIP  OBNAMENT— 
BOKKin    AND    HEB    DAUOHTEB — 'WEALTH     OF     THE     LATOOKA8— INGENIOUS     STBUCTUBB    OF      THE 

TILLA0F.8 — TAHBANOOLLE,      THE     CAPITAL    OF   LATOOKA — CONDITION     OF      THE     WOMEN BOKKfe 

AND    THE    BOLDIEB MODE    OP     OOVEBNMENT ABSENCE     OF    BF.LIGI0U8    IDEAS — SKILL     AT   THE 

rOROR — THE  MOLOTE,  OB  IBON  HOE — FONDNESS  FOB  CATTLE — BEPUL8B  OF  A  BAID,  AND  A 
LATOOKA  VICTOBY — THE  DBUM  SIGNALS — FUNEBAL  CEBEUONIES  — THE  STBANGB  DANCES — 
LATOOKA  BELLS. 


The  Latooka  tribe  inhabit  a  tract  of  country  on  the  east  of  the  Nile,  lat.  40°  K  Equally 
warlike  when  war  is  need«d,  they  are  not  the  morose,  inhospitable  set  of  savages  we 
have  seen  some  of  their  neighbours  to  be,  but  are  merry,  jocose,  and  always  ready  either 

I  for  fighting,  laughing,  or  playing. 

The  dress  of  the  Latookas  is  at  once  simple  and  complicated.    The  men  wear  but 

I  little  dress  upon  their  bodies,  but  bestow  a  wonderful  amount  of  attention  upon  their 
liends,  the  proper  tiring  of  which  is  so  long  a  process,  that  a  man  cannot  hope  to  dress  his 
Iiead  perfectly  until  he  has  arrived  at  lull  age.  Indeed,  from  the  time  that  a  Latooka 
bfgiiis  to  dress  his  head,  at  least  seven  or  eight  years  must  elapse  before  his  toilet  is  com- 
iik'ted.    The  following  account,  given  by  Sir  S.  Baker,  aliords  an  excellent  idea  of  the 

I  Latooka  head-dress. 

"However  tedious  the  operation,  the  result  is  extraordinary.    The  Eatookas  wear  most 

I  exquisite  helmets :  all  of  them  are  formed  of  their  own  hair,  and  are  of  course  fixtures. 
At  first  sight  it  appears  incredible,  but  a   minute  examination  shows  the  wonderful 
lierseveraiice  of  years  in  producing  what  must  be  highly  inconvenient 
"The  thick,  crisp  wool  is  woven  with  fine  twine,  formed  from  the  bark  of  a  tree,  until 

I  it  presents  a  thick  net-work  of  felt.     As  the  hair  grows  through  this  matted  substance,  it 

I  is  subjected  to  the  same  process,  until,  in  the  course  of  years,  a  compact  substance  is 
formed,  like  a  strong  felt,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  that  has  been  trained  into  the 
'  ipe  of  a  helmet.  A  strong  rim,  of  about  two  inches  deep,  is  formed  by  sewing  it 
together  with  thread  ;  and  the  front  part  of  the  helmet*  is  protectea  by  a  piece  of  polished 
copper;  while  a  plate  of  the  same  metal,  shaped  like  the  half  of  a  bishop's  mitre,  and 
about  a  foot  in  length,  forms  the  crest. 

"  The  framework  of  the  helmet  being  at  length  completed,  it  must  be  perfected  by  an 
arrangement  of  beads,  should  the  owner  be  sufficiently  rich  to  indulge  in  the  coveted  dis- 

I  tinction.  The  beads  most  in  fashion  are  the  red  and  the  blue  porcelain,  about  the  size  of 
small  peas.  These  are  sewn  on  the  nape  of  the  felt,  and  so  beautifully  arranged  in 
sections  of  blue  and  red,  that  the  entire  helmet  appears  to  be  formed  of  beads ;  and  the 

I  baDdsome  crest  of  polished  copper,  surmounted  by  ostrich  plumes,  gives  a  most  dignified 


'■■■  "n 


K-h    r.i 


506 


THE  LATOOKA. 


;i  ^ 


■V,   1 


III'  ^i;';;" 


t, ,    '  ■ 


in    i, :  i  - 


and  martial  appearance    to   this    elaborate  head-gear.     No   helmet  is  supposed 
be  complete  without  a  row  of  cowrie  shells  stitched  round  the  rim,  so  as  to  form' 
solid  edge." 

Necklaces  of  metal  are  also  worn  by  the  men,  and  also  bracelets  of  the  same  material  I 
Each  warrior  carries  in  addition  a  most  remarkable  bracelet  on  his  right  wrist.  This  is  a| 
ring  of  iron,  round  which  are  set  four  or  live  knife-blades  with  points  and  edges  scrupulous! vl 
kept  sharp.  With  this  instmment  they  can  strike  terrible  blows,  and  if  in  action  tliel 
spear  is  dropped,  the  wearer  instantly  closes  with  his  enemy,  and  strikes  at  him  with  hisl 
armed  bracelet.  The  other  weapons  of  the  Latooka  tribe  are  a  strong  lance,  or  a  short! 
mace,  mostly  made  of  iron,  and  a  shield  about  four  feet  long,  by  two  wide.  The  shieldsj 
are  generally  made  of  buffalo  hide,  but  the  best  are  formed  from  the  skin  of  the  giraffe  | 
this  combining  the  two  qualities  of  lightness  and  toughness.  Bows  and  arrows  aie  not! 
used  by  the  Latookas.  I 

The  women  take  comparatively  little  pains  with  their  toilet.  Instead  of  8pendin'»| 
their  time  in  working  up  their  woolly  hair  into  the  felt-like  mass  which  decorates  the  I 
men,  they  shave  their  heads  entirely,  and  ti-ust  for  their  ornaments  to  beads,  paint,  and 
tattooing.  Like  the  belles  of  more  southern  tribes,  the  Latooka  women  extract  the  four 
incisor  teeth  of  the  lower  jaw ;  and  the  favourite  wife  of  the  king  told  Lady  Unker  tliat 
she  would  really  not  be  bad-looking  if  she  would  only  remove  those  teeth,  and  give 
herself  a  coat  of  grease  and  vermilion. 

Bokk^,  the  queen  in  question,  with  her  daughter,  were  the  only  good-looking  women 
that  were  seen  in  that  country ;  the  females  being  strangely  large,  coarse,  and  poworfuL 
On  bodily  strength  they  pride  themselves,  and  each  woman  makes  it  a  daily  task  to  cany 
on  her  head  a  ten-gallon  jar  to  the  water,  fill  it,  and  bring  it  back  again,  the  distance  beinc 
seldom  less  than  a  mile.  Their  dress  is  rather  remarkable.  It  consists  of  a  leathern  belt, 
to  which  is  attached  a  large  ilap  of  tanned  leather  in  front,  while  to  the  back  are  tied  a 
number  of  thongs,  two  feet  or  more  in  length,  which  look  at  a  distance  exactly  like  a 
horse's  tail. 

The  most  fashionable  feminine  ornament  in  the  Latooka  country  is  a  long  piece  of 
polished  crystal,  about  as  thick  as  a  drawing-pencil.  A  hole  is  bored  in  the  under  lip,  and 
the  ornament  hung  from  it.  Sir  S.  Baker  commended  himself  greatly  to  Bokk^  and  her  | 
daughter  by  presenting  them  with  the  glass  stem  of  a  thermometer  that  had  been  accident- 
ally broken,  and  his  gift  was  valued  much  as  a  necklace  of  brilliants  would  be  by  European 
ladies.  In  order  to  prevent  this  ornament  from  falling,  a  piece  of  twine  is  knotted  upon  I 
the  end  that  passes  through  the  lip.  As  the  lower  teeth  are  removed,  the  tongue  of  course 
acts  upon  it,  and  when  a  lady  is  speaking  the  movemtmts  of  the  tongue  cause  the  crystal 
pendant  to  move  about  in  a  very  ludicrous  manner.  Tattooing  is  mostly  confined  to  the 
cheeks  and  forehead,  and  consists  chiefly  of  lines. 

The  men  are  also  fond  of  decorating  their  heads  with  the  feathers  of  various  birds,  and 
the  iavourit«  ornament  is  the  head  of  the  crested  crane,  its  black,  velvet-like  plumage, 
tipped  with  the  gold-coloured  crest,  having  a  very  handsome  appearance  when  fixed  un  the 
top  of  the  head.   . 

When  Sir  S.  Baker  was  encamping  among  the  Latookas,  he  could  not  purchase  either 
goats  or  cows,  though  large  herds  were  being  driven  before  him,  and  he  was  thenfore  forced 
to  depend  much  on  his  gun  for  subsistence.  The  feathers  of  the  cranes,  ducks,  geese,  and 
other  birds  were  thrown  over  the  palisade  of  his  encampment,  and,  during  the  whole  time 
of*  his  visit,  the  boys  were  to  be  s'een  with  their  heads  comically  dressed  with  white 
feathers,  until  they  looked  like  huge  cauliflowers.  The  longest  feathers  were  in  greatest 
request,  and  were  taken  as  perquisites  by  the  boys  who  volunteered  to  accompany  the 
sportsman,  to  caiTy  home  the  game  which  he  shot,  and  then  to  pluck  the  birds. 

In  general  appearance,  the  Latookas  are  a  singularly  fine  race  of  men.  They  are,  on 
an  average,  all  but  six  feet  in  height,  and,  although  they  are  exceedingly  muscular  and 
powerful,  they  do  not  degenerate  into  corpulency  nor  unwieldiness.  The  expression  of 
the  countenance  is  pleasing,  and  the  lips,  although  large,  are  not  of  the  negro  type.  The 
forehead  is  high,  the  cheek-bones  rather  prominent,  and  the  eyes  large..  It  is  thought  that 
their  origin  must  have  been  derived  from  some  of  the  Galla  tribes. 


|-;^-'i; 


u  'i  i 


CONDITION  OF  THE  WOMEN. 


607 


The  Latookas  are  rich  as  well  as  powerful,  and  have  great  herds  of  cattle,  which  they 
keep  in  stockades,  constructed  after  a  most  ingenious  fashion  ;  as  many  as  ten  or  twelve 
thousand  head  of  cattle  being  often  herded  in  one  town.  Knowing  that  there  are  plenty 
of  hostile  tribes,  who  would  seize  every  opportunity  of  stealing  their  cows,  the  Latookas 
always  pen  them  in  very  strong  stockades,  the  entrance  to  which  is  only  a  yard,  or 
thereabouts,  in  width.  These  entrances  are  arch-shaped,  and  only  just  wide  enough  to 
ullove  an  ox  to  pass  through,  and  from  the  top  of  each  arch  is  hung  a  rude  kind  of  cattle- 
bell,  formed  from  the  shell  of  the  dolap^  palm-nut,  against  which  the  animal  must  strike 
a  it  pusses  in  or  out  of  the  stockadp 

The  path  which  leads  from  t.te  entrances  is  no  wider  than  the  door  itself,  and  is 
flanked  at  either  side  by  a  high  and  strong  palisade,  so  that,  if  an  enemy  were  to  attack 
the  place,  they  could  hardly  force  their  way  along  passages  which  a  few  men  could  guard 
as  etfuctually  as  a  multitude.  Through  the  village  runs  a  tolerably  wide  street,  and  into 
the  street  open  the  larger  entrances  into  the  cattle  enclosures,  so  that,  if  the  inhabitants 
desired,  they  could  either  remove  their  oxen  singly  by  the  small  doors,  or  drive  them  out 
in  herds  through  the  gates  that  open  into  the  central  street. 

Tlius  it  will  be  seen  that  the  aspect  of  a  Latooka  town  is  very  remarkable.  It  is 
surrounded  by  a  very  strong  palisade,  in  which  are  several  doorways.  Through  the  centre 
of  the  village  runs  the  main  street,  upon  which  all  the  cattle-pens  open,  and  the  rest  of 
the  interior  is  traversed  by  lanes,  so  narrow  that  only  one  cow  can  pass  at  a  time.  The 
various  gates  and  doors  of  the  village  are  closed  at  night,'  and  cai-efully  barred  with 
hranches  of  the  thorny  mimosa. 

Sometimes  these  villages  are  so  large  as  to  deserve  the  name  of  towns.  Tarrangoll^, 
the  capital  of  the  Latookas,  comprised  at  least  three  thousand  homesteads  ;  and  not  only 
vas  the  whole  town  surrounded  by  a  strong  iron-wood  palisading,  but  each  homestead 
was  fortified  in  like  manner. 

The  wives  of  the  Latookas  seem  tolerably  well  off  in  comparison  with  their  married 
sisters  of  other  tribes.  They  certainly  work  hard,  and  carry  ponderous  weights,  but  then 
they  are  so  tall  and  strong,  that  such  labour  is  no  very  great  hardship  to  them.  That 
liiey  are  not  down-trodden,  as  women  are  in  too  many  parts  of  Africa,  is  evident  from  the 
way  in  which  they  comport  themselves.  On  one  occasion  one  of  the  armed  soldiers 
belonging  to  the  Turkish  caravan  met  a  woman,  who  was  returning  from  the  water  with 
her  heavy  jar  on  her  head.  He  demanded  the  water,  and,  when  she  refused  to  give  it 
liira,  threatened  her  with  his  stick.  Bokkfe,  the  pretty  wife  of  Commoro,  seeing  this  pro- 
ceeding, went  to  the  rescue,  seized  the  soldier  by  the  throat,  and  wrested  his  stick  from 
him,  while  another  woman  twisted  his  gnu  out  of  his  hand.  Several  other  women  came 
running  to  the  spot,  threw  the  man  down,  and  administered  a  sound  pummelling,  while 
otlifrs  poured  water  down  the  muzzle  of  his  gun,  and  plastered  great  lumps  of  wet  mud 
over  the  lock  and  trigger. 

Wives  are  purchased  in  Latooka-land  for  cows,  and  therefore  a  large  family  is  a  sure 
step  to  prosperity :  the  boys  becoming  warriors,  who  will  fight  for  their  tribe  ;  and  the  girls 
being  always  saleable  for  cows,  should  they  live  to  womanhood.  Every  girl  is  sure"  of 
being  inaiTied,  because,  when  a  man  begins  to  procure  wealth,  the  first  thing  that  he  does 
is  to  buy  a  wife,  and  he  adds  to  their  number  as  fast  as  he  can  muster  cows  enough  to 
pay  for  them. 

When  Sir  S.  Baker  passed  through  the  country,  the  great  chief  of  the  Latookas  was 
named  Moy.  He  had  a  brother,  named  Commoro,  and,  although  in  actual  rank  Moy  took 
precedence  of  his  brother,  Commoro  was  virtually  the  king,  having  far  more  influence 
over  the  people  than  his  brother. 

Commoro  was  really  deserving  of  this  influence,  and  was  remarkable  for  his  acute- 
ness  and  strong  common  sense.  Without  his  exertions  the  Latookas  would  certainly 
iiave  assaulted  the  caravan,  and  great  slaughter  nmst  have  ensued,  the  natives  having 
learned  to  despise  guns  on  account  of  a  victory  which  they  had  lately  gained  over  a  party 
of  slave-stealers.  He  had  a  long  argument  with  his  visitor  respecting  the  immortality  of  • 
the  soul,  and  resurrection  after  death,  but  could  in  no  way  be  convinced  that  a  man  could 
live  after  death.    Had  he  had  even  any  superstitious  feelings,  something  might  have  been 


/I 


?FW 


i" 


>>- 


K 


5i  Lit;    ^- ..  y>  . 


508 


THE  LATOOKA. 


done  with  him.  but.,  like  many  other  sceptics,  he  flatly  refused  to  believe  anything  which 
was  without  the  range  of  his  senses. 

The  familiar  illustration  of  the  grain  of  com  planted  in  the  earth  was  user],  but 
without  effect.  He  was  quite  willing  that  the  grain  m  question  should  represent  himself 
but  controverted  the  conclusion  which  was  drawn  from  the  premisses.  The  ears  of  coni 
filled  with  grains,  which  would  spring  up  after  the  decay  of  the  original  seed,  were  not, 


s*-< 


-fSS 


THE  LATOOEA  VICTORT. 


he  said,  representatives  of  himself,  but  were  liis  children,  who  lived  after  he  was  dead. 
The  ingenuity  M'ith  which  he  slipped  out  of  the  argument  was  very  considerable,  and,  as 
Sir  S.  Baker  remarks,  "  it  was  extraordinary  to  see  so  much  clearness  of  perception 
combined  with  such  complete  obtuseness  to  anytliing  ideal." 

The  Latookas  are  very  good  blacksmiths,  and  excid  in  the  manufacture  of  iron  hoe- 
blades,  or  "  molotes,"  as  they  are  called.  This  instrument  is  also  ust'd  as  money :  a 
figure  of  a  molote  may  be  seen  on  page  475.  The  bellows  ate  made  on  the  same  prhiciple 
as  those  used  by  the  Kaffir  tribes,  but,  instead  of  using  merely- a  couple  of  leather  li!i<;s 
the  Latooka  blacksmith  employs  two  earthenware  pots,  and  over  tlie  mouth  of  eacli  pot 
is  loosely  tied  a  large  piece  of  soft,  pliable  lyather,  kept  well  greased  to  insure  its  soltuesi 


FONDNESS  FOR  CATTLE. 


A  perpendicular  stick,  about  four  feet  in  length,  ia  fastened  to  the  centre  of  each  skin, 
and,  when  these  are  wuikeU  ni|>itlly  up  and  down,  the  wind  is  forced  through  earthenware 
tubs  which  communicate  witii  the  bottom  of  the  pots. 

The  tools  are  very  simple,  a  large  stone  doing  duty  for  an  nnvil,  and  a  smaller  for  a 
liaininer,  while  a  cleft  stick  of  green  wood  is  used  by  way  of  pincers.  Great  care  is  taken 
Id  shaping  the  molotes,  which  are  always  carefully  tested  by  balancing  them  ou  their 
lieads,  and  making  them  ring  by  a  blow  of  the  finger. 

When  used  for  agriculture,  the  niolote-s  are  fastened  to  the  end  of  wooden  shafts, 
seldom  less  than  seven,  and  often  ten,  feet  in  leugtli,  and  thus  a  powerful  leverage  is 
gained.     ^ 

Although  the  Latooka  is  generally  ready  for  war,  he  is  not  a  born  warrior,  as  is  the 
case  with  many  tribes.  The  Zulu,  for  example,  lives  chieHy  for  war ;  he  thinks  of  it  day 
ami  night,  and  his  great  ambition  is  to  distinguish  himself  in  battle.  The  Latooka,  on 
tliu  otiier  hand,  seldom  wages  war  without  a  cause  which  he  is  pleased  to  think  a  good 
one;  but,  when  he  does,  he  fights  well. 

Tiie  chief  cause  for  which  a  Latooka  will  fight  to  the  death  is  his  cattle.  He  will 
Bonietinics  run  away  when  a  powerful  party  makes  a  raid  on  his  village,  and  carries  otl 
lii  wives  and  children  for  slaves ;  but  if  they  attempt  to  drive  off  his  cattle,  the  spirit  of 
the  noble  savage  is  set  a-blaze,  and  he  is  at  once  up  in  arms. 

A  curious  example  of  this  trait  of  character  occurred  during  Sir  S.  Baker's  residence 
in  Latooka-laud.  One  of  the  Mahometan  traders  (who,  it  will  bo  remembered,  are  the 
very  pest  and  scourge  of  the  country)  gathered  together  a  band  of  three  hundred  natives, 
and  more  than  a  hundred  of  his  own  countrymen,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  raid  upon 
a  certain  village  among  the  mountains.  The  men  ran  away,  and  the  invaders  captured  a 
great  number  of  women  and  children,  with  whom  they  might  have  escaped  unmolested. 
Unt'ovtunately  for  them,  they  were  told  of  a  large  lierd  of  cattle  which  they  had  missed, 
and  accordingly  returned,  and  began  to  drive  oft"  their  sjjoil. 

The  Latookas  had  witnessed  the  capture  of  their  wives  an.,  children  without  attempt- 
ing a  rescue,  but  the  attack  on  their  beloved  cattle  vas  too  much  for  them,  and  they 
poured  out  oi  their  hiding-places  like  a  swarm  of  angry  wasps.  Maddened  with  the  idea 
of  losing  their  cattle,  they  bravely  faced  the  muskets  with  their  spears  and  shields,,  and 
clustered  round  the  invaders  in  resistless  numbers.  Each  man,  as  he  advanced,  leaped 
behind  some  cover,  from  which  he  could  hurl  a  lance,  while  others  climbed  up  the  rocks, 
and  rolled  great  stones  on  their  enemies.  The  attack  was  so  sudden  and  sinmltaneous, 
that  the  Turks  found  themselves  beset  on  all  sides,  and  yet  could  hardly  see  a  man  at 
whom  they  could  aim. 

They  fled  in  terror  down  the  path,  and,  mistaking  in  their  haste  the  right  road,  they 
turned  aside  to  one  which  led  to  a  precipice  five  hundred  feet  in  depth.  Seeing  their 
danger,  they  tried  to  retreat,  but  the  ever-increasing  multitudes  pressed  closer  and  closer 
upon  them,  forced  them  nearer  to  the  precipice,  and  at  last  drove  thei^i  all  over  it.  Kot 
a  man  escaped,  and  although  a  few  turned  and  fought  with  the  coura^,e  of  despair,  they 
were  hurled  over  the  precipice  after  their  comrades. 

This  was  the  victory  over  fire-arms  which  had  inspired  the  Latcokas  with  such 
contempt  for  these  weapons,  and  had  it  not  been  for  Commoro's  mediation,  they  would 
have  attacked  the  English  party.  That  subtle  chief,  however,  well  knew  the  difference 
between  assaulting  an  assemblage  of  Turks  and  Africans  among  the  rocky  passes  and 
attacking  in  the  open  country  a  well-armed  party  commanded  by  Europeans.  Such  an 
attack  was  once  meditated,  and  Sir  Samuel  Baker's  account  of  it  gives  an  excellent  idea 
of  the  Latooka  mode  of  warfare.  The  reader  must  remember  that  the  war-dioun  is  an 
institution  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Central  A  frica. 

"  It  was  about  five  p.m.,  one  hour  before  sunset.  The  woman  who  usually  brought  us 
water  delivered  her  jar,  but  disappeared  immediately  after,  without  sweeping  the  court- 
yard, as  was  her  custom.  Her  children,  who  usually  played  in  this  enclosure,  vanished. 
On  searching  her  hut,  which  was  in  one  corner  of  the  yard,  no  one  was  to  be  found,  and 
even  the  grinding-stone  was  gone.  Suspecting  that  something  was  in  the  wind,  I  sent 
Karka  and  Gaddum-Her,  the  two  black  servants,  to  search  in  various  huts  in  the  neigh- 


ii  ^''^' 


"■i' 


;i 


J'' 


111,1 

kil 


t; 


is 


y 


t 


510 


THE  LATOOKA. 


bourhood,  to  obherve  whether  the  owners  were  present,  and  whether  the  wowen  were  in  i 
their  houses.  Not  »  woiimu  could  be  found.  Neither  wonmn  nor  child  remained  in  tlie 
larjje  town  of  Tnrrnr.iro'.id  There  was  an  extraordinary  stillness,  whore  usually  ail  woj 
noise  and  chattering.  All  the  women  and  children  had  been  removed  to  the  moutitain!i 
about  two  miles  distant,  and  this  so  quickly  and  noiselessly  that  it  appeait^d  inci-ediblc," ' 

Comraoro  and  Moy  were  then  sent  for,  and  said  that  the  Turks  had  behaved  so  bndlv 
by  robbing  and  l)eating  the  women,  that  the  pco[)l6  were  much  excited,  and  would  eiKiurg  | 
it  no  longer ;   and,  not  being  accustomed  to  any  travellers  except  slave-dealprs,  tlicy 
naturally  included  Sir  S.  Ikker's  party  in  that  category.    Couimoro,  however,  took  his 
leave,  saying  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  quiet  the  people. 

"  The  sun  set,  and,  as  is  usual  in  tropical  climates,  darkness  set  in  within  half  nn 
hour.  Not  a  wonmn  bad  returned  to  the  town,  nor  was  the  voice  of  a  num  to  he  lieard. 
The  natives  had  entirely  forsaken  the  portion  of  the  town  that  both  1  and  the  Turks 
occupieu. 

"  There  was  a  death-like  stillness  in  the  air.  Even  the  Turks,  who  were  usually 
nproarioiis,  were  perfectly  quiet ;  and,  although  ujy  men  made  no  remark,  it  was  plain 
that  we  were  all  occupied  by  the  aame  thoughts,  and  that  an  attack  was  expected. 

"  It  was  about  nine  o'clock,  and  the  stillness  had  become  almost  painful.  There  was 
no  cry  of  a  bird ;  not  even  the  howl  of  a  hytena :  the  camels  were  sleeping ;  but  every 
man  was  wide  awake,  and  the  sentries  well  on  the  alert.  We  were  almost  listening  to 
the  supernatural  stillness,  if  I  may  so  describe  the  perfect  calm,  when  suddenly  every  oiiu 
startled  at  the  deep  and  solemn  boom  of  the  great  war-drum,  or  nogara !  Three  distinct 
beats,  at  c.ow  intervals,  rang  through  the  apparently  deserted  town,  and  echoed  loudly 
from  the  neighl)ouring  mountain.  It  was  the  signal !  A  few  minutes  elapsed,  and,  like 
a  distant  echo  from  the  north,  the  three  mournful  notes  again  distinctly  sounded.  \\as 
it  an  echo  ?    Impossible  ! 

"  Now  from  the  south,  far  distant,  but  unmistakeable,  the  same  three  regular  beats 
came  booming  through  the  still  night  air.  Again  and  again,  from  every  quarter,  spreading 
far  and  wide,  the  signal  was  responded  to,  and  the  whole  country  echoed  these  three 
solemn  notes  so  full  of  warning.  Once  more  the  great  nogara  of  TarrangoU^  sounded  the 
original  alarm  within  a  few  hundred  paces  of  our  quarters.  The  whole  country  was  up. 
There  was  no  doubt  about  the  matter.  The  Turks  well  knew  those  three  notes  to  be  the 
war-signal  of  the  Latookas. . . . 

"  The  patrols  shortly  reported  that  large  bodies  of  men  were  collecting  outside  the 
town.  The  great  nogara  again  beat,  and  was  answered,  as  before,  from  the  neighbouring 
villages  ;  but  the  Turks'  drum  kept  up  an  uninterrupted  roll,  as  a  challenge,  whenever  the 
nogara  sounded.  Instead  of  the  intense  stillness,  that  had  formerly  been  almost  painful, 
a  distinct  hum  of  voices  betokened  the  gathering  of  large  bodies  of  men.  However,  we 
were  well  fortitied,  and  the  Latookas  knew  it.  We  occupied  the  very  stronghold  which 
they  themselves  had  constructed  for  the  defence  of  their  town ;  and  the  square,  being 
surrounded  with  strong  iron-wood  palisades,  with  only  a  narrow  entrance,  would  be 
impregnable  when  held,  as  now,  by  fifty  men  well  ai-med  against  a  mob  whose  best 
weapons  were  only  lances. 

"  I  sent  men  up  the  watchmen's  stations.  These  were  about  twenty-five  feet  high ; 
and,  the  night  being  clear,  they  could  distinctly  report  the  movements  of  a  large  mass  of 
natives  that  were  ever  increasing  on  the  outside  of  the  town,  at  about  two  hundred  yards 
distance.  The  aittle  of  the  Turks'  drum  repeatedly  sounded  in  reply  to  the  nogaia,  and 
the  intended  attack  seemed  destined  to  relapse  into  a  noisy  but  empty  battle  of  the 
drums." 

Towards  midnight  Commoro  came  in  person,  and  said  that  the  nogan*  had  been  beaten 
without  his  orders,  and  that  he  would  try  to  quiet  tJie  people.  He  admitted,  however, 
that,  if  the  exploring  party  had  not  been  on  their  guard,  an  attack  would  really  have  been 
made.  After  this  business.  Sir  Samuel  very  wisely  determined  to  separate  entirely  from 
the  Turks,  and  therefore  built  himself  a  camp  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  town, 
so  that  the  Latookas  might  not  again  think  that  the  two  parties  had  a  common  interest 

On  the  following  morning  the  women  appeared  with  their  water-jars  as  usual,  and 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES. 


BU 


Hie  men,  thouj^h  still  excited,  and  under  arms,  returned  to  tlieir  homes.  By  deprees  the 
uciti'mt-nt  died  away,  and  then  they  talketl  over  tlie  affair  with  perfect  tiunkPt'ss, 
(Imitting  that  an  attack  was  meditated,  and  rather  amusud  that  the  intended  victims 
k)\\\i  biive  been  aware  of  their  plans. 

TliB  Liit<Joka9  are  not  free  from  the  vice  of  thievinp;,  and,  when  employed  as  porters, 
ijveexercised  their  craft  with  so  little  attemnt  at  concealment,  that  they  liave  deliberately 
„oken  open  the  parcels  which  they  carried,  not  taking  any  notice  of  the  ,'  )t  that  a 
jntry  was  watching  them  within  a  few  yards.  AIho  they  wonld  occasionally  watch  an 
oportunity,  slip  aside  from  the  caravan,  and  sneuk  awiv  with  their  loads. 

Funeral  ceremonies  differ  among  the  Latookas  according  to  the  mode  of  death.  If  a 
loan  is  killed  in  battle,  the  body  is  not  touched,  but  is  allowed  to  remain  on  the  spot 
there  it  fell,  to  be  eaten  by  the  hyienas  and  the  vultures.  Hut  should  a  Latooka,  whether 
laa,  woman,  or  child,  die  a  natural  death,  the  body  is  disposed  of  in  a  rather  singular 
Iminner. 

Immediately  after  death,  a  shallow  grave  is  dug  in  the  enclosure  that  surrounds  each 

use,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  the  door.  It  is  allowed  to  remain  there  for  several  weeks, 
Irhea  decomposition  is  usually  completed.  It  is  then  dug  up,  the  bones  are  cleaned  and 
Ita^hed,  and  are  then  placed  in  an  earthenware  jar,  and  carried  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 

tside  the  village. 

No  particular  sanctity  attaches  itself  either  to  the  bones  or  the  spot  on  which  they 
|IT«  deposited.  The  earthen  jars  are  broken  in  course  of  time,  and  the  bones  scattered 
jitout,  but  no  one  takes  any  notice  of  them.  In  conse'juence  of  this  custom  the  neigh- 
jlioiirhood  of  a  large  town  presents  a  most  singular  and  rather  dismal  aspect,  the  ground 
Ibeing  covered  with  bones,  skulls,  and  earthenware  jars  in  various  states  of  preservation ; 
lind  indeed,  the  traveller  always  knows  when  he  is  approaching  a  Latooka  town  by 
Icoming  across  a  quantity  of  neglected  human  remains. 

The  Latookas  have  not  the  least  idea  why  they  treat  their  dead  in  this  singular 
Imimer,  nrr  why  they  make  so  strange  a  distinction  between  the  bodies  of  warriors  who 
Ikve  died  the  death  of  the  brave  and  those  who  have  simply  died  from  disease,  accident, 
lor  decay.  Perhaps  there  is  no  other  country  where  the  body  of  the  dead  warrior  is  lelt 
Ito  tlie  beasts  and  birds,  while  those  who  die  natural  deaths  are  so  elaborately  buried, 
IKhumcd,  and  placed  in  the  public  cemetery.  "Why  they  do  so  they  do  not  seem  either  to 
Iknovbr  to  care,  and,  as  far  as  has  been  ascertained,  this  is  one  of  the  many  customs 
Ivhich  has  survived  long  aftef  those  who  practise  it  have  forgotten  it«  signification. 

During  the  three  or  four  weeks  that  elapse  betveen  the  interment  and  exhumation 
lof  the  body  funeral  dances  are  performed.  Great  uiimbers  of  both  sexes  take  part  in 
Ithis  dance,  for  which  they  decorate"*  themselves  in  a  very  singular  manner.  Their  hair- 
Ibelmets  are  supplemented  by  great  plumes  of  ostrich-feathers,  each  man  wearing  as  many 
las  he  can  manage  to  fasten  on  his  head,  and  skins  of  the  leopard  or  monkey  are  hung 
[from  their  shoulders.  The  chief  adornment,  however,  is  a  large  iron  bell,  which  is 
ptened  to  the  small  of  the  back,  and  which  is  sounded  by  wriggling  the  body  after  a 
\my  hidicrous  fashion. 

"  A  large  crowd  got  up  in  this  style  created  an  indescribable  hubbub,  heightened  by 
I  the  blowing  of  horns  and  the  beating  of  seven  nogaras  of  various  notes.  Every  dancer 
wore  an  antelope's  horn  suspended  round  the  neck,  which  he  blew  occasionally  in  the 
height  of  his  excitement  These  instruments  produced  a  sound  partaking  of  the  braying 
of  a  donkey  and  the  screech  of  an  owL  Crowds  of  men  rushed  round  and  round  in  a 
sort  of  galop  infernel,  brandishing  their  arms  and  iron-heat  ed  maces,  and  keeping 
tolerably  in  line  five  or  six  deep,  following  the  leader,  wlio  headed  them,  dancing 
I  backwards. 

"  The  women  kept  outside  the  line,  dancing  a  slow,  stupid  step,  while  a  long  string  of 
I  young  girls  and  small  children,  their  heads  and  necks  rubbed  with  red  ochre  and  grease, 

'  prettily  ornamented  with  strings  of  beads  round  their  loins,  kept  a  very  good  line, 

ing  time  with  their  feet,  and  jingling  the  numerous  iron  rings  which  adorned  their 
I  ankles,  to  keep  time  to  the  drums. 

"  One  woman  attended  upon  the  men,  running  through  the  crowu  with  a  gourd  full  of 


m 


m   ( 


\ 


i     v. 


i'f'.!)*.-r -P, 


C"  .    i 


512 


THE  LATOOKA. 


wood-ashes,  handfuls  of  which  she  showered  over  their  heads,  powdering  them  likj 
millers;   the  object  of  the  operation  I  could  not  understand.     The  prem^re  datmusi 
was  immensely  fat ;  she  had  paased  the  bloom  of  youtli,  but,  malgri  her  unwieldy  state 
she  kept  up  the  pace  to  the  last,  quite  unconscious  of  her  general  appearance,  ani 
absorbed  with  the  excitement  of  the  dance." 

These  strange  dances  form  a  part  of  every  funeral,  and  so,  when  several  persons  1 
died  successively,  the  funeral  dances  go  on  for  several  months  together.  The  cliiel 
Commoro  was  remarkable  for  his  agility  in  the  funeral  dances,  and  took  his  part  in  everyl 
such  ceremony,  no  matter  whether  it  were  for  a  wealthy  or  ^  poor  man,  every  one  who 
dies  being  equally  entitled  to  the  funeral-dance,  without  any  distinction  of  rank  or 
wealth. 


FUNERAL  DANU£. 


The  bells  which  are  so  often  mentioned  in  those  tribes  inhabiting  Central  Africa  are  I 
mostly  made  on  one  principle,  though  not  on  precisely  the  same  pattern.    These  simple  j 
bells  evidently  derive  tl.  ir  origin  from  the  shells  of  certain  nuts,  or  other  bard  fruits, 
which,  when  suspended,  and  a  wooden  clapper  hung  within  them,  can  produce  a  sound  I 
of  some  resonance.    The  curious  rattle  which  is  figured  on  page  898  is  made  on  this 
principle,  and  consists  of  a  number  of  nutshells,  shaped  like  those  of  the  Brazil-nut, 
emptied  of  their  contents,  and  carefully  polished.    Although  they  have  no  clappers,  these  | 
shells  make  a  very  loud  noise  when  the  rattle  is  shaken. 

The  next  advance  is  evidently  the  carving  the  bell  out  of  some  hard  wood,  so  as  to  I 
increase  its  size  and  add  to  the  power  of  its  sound.  Next,  the  superior  resonance  of  iron  I 
became  apparent,  and  little  bells  were  made,  shaped  exactly  like  the  before-mentioned  | 


BELLS. 


613 


guts.    This  point  once  obtained,  the  variety  in  the  shape  of  the  bells  is  evidently  a  mere 
matter  of  caprice  on  the  part  of  the  maker. 

The  accompanying  illustration  shows  three  of  the  most  strongly-marked  stages  in  the 
construction  of  these  iron  bells.  Fig.  3  is  a  small  bell,  made  in  exact  imitation  of  the 
above-mentioned  rattle,  and  is  drawn  to  its  proper  dimensions.  It  imitates  the  shape  of 
the  nutshdl  with  wonderful  fidelity,  considering  the  rude  tools  of  th»  artist  who  made  it. 
Fig.  1  is  a  much  laiger  article,  used  chiefly  as  a  cow-bell.  As  the  reader  may  see,  this 
instrament  is  formed  on  precisely  the  same  principle  as  that  shown  at  fig.  3,  and  only 
differs  from  it  in  its  superior  size,  and  in  the  fact  that  its  length  is  greater  than  its 

width. 

In  fig.  2  is  seen  an  instrument  which  approaches  nearer  to  our  familiar  type  of  bell  than 
toy  other,  and  really  bears  a  very  close  resemblance  to  the  strangely-shaped  bells  of  Siam 
or  Burmah.  Instead  of  being  flattened,  as  are  the  others,  it  is  tolerably  wide,  and  is  so 
formed  that  a  transverse  section  of  it  would  give  the  figure  of  a  quatrefoil.  These  bells 
are  drawn  from  specimens  in  Colonel  Lane  Fox's  collection,  and  are  part  of  a  series 
Therein  the  bell  is  traced  from  its  primitive  to  its  perfected  form. 


IB0NBBU& 


VOLt 


LK 


ti!' 


CHAPTEE   XLIV. 

THE  SHm,  BABT,  DJIBBA,  NUEHB,  DINEA,  AND  SHILLOOK  TRIBES. 


LOOAUTY  OF  THK  BRUt  TBIBB — THEIR  FORTABLR  FBOFBRTT — ViBXBB  Ain>  OBNEBAL  AFI>EABANCG— 
A  STHANOK  STOAT— BASKBT-IIAKINO — ^THB   BABI  TBIBB  AND  THBIB  CHABACTEB — BLATX-BEALINO 

BABI  ABCHBB8 — A   DABINO   SHABF8H00TBB — THB    BOY'b  STBATAOBU — ABCHITRCTCBB  OF  THS 

BABI — ^THB  DJIBBA  TBIBB — THKIB  NATIONAL  PBIOB — ^DJIBBA  WRAPONS — THB  AZl  ILVB,  AND 
KNIFB — BBACBLBT — ^THB  B0ALPL0CK8-0BNAHBNT— A  PBOUD  WABBIOB — THK  N0UA7'  BNOUKHB 
TBIBB — THB  CLAY  WIO  AND  BBAD  HBLMBT — THB  CHIRF,  JOCTIAN,  AND  HIS  IHPOBTVMITT— 
NOUBHB  SALUTATION — ^THB  DINKA  TIUBB  AND  ITS  WABLtKB  CHABACTEB — ZENEB  TO  THB  RRSClJIl 

FEUD    WITH   THE     8HILL00K8  AND   BAOABAS DBB88   OP    THB     DINKA^^TBEACHEBY,   AND  THK 

TABLES  TUBNBD ^THB  DINKA  HABKBT AN  EMBASSY  OF  FEACB — THE  8HILL00KS,  THEIB  LOCALITT, 

DBB8S,  AND  APPBABANCB — THEIB  FBEDATORY   HABITS — SKILL  IN  BOATINtt — A  PASTORAL  COLOIIX 

AND    ITS    MANAGRHENT FISH-SPBABINa A    SHILLOOK    FAMILY — ^^GOVRBNHENT    AMONO    '.'HS 

SHILLOOKft— MUSICAL  OiSTBUMBMTS. 


As  the  Shir  tribe  are  frequently  mentioned  by  those  travellers  who  have  passed  through 
Central  Africa,  a  brief  mention  of  them  will  be  necessary.  The  Shir  country  extends  on 
either  side  of  the  Nile,  in  lat  6"  N.,  and  long.  30°  E. 

The  men  are  remarkable  for  never  stirring  out  of  their  villages  without  all  their 
personal  property  about  them.  Clothes,  in  our  sense  of  the  word,  are  not  considered  as 
property,  the  principal  article  of  costume  beins  a  tuft  or  two  of  cock's-feathers  on  the  top 
of  the  head.  But  they  always  carry  their  little  stools  alung  on  their  backs,  and  no  one 
ever  moves  without  his  loved  pipe  Upon  their  pipe  they  lavish  all  their  artistic  powers, 
which,  however,  are  not  very  considerable.  Precious  as  is  iron  in  this  country,  being 
used,  like  gold  in  Europe,  as  a  medium  of  currency,  the  pipes  are  all  mounted  with  this 
costly  metal  The  bowls  are  made  of  clay,  conical  in  shape,  and  having  a  couple  of 
prongs  on  which  to  rest.  They  are  very  large,  holding  quite  a  handful  of  tobacco,  and 
their  mouthpieces  are  almost  invariably  made  of  iron. 

Beside  the  implements  of  peace,  the  Shir  always  carry  with  them  their  weapons  of 
war.  These  consist  of  clubs,  made  of  a  kind  of  ebony,  black,  solid,  and  heavy,  a  couple 
of  lanees,  a  bow,  and  a  bundle  of  arrows,  so  that  their  hands  are  quite  full  of  weapons. 
The  bows  are  always  kept  strung,  and  the  arrows  are  pointed  with  some  hard  wood,  iron 
being  too  costly  a  metal  for  such  a  purpose.  They  are  about  three  feet  in  length,  and 
without  feathers,  so  that  they  can  only  be  used  at  a  short  distance. 

The  women,  however,  have  some  pretensions  to  dress.  To  a  belt  which  goes  round 
the  waist  is  attached  a  small  lappet  of  leather,  which  hangs  in  front  This  is  balanced 
behind  by  a  sort  of  tail  or  long  tassel  of  very  thin  leather  thongs,  which  reach  nearly 
down  to  the  knees.  Captain  Speke  remarks  that  this  article  of  dress  is  probably  the 
foundation  of  the  reports  that  in  Central  Africa  there  is  a  race  of  men  who  have  tails 
like  horses.  Such  reports  are  rife,  not  only  among  Europeans,  but  among  the  Central 
Africans  themselves,  each  tribe  seeming  to  think  that  they  are  the  only  perfect  race  of 
men,  and  that  a!l  others  have  some  physical  defect. 


LOTUS-SEED  AS  FOOD. 


615 


A  very  amusing  instance  of  such  a  belief  is  narrated  by  Mr.  Petherick,  a  native  having 
liven  him  a  most  circumstantial  account  of  tribes  among  which  he  had  been,  and  where 
le  had  seen  some  very  singular  people.  In  one  tribe,  lor  example,  he  had  seen  people 
who,  like  the  white  man,  could  kill  at  a  great  distance.  But  instead  of  having  odd-shaped 
nieces  of  wood  and  iron,  which  made  a  noise,  they  had  bows  and  arrows,  which  latter 
eould  not  be  extracted.  Had  he  stopped  here,  he  might  have  been  believed,  the  only 
exaggeration  being  in  the  range  of  the  weapon.  Unfortunately  for  his  own  character,  he 
psfneeds  add  a  number  of  other  circumstances,  and  proceeded  to  tell  of  a  people  who 
had  four  eyes,  two  in  the  usual  places  and  two  behind,  and  who  could  therefore  walk 
backwards  as  well  as  forwards — like  the  decapitated  lady  in  the  fairy  tale,  whose  head 
was  replaced  wrong  side  forwards,  "  which  was  very  useful  in  dressing  her  back  hair." 

The  next  tribe  through  which  he  passed  frightened  him  exceedingly.  They  had  the 
usual  number  of  eyes,  but  one  eye  was  under  each  arm,  so  that,  when  they  wanted  to  look 
ibottt  them,  they  were  obliged  to  lift  up  their  arms. 

Not  liking  these  strange  companions,  he  went  still  farther  southwards,  and  there  he 
saw  people  with  tails  a  yard  in  length,  and  with  faces  like  monkeys.  But  the  most 
horrible  people  among  whom  he  travelled  were  dwarfs,  who  had  such  enormous  ears  that, 
when  they  wished  to  rest  for  the  night,  they  spread  one  ear  beneath  them  for  a  mattress, 
and  the  other  above  them  by  way  of  covering. 

The  strange  part  in  connexion  with  these  wild  tales  is,  that  none  of  them  are  new. 
To  the  lovers  of  old  legends  all  these  monstrous  races  of  men  are  perfectly  familiar. 
Moreover,  in  that  wonderful  old  book,  the  "  Nuremberg  Chronicle,"  there  are  woodcuts  of 
all  the  strange  people.  There  are  the  Acephali ;  whose  eyes  are  in  their  breasts,  there  are 
the  tailed  men,  the  ape-faced  men,  the  dwarfs,  and  the  large-eared  men.  The  origin  of 
several  of  these  wild  notions  is  evident  enough,  and  it  seems  probable  that  the  idea  of  the 
larg"-""'^d  race  arose  from  the  enormous  ears  of  the  African  elephant,  one  of  which  is 
llar^',  er<    cih  to  shelter  a  man  beneath  its  covert. 

To        r; .  to  the  Shir  women.    They  are  very  fond  of  ornament,  and  nearly  all  the 
[iron    '  ^ '  -  country  which  is  not  used  in  the  decoration  of  pipes,  or  for  the  "spade- 
money,"  is  worn  upon  the  legs  of  the  women.     Rings  of  considerable  thickness  are 
1  fastened  round  the  ankles,  and  a  woman  of  consideration  will  often  have  so  many  of  these 
I  lings  that  they  extend  far  up  the  leg.    As  the  women  walk,  these  rings  make  a  clanking 

ind,  as  if  they  wore  iron  fetters ;  but  among  the  Shir  belles  this  sound  is  thought  to  be 
I  very  fashionable,  and  they  cultivate  the  art  of  walking  so  as  to  make  the  anklets  clank  as 
much  as  possible.  There  is  another  ornament  of  which  they  are  very  fond.  They  take 
the  shells  of  the  river  mussel,  and  cut  it  into  small  circular  pieces,  about  the  size  of 
ordinary  pearl  buttons.  These  are  strung  together  with  the  hair  of  the  giraffe's-tail, 
which  is  nearly  as  strong  as  iron  wire,  and  are  rather  effective  when  contrasted  with  the 
I  black  skins  of  the  wearers.  Like  the  Wanyoro  and  other  tribes,  the  Shir  of  both  sexes 
knock  out  the  incisor  teeth  of  the  lower  jaw. 

These  women  are  skilful  as  basket-makers,  the  principal  material  being  the  leaf  of 
the  dome  or  doom  palm.  I  have  a  mat  of  their  manufacture,  which  is  woven  so  neatly  and 
closely,  and  with  so  tasteful  an  arrangement  of  colours,  that  it  might  easily  be  taken  for 
the  work  of  a  European.  It  is  oval,  and  about  eighteen  inches  in  diameter.  The  centre 
is  deep  red,  surrounded  by  alternate  rings  of  red  and  black,  which  have  a  very  admirable 
effect  upon  the  pale  yellow  of  the  mat  itself 

The  food  of  the  Shir  tribe  consists  largely  of  the  lotus-seed,  the  white  species  being 
that  which  is  commonly  used.  Just  before  the  seed  is  ripe  it  is  gathered  in  the  pod, 
which  looks  something  like  an  artichoke,  and  contains  a  vast  quantity  of  little  grains, 
rather  Uke  those  of  the  poppy  both  in  size  and  flavour.  When  gathered,  the  pods  are 
bored  and  strung  upon  reeds  about  four  feet  in  length.  They  are  then  taken  into  the 
village,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  stored  away  foi  food.  The  fruit  of  the  doom  palm  is  also 
ground  and  used  as  flour. 

There  is  one  very  strange  kind  of  diet  which  prevails  along  the  upper  part,  of  the 
White  Nile.  The  people  have  large  herds  of  cattle,  and  they  not  only  live  on  the  miilk, 
but  bleed  them  monthly,  and  cook  the  blood  with  their  flour  and  meal 

ll2 


ss  'Ji,;  i'l 


i!ii 


,     '.1 


51^ 


THEBAltL 


THE  BARI. 


WW 


!»    h-'. 


r.  ■ 


Between  lat.  4°  and  8°  N.  and  long.  1°  33'  E.  there  are  several  tribes  so  peculiar  as  I 
to  deserve  a  brief  notice  before  we  pass  westward  to  the  land  of  the  negroes.  The  first! 
of  these  is  the  Bari  tribe,  which  is  situated  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Kile. 

They  are  a  warlike  and  dangerous  tribe,  being  well  armed,  and  capable  of  using  tlieiil 
weapons,  so  that  a  traveller  who  wishes  to  pass  safely  through  their  land  must  be  able  to  I 
show  an  armed  front  When  Captains  Speke  and  Grant  passed  through  their  country,  an  I 
umbrella  was  accidentally  left  behind,  and  some  of  the  men  sent  to  fetch  it.  The  Bau,f 
however,  drew  up  in  battle  array,  evidently  knuwing  that  without  their  leaders  the  men| 
might  be  safely  bullied,  so  that  the  umbrella  was  left  to  the  mercies  of  the  Bari  chief. 

Owing  to  their  position  on  the  Nile,  they  do  a  great  business  in  the  slave-trade,  for  as  I 
far  as  Gondokoro,  the  capital  of  the  Bari  country,  steamers  have  been  able  to  ascend  the  I 
river.  Consequently,  every  party  of  strangers  is  supposed — and  mostly  with  truth— to  I 
be  a  slaving  expedition,  and  is  dreaded  by  one  part  of  the  population,  while  it  is  courtedl 
by  the  other.  The  quarrelsome  disposition  of  the  Bari  has  often  brought  them  intol 
collision  with  the  traders,  and,  as  might  be  imagined,  the  superior  arms  and  discipline  ofl 
the  latter  have  given  them  such  a  superiority,  that  the  Bari  are  not  as  troublesome  as  I 
they  used  to  be.  Still,  they  are  always  on  the  watch  for  an  opportunity  of  extortion,  and| 
if  a  traveller  even  sits  under  a  tree,  they  will  demand  payment  for  its  shade. 

When  Sir  S.  Baker  was  at  Gondokoro,  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  spy  and  opposer  ofl 
the  slave-trade,  and  consequently  ran  much  greater  risk  of  being  killed  than  among  the[ 
acknowledged  savage  tribes  of  the  interior.  And  as  the  slave-dealers  had  further  com-l 
plicated  matters  by  stealing  cattle  from  one  sub-tribe,  with  which  they  bought  slavesi 
from  another,  the  journey  through  Bari-land  was  certain  to  be  most  perilous,  and  probablyl 
would  be  rendered  impossible. 

Once  they  organized  a  regular  attack  upon  the  p  .rty,  stationing  themselves  nn  eithetl 
side  of  a  rocky  gorge  through  which  the  road  ran,  and  keeping  up  a  continual  discharge! 
of  their  poisoned  arrows.  Fortunately,  some  of  the  natives,  brilliant  in  their  scarlet  var-[ 
paint,  had  been  seen  ahead  of  the  gorge,  and  pi'eparations  had  been  made  for  receivingj 
the  attack.  They  ran  along  the  rocks  like  monkeys,  every  now  and  then  halting  to  dis- 
charge a  poisoned  arrow,  and  then  running  on  in  readiness  for  another  shot.  They  I 
showed  much  courage  on  the  occasion,  coming  within  fifty  or  sixty  yards  of  the  armed  I 
escort,  in  spite  of  their  firearms,  which  they  seemed  justifiably  to  despise,  as  the  men  I 
who  carried  them  had  no  idea  of  aim,  and,  provided  that  they  pointed  a  musket  somewhere] 
towards  the  enemy,  and  fired  it,  thought  that  they  had  done  all  that  was  required. 

However,  the  Bari  were  quite  as  bad  as  archers,  and  not  a  single  arrow  took  effect  I 
Many  were  diverted  from  their  line  by  the  branches  of  trees  and  the  clusters  of  bamboo,! 
while  those  that  flew  straight  were  easily  avoided,  on  account  of  the  weakness  and  stiff-[ 
ness  of  the  bow,  which  would  only  project  them  feebly  and  slowly.  The  end  of  the! 
skirmish  was  that,  although  the  leader  of  the  expedition  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to! 
fire  at  so  insignificant  an  enemy,  one  of  the  Bari  was  somehow  shot  through  the  body,! 
probably  by  a  bullet  aimed  at  somebody  else,  and  a  few  were  thought  to  be  wounded.  | 
They  then  took  to  their  heels  and  ran  off. 

During  the  march  the  Bari  still  hung  about  the  caravan,  and  at  night  completely! 
surrounded  it,  their  forms  being  quite  invisible  unless  the  sentinel  lay  on  the  ground,  and! 
contrived  to  see  the  outline  of  their  forms  above  the  horizon.  They  even  were  audaciousl 
enough  to  creep  close  to  the  camp,  and  discharge  their  arrows  at  random  into  it,  in  the! 
hope  of  hitting  some  one ;  but  this  mode  of  assault  was  effectually  checked  by  a  volley  ofl 
buckshot,  which  killed  one  of  the  most  daring  of  them.  When  his  body  was  found  nextf 
morning,  lying  about  thirty  yards  from  the  camp,  the  bow  was  in  his  hand,  and  a  supply 


PERSONAL  APPEARANCE. 


617 


of  poisoned  arrows  by  his  side.  Four  of  his  arrows  were  afterwards  found  in  the  camp, 
aad  their  ingeniously  barbed  heads  charged  with  deadly  poiuon  showed  that  the  death  of 
the  former  owner  was  well  deserved. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  travellers  that  the  Bari  are  such  wretched  archers,  as  the  arrows, 
when  they  do  strike  a  man,  are  tolerably  sure  to  kill  hira.  The  poison  with  which  they 
aw  imbued  has  not  the  rapidit)'^  of  action  which  distinguishes  that  of  the  Bosjesman, 
but  it  is  scarcely  less  formidable,  though  less  swift.  The  effect  of  the  poison  is  to  destroy 
the  Ufe  of  the  surrounding  flesh,  so  that  a  limb  which  has  been  pierced  by  one  of  the 
arrows  is  attacked  by  a  slow  kind  of  mortification,  and  thus  the  wound  ensures  death, 
which  is  far  more  painful,  because  so  much  slower,  than  that  which  is  caused  by  the  poison 
grab,  the  euphorbia  juice,  or  the  venom  of  the  serpent. 

Unpleasant  as  these  Bari  are  in  their  ordinary  state,  they  can  be  trained  into  good 
and  faithful  attendants,  and  are  excellent  material  for  soldiers.    On  one  occasion,  when  a 


▲  BABI  HOMESTEAD. 

lai^e  party  of  the  Madi  had  attacked  a  body  of  traders,  killed  the  standard-bearer,  and 
nearly  carried  off  the  standard  itself,  a  young  Bari  boy  came  to  the  rescue,  shot  with  his 
pistol  thrf  man  who  was  carrying  off  the  standard,  snatched  it  from  him,  and  took  it 
safely  to  his  master. 

One  of  these  Bari  lads,  a  drummer  named  Arnout,  saved  the  life  of  his  master  by  a 
stratagem.  While  the  latter  was  reloading  his  gun,  he  was  attacked  by  several  natives, 
wheu  young  Arnout  ran  up,  and,  though  weaponless,  presented  his  drumstick  at  the 
enemy.  Thinking  it  to  be  some  novel  kind  of  firearm,  the  assailants  ran  away,  leaving 
Arnout  master  of  the  field. 

The  appearance  of  the  Bari  is  rather  remarkable.  Their  heads  are  round  and  bullet- 
shaped,  with  low  foreheads,  and  nmch  development  behind  the  ears  and  at  the  nape  of 
the  neck,  ao  that  the  general  conformation  of  the  head  is  anything  but  pleasing,  and  is  a 
good  index  to  the  character  of  the  people.  As  they  shave  their  heads,  the  formation  of 
the  skull  is  easily  seen. 

They  are  a  tall,  well-grown,  and  well-fed  people,  thus  being  a  great  contrast  to  the 
Kytch  and  several  other  tribes ;  and,  although  they  wear  but  little  clothing,  they  contrive 
to  spend  much  time  on  personal  adornment.  The  men  shave  the  whole  of  their  heads, 
with  the  exception  of  a  little  tuft  of  hair  on  the  top,  which  is  preserved  as  an  attachment 


!f1 


4t^'  -trV 


518 


THE  BABL 


for  a  few  feathers  from  a  cock's  tail.  When  they  go  to  war,  and  even  in  their  own  villages, 
they  rub  themselves  with  a  kind  of  vermilion  mixed  with  grease,  and  cover  the  whole  of 
their  person  with  this  pigment  The  men  never  stir  without  their  weapons,  which  consist 
of  a  bow,  arrows,  and  a  spear. 

The  bow  is  fully  six  feet  in  length,  and  looks  a  very  formidable  weapon ;  but  it  is  so 
stiff  and  inelastic  that,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  it  cannot  propel  the  heavy  arrows 
with  much  force.  0  The  arrows  are  cruelly  barbed,  and  the  butt  of  the  shaft  is  spread  out 
so  as  to  allow  a  wide  notch  to  be  cut  in  it.  This  widened  butt  is  seen  in  arrows  throughout 
a  large  part  of  Africa,  and  there  is  now  before  me  a  Zanzibar  quiver,  full  of  arrows 
kindly  presented  by  J.  A.  Wood,  Esq.  RN.  These  arrows  are  made  with  wouderfui 
neatness,  but  are  spoiled  in  appearance  by  the  width  of  the  butt.  How  the  natives 
can  use  these  arrows  without  having  their  left  hand  cut  to  pieces  by  the  butt  is  really 
wonderful ;  and  as  it  must  strike  against  the  bow,  and  deflect  the  arrow  from  its  intended 
course,  the  wretched  archery  of  the  natives  is  accounted  for. 

Besides  his  weapons,  the  Bari  man  always  carries  his  stool,  slinging  the  latter  behind 
him.  When  he  stands,  he  has  an  odd  mode  of  reposing  himself,  which  reminds  the 
observer  of  the  stork,  flamingo,  and  other  long-shanked  birds.  One  foot  rests  on  the 
ground,  while  the  other  is  pressed  against  the  leg  just  below  the  knee,  and  the  maD 
steadies  himself  by  resting  the  butt  of  the  spear  on  the  ground.  Generally,  the  bow, 
arrows,  and  pipe  are  tucked  between  the  legs  while  the  owner  is  standing. 

The  women  shave  the  whole  of  their  heads,  and,  by  way  of  dress,  wear  a  little  apron 
about  six  inches  square,  sometimes  made  of  beads  strung  together,  and  sometimes  of  iron 
rings  linked  in  each  other  like  chain-maiL  These  last  aprons  are  much  valued.  They 
also  adorn  themselves  by  making  a  vast  quantity  of  semicircular  soars  on  the  body,  from 
the  breast  down  to  the  waist,  so  that  at  a  little  distance  they  look  as  if  they  wore  a  cuirus 
of  scales.  They  are  as  fond  of  the  vermilion  and  grease  as  their  husbdhcb,  and  the  effect 
of  this  pigment  on  the  scars  is  to  increase  the  resemblance  to  scale  armour. 

The  houses  are  neatly  built  Bach  family  resides  within  a  considerable  space 
surrounded  by  a  hedge  of  euphorbia,  and  the  whole  of  the  interior  is  levelled,  and  caremlly 
laid  down  with  a  sort  of  cement  composed  of  wood-ashes,  cowdung,  and  clay.  This  mix- 
ture soon  dries  in  the  sun,  and  forms  a  kind  of  asphalte,  so  that  it  can  be  swept  easily. 
The  huts  are  floored  with  the  same  material,  and  both  they  and  the  enclosure  are  kept 
scrupulously  clean.  The  homestead  consists  of  a  number  of  huts,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  family ;  and  near  them  are  placed  the  gnnaries,  which  are  carefully  raised  on  posts. 

As  is  the  case  in  so  many  parts  of  Africa,  the  roof  of  the  circular  hut  projects  for 
some  distance  beyond  the  low  walls,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  shady  verandah.  The  door  of 
the  hut  is  not  more  than  two  feet  high.  This  form  of  hut  reminds  the  traveller  of  the 
Bechuana  houses,  while  another  custom  is  almost  exactly  identical  with  one  which  is 
practised  among  the  Damaras. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  page  349,  he  will  see  a  representation  of  a  Damara  tomb. 
The  Bari  bury  their  dead  within  the  enclosure  of  the  homestead,  and  in  like  manner  fix  a 
pole  in  the  ground,  and  tie  to  it  the  horns  and  skulls  of  oxen.  In  order  to  show  that  it 
is  the  tomb  of  a  Bari,  a  tuft  of  cock's  feathers  is  fastened  to  the  top  of  the  pole,  in 
imitation  of  that  which  the  deceased  once  bore  on  his  head. 


f , 


WEAPONS. 


519 


THE  DJIBBA. 


Proceedino  still  northward,  and  divei^g  a  little  to  the  east,  we  come  to  a  large  and 
formidable  tribe  called  the  Djibba.  Their  territory  is  situated  about  lat.  7°  N.  and 
long.  34°  E.,  and  occupies  a  large  tract  of  countiy  almost  encircled  by  the  Sobat  River, 
one  of  the  many  tributaries  of  the  Nile. 

The  Djibba  are  a  bold  and  warlike  tribe.  They  are  not  negroes,  neither  are  they  black 
their  colour  being  a  dark  brown. 
Their  stature  is  tall,  and,  except 
in  colour,  they  bear  much  ro- 
semblance  to  the  Shillooks,  who 
will  be  presently  de8rnbe«^  Tt 
has  been  thought  that  .sy  ..  -t 
be  an  offshoot  of  that  vribe,  .. . . 
they  indignantly  deny  any  re- 
lationship either  to  the  Shillook 
or  any  other  tribe ;  and  even  hold 
themselves  aloof  from  the  warlike 
Dinkas,  with  whom  so  many  infe- 
rior tribes  are  only  too  glad  to 
(jaim  relationship. 

These  people  are  essentially 
warriors,  and  have  a  most  remark- 
able set  of  weapons. 

Spears  of  course  they  possess, 
and  he  is  a  happy  man  who  has  a 
weapon  with  an  iron  head.  Iron 
is  scarce  in  the  Djibba  country, 
and,  in  consequence,  many  of  the 
warriors  are  obliged  to  content 
themselves  with  fastening  the 
sharp  horns  of  antelopes  to  their 
spear  shaft,  until  they  can  manage 
to  procure  the  coveted  iron  head. 
^Vnen  a  Djibba  warrior  does  pos- 
sess so  valuable  a  weapon,  he  takes 
very  great  care  of  it,  keeping  the 
edges  as  sharp  as  a  razor,  and 
covering  the  head  with  a  hide 
sheath,  The  sheath  is  attached  to 
the  shaft  by  a  thong,  so  that  there 
shall  be  no  danger  of  losing  it,  and 
it  is  never  uncovered  except  when 
the  spear  is  to  be  used. 

They  also  have  clubs  and  axes 
of  different  shapes,  and  examples 
of  the  most  characteristic  forms  of 
these  weapons  are  given  in  the  ac- 
companying illustration.  The  club 
is  formed  from  a  dark,  hard,  and 

heavy  wood,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  mushroom-like  shape  of  the  head.    This  shape  is 
particularly  mentioned,  because  it  is  a  Davourite  one  in  Central  A&ica,  and  among  the 


4| 


B4TTLB-AZB. 


CLU& 


SCALPL0CK3. 


I  4? 


*!*l 


520 


THE  DJIBBA. 


Ddr  tribe  expands  until  it  is  exactly  like  a  large  flat-headud  mnshioom,  with  sharp 
edges  (see  the  illustration  on  page  494,  fig.  2).  The  axe  reminds  the  observer  of  the 
battle-axe  of  the  Middle  Ages,  which  was  equilly  adapted  for  thrusting  or  striking. 

If  the  reader  will  now  refer  to  the  accompanying  illustration,  he  will  see  some  very 
remarkable  objects,  which  serve  the  double  purpose  of  ornaments  and  weapons  Asia 
evident  from  their  shape,  they  are  worn  on  the  wrist,  so  that  the  wearer  is  never  entirelr 
unarmed.  Fig.  3  is  an  iron  bracelet,  very  ingeniously  made,  considering  the  imperfect 
tools  of  the  native  blacksmith.  The  Djibba  workman  first  takes  a  thin  plate  of  iron 
sharpens  the  edges,  and  cuts  a  row  of  deep  notchea  along  them ;  he  then  rolls  it  lonsi^ 
tudinally,  so  as  to  form  half  a  cylinder;  and,  lastly,  bends  it  round  into  the  form  of  a 
bracelet  When  it  is  placed  on  the  wrist,  the  two  ends  are  pressed  or  hammered  tc^ther 
until  the  bracelet  is  held  firmly  in  its  place.  ' 


BBAOBLBTS. 


Another  and  far  more  formidable  weapon  is  seen  at  fig.  4.  This  is  a  bracelet  made 
of  a  flat  plate  of  iron,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  width.  On  the  inside  it  is  very  thick, 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  at  least,  and  it  is  thinned  gradually  to  the  edge,  which  is  kept 
exceedingly  sharp.  In  order  to  prevent  it  from  injuring  the  wearer,  a  sort  of  sheath  of  j 
stout  leather  runs  round  the  edge,  and  is  held  in  its  place  by  its  own  elasticity,  so  that  it 
can  be  pulled  o£F  in  a  moment,  and  replaced  almost  as  quickly.  "Whenever  the  warrior 
comes  to  close  quarters,'  he  strips  off  the  leathern  sheath,  and,  rushing  in  upon  his 
adversary,  strikes  at  the  face  with  the  sharp  edge,  or,  flinging  the  left  arm  round  him, 
cuts  his  naked  body  almost  into  pieces  with  rapid  strokes  of  this  terrible  weapon. 

These  drawings,  together  with  those  of  the  club  and  axe  (p.  519)  and  figs.  5  and  6  in  the 
accompanying  illustration,  are  taken  from  specimens  in  the  collection  of  Colonel  Lane 
Fox,  who  kindly  added  to  my  museum  the  bracelets  marked  1  and  2. 

A  w^ll-armed  Djibba  warrior  also  carries  a  club  made  on  exactly  the  same  principle. 
It  is  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  racket,  and  very  near  y  the  some  shape,  except  that 
the  flattened  portion  is  not  so  regular.  Indeed,  if  an  ordi  lary  golf-club  had  a  head  which 
could  be  flattened  out  until  it  was  about  a  foot  long,  and  seven  or  eight  inches  wide,  it 
would  almost  exactly  resemble  the  "  assaya,"  as  this  jlub  is  called.  The  edge  of  the 
weapon  is  kept  very  sharp,  and  is  guarded  by  a  shep'^h  of  hide  exactly  like  that  of  the 
knife-bracelet  The  New  Zealanders  formerly  used  rn  axe-club  of  similar  construction, 
though  very  much  larger. 


DBESS  AND  ORNAMENTa 


521 


In  the  left-hand  illustration  on  page  519  is  shown  another  proof  of  the  essentially  war- 

jDftture  of  the  Djibba  tribe    When  a  Djibba  warrior  kills  a  foe  in  battle,  he  cuts  off 

I  head,  and  takes  it  home  with  him ;  he  then  cuts  a  number  of  leathern  thongs,  removes 

„  I  hair  from  the  head  of  the  enemy,  and  hands  them  both  to  a  friend,  who  undertakes 

i  office  of  decorating  the  victor  with  the  proofs  of  valour. 

Fint  the  thongs  are  plaited  into  sixteen  or  seventeen  bands,  a  part  of  one  being  shown 

|it« original  size  at  fig.  2.    One  end  of  the  bands  is  then  woven  firmly  into  the  back  of 

I  head,  and  is  so  managed,  that  as  the  hair  grows  it  renders  the  fastening  more  and  more 

The  hair  of  the  dead  man  is  then  matted  together  into  a  sort  of  felt,  about  a 

er  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  sewn  firmly  to  the  under  side  of  the  leathern 

This  process  being  accomplished,  the  Djibba  warrior  stalks  proudly  forth,  feeling 

bself  every  inch  a  man,  and  enjoying  the  envy  and  admiration  of  those  who  have  not 

Uet  been  fortunate  enoueh  to  attam  such  an  honourable  trophy. 

Whenever  ho  kills  another  enemy,  he  adds  to  the  length,  but  not  to  the  width,  of  this 

alar  ornament ;  and  as  he  despoils  the  slain  man  of  all  his  ornaments,  he  is  able  to 

|gy  cowries  with  v/hich  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  his  scalp-locks,  fastening  them  in  rows 

W  the  leathern  bands.    A  warrior  of  eminence  will  sometimes  have  this  trophy  of 

lominate  length.    I  have  seen  one  that  was  brought  over  by  Mr.  Petherick,  which  was 

(long  that,  when  a  man  of  ordinary  height  placed  it  on  his  head,  the  end  trailed  on  the 

louni    It  was  so  thickly  covered  with  cowries,  that  the  leathern  bands  and  hair  could 

i  be  seen  until  it  was  lifted  up,  and  the  proud  owner  had  also  extended  the  cowries  over 

itop  of  his  head  nearly  to  the  eyes  in  front,  and  over  the  ears  on  either  side. 

The  weight  of  this  ornament  was  enormous,  and  it  is  really  wonderful  that  any  amount 

I  could  have  induced  any  man  to  subject  himself  to  such  discomfort.    The  cele- 

!ated  pearl  suit  of  Prince  Esterhazy  must  have  been  singular!^'  uncomfortable,  but  then 

t  was  only  worn  on  special  occasions,  whereas  the  Djibba  warru    cannot  relieve  himself 

(bis  honourable  but  weighty  decoration. 

The  existence  of  such  an  ornament  shows  that  the  Djibba  are  fond  of  decoration. 

hey  are  moderately  well  clothed,  wearing  goat-skin  dresses,  with  the  hairy  side  outwards. 

he  dress  passes  over  the  left  shoulder,  leaving  the  right  arm  free,  nnd  then  goes  round 

llhe  waist,  descending  to  mid-thigh.    Ivory  armlets  of  good  w^orkmanship  are  worn  on  the 

lipper  arm,  heavy  belts  of  cowries  are  tied  round  the  waist,  and  both  the  ankles  and  waist 

ire  ornamented  with  polished  iron  rings.     Several  forms  of  these  ornaments  are  seen  in 

k  illustration  on  page  520.    Figs.  1  and  2  are  the  simplest  and  the  most  common  forms. 

Fig.  1  is  a  man's  bracelet,  and  weighs  almost  a  quarter  of  a  pound.    Fig.  2  is  much 

lilighter,  and  belonged  to  a  womaa    Figs.  5  and  6  are  examples  of  the  tasteful  ingenuity 

IwUch  the  native  smiths  lavish  on  their  personal  adornments.  ^ 


I  .■.4r 


If 


THE  NUEHR 


We  now  come  to  another  of  those  remarkable  tribes  which  inhabit  Central  Africa. 

About  lat.  9°  N.  and  long.  25°  E.  there  is  a  large  district  inhabited  by  a  tribe  called 
theNuehr  or  Nouaer.  Contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  this  tribe  possesses  land  on  both 
jiides  of  the  Nile,  which  in  the  midst  of  their  territory  spreads  itself  into  a  lake.  The 
Nuehr  are  a  fine-looking  race  of  savages,  and  very  like  savages  they  look.  The  men  are 
tall,  powerful,  and  well-formed,  but  their  features  approach  the  negro  type,  and  are  heavier 
ttd  coarser  than  those  of  the  tribes  which  have  been  previously  mentioned.  The  women 
are  not  nearly  so  good-looking  as  the  men,  and  are  rather  clumsily  built. 


522 


THE  NUEHR. 


:hi 


Neither  sex  is  much  troubled  with  clothes.  The  males  never  wear  any  clothes  at  ali 
nor  do  tlie  females,  until  they  are  married,  when  they  tie  a  fringe  of  grass  round  the! 
waists,  some  of  the  wealthier  women  being  able  to  use  a  leathern  fringe,  of  which  they  ai 
very  proud.  Their  ornaments  really  seem  to  serve  no  other  pmrpose  but  to  disligure  th 
wearers  as  much  as  possible. 

Beginning  with  the  head,  the  men  stain  their  woolly  hair  of  a  dusty  red  by  a  mixtuil 
of  which  ashes  form  the  chief  part.  They  then  take  a  sort  of  pipe-clay,  and  plaster  i 
thickly  into  the  hair  at  the  back  part  of  the  head,  dressing  it  up  and  shaping  it  unti 
it  is  formed  into  a  cone,  the  shape  of  the  ornament  varying  according  to  the  capricL 
of  the  individual    fiy  means  of  this  clay  head-dress  the  hair  is  thrown  back  from  th] 

face,  the  expression  of  which  is  no 
improved  by  the  horizontal  lines  th 
are  tattooed  across  it 

A  head-dress  of  remarkable  beaut 
was  brought  from  this  tribe  by  Mi! 
Petherick,  and  is  now  in  the  collectioil 
of  Colonel  Lane  .Fox.    It  is  white, 
imitation  of  the  white  clay  with  vhiclj 
the  head  is  usually  decorated,  and 
made  of  cylindrical  beads  shaped  as  i| 
they  were  pieces  of  tobacco-pipe.  The 
beads,  or  bugles,  as  they  ought  perhap_ 
to  be  called,  aro  threaded  on  string] 
and  fastened  together  in  a  veryiDcttniou 
manner.     The  singular  point  m  thii 
head-dross  is  the  exact  resemblance  I 
the  soldier's  casque  of  ancient  Egyp 
and  to  the  helmets  now  in  use  in  Ind 
and  other  pai-ts  of  the  world. 

The  natural  glossy  black  of  the  skin,! 
which  has  so  pleasing  an  appearance,  isl 
utterly  destroyed  by  a  coating  of  wood-ashes,  which  gives  to  the  surface  a  kind  of  greyishi 
look.  On  the  upper  arm  they  generally  wear  a  large  armlet  of  ivoiy,  and  have  heavy  coilsl 
of  beads  round  their  necks.  The  wrists  are  adorned  with  rings  of  copper  and  other! 
ornaments,  and  on  the  right  wrist  they  carry  an  iron  ring  aimed  with  projecting  bladesj 
very  similar  to  that  which  is  worn  by  the  Latookas. 

Joctian,  the  chief  of  the  Nuehr  tribe,  was  asked  by  Sir  S.  Baker  what  was  the  use  ofl 
this  weapon,  and  by  way  of  answer  he  simply  pointed  to  his  wife's  arms  and  back,  which  I 
were  covered  with  scars  produced  by  this  primitive  wife-tamer.  He  seemed  quite  proud  I 
of  these  marks,  and  evidently  considered  them  merely  as  ocular  proofs  that  his  wife  was  I 
properly  subservient  to  her  husband.  In  common  with  the  rest  of  his  tribe,  he  had  a  I 
small  bag  slung  round  his  neck  by  way  of  a  pocket,  which  held  bits  of  wood  beads  and  all  I 
kinds  of  trifles.  He  asked  for  everything  h'^  saw,  and  when  anything  of  small  size  was  I 
given  to  him,  it  straightway  went  into  the  bag.  I 

Still,  putting  aside  these  two  traits  of  cruelty  and  covetousness,  Joctian  seems  to  have  I 
been  a  tolerably  agreeable  savage,  and  went  away  delighted  with  the  presents  he  had  I 
received,  instead  of  grumbling  that  he  could  not  get  more,  as  is  the  usual  way  among  I 
savage  chiefs.  It  was  rather  strange  that,  although  he  was  so  charmed  with  beads  and  | 
bracelets,  he  declined  to  accept  a  knife,  saying  that  it  was  useless  to  him. 

He  had  in  his  hands  a  huge  pipe,  holding  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  tobacco.  I 
Every  Nuehr  man  has  one  of  these  pipes,  which  he  always  carries  with  him,  and  should 
his  supply  of  tobacco  be  exhausted,  he  lights  a  piece  of  charcoal,  puts  it  into  his  pipe,  and  | 
inhales  the  vapour  that  it  draws  from  the  tobacco-saturated  bowL 

The  women  are  not  so  much  adorned  as  the  men,  probably  because  the  stronger  sex  I 
prefer  to  use  the  ornaments  themselves.    At  a  little  distance  the  women  all  look  as  if 
they  were  smoking  cigarettes.    This  odd  appearance  is  caused  by  a  strange  ornament 


NTTEHR  HELUBT. 
JPfOM  CoIoMt  laiM  FocfB  CotUeHM. 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  DINKA. 


C23 


liich  (hey  wear  in  their  upper  lip.    They  take  a  piece  of  iron  wire,  about  four  inches  in 

ith,  and  cover  it  with  smal:  beads.  A  hole  is  then  pierced  in  the  upper  lip,  and  the 
Iment  inserted,  so  as  to  project  forward  and  rather  upward. 

The  Nuehr  are  very  fond  of  beauo,  auu  are  gibd  to  exchange  articles  of  food  for  them. 
,je  kind  of  bead,  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  is  greatly  valued  by  them ; 
pd  when  Mr.  Petherick  was  travelling  through  their  country,  he  purchased  an  ox  for 
rfat  such  beads. 

The  chief  came  on  board  the  boat,  and,  as  usual,  asked  for  everything  he  saw.  Among 
Jier  odd  things,  he  set  his  aCTection  on  Mr.  Petherick's  shoes,  which,  as  they  were  nearly 
foro  ont,  were  presented  to  him.  Of  course  they  were  much  too  small  for  him,  and  the 
empts  which  he  made  to  put  them  on  were  very  amusing.  After  man}  failures,  he 
lermined  on  taking  them  nome^  where  he  thought  he  might  be  able  to  get  them  on 
r  greasing  his  feet  well 

When  the  chief  entered  the  cabin,  and  saw  the  wonders  of  civilized  life,  he  was  quite 
...ome  with  the  novel  gitindeur,  and  proceeded  to  kneel  on  one  knee,  in  order  to  give 
)  salutation  due  to  a  great  chief.  "  Grasping  my  right  hand,  and  turning  up  the  mlm, 
I  quietly  spat  into  it,  and  then,  looking  into  my  face,  he  deliberately  repealed  the 
txjesa.  Staggered  at  the  man's  audacity,  my  first  impulse  was  to  knook  him  down,  but 
^  features  expressing  kindness  only,  I  vented  my  rage  by  returning  the  compliment  with 
[possible  interest.    His  delight  seemed  excessive,  and  resuming  his  seat,  he  expressed 

conviction  that  I  must  be  a  great  chief.     Similar  salutes  followed  with  each  of  his 

mdants,  and  friendship  was  established," 

This  strange  salutation  extends  through  many  of  the  tribes  that  surround  the  Nuehr ; 
Qtin  some,  as  for  example  the  Kytch,  the  saluter  merely  pretends  to  spit  in  the  hand 
:  lids  Mend,  and  does  not  really  do  so. 


THE  DINKA. 


Smx  south  of  the  Nuehr  tribe  we  come  to  a  singular  district  extending  on  either  side 
I  the  Nile.  This  couiltry  is  inhabited  by  two  tribes,  who  are  both  warlike,  both  at 
feud  with  each  other,  and  both  fond  of  making  unexpected  raids  into  the  enemy's 
luntiy.  The  tribe  that  inhabits  the  left  or  west  bank  is  called  the  Shillook,  and  that 
'hich  occupies  the  eastern  bank  is  the  Dinka  or  Denka  trib&  We  will  take  the 
Mas  first 

They  have  more  of  the  negro  in  their  aspect  than  the  tribe  which  has  just  been 
lescribed.     They  include  many  smaller  or  sub-tribes,  all  of  which  speak  the  same 

juage,  or  at  least  a  dialect  of  it.    Without  going  into  any  minute  details  as  to  the 

uliarity  of  each  division,  we  wiU  simply  take  the  leading  characteristics  of  the  great 
id  formidable  Dinka  tribe.  That  they  are  exceedingly  warlike  has  already  been 
Indeed,  had  they  not  been  so,  they  would  long  ago  have  been  exterminated ;  for, 
with  the  incessant  inroads  of  the  Shillooks  and  Bagaras  from  the  west,  and  various 

lb  tribes  from  the  north  and  east,  they  could  not  have  held  their  own  had  they  not 

in  brave  men,  and  trained  to  arms. 

The  martial  spirit  extends  even  to  the  women,  and  was  once  of  very  great  service  to 
lir  Samuel  Baker,  while  on  his  travels.  A  dangerous  quarrel  had  suddenly  arisen,  and 
number  of  Arabs  were  attacking  the  white  leaders,  some  being  armed  with  swords  and 
le  others  with  spear&  One  of  the  latter  had  got  behind  Sir  Samuel's  head  man,  and 
as  about  to  make  a  thrust  with  his  lance.  There  happened  to  be  with  the  exploring 
a  Dinka  woman,  named  Zeneb,  and,  as  soon  as  she  saw  the  Smeute,  she  snatched  up 


624 


THE  DINKA. 


IM,    "I 


<  .    ' 


I    X 


.» 


the  heavy  handle  of  an  axe,  nished  intc  the  thickest  of  the  fray,  knocked  down  the  Aid 
with  a  blow  on  his  head,  and  instantly  twisted  his  spear  out  of  his  hand,  while  he 
stunned  with  the  unexpected  blow.  This  timely  aid  was  the  turning-point  in  tb 
skirmish,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  the  Arabs  were  conquered  and  diHarnied.  Zeneb  U 
afterwards  the  satisfaction  of  smashing  the  lances  of  the  vanquished  Arabs,  and  boilin 
the  f'offee  with  the  fragments. 

The  principal  weapon  of  the  Dinkas  is  the  lance,  but  they  also  use  cluhg  of  varioj 
shapea    Two  modifications  of  their  favourite  form  are  shown  in  the  accorapaiiyiii 

illustration,  and  are  drawn  from  specimens  in  Colonel  Lane  Foxl 
collection.  These  clubs  were  brought  from  Central  Africa  b| 
Mr.  Petherick.  In  form  they  strongly  remind  the  observer  ( 
certain  clubs  in  use  among  the  Polynesians,  and  indeed  migK 
easily  be  mistaken  for  such  weapons.  The  club  is  employed  fd 
a  double  purpose.  It  is  held  in  the  left  hand,  and  used  as  1 
shield,  witn  which  to  turn  aside  the  lance-thrust  of  the  enenJ 
and,  when  the  enemy  has  been  wounded,  the  club  is  ready  fd 
the  operation  of  knocking  out  his  braina  1 

Warlike  as  they  may  be,  the  Dinkas  are  not  so  activeli 
aggressive  as  their  neighbours,  the  Shillooks,  and  never  frequenl 
the  bankd  of  tlie  Nile  unless  compelled  to  do  so  by  droughf 
They  are  agriculturists  after  a  fashion,  and  keep  vast  herds  o[ 
cattle,  and  it  is  chiefly  on  account  of  their  cattle  that  they  an 
sometimes  forced  to  approach  the  river  bank,  and  so  to  expos) 
themselves  to  the  attacks  of  their  inveterate  foes,  the  Shillooki 
and  Bagaras,  who  not  only  steal  their  cattle,  but  carry  off  theu 
women  and  children.    The  Bagaras  are  excellent  horsemen,  and 
swim  their  steeds  across  the  river,  placing  one  hand  on  thij 
animal's  quarters,  and  swimming  alongside.    They  are  also  greal 
elephant-hunters,   pursuing  their  mighty  game  on  horsebackl 
armed  only  with  a  speur,  leaping  from  the  horse  und  inflicting  i 
mortal  wound,  and  springing  on  their  steeds  again  before  th^ 
elephant  has  had  time  to  turn  himself. 
The  dress  of  both  sexes  is  simple  enough.    The  men  wear  a  piece  of  skin  attached  t 
a  girdle,  but  it  hangs  behind  and  not  before,  except  on  occasions  of  ceremony,  when  it  iJ 
carefully  brought  round  to  the  front.    Beads  are  of  course  worn,  the  quantity  varyina 
according  to  the  means  of  the  possessor.    The  married  women  wear  small  aprons,  an^ 
the  girls  and  children  nothing  at  all,  with  the  exception  of  beads  and  other  ornaments, 
Like  those  of  the  Nuehr  tribe,  the  Dinka  women  perforate  the  upper  lip,  and  place  in  it  i 
little  bit  of  stick  covered  with  beads.    The  women  are  not  at  all  pretty,  whatever  go  ' 
looks  they  may  have  had  being  completely  neutralized  by  the  habit  of  shaving  the  hea 
The  girls  are  very  fond  of  an  ornament,  which  is  a  series  of  hollow  iron  cones,  about  ha 
an  inch  or  so  in  diameter  at  the  bottom,  and  tapering  to  a  point  above.    Through  thd 
upper  part  a  hole  is  bored,  so  that  the  cones  can  be  strung  on  a  leathern  thong.    Theyaia 
of  very  different  lengths ;  those  which  come  in  front  being  about  four  inches  long,  whila 
those  at  the  back  measure  barely  two  inches.    As  the  girl  walks  about,  this  waistbaul 
gives  forth  a  pleasant  tinkling,  of  which  the  wearer  is  extremely  proud.    Such  an  oma^ 
ment  is  extremely  prized,  and  as  it  is  almost  indestructible,  it  is  handed  down  froii 
mother  to  child,  and  so  there  is  scarcely  a  Dinka  maiden  who  does  not  possess  one. 

The  pursuits  of  the  Dinkas  in  time  of  peace  are  mostly  limited  to  hunting  anJ 
tending  cattle.  Agriculture  is  rather  despised,  and  left  to  the  women,  and  the  consequent 
is,  that  the  capabilities  of  the  soil  are  never  fairly  developed.  Indeed,  they  only  till 
small  patches  of  ground  near  their  huts,  and  there  cultivate  maize,  millet,  gourds,  ymn 
nuts,  cotton,  capsicum,  and  similar  plants.  They  seldom  eat  the  flesh  of  their  cattle,  unles^ 
a  cow  happens  to  die  a  natural  death,  in  which  case  a  great  feast  is  held :  for  theia 
supplies  of  meat  they  trust  almost  entirely  to  their  skill  in  hunting.  The  rich  live  prin-| 
cipally  on  the  milk  of  their  cattle,  and  should  they  have  more  mUk  than  they  cai 


OLtTBa 


BIANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


«25 


leoninme,  they  barter  it  with  other  .ribes  for  grain.  They  are  clever  fishermen,  and  those 
Ivbo  are  not  well  off  are  accustomed  to  frequent  the  banks  of  rivers  or  lakes,  trying  to 
lull  the  hippopotamus,  and  in  the  meantime  subsisting  on  fish.  They  have  an  ingenious 
luethod  of  transporting  flsh  to  a  distance  by  wrapping  them  in  thick  clay,  and  as  this 
■(overing  can  be  made  air-tight,  the  fish  can  be  kept  for  several  days  even  in  so  hot  a 
Itountry. 

I    Agriculture  being  thus  neglected,  it  naturally  follows  that  great  distress  is  occasionally 

Ijelt  in  tlie  country,  great  numbers  being  reduced  to  spend  the  wh(/le  of  their  time  in 

lieaiching  for  grains  and  berries.    Sometimes  they  hire  themselves  as  servants,  and  take 

l(tre  of  tlie  herds ;  and  in  bad  years  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  in  the  bush  the  bodies  of 

IneD,  women,  and  children,  who  have  died  from  hunger  in  a  country  which  i^  capable  of 

applying  both  the  necessaries  and  luxuries  of  life. 

With  one  branch  of  the  Dinka  tribe  Mr.  Petherick  remained  for  some  time,  and  had  a 

||oo(i  opportunity  of  studying  their  manners.     His  first  reception  was  not  a  promising 

lone,  as  the  chief  fully  intended  to  take  by  force  all  the  beads  that  had  been  brought  for 

Wk  purchase  of  ivory,  and  threatened  destruction  to  the  whole  party»  if  this  modest  notion 

Iweie  not  at  once  carried  out.     However,  the  discharge  of  a  gun,  and  i^3  effects  at  a 

Idistance,  terrified  the  chief  to  such  an  extent,  that  he  was  very  glad  to  assume  a  more 

hamble  tone.    The  next  stratagem  was  to  frighten  away    A  the  porters,  so  Itiat  the  mer- 

Icbandise  could  not  be  carried  out  of  the  country,  and  to  cut  off  the  su,v  tly  of  water  and 

ovisions.in  order  to  force  Mr.  Petherick  and  his  party  to  leave  the  distu.t.    Indeed,  the 

hief  8tated  plainly  that,  as  they  could  not  remove  their  goods  out  of  hiS  country,  the  best 

plan  would  be  to  hand  them  over  at  once,  and  proceed  on  their  jour  ..y. 

Previous  to  these  events,  the  life  of  the   same  traveller  had  been  endani.  ^ed  by  an 
Dianceof  six  Dinka  tribes  against  him,  they  having  imbibed  the  usual  notUu  that  the 
Jonly  object  of  a  white  man  in  coming  into  their  temtory  was  to  destroy  tlie  slave  tr.i  le, 
[ind  bring  white  enemies  among  them. 

This  was  while  ho  was  among  the  Ddr  tribe,  with  some  of  ^'hoc;  the  Dinkas  had 

ilieady  contrived  to  pick  a  quarrel.     He  therefore  fenced  in  his  camp  very  strongly, 

Dd,  by  erecting  a  kind  of  bastion  at  each  angle,  made  it  so  formidable  a  fortress  that 

he  Dinkas  were  afi-aid  to  attack  it.     They  hung  about  the  place  for  six  weeks,  and 

lit  last  Mr.  Petherick  determined  on  striking  a  bold   stroke,  and  turning  the  tables 

jipon  them. 

Knowing  the  exceeding  value  which  they  placed  on  cattle,  lie  thought  that  if  he 
leoald  carry  off  one  of  their  herds  they  would  be  brought  to  their  senses.  He  sent  off  a 
jdetachment  of  his  party,  who  seized  six  hundred  head  of  cattle,  beside  sheep  and  goats 
jinsumerable.  As  had  been  anticipated,  the  Dinkas,  who  really  value  their  cattle  much 
jmore  than  human  life,  were  terror-stricken,  and  came  humbly  suing  for  peace.  This  was 
Igianted,  on  their  giving  in  their  submission,  and  the  cattle  were  handed  over  to  a  Ddr 
Ichief,  in  order  to  provide  food  for  his  village.  How^'er,  the  Dinkas  kept  bad  faith,  for 
Ithey  continually  hung  upon  Mr.  Petherick's  line  o^'  raa-  jh ;  and  once  a  sub-tribe,  called 
lAjack,  had  the  temerity  to  make  an  open  charge.  Ot  course  they  were  at  once  repulsed, 
jvith  a  loss  of  several  dead  and  wounded ;  but  in  consequence  of  these  repeated  attacks 
jit  was  found  necessary  to  halt  for  the  night  in  some  cattle-shed,  and  to  loop-hole  the 
Iwalls  for  musketry. 

I  A  considerable  trade  in  beads  and  tv:ik,  -sv  as  done  among  the  Dinka  tribe,  who  at 
llast  became  rather  sharp  dealers.  Mr.  Petherick  gives  an  amusing  account  of  one  of 
|their  markets : — 

'After  fifteen  days'  tedious  tracking,  we  made  fast  under  some  Dinka  villages  situated 
Ion  its  southern  bank,  where  we  succeeded  in  bartering  numerous  tusks  from  the  natives, 
Ivho  received  us  with  open  arms,  in  the  hope  that  we  would  defend  them,  in  case  of 
lemergency,  from  the  aggressions  of  the  Nuehr. 

I  "  I  proceeded  on  shore  to  meet  them,  accompanied  by  an  interpreter,  a  man  bearing  a 
|b»g  of  various  kinds  of  beads,  and  half  a  dozen  armed  men,  to  guard  against  treachery, 
jwhich,  considering  the  negroes  were  armed  with  clubs  and  lances,  was  a  necessary  pre- 
Icaution.    My  interpreter  and  myself  seated  ourselves  opposite  to  the  owner  of  the  tusk. 


1         •!, 


If  '■ 


■M 


r    * 


i   ^    ■ 


026 


THE  DINKA. 


who  obstinately  retained  his  seat,  refusing  us  an  inspection  of  it.    Placing  a  hide  on  tlij 

? round,  a  variety  of  beads,  cowrie-shells,  and  copper  bracelets  were  displayed  thereoJ 
he  beauty  of  these  provoked  striking  signs  of  approbation,  the  vendor  and  bystanden 
grinning  and  rubbing  their  stomachs  with  both  hands.  A  consultation  then  took  pla( 
between  the  party  and  his  friends  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  the  beads,  which  resulted  j 
the  following  dialogue : — 

"  Vendor. — ^' Ah !  your  beads  are  beautiful,  but  the  bride  (tusk)  I  offer  is  lovely:  likJ 
yourself,  she  is  white  and  tall,  and  worthy  of  great  price.'  1 

"  Self. — 'Truly  the  beauty  of  the  bride  is  imdeniable ;  but,  from  what  I  can  see  of  herj 
she  is  cracked,  whilst  my  beads  are  perfect.' 

"  Vendor. — *■  The  beads  you  offer  are  truly  beautiful,  but  T  think  they  must  have  beei 
gathered  before  they  were  ripe.' 

"  Self. — '  Oh,  no !  they  were  gathered  when  mature,  and  their  colour  is  peculiar  tc| 
•  them,  aud  you  will  find  that  they  will  wear  as  well  as  the  best  red ;  they  came  from 
difl'erent  country.' 

"  Vendor. — '  Well,  let  me  have  some  more  of  them.' 

"  His  request  being  complied  with,  rising  from  the  aisk  and  throwing  himself  upori 
the  beads,  he  collected  them  greedily ;  at  the  same  time  the  possession  of  the  tusk  was 
disputed  by  half  a  dozen  negroes,  who,  stating  they  had  assisted  to  carry  it  on  theii 
shoulders,  claimed  a  recompense.  On  this  being  complied  with  by  a  donation  to  each 
man,  another  set  of  men  came  forward  under  the  same  pretence,  and  the  tusk  was  seized 
by  my  men  at  one  extremity,  whilst  they  had  hold  of  the  other,  and  in  perfect  gooi 
humour  struggled  for  its  possession :  at  last,  to  cut  the  matter  short,  I  threw  handfuls  oi 
'  beads  amongst  the  crowd,  which  resulted  in  the  immediate  abandonment  of  the  tusk  foj 
a  scramble  after  them.  In  the  meantime  the  purchase  was  carried  off  and  safely  lodged 
on  board." 

When  Mr.  Petherick  passed  through  the  same  country  in  1856,  the  Ajack  sub-tribe 
thought  that  they  had  better  make  peace  with  so  formidable  a  visitor,  and  accordinglyl 
the  chief  Anoin  begged  him  to  rest  for  the  night  at  one  of  their  villages,  and  favouratlyl 
conclude  a  treaty  of  amity.  As  soon  as  the  camp  had  been  made,  and  the  sentries  set,  al 
number  of  young  girls — some  of  them  really  good-looking,  for  Africans — arrived  with! 
milk  and  flour,  and  were  delighted  with  some  beads,  which  they  added  to  their  attire  J 
this  consisting  of  bead-strings  round  their  necks,  waists,  and  ankles.  Encouraged  by  theirl 
reception,  others  arrived  in  succession,  and  set  to  work  at  grinding  com  and  boilingi 
porridge  as  if  they  had  belonged  to  the  expedition  all  their  lives.  I 

^  Suddenly  a  whistle  was  heard  in  the  distance,  and  scarcely  had  the  sound  died  away,! 
when  all  the  women  had  vanished,  and  a  dead  silence  succeeded  to  the  merry  cliatterl 
which  had  filled  the  place.  After  a  while  a  strange  voice  was  heai'd  in  the  surroundingl 
darkness,  asking  for  permission  to  approach,  and  when  an  assuring  answer  was  returned,! 
Anoin  and  his  brother  stepped  into  the  light  of  the  watch-fires,  followed  by  a  number  ofl 
men  leading  an  ox.  They  were  fully  armed ;  but  their  dress  consisted  merely  of  a  piece [ 
of  leopard-skin  slung  over  Anoin's  shoulder  as  a  mark  of  rank.  Anoin  wore  bracelets  ofl 
copper,  while  those  of  his  companions  were  of  iron.  Both  he  and  his  brother  wore  caps[ 
made  of  white  beads  sewn  tightly  on  soft  hide.  The  beads  were  strung  on  cotton  threads,! 
spun  by  themselves  with  a  distaff  and  spindle,  and  a  thorn  had  served  the  purpose  of  j 
a  needle. 

After  seating  themselves,  Anoin  began  a  speech,  offering  peace,  and  presenting  the  I 
bullock  as  a  proof  of  sincerity.  The  animal  was  accepted,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the 
only  relics  of  the  ox  were  the  white  and  polished  bones  scattered  on  the  ground.  A 
number  of  smaller  chiefs  then  assembled,  and  all  proceeded  to  greet  Mr.  Petherick  by 
the  usual,  though  scarcely  agreeable,  custom  of  spitting  in  his  face,  and  they  then 
proceeded  to  business. 

First,  the  Dinka  chiefs  laid  their  spears  and  clubs  in  the  middle  of  the  circle,  and 
then  Mr.  Petherick  laid  upon  them  his  rifle  and  pistols.  The  chief  next  stepped  over 
the  heap  several  times,  and  vowed  that  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  tribe  would  ever  U8e 
the  weapons  against  the  white  man,  and  wishing  that,  if  the  oath  were  broken,  he  should  | 


WARUKE  PROPENSITIES  OF  THE  SHILLOOKS. 


827 


•the  first  to  perish  by  the  weapons  of  the  aggrieved  party.  Mr.  Petherick  went  through 
te  same  ceremony  himself,  and  a  copious  indulgence  in  beer  and  pipes  cemented  the 

ace. 


THE  SHILLOOKS. 


Exactly  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  White  Nile  is  found  the  great  Shillook  tribe, 
lith  which  the  Dinka  is  always  at  feud. 

Th  Shillooks  are  a  tall  and  fiuely-mu.     race  of  men,  approaching  very  closely  tx)  the 

leing  black,  with  woolly  hair.    The  flat  nose  and  enormous  lips  of  the  true 

I  are,  however,  absent,  and  only  in  a  few  cases  ia  there  an  approach  towards  that 

ucture. 

The  Shillook  men  are  very  fond  of  ornament,  though  dress  is  not  considered  necessary. 
Heir  ornaments  are  similar  to  those  which  have  already  been  described,  and  consist 

iefly  of  iron  bi'acelets,  anklets,  aad  bead  necklaces.    They  have  also  one  rather  singular 

oration.    This  is  an  enormous  ivory  ring,  which  is  worn  above  the  elbow  of  the  right 
It  is  concave  on  the  inside,  and  is  so  large  that  it  is  used  as  a  pocket  for  holding 

lall  objects.    Small  caps  of  black  ostrich-piumes  decorate  their  heads,  and  many  of 
these  caps  are  ornamented  with  a  circle  of  cowrie-shells  in  the  middle. 

Their  weapons  are  clubs  and  lances,  the  latter  being  veiy  long,  and  having  iron  wire 
I  round  the  butt,  so  as  to  counterbalance  the  head.    They  also  carry  the  remarkable 
nv-like  shield  which  has  been  already  mentioned. 

The  women  wear  no  clothing  until  marriage,  and  then  assnme  a  couple  of  pieces  of 
ed  hide,  ono  in  front  and  the  ether  behind.     These  hides  reach  nearly  to  the  ankles, 
mdare  decorated  round  the  lowor  edfjC  with  iron  rings  and  bells.    The  heads  are  shaved, 

ud  the  ears  are  bored  all  round  their  edges  with  a  number  of  holes,  from  which  hang 

11  clusters  of  beads. 

The  villages  of  the  Shillooks  are  built  very  regularly,  and,  in  fact,  are  so  regular  as  to 
lie  stiff  and  formal  in  appearance.    The  houses  are  made  of  reeds,  tall,  of  nearly  the  same 

leight,  and  placed  close  to  each  other  in  regular  rows  or  streets,  and  when  seen  from  a 

stance  are  compared  by  Sir  S.  Baker  to  rows  of  button  mushrooms. 

The  Shillooks  are  quite  an  accomplished  people,  being  warlike,  pastoral,  agricultural, 
Ipiscatorial,  and  having  a  well-deSned  government. 

Not  only  do  they  keep  up  the  continual  feud  with  their  powerful  neighbours,  the 
Diaka,  but  they  take  advantage  of  the  overflowing  of  the  Nile  to  launch  their  canoes, 

•op  quietly  down  the  river,  and  attack  the  Arab  popvdation  on  either  bank.  So  bold 
lite  they,  that  on  several  occasions  they  descended  the  river  nearly  half  way  to  Khar- 
Jtottm,  hid  their  oauoes  in  the  reeds,  and  crossed  the  country  to  Sennaar  or  the  Blue  Nile, 
jlaking  the  inhabitants  by  surprise,  they  carried  off"  numbers  of  women  and  children  as 

laves,  drove  away  large  herds  of  cattle,  re-embarked,  and  got  safely  home  with  their 

loil.   At  length  the  Egyptian  Government  was  obliged  to  interfere,  and  had  to  place 

ops  between  the  White  and  Blue  Nile. 

Besides  their  canoes,  the  Shillooks  make  most  ingenious  vessels,  which  are  a  sort  of 
|eompromise  between  a  raft  and  a  canoe. 

In  this  part  of  Africa  there  is  a  ♦iree  called  the  ambatch,  or  ambadj  {Ane7none 
mroMlis).  This  tree  grows  tolerably  straight,  and  tapers  gradually  from  the  ground  to 
Itlie  tip.  It  never  grows  to  any  great  size,  and  the  wood  is  almost  as  light  as  cork.  To 
jiake  a  raft,  the  Shillook  cuts  a  sufticient  number  of  ambadj -trees,  lays  them  side  by  side, 
jiad  lashes  them  firmly  to  each  other.  The  tapering  ends  are  then  drawn  together  with 
jcords,  and  also  lashed  firmly,  and  the  result  is  a  singularly  effective  and  buoyant  raft, 
leasily  guided  from  its  shape,  and  so  light  that  a  man  can  carry  it  on  his  shoulders. 


'V  M 


:^« 


i"i 


''M  {■ 


t  ■? 


ih 


f   i  % 


^^:  . 


628 


THE  SHILLOOES. 


When  these  rafts  are  taken  out  of  the  water,  they  are  placed  upright  on  their  bases,  au 
two  or  three  are  supported  aeainst  each  other,  just  as  soldiers  pile  their  arms.  One  b 
these  rafts,  nine  feet  in  lengm,  and  only  four  feet  wide  at  the  stem,  can  carry  two  men.] 

The  Shillooks  are  very  clever  in  the  management  of  their  rafts,  which  they  propel  wit] 
small  paddles ;  and  even  the  little  boys  may  be  seen  paddling  about,  not  in  the  leJ 
afraid  of  the  swai-ming  crocodiles,  but  always  carrying  a  lance  with  which  to  drive  bitU 
horrid  reptiles  if  they  attempt  an  attack.  1 

When  Mr.  Petherick  was  passing  through  this  country,  the  daring  Shillooks  haj 
established  a  small  colony  on  the  eastern  or  Dinka  bank  of  the  river,  on  accoimt  of  i 


SHILLOOKS  CROSSIKO  THE  BIVEa 


good  pasturage.  As  soon  as  the  Dinka  had  withdrawn  towards  the  interior,  the  Shillook 
crossed  over,  built  a  number  of  reed  huts,  ran  an  extemporized  fence  round  them,  euil 
then  brought  over  their  cattle.  They  had  plenty  of  outposts  inland,  and  as  soon  as  thj 
enemy  were  reported  the  Shillooks  embarked  in  their  rafts,  and  paddled  over  to  their  owl 
side  of  the  river,  the  cattle  plunging  into  the  water  in  obedience  to  a  well-knoAvu  calf 
and  following  the  canoes  and  rafts  of  their  masters.  Strauge  to  say,  the  crocodiles  do  n^ 
meddle  with  cattle  under  such  circumstances. 

Aided  by  their  rafts,  the  Shillooks  employ  much  of  their  time  in  fishing.  They  dl 
not  use  either  net  or  hook,  b.ut  employ  the  more  sportsmanlike  spear.  This  weapon  il 
about  ten  feet  in  length,  and  has  a  barbed  iron  head  loosely  stuck  into  the  end  of  tbj 
shaft,  both  being  connected  by  a  slack  cord.  As  soon  as  a  fish  is  struck,  the  shaft  is  i" 
engaged  from  the  head,  and  being  of  light  wood  floats  to  the  surface,  and  so  "  plays "  thi 
fish  until  it  is  exhausted,  and  can  be  drawn  ashore  by  a  hooked  stick.  The  Shillooks  oftef 
catch  fish  at  random,  wading,  through  the  river  against  the  stream,  and  striking  the 
spears  right  and  left  into  the  water. 

Polygamy  is  of  course  practised  among  the  people.     Mr.  Petherick  gives  a  vei] 
amusing  description  of  an  interview  with  a  chief  and  his  family. 

"  At  one  of  these  villages,  Gosa,  with  a  view  to  establishing  a  trade  in  hides,  or  il 
possible  in  ivory,  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  its  chief,  Dood,  who,  with  several  of  tbi 
village  elders,  eutei-ed  my  boat,  the  bank  being  crowded  with  every  man,  woman,  m 


TNTEEVIEW  WITH  A  CHIEF  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


629 


aring  Shlllooks  M 


lerick  gives  a  ver 


{lijld  of  the  village.  The  chief,  a  man  past  middle  npe,  struck  me  by  his  intelligent 
lemarks,  and  a  bearing  as  straightforward  as  it  was  dignified  and  superior  to  that  of  his 
companions. 

"A  few  presents  of  beads  were  greedily  clutched  by  his  attendants,  he,  however, 
leceiving  them  as  if  they  were  his  due  ;  and,  passing  an  order  to  one  of  his  men,  the 
ti^e  I  had  given  him  was  returned  by  a  counter-present  of  a  sheep.  On  his  leaving  I 
lequested  he  would  call  before  simrise,  attended  by  his  sons  only,  when  I  would  make 
liiui  and  them  suitable  presents. 

"Long  before  the  appointed  time  Dood  and  a  crowd  of  men  and  striplings,  with  their 
inseparable  accompaniments  of  clubs  and  lances,  on  the  shore,  woke  me  fiom  my  slumbers ; 
and,  as  I  appeared  on  deck,  a  rush  took  place  towards  me,  with  cries  of  '  The  Benj  I  the 
Benj !'  (the  chief),  followed  by  sahitations  innumerable.  As  soon  as  these  shouts  subsided, 
Dood,  disembarrassing  his  mouth  with  some  difficulty  of  u  quid  of  tobacco  the  size  of  a 
small  orange,  sat  down  by  my  side. 

« My  first  remark  was  astonishment  at  the  number  of  his  followers,  having  expected 
none  but  his  sons.  '  Oh,  'tis  all  right :  you  don't  know  my  family  yet ;  but,  owing  to  your 
kind  promises,  I  sent  to  the  cattle-kraals  for  the  boys' ;  and  with  the  pride  of  a  father  he 
said, '  These  are  my  fighting  sons,  who  many  a  time  have  stuck  to  me  against  the  Dinka, 
whose  cattle  have  enabled  them  to  wed.' 

"Notwithstanding  a  slight  knowledge  of  negro  families,  I  was  still  not  a  little  surprised 
to  find  his  valiant  progeny  amoimt  to  forty  grown-up  men  and  hearty  lads.  '  Yes,'  he  said, 
'I  did  not  like  to  bring  the  girls  and  little  boys,  as  it  would  look  as  if  1  wished  to  impose 
upon  your  generosity.* 

" '  What !  more  little  boys  and  girls !  What  may  be  their  number,  and  how  many  wives 
have  you  V 

" '  Well,  I  have  divorced  a  good  many  wives ;  they  get  old,  you  know ;  and  now  I 
have  only  ten  and  five.'  But  when  he  l)egan  to  count  his  children,  he  was  obliged  to 
have  recourse  to  a  reed,  and,  breaking  it  up  into  small  pieces,  said, '  1  take  no  notice  of 
babies,  as  they  often  die,  you  know  ;  women  are.  so  foolish  about  children  tlat  1  never 
care  for  them  until  they  are  able  to  lay  a  snare.' 

"Like  all  negroes,  not  being  able  to  count  heyond  ten,  he  called  over  as  many  names, 
which  he  marked  by  placing  a  piece  of  reed  on  the  deck  beioie  him  \  a  jsiinilar  mark 
denoted  another  ten,  and  so  on  until  he  had  named  and  marked  the  number  of  his 
children.  The  sum  total,  with  the  exception,  as  he  had  explained,  of  babies  and  children 
unable  to  protect  themselves,  was  fifty-three  boys  and  twenty  girls — viz,  seventy-three  ! 

"After  the  above  explanation  I  could  no  longer  withhold  presents  to  the  hofet  on  the 
shore;  and,  pleased  with  my  donations,  he  invited  me  to  his  house,  where  I  j'artook  of 
merissa  and  broiled  lowl,  in  which,  as  a  substitute  for  fat,  the  entiails  had  been  left. 
Expressing  a  desire  to  see  his  wives,  he  willingly  conducted  me  irom  hut  to  hut,  where 
my  skin,  hair,  and  clothes  underwent  a  most  scrutinising  examination.  Eac  h  m  ite  was 
located  in  a  separate  batch  of  huts ;  and,  after  having  distributed  my  pocketfuls  of  loose 
beads  to  the  lady  chieftains  and  their  young  families,  in  whose  good  graces  1  had  installed 
myself,  I  took  leave  of  the  still  sturdy  village  chief."  > 

The  code  of  govemnient  among  the  Shillooks  is  simple  enough.  There  is  a  sultan  or 
superior  officer,  who  is  called  the  "  Meek,"  and  who  possesses  and  exercises  powers  that 
are  almost  irresponsible.  The  Meek  seems  to  appreciate  the  proverb  that  '*  familiarity 
breeds  contempt,"  and  keeps  himself  aloof  from  his  subjects,  seldom  venturing  beyond  the 
limits  of  his  own  homestead.  He  will  not  even  address  his  subjects  directly,  but  forces 
them  to  communicate  with  him  through  the  medium  of  an  official.  Any  one  who 
approaches  him  must  do  so  on  his  knees,  and  no  one  may  either  stand  erect  or  carry  arms 
in  his  presence.  He  executes  justice  firmly  and  severely,  and  especially  punishes  murder 
and  theft  among  his  subjects,  the  culprit  being  sentenced  to  death,  and  his  family  sold  as 


Theft  and  murder,  however,  when  committed  against  other  tribes,  are  considered 
meritorious,  and  when  a  marauding  party  returns,  tlie  Meek  takes  one-third  of  ^the  plunder. 
Ue  also  has  a  right  to  the  tusks  of  all  elephants  killed  by  them,  and  he  also  expects  a 

VOL  I.  MM 


« 


4 


'I  \ 


530 


THE  SHILLOOKa 


present  from  every  trader  who  passes  through  his  territory.  The  Meek  will  not  allow 
atraugers  to  settle  within  the  Shillouk  territories,  but  permits  them  to  reside  at  Kaka,  a 
large  town  on  their  extreme  north.  Hero  many  trading  Arabs  live  while  they  are  making 
their  fortune  in  exchanging  beads,  cattle-bells,  and  other  articles  for  cattle,  slaves,  and 
ivory.  The  trade  in  the  latter  article  is  entirely  carried  on  by  the  Meek,  who  has  the 
monopoly  of  it,  and  makes  the  most  of  his  privilege.  The  traffic  at  Kaka  is  by  no  means  | 
a  free  trade,  for  the  Meek  not  only  takes  all  the  ivory,  but  his  officials  watch  the 
proceedings  in  the  market,  and  exercise  a  supervision  over  every  bargain. 

Probably  on  account  of  the  presence  of  strangers,  the  Meek  does  not  live  at  Kaka,  but 
takes  up  his  residence  out  in  a  village  some  ten  miles  up  the  river. 

In  the  accompanying  illustration  is  shown  a  figure  of  a  cxirious  musical  instrument. 
It  is  taken  from  a  specimen  in  my  own  collection,  and  represents  an  instrument  whicli  we 
may  call  a  flute,  in  lieu  of  a  better  word.  It  is  made  of  some  hard  wood,  and  is  rudely 
covered  with  a  spiral  belts  of  iron  and  leather.  An  iron  ring  is  also  fastened  throu"h 
it,  through  which  passes  the  leathern  strap  by  which  it  is  carried.  The  top  hole 
is  very  small,  and  the  sound  produced  by  the  instrument  is  of  a  wailing  and  lugubrious 
character. 

Inside  the  flute  is  fitted  an  odd  implement  which  we  may  call  the  cleaner.  It  is 
composed  of  an  ostrich  feather  with  the  vanes  cut  short,  and  in  order  to  render  it  lon^ 
enough  to  reach  to  the  bottom  of  the  flute,  it  is  lengthened  by  a  wooden  handle,  to  the 
end  of  which  is  attached  a  tuft  of  hairs  from  a  cow's  tail,  by  way  of  ornament.  In  length 
the  flute  measures  rather  more  than  eighteen  inches,  and,  in  consequence  of  the  amount 
of  iron  upon  it,  the  weight  is  more  than  might  be  supposed. 


m-  <f"i*? 


Ill  !l 


m 


ive  at  Kaka,  but 


CHAPTER  XLV. 


THE  ISHOGO,  ASHANGO,  AND  OBONGO  TRIBES. 


IfESTEBN  AFRICA — THE  ISHOGO   TRIBB   AND    ITS    lOCALITY — DRESS   AND   ASPECT   OF   THE   PEOPLE 

THE   SINGHLAB    HRAD-DBB88     OP    THE    WOMEN THRIB    SKILL   IN    WEAVING — THE    0UANDJA8,    OB 

NATIVE   FACTORIES — THE    LOOM  AND  SHUTTLE ARCHITECTUBE  OP  THE  ISHOGOS — CVBI0U8   DOORS 

—THE  VILLAGE  TBEE — THE  m'paZA   OB  TWIN   CEREMONY OENEBAL  CHARACTER  OP  THE  ISHOGOS 

—THE  ASHANGO  TRIBE — CHARACTER  OF  THE  PEOPLE — AN  UNLUCKY  SHOT  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES 
—WAR   CEREMONIES — THE    TEMPLE,  OB    h'bUITI    HOUSE,  AND   THE    RELIGIOUS    BITES  PEBFORMED 

IN  IT — SUPERSTITIONS  OP  THE    A8HAN008 — THE    KENDO,  OB   BELL    OF   ROYALTY ^BECEPTION    OF 

A  VISITOR THE    OBONOO    TRIBE,    OR     BUSHMEN     OF  WEST    AFRICA THEIR    SHORT    AND    STUNTED 

LOOK — KINDNESS  OF  THE  ASHANGOS    TOWARDS   THEM THE    OBONGO  MARKET DOMESTIC  CUSTOMS 

AND  FUNERAL   CEREMONIES. 

We  are  now  coming  among  some  of  the  negro  tribes,  and  shall  see  them  as  they  are  in 
their  normal  state  before  their  customs  and  mode  of  life  have  been  altered  by  the  influence 
1  of  Europeans. 

A  little  below  the  equator,  and  between  10°  and  12°  E.  longitude,  is  a  district  inhabited 
I  by  the  Ishogo,  a  very  large  and  remarkable  tribe.     The  Isbogo  live  along  a  rather  narrow 
tract  of  country  that  extends  diagonally  south-westwards,  parallel  with  the  Kenibo 
I  Fgouyai  river,  but  divided  from  it  by  a  range  of  hills. 

The  Ishogo  are  a  fine  race  of  men.  black,  with  woolly  hair,  but  not  exhibiting  the  extreme 
I  negro  development  which  characterises  the  aborigines  of  the  west  coast.    They  decorate 
themselves  in  rather  a  singular  manner.     Both  sexes  add  a  ruddy  tinge  to  their  native 
black  by  rubbing  themselves  with  a  red  powder  obtained  by  scraping  two  pieces  of  bar- 
wood  together,  and  they  also  disfigure  themselves  by  removing  the  two  middle  teeth  of 
I  the  upper  jaw.  , 

Like  other  woolly-haired  races,  the  Ishogo  are  very  proud  of  their  heads,  and  diminish 

I  the  already  scanty  supply  of  hair  with  which  Nature  has  supplied  them.     Eyelashes  and 

[eyebrows  are  unfashionable  among  them,  and  are  carefully  erased,  while  the  hair  of  the 

'  is  dresst^d  in  the  most  extraordinary  style.     The  men  shave  a  circle  round  their 

s,  only  allowing  a  round  patch  to  remain  on  the  crown.     This  is  separated  into  three 

I  divisions,  each  of  which  is  plaited  into  a  lappet-like  form,  coming  to  a  point  at  the  end, 

and  being  finished  off  with  a  large  bead,  or  perhaps  a  piece  of  polished  wire.    On  account 

of  the  slow  growth  of  the  hair,  an  Ishogo  cannot  complete  his  head-dress  under  several 

I  years. 

The  women  begin  by  making  a  sort,  of  frame  of  grass-cloth,  and  fixing  it  to  the  head, 
I  at  the  top  or  at  the  back,  as  their  taste  may  direct.  They  then  work  the  woolly  hair  into 
it,  and  when  that  part  of  the  process  is  completed,  shave  away  all  the  hair  that  is  not 
required  for  the  purpose.  When  the  head-dress  is  complete,  it  stands  some  eight  nr  ten 
inches  from  the  head,  and  consequently  a  term  of  years  elapses  before  this  odd  ornament 
I  reaches  perfection.  In  fact,  a  complete  head-dress  is  never  seen  on  any  one  under  tive- 
and-twenty. 

mh2 


dJ 


\>i  1 .' 


M? 


|«i! 


U*' 


I..' ,  ,! 


4-  ■  '"■^■ 

If 

'     ¥•■';■■' 


632 


THE  ISHOGO. 


The  "chignon,"  if  we  may  apply  such  a  term  to  the  head-dress,  has  four  partings,  one 
in  front,  one  behind,  and  one  at  each  sida  Of  course  this  elaborate  ornament  cannot  be 
dressed  by  the  owners,  and,  as  a  general  nile,  it  is  entrusted  to  professioutd  hands,  several 
women  in  every  town  making  hair-dressing  a  regular  business.  After  being  arranged,  the 
head  is  not  touched  for  several  months,  when  the  structure  is  taken  to  pieces/and 
elaborately  rebuilt,  the  fresh  growth  of  hair  being  woven  into  it  The  operation  of 
taking  down  and  rebuilding  one  of  these  towers  is  a  very  long  and  tedious  one,  and 
occupies  a  full  day. 

Four  modes  of  arranging  the  tower,  if  it  may  be  called  so,  prevail  among  the  Ishogo, 
The  ordinary  plan  is  to  raise  it  perpendicularly  from  the  top  of  the  head,  so  that  at  a 
distance  it  looks  exactly  as  if  the  woman  was  carrying  a  cylindrical  basket  on  her  head, 
Sometimes,  when  the  base  of  the  tower  is  placed  half  way  between  the  top  of  the  head 
and  the  neck,  the  direction  is  diagonal,  and  when  the  hair  at  the  back  of  the  head  is 
retained,  the  tower  projects  backwards  and  horizontally.  These  are  the  usual  fashions- 
but  some  of  the  women  wear,  in  addition  to  the  tower,  a  tuft  of  hair,  which  is  allowed  to 
remain  at  each  side  of  the  head,  and  is  trained  into  a  ball  just  above  the  ear. 

The  dress  of  the  Ishogo  is  "grass-cloth"  of  their  own  manufacture.  They  are 
celebrated  fur  th ;  soft  and  close  texture  of  this  cloth,  which  is,  however,  not  made  from 
grass,  but  fram  the  cuticle  of  young  palm-leaves,  stripped  oflf  dexterously  by  the  fingers. 
M,  du  Chfiillu  gives  the  following  account  of  the  weavers: — 

"  In  walking  down  the  main  street  of  Mokenga  a  number  of  ouandjas,  or  houses  without 
walls,  are  seen,  each  containing  four  or  five  looms,  with  the  weavers  seated  before  tiiem, 
weaving  the  cloth.  In  the  middle  of  the  ouandja  a  wood  fire  is  seen  burning,  and  the  weavers, 
as  you  pass  by,  are  sure  to  be  seen  smoking  their  pipes,  and  chatting  to  one  another  whilst 
going  on  with  their  work.  The  weavers  are  all  men,  and  it  is  men  also  who  stitcb  the 
'bongos'  together  to  mike  'denguis'  or  robes  of  them.  The  stitches  are  not  very  close 
together,  nor  is  the  thread  very  fine,  but  the  work  is  very  neat  and  regular,  and  the  needle? 
are  of  their  own  manufacture. 

"The  bongos  are  very  often  striped,  and  sometimes  made  even  in  check  pattenis. 
This  is  done  by  their  dyeing  some  of  the  threads  of  the  warp,  or  of  the  warp  and  woof, 
with  various  simple  colours.  The  dyes  are  all  made  of  decoctions  of  different  kinds  ofj 
wood,  except  for  black,  when  a  kind  of  iron  ore  is  used.  The  bongos  are  employed  as 
money  in  this  part  of  Africa." 

Two  of  <ihe  words  in  this  passage  need  explanation.  The  loom  of  the  Ishogo  is  made 
as  follows  :-i-A  bar  of  wood,  about  two  feet  in  length,  is  suspended  horizontally  from  the 
roof  of  the  weaving  hut,  and  over  this  bar  are  passed  the  threads  which  constitute  the 
warp,  their  other  ends  being  fastened  to  a  corresponding  bar  below,  which  is  fixed  tightly 
down  by  a  couple  of  forked  sticks  thrust  into  the  ground.  The  alternate  threads  of  the 
warp  are  divided  by  two  slight  rods,  the  ends  of  which  are  held  in  the  fingers  of  the  left 
hand,  which  cross  them  alternately,  while  the  woof  is  interlaced  by  means  of  a  aword* 
shaped  shuttle,  which  also  serves  to  strike  it  down  and  lay  it  regularly. 

In  consequence  of  this  form  of  loom  it  is  only  possible  to  weave  pieces  of  cloth  of  a 
limited  length,  and  as  these  cloths  are  used  as  currency,  they  are  all  made  of  the  snmu 
length.  Each  of  these  pieces  is  called  a  "  bongo,"  and  when  two  are  sewn  together  they 
become  "denguis." 

The  women  are  only  allowed  to  wear  two  of  these  pieces  of  cloth,  the  size  of  the 
wearer  not  being  taken  into  consideration.  One  is  hung  at  each  side,  and  the  edges  are 
joined  before  and  behind,  so  that  a  large  and  fat  woman  presents  a  very  absurd  appear* 
ance,  the  pieces  of  cloth  being  too  short  to  meet  properly. 

The  Ishogos  seldom  go  armed,  and  although  they  have  spears,  and  bows  and  arrows, 
they  do  not  carry  them  except  when  actually  required.  It  is  thought  etiquette,  howevor, 
for  them  to  take  their  swords  with  them  when  they  go  to  visit  another  village.  They 
are  a  quiet  and  peaceful  people,  and  although  they  have  at  hand  the  means  of  intoxi- 
cating themselves,  they  are  remarkable  for  their  sobriety,  in  which  virtue  they  present  a 
pleasing  contrast  to  their  noisy,  quarrelsome,  and  intemperate  neighbours,  the  Apouo 
tribe. 


THE  M'PAZA,  OR  TWIN  CEREMONIES. 


533 


The  villages  of  the  Ishogo  tribe  are  often  very  large,  containing  two  hundred  or  more 
jtg.    Each  nut  is,  on  an  average,  twenty-two  feet  in  length,  and  ten  or  twelve  feet  in 

liridtb,  and  is  divided  by  partitions  into,  three  compartments.    The  mud  walls  are  not 

JMite  five  feet  in  height,  and  the  top  of  the  roof  is  about  nine  feet  from  the  ground. 

I    The  doors  are  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  central  compartment,  and  are  very  small, 

Lly  a  little  more  than  two  feet  and  a  half  in  height,  and  are  not  hung  on  hinges,  but 
turn  in  the  middle  on  a  couple  of  pivots,  one  at  the  top  and  the  other  at  the  bottom. 
Perhaps  one  reason  for  this  diminutive  size  is,  that  the  natives  have  no  saws,  and  their 
oaly  method  of  making  a  door  is  by  felling  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  cutting  it  into  the  proper 
length,  and  laboriously  chipping  away  the  wood  at  each  side.     The  doors  are  decorated 

hritn  various  devices,  complicated  and  even  elegant  patterns  being  painted  on  them  in 
ted,  black,  and  white,  &c.    Most  of  the  houses  have  the  outer  surface  of  the  walls 

I  tovered  with  the  bark  of  trees. 

The  furniture  of  these  huts  is  scarcely  equal  to  the  excellence  of  the  architecture. 

I  Hanging  from  the  roof  are  a  quantity  of  calabashes,  which  contain  w  eter,  palm-wine,  and 
oil,  and  are  accompanied  by  plenty  of  cotton  bags  and  cooking  vessels.  A  well-funiiNlied 
but  has  also  a  number  of  plates  and  dishes,  made  either  from  reeds  or  from  the  rind  of  a 
plant  called  "  astang,"  divided  in*">  strips,  and  against  the  walls  are  stored  the  bundles  of 
palm  fibres  from  which  the  bongos  are  woven.  Tobacco  is  also  stored  within  the  hut, 
ind  is  completely  enveloped  in  leaves. 

The  usual  form  of  a  village  is  a  single  street,  of  great  length,  and  sometimes  evceed- 
ingljr  wide.    The  street  of  one  village  was  fully  a  hundred  yards  in  width,  and  wns  kept 

I  w  neatly  that  not  a  single  weed  was  to  be  seen  in  it,—  a  really  remarkable  fact  w  hen  we 
remember  the  exceeding  rapidity  with  which  vegetation  grows  in  this  country. 

Each  village  has  at  least  one  "palaver-house,"  while  many  have  several.  The 
"palaver-house  "  is  more  of  a  shed  than  a  house,  and  consists  chiefly  of  a  roof  and  the 
posts  which  support  it.  In  this  house  the  men  meet  daily,  to  smoke,  to  hold  trials,  to 
receive  strangers,  and  to  indulge  in  that  interminable  gossip  of  which  a  relic  still  exists 
in  the  "  discoorsing  "  of  Ireland. 

There  is  also  a  temple,  or  M'buiti  house,  in  which  a  kind  of  religious  service  is  held, 
and  which  always  contains  a  large  wooden  idol,  which  the  people  hold  in  great  reve- 
rence.   The  proceedings  within  this  edifice  will  be  presently  described. 

Ill  the  middle  of  every  Ishogo  and  Ashango  village  there  is  a  single  large  tree, 
belonging  to  the  genus  Ficus.  When  the  site  of  a  village  is  first  laid  out,  a  sapling  of  this 
tree  is  planted,  the  prosperity  of  the  future  village  being  connected  with  it.  If  it  should 
live  and  flourish,  the  new  village  will  be  prosperous ;  but  if  it  should  die,  the  place  is 
abandoned  and  a  new  site  chosen. 

Some  of  the  villages  are  distinguished  by  having  two  heads  of  the  gorilla,  one  male 
and  the  other  female,  stuck  on  poles  under  the  sacred  tree,  and  M.  du  Chaillu  learned 
afterwards  that  certain  charms  were  buried  at  the  root  of  the  same  tree. 

Among  the  Ishogos  there  is  a  veiy  remarkable  custom  connected  with  the  birth  of 
twins.  In  many  parts  of  the  world  twins  are  destroyed  as  soon  as  bom,  but  in  this 
country  thoy  are  permitted  to  live,  though  under  restrictions  which  tell  much  more 
leverely  on  the  mother  than  on  her  offspring. 

The  Ishogo  have  a  vague  kind  of  a  notion  that  no  woman  ought  to  produce  more  than 
a  single  infant  at  a  time,  and  that  nature  desires  to  correct  the  mistake  by  kilbng  one  of 
the  children  before  it  is  able  to  take  care  of  itself  After  that  time — i.e.  when  the 
children  are  about  six  years  old — the  balance  of  the  births  and  deaths  is  supposed  to  be 
equalized,  and  no  further  precautions  need  be  taken. 

Therefore,  as  soon  as  twins  are  born,  the  house  is  marked  off  in  some  way  so  as  to 
distinguish  it  In  one  instance,  mentioned  by  M.  du  Chaillu,  two  long  poles  were 
planted  at  each  side  of  the  door,  a  piece  of  cloth  was  hung  over  the  entrance,  and  a  row 
of  white  pegs  driven  into  the  ground  just  in  front  of  the  threshold.  These  marks  are 
intended  to  warn  strangers  from  entering  the  hut,  as  if  any  one  except  the  children  and 
their  parents  do  so,  the  delinquent  is  seized  and  sold  into  slavery.    The  twins  themselves 


f.'^ 


o34 


THE  ISHOGO. 


are  not  nllowed  to  play  with  the  other  childreu,  and  even  the  very  utenSUa  and  cooking.  I 
pots  of  the  hut  cannot  be  used.  I 

In  consequence  of  this  curious  law,  there  is  nothing,  next  to  being  childless,  MJiicM 
the  women  dread  so  much  as  having  twins  born  to  them,  and  nothing  annoys  an  Ishoi'ol 
woman  so  much  as  telling  her  that  she  is  sure  to  have  twins.  Perhaps  the  most  irritatiuitl 
restriction  is  that  which  forbids  the  woman  to  talk.  She  is  allowed  to  go  into  the  forest  I 
for  firewood,  and  to  perform  such  necessary  household  tasks,  as  otherwise  she  and  her  I 
children  must  starve.  But  she  is  strictly  forbidden  to  speak  a  word  to  any  one  who  does! 
not  belong  to  her  own  family — a  prohibition  annoying  enough  to  any  one,  but  doubly  go 
in  Africa,  where  perpetual  talk  is  almost  one  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 


THE  CEBEXONT  OF  X'PAZA. 


I:;  I      ,'  \iK 


,  ^  i   J ,     ** 


At  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year  a  ceremony  takes  place  by  which  all  parties  are 
released  from  their  long  confinement,  and  allowed  to  enter  the  society  of  their  fellows. 
At  daybreak  proclamation  is  made  in  the  street,  and  two  women,  namely  the  mother  and 
a  friend,  take  their  stand  at  the  door  of  the  hut,  having  previously  whitened  their  legs 
and  faces.  They  next  march  slowly  down  the  village,  beating  a  drum  in  time  to  the 
step,  and  singing  an  appropriate  song.  A  general  dance  and  feast  then  takes  place,  aud 
lasts  throughout  the  night,  and  after  the  ceremony  is  over,  all  restrictions  are  removed. 
This  rite  is  called  "  M'paza,"  a  word  which  both  signifies  twins  and  the  ceremony  by 
which  they  and  their  mother  are  set  free  from  their  imprisonment 

As  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  the  natives  have  a  way  of  keeping  up  their  dancing  and 
drumming  and  singing  all  night,  partly  on  account  of  the  coolness,  and  partly  becauee 
they  are  horribly  superstitious,  and  have  an  idea  that  evil  spirits  might  hurt  them  under 
cover  of  the  night,  if  they  were  not  frightened  away  by  the  fires  and  noise. 


A  FATAL  SHOT  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES. 


535 


One  of  these  dances  is  called  M'muirri,  on  account  of  the  loud  reverberating  sound  pro« 
dttced  by  their  lips.  It  is  properly  a  war-dance,  and  is  performed  by  men  alone.  Iliey 
form  in  line,  and  advance  and  retreat  simultaneously,  stamping  so  as  to  mark  the  time, 
beating  their  breasts,  yelling,  and  making  the  reverberating  sound  which  has  been  already 
mentioned.  Their  throats  being  apparently  of  brass  and  their  lungs  of  leather,  the 
IdIiOs'o  villagers  keep  up  this  horrid  uproar  throughout  the  night,  without  a  moment's 
cesMtion,  and  those  who  are  for  the  ntoment  tired  of  singing,  and  do  not  own  a  diiiiu, 
contribute  their  share  to  the  general  noise  by  clapping  two  pieces  of  wood  together. 

With  all  their  faults,  the  Ishogos  are  a  pleasant  set  of  people,  and  M.  du  Chaillu,  who 
lived  with  them,  and  was  accompanied  by  Ishogos  in  his  expedition,  says  that  they  are 
the  gentlest  and  kindest-hearted  negroes  that  he  ever  met.  After  his  retreal  from 
Ashango-land,  which  will  next  be  mentioned,  the  Ishogos  received  him  with  even 
more  than  usual  hospitality,  arranged  his  journey  westwards,  and  the  whole  population 
of  the  villages  turned  out  of  their  houses  and  accompanied  him  a  little  distance  on 
bis  way. 


ASHANGO. 

Eastward  of  the  Ishogos  is  a  people  called  the  Ashango.  They  speak  a  different 
dialect  from  the  Ishogo,  and  call  theujselves  a  different  race,  but  their  manners  ami 
customs  are  so  similar  to  those  of  the  Ishogos  that  a  very  brief  account  of  them  is  all 
that  is  needed. 

Ashftnjjo-land  was  the  limit  of  M.  du  Chaillu's  second  expedition,  which  was  suddenly 
brought  to  a  close  by  a  sad  accident.  The  people  had  been  rather  suspicious  of  his 
motives,  and  harassed  him  in  lii.s  camp,  so  that  a  few  shots  were  fired  in  the  air  by  way 
of  warning.  Unfortunately,  one  of  the  guns  was  discharged  before  it  was  raised,  and  the 
bullet  struck  an  unfortunate  man  in  the  head,  killing  him  instantly,  The  whole  village 
flew  to  arms,  the  war-drum  sounded,  and  the  warriors  crowded  to  the  spot,  with  their 
barbed  spears,  and  bows  and  poisoned  arrows. 

For  a  moment  tliere  was  a  lull :  the  interpreter,  whose  hand  fired  the  unlucky  shot, 
explained  that  it  was  an  accident,  and  that  the  price  of  twenty  men  should  be  paid  as 
compensation.  Beads  and  cloth  were  produced,  and  one  of  the  head-men  had  just 
assented  to  the  proposal,  when  a  loud  wailing  was  heard,  and  a  woman  rushed  out  of  a 
hut,  announcing  that  the  favourite  wife  of  the  friendly  head-man  had  been  killed  by  the 
same  fatal  bullet,  which,  after  scattering  the  brains  of  the  man,  had  passed  through  the 
thin  walls  of  the  hut,  and  killed  the  poor  woman  within. 

After  this  announcement  all  hopes  of  peace  were  at  an  end ;  the  husband  naturally 
cried  for  vengeance ;  and,  amid  a  shower  of  arrows,  one  of  which  struck  the  interpreter, 
and  another  nearly  severed  M.  du  Chaillu's  finger,  the  party  retreated  as  they  best 
could,  refraining'  from  firing  as  long  as  they  could,  but  at  last  being  forced  to  fire  in  self- 
defence. 

In  order  to  escape  as  fast  as  they  could,  the  porters  were  obliged  to  throw  away  the 
instniments,  specimens  of  natural  history,  and  photographs,  so  that  the  labour  of  months 
was  lost,  and  scarcely  anything  except  the  journal  was  saved.  Eiich  village  to  which 
they  came  sent  out  its  warriors  against  them.  M.  du  Chaillu  was  dangerously  wounded  in 
the  side,  and  had  at  last  to  throw  away  his  best  but  heaviest  rifle.  It  was  only  after  the 
death  of  several  of  their  number  that  the  Ashangos  perceived  that  they  had  to  contend 
with  a  foe  who  was  more  than  a  match  for  them,  and  at  last  gave  up  the  pursmt. 

It  was  necessary,  however,  to  conceal  the  fact  of  being  wounded,  for  several  of  the 
tribes  bad  an  idea  ^at  their  white  visitor  was  invulnerable  to  spears  and  arrows,  and  it 


l^ 

■if 

^  j|Lnfl| 

536 


THE  ASHANGO. 


waa  a  matter  of  great  coiisequence  that  such  a  notion  should  be  enconraged.  All  kinds 
of  wild  rumiiuri)  circulated  about  him:  soinu  saying  that  the  Ashango  arrows  glanced  ull' 
his  body  without  hurting  him,  just  as  the  Scotch  believed  that  the  bullets  were  seen 
hopping  like  hail  off  the  body  of  Claverhouse ;  while  others  improved  on  the  tale,  and 
avowed  that  he  hud  changed  himself  into  a  leopard,  a  gorilla,  or  an  elephant,  as  the  case 
might  be,  and  under  this  strange  form  JMd  attacked  the  enemies  and  driven  them  away. 

The  Ashaui^os  are  even  better  clothed  than  the  Ishotjoa,  wearing  denguis  of  consider- 
able size,  and  even  clothing  their  children,  a  most  unusual  circumstance  in  Central 
Africa.  The  women  wear  hair-towers  like  those  of  the  Ishogos,  but  do  not  seem  to 
expend  so  miio'i  trouble  upon  them.  Tliey  seem  to  lead  tolerably  happy  lives,  and  indeed 
to  hav«  their  own  way  in  most  thiugs. 

The  Asliango  warriors  are  well  armed,  carrying  swords,  spears,  and  poisoned  arrowi 
The  spear  and  arrow-heads  and  swords  are  not  made  by  themselves,  but  by  the  Shimba 
and  Ashangiii  tribes,  who  seem  to  be  the  acknowledged  smiths  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  The  sword  is  c.irrieil  by  almost  every  Ashango,  and  when  one  of  these  weapons 
is  bou<;ht  or  sold,  the  transaction  is  always  carried  on  in  private.  i 

Before  the  Asliaiv^os  go  out  to  war,  they  have  a  sort  of  magical  ceremony,  called  "  Cook- 
ing the  War-dish."  The  witch-doctor  is  summoned,  and  sets  to  work  pi-eparing  a  kind 
of  porridge  of  all  sorts  of  herbs  and  fetishes  in  an  enormous  pot.  None  but  the  warriors 
are  allowed  to  see  the  preparation,  and,  when  the  mess  is  cooked,  each  warrior  eats  a 
portioiL  None  of  it  is  allowed  to  be  left,  and  after  they  have  all  eaten,  the  remainder  is 
rubbed  over  their  holies,  until  they  have  excited  themselves  to  the  necessary  pitch  of 
enthusiasm,  when  they  rush  out  and  at  once  proceed  to  the  attack. 

There  are  a  number  of  miiior  ceremonies  connected  with  food ;  one  of  which  is,  that 
the  women  are  not  allowed  to  eat  goat-flosh  or  fowls,  the  probable  reason  being,  accorc'ing 
to  M.  du  Chaillu,  that  the  men  want  to  cat  these  articles  themselves. 

In  Ashango- land,  as  well  as  among  the  Ishogos,  the  temple,  or  idol-hut,  is  '^ne  of  the 
most  conspicuous  buildings.  Grenerally,  the  people  did  not  like  strangers  to  enfesr  their 
temples,  but  in  one  village  he  succeeded  in  entering  a  temple,  or  M'buiti  house,  and 
seeing  the  s  "ange  worship  which  was  conducted. 

"  This  idol  was  kept  at  the  end  of  a  long,  narrow,  and  low  hut,  forty  or  fifty  feet  long, 
and  ten  Teet  broad,  and  was  painted  in  red,  white,  and  bhick  colours. 

"  W  nen  I  entered  the  hut,  it  was  full  of  Ashango  people,  ranged  in  order  on  each  side, 
with  lighted  torches  stuck  in  the  ground  before  them.  Amongst  them  were  conspicuous 
two  M'buiti  men,  or,  as  they  might  be  called,  priests,  dressed  in  cloth  of  vegetable  fibre, 
with  their  skins  painted  grotesquely  in  various  colours,  one  side  of  the  face  red,  the  other 
white,  and  ir  the  mid'lle  of  the  breast  a  broad  yellow  stripe ;  the  circuit  of  the  eyes  was 
also  daubed  with  paint.  These  colours  are  made  by  boiling  various  kinds  of  wood  and 
mixing  the  decoction  with  clay. 

"  The  rest  of  the  Ashangos  were  also  streaked  and  daubed  with  various  colours,  and 
by  the  light  of  their  torches  they  looked  like  a  troop  of  devils  assembled  in  the  lower 
regions  to  celebrate  some  diabolical  rite ;  around  their  legs  were  bound  white  leaves  from 
the  heart  of  the  palm-tree  ;  some  wore  feathers,  others  had  leaves  twisted  in  the  shape  of 
horns  behind  their  ears,  and  all  had  a  bundle  of  palm-leaves  in  theii-  hands. 

"  Soon  after  I  entered,  the  rites  began :  all  the  men  squatted  down  on  their  haunclies, 
and  set  up  a  deafening  kind  of  wild  song.  There  was  an  orchestra  of  instrumental  per- 
formers near  the  idol,  consisting  of  three  drummers  with  two  drum-sticks  each,  one 
harper,  and  a  performer  on  the  sounding-stick,  which  latter  did  not  touch  the  ground, 
but  rested  on  two  other  sticks,  so  that  the  noise  was  made  the  more  resonant.  The  two 
M'buiti  men,  in  the  meantime,  were  dancing  in  a  fantastical  manner  in  the  middle  of  the 
temple,  putting  their  bodies  into  all  sorts  of  strange  contortions.  Every  time  the  M'buiti 
men  opened  their  mouths  to  speak,  a  dead  silence  ensued. 

"As  the  ceremony  continued,  the  crowd  rose  and  surrounded  the  dancing-men, 
redoubling  at  the  same  time  the  volume  of  their  sor»gs,  and,  after  this  went  on  for  some 
time,  returning  to  their  former  positions.  This  was  repeated  several  times.  It  seemed 
to  me  to  be  a  kind  of  village  feast 


EECEPTION  OF  A  VISITOR 


or  fifty  feet  long, 


m 


•The  Mbaiti  men,  I  ou!:;ht  to  mention,  had  bee:,  sent  for  from  a  distance  to  officiate 
ithe  occasion,  and  the  whole  atfair  was  similar  tu  a  rude  sort  of  theatrical  representa* 
KB,   The  M  huiti  m')n,  like  the  witchcraft  doctors,  are  important  persons  amon<{  these 

ad  tribes;  some  have  more  reputation  than  others,  but  in  general  those  who  live 
jthest  otf  are  much  esteemed.  At  length,  wearied  out  with  the  noise,  and  bciu.^'  unable 
,  see  any  meaning  or  any  change  in  the  performances,  I  returned  to  my  hut  at  half- 

Bt  ten." 

Being  exceedingly  superstitious,  the  Ashangos  generally  thought  that  their  white 

Iriiitor  was  not  a  man  but  a  spirit^  as  he  could  perform  such  wouders.     He  had  a  musical 

jot,  and  set  it  playing,  to  the  great  consternation  of  the  people.    Their  awe  was  increused 

l^his  leaving  the  box  where  it  stood,  and  going  away  into  the  forest    The  fact  that  the 

istrament  should  continue  to  play  with  no  one  near  it  was  still  more  terrible,  and  a 

towd  of  people  stood  round  in  dead  silence — a  very  convincing  proof  of  their  awe- 

ticken  state.    An  accordion  produced  even  a  greater  sensation,  ana  none  but  the  chief 

iared  to  utter  a  sound.    Even  he  was  very  much  frightened,  and  continued  beating  his 

a,"  or  magic  bell  of  office,  and  invoking  help  from  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors. 

This  chief  was  a  very  pious  man  in  his  own  fa^aion.     He  had  a  little  temple  or 

jitory  of  his  own,  and  every  morning  and  evening  he  repaired  to  the  oratory,  shut 

piself  up,  beat  his  bell,  and  invoked  the  spirits,  and  at  night  he  always  lighted  a  fire 

lefore  beating  the  belL 

The  "  kendo  "  is  a  very  remarkable  badge  of  office.     It  is  bell-shaped,  something  like 

lat  which  is  shown  on  pige  513,  fig.  2,  bub  has  a  long  iron  handle  bent  in  a  hook-like 

lapo,  80  that  the  "  kemlo"  can  be  carried  on  thrt  shoulder  just  as  the  axe  is  carried  (see 

m  403).    Leopard's  fur  is  fastened  to  it,  much  to  the  deadening  of  the  sound,  and  the 

^hole  instrument  forms  an  emblem  which  is  respected  as  much  as  the  sceptre  among 

elves.    As  the  chief  walks  along,  he  rings  the  bell,  which  announces  his  presence  by 

iwund  like  that  of  a  common  sheep  or  cow  bell. 

When  M.  du  Chaillu  was  among  the  Asbango,   scai-cely  any  articles  of  civilized 

lanufiicture  had  penetrated  into  the  country.     The  universal  bead  had  reached  them, 

lind  80  had  a  few  ornaments  of  brass.    Tiiere  was  an  article,  however,  which  was  some- 

liaies  found  among  them,  and  which  w.is  about  the  last  that  could  be  expected.    It  was 

jiie  common  black  beer-bottle  of  England.    These  bottles  have  penetrated  almost  as  far 

iMtiie  beads,  and  are  exceedingly  prized  by  the  chiefs,  who  value  no  article  of  property 

liore  than  a  black  bottle,  which  they  sling  to  their  belts,  and  iu  which  they  keep  their 

wtain-win& 

Calabashes  would,  of  course,- answer  their  purpose  better,  being  less  fragile,  but  the 
Iblack  bottle  is  a  chiefs  great  ambition.  Mostly,  the  wives  do  as  they  like ;  but  if  a  wife 
Ishould  happen  to  break  a  bottle,  ske  has  committed  an  offence  for  which  no  pardon  is 


The  Ashangos  have  an  odd  custom  of  receiving  a  visitor.    When  they  desire  to  do 

particular  honour,  they  meet  him  with  some  dishes  of  their  red  paint,  with  which 

lie  is  expected  to  besmear  himsel£     If  a  stranger  approach  a  house,  and  the  owner  asks 

1  to  make  himself  red,  he  is  quite  happy,  and  if  the  pigment  should  not  be  offered,  he 
liili  go  off  in  dudgeon  at  the  slight 


m 


tt.>,   .'-  '1.1 


4  ■?-;   «   ^%^s€2 


m ' 


l'       ' 


I        i 
i 


THE  OhOlUQO. 


■'W 


OBONGOS,  OR  BUSHMEN  OF  ASHANGG-LAND. 


'/ 


I. 
i: 


It 


Somewhere  near  the  equatorial  line,  and  between  long.  11°  and  12°  £.,  there  is  I 
tribe  of  dwarfed  negroes,  called  the  Obongos,  who  seem  to  be  among  the  very  lowest  ( 
the  human  race,  not  only  in  stature,  but  in  civilization. 

The  Obongos  have  no  settled  place  of  residence,  their  houses  being  simply  huts  mixi 
of  branches,  and  constructed  so  slightly  that  no  home  interests  can  possibly  attach 
them.  They  are  merely  made  of  leafy  boughs  stuck  in  the  ground,  and  are  so  slight  i 
a  whole  village  of  Obongos  will  change  its  residence  with  scarcely  a  warning.  TlJ 
principal  cause  of  abandonment  seems  to  be  summed  up  in  the  single  word  "  vermin] 
■with  which  the  huts  swarm  to  such  an  extent  that,  long  after  they  have  been  abandonel 
no  one  can  enter  without  being  covered  with  swanns  of  tliese  offensive  little  insects. 

The  huts  are  merely  made  of  green  bouglis,  and  the  hole  which  serveo  as  a  door  i 
closed  with  a  smaller  bough.     They  are  scattered  about  without  any  order  in  tlie  opel 
space  left  among  the  trees. 

The  resemblance  between  the  Obongos  and  the  Bosjesmans  of  Southern  Africa 
really  wonderful     Like  them,  the  Obongos  are  short,  though  not  ill-shaped,  much  lightJ 
in  hue  than  their  neighbours,  and  have  short  hair  growing  in  tufts,  while  the  Ashaugq 
are  tall,  dark,  and  have  rather  long  bushy  hair.  1 

Their  colour  is  pale  yellow-brown,  their  foreheads  narrow,  and  their  cheek-bones  higH 
The  average  height  is  about  four  feet  seven  inches,  according  to  M.  du  Chaillu's  nieasura 
ments,  though  he  found  one  v^oman  who  was  considered  very  tall,  and  who  was  five  fed^ 
and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  high.  The  men  are  remarkable  for  having  their  breasts  au| 
legs  covered  with  hair,  which  grows  in  tufts  like  that  of  the  head. 

This  diminutive  stature  is  not  entirely  owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  whole  figur^ 
but  to  the  shortness  of  the  legs,  which,  unlike  those  of  African  races  in  general,  arf 
very  short  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  body.  Thus,  instead  of  looking  like  ordinarl 
but  well-shaped  men  seen  through  a  diminishing  glass,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Bosjesmai 
of  Southern  Africa,  they  have  a  dwarfish  and  stunted  appearance,  which,  added  to  th| 
hairy  limbs  of  the  men,  gives  them  a  weird  and  elfish  appearance. 

The  dress  of  the  Obongos — when  they  have  any  dress  at  all,  which  is  seldom  thi 
case — consists  entirely  of  old  and  worn-out  denguis,  which  are  given  to  them  by  thI 
Ashangos.  Indeed,  the  Ashangos  behave  very  kindly  to  these  wretched  little  beings,  ani] 
encourage  them  to  take  up  their  residence  near  villages,  so  that  a  kind  of  traffic  can  ' 
carried  on.  Degraded  as  these  little  beings  seem  to  be,  they  are  skilful  trappers,  and 
take  great  quantities  of  game,  the  supplies  of  which  they  sell  to  the  Ashangos  fol 
plantains,  iron  cooking-pots,  and  other  implements.  On  one  occasion  M.  du  Ghaillif 
saw  a  dozen  Ashango  women  going  to  the  huts  of  the  Obongos,  carrying  on  their  headj 
plantains  which  they  were  about  to  exchange  for  game.  The  men  had  not  returned  fron 
hunting,  but,  on  seeing  that  the  Obongo  women  were  suffering  from  hunger,  and  forced  td 
live  on  some  very  unwholesome-looking  nuts,  they  left  nearly  all  the  plantains,  and  camj 
away  without  the  game. 

The  woods  in  which  they  live  are  so  filled  with  their  traps  that  a  stranger  dares  noj 
walk  in  them,  lest  he  should  tumble  into  a  pitfall  which  was  constructed  to  catch  thI 
leopard,  wild  boar,  or  antelope,  or  have  his  legs  caught  in  a  trap  which  was  laid  fol 
monkeys.  There  is  not  a  path  through  the  trees  which  does  not  contain  a  pitfall  or  twoj 
and  outside  the  path  the  monkey-traps  are  so  numerous  that  even  by  daylight  it 
difficult  to  avoid  them. 

Being  a  wandering  race,  the  Obongos  never  cultivate  the  groimd,  but  depend  for  thei^ 
food  on  the  game  which  they  take  and  on  the  roots,  berries,  and  nuts  which  they  find 


J   1 


OBONGOS  TRADING. 


639 


Ijie  woods.  Animal  food  is  coveted  by  them  with  afltonishing  eaperneBS,  and  a  promise 
U goat's  flesh  will  bribe  an  Obonso  when  even  beads  fail  to  touch  him. 
I  The  orifdn  of  the  Obongos  is  a  mystery,  and  no  one  knows  whether  they  are  the 
liborigintil  inhabitants  of  the  soil,  or  whether  they  come  from  a  distance.  Tlie  probability 
lithat  they  were  the  orif^inal  inliabitants,  and  that  the  Ashangos,  l>ein^'  a  larger  and 
powerful  race,  have  gradually  possessed  themselves  of  that  fertile  land,  whose 
Ittpabiiities  were  wasted  by  the  notnad  and  non-labouring  Obongos. 

It  is  strange  that  they  should  have  retained  their  individuality  throughout  so  long  a 

iriod.  in  which  phenomenon  they  present  a  curious  resemblance  to  the  gifjsies  of  Europe, 

iho  have  for  centuries  been  among  us,  though  not  of  us.   The  Obongos  never  marry  out  of 


/III 


OBOKGO  MARKET. 


jfcirown  tribe,  and  as  they  live  in  little  communities  of  ten  or  twelve  huts,  it  is  evident 
"lat  they  can  have  but  little  matrimonial  choice.  Indeed,  the  Ashangos  say  that  the  ties 
t  kinship  are  totally  neglected,  and  that  the  Obongos  permit  marriages  to  take  place 
itween  brothers  and  sisters.  Tliis  circumstance  may  perhaps  account  for  their  dwarfed 
lature. 

They  are  a  timid  people,  and  when  M.  du  Chaillu  visited  them  he  could  hardly  catch 
•sight  of  them,  as  they  all  dashed  into  the  wood  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  stranger.  It 
,«s  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  he  succeeded  in  intercepting  several  women  and 
|«)ine  children,  and  by  presents  of  beads  and  proiuises  of  meat  conciliating  some  of  them, 
1  inducing  them  to  inspire  confidence  in  their  comrades.  One  little  old  woman  named 
ounda,  who  was  at  first  very  shy,  became  quite  confident,  and  began  to  laugh  at  the 
■  for  running  away.    She  said  that  they  were  as  timid  as  the  squirrel,  which  cried 


f  I  ■ 

f " 


540 


THE  OBONGO. 


J     ^ 


1  i  "i  i 


"  Qu^,  Qu^,"  and  squeaked  ir  imitation  of  the  animal,  at  the  same  time  twisting  her  odd  I 
little  body  into  all  sorta  of  droll  contortions,  intended  to  represent  the  terror  of  herl 
frightened  companions.  I 

When  an  Obongo  dies,  it  is  usual  to  take  the  body  to  a  hollow  tree  in  the  forest,  and! 
drop  it  into  the  hollow,  which  is  afterwards  filled  to  the  top  with  earth,  leaves,  and  branches ! 
Sometimes,  however,  they  employ  a  more  careful  mode  of  burial.  They  take  the  body  to| 
some  running  stream,  the  course  of  which  has  been  previously  diverted.  A  deep  grave  is| 
dug  in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  the  body  placed  in  it,  and  covered  over  carefully.  Lastly  I 
the  stream  is  restored  to  its  original  course,  so  that  all  traces  of  the  grave  are  soon  lost! 
This  remarkable  custom  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Obongos,  but  has  existed  in  various  partaT 
of  the  world  from  the  earliest  known  time. 


^AttOEB  AMD  BHBATH-{C«n<raI4;rta)^ 


■    'I 


ii' 


i  ,"' 


CHAPTEE  XLVI. 


THE  AFONO  AlO)  AFINGI  TBIBES. 


llOCALTTT  OF  THB  AFONO  ^B — ^THBIB  LTVBLT  OHABACTRO — ^DBKSS  AND  OBNAMKNT— THB  OIANT 
TIli^CK — WRAP0N8 — APONO  ARCHITECTCBK — BELIQION  AND  BVPBBSTITION — SICKNESS,  DEATH, 
AND  BUBIAL — AN  APON(^  LEGEND — THB  APINOI  TBIBB — THBIB  OBNEBAL  APPBABANOB  AND  HODB 
OF  DBB88 — BKIXL  IN  WRAVINQ — DBXTEBITY  AS  BOATMEN — A  SCENE  ON  THB  BBHBO— CUBIOUS 
UATBDIONIAL  ABBANOEMBNT — SLATEBT  AMONO  THB  APINOI — A  HXniTBB's  LEOPABD-CHABU— 
FVNBBAL  CUSTOMS. 

Proceeding  towards  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  we  now  came  to  the  Apono  ^be,  which 
I  inhabit  a  district  just  below  the  Equator,  and  between  long.  11°  and  1*2  £". 

They  are  a  merry  race,  and  carry  to  excess  the  African  custom  of  drumming,  dancing, 
I  and  singing  throughout  the  entire  night  Drinking,  of  course,  forms  a  chief  part  of  the 
amusements  of  the  night,  the  liquid  used  being  the  palm- wine,  which  is  made  in  great 
quantities  in  many  parts  of  tropical  Africa  Perhaps  the  innate  good  nature  of  the  Apono 
iple  was  never  shown  to  greater  advantage  than  on  one  occasion  when  M.  du  Chaillu 
I  determined  to  stop  the  revielry  that  cost  him  his  repose  at  night  and  the  services  of  his 
intoxicated  porters  by  day.  He  did  so  by  the  very  summary  process  of  going  to  the  hut 
where  the  feast  was  held,  kicking  over  the  vessels  of  palm-wine,  and  driving  the  chiefs 
and  their  attendants  out  of  the  hut.  They  were  certainly  vexed  at  the  loss  of  so  much 
good  liquor,  but  contented  themselves  with  a  grumble,  and  then  obeyed  orders. 

The  Aponos  proved  to  be  very  honest  men,  according  to  the  African  ideas  of  honesty ; 
I  and,  from  M.  du  Chaillu's  account,  did  not  steal  his  property,  and  always  took  his 
rt  in  the  numberless  squabbles  with  different  chiefs. 

They  are  not  pleasing  in  appearance,  not  so  much  from  actual  ugliness  of  feature,  but 

I  from  their  custom  of  disfiguring  themselves  artificially.    In  the  first  place,  they  knock  out 

!  two  middle  teeth  of  the  upper  jaw,  and  file  all  the  rest  to  sharp  points.    Tattooing  is 

I  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent,  especially  by  the  women,  who  have  a  habit  of  raising 

little  elevated  scars  in  their  foreheads,  sometimes  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  diamond,  and 

situated  between  the  eyes.     Several  marks  are  made  on  the  cheeks,  and  a  few  on  the 

I  chest  and  abdomen. 

The  dress  of  the  Aponos  resembles  that  of  the  Ishogo  tribe,  and  is  made  of  grass- 
I  cloth.  The  men  wear  the  denguis  or  mantles,  composed  of  several  grass-cloths  sewn 
together,  while  the  women  are  restricted  to  two,  one  of  which  is  attached  on  either  side, 
and  made  to  meet  in  the  back  and  front  if  they  can.  While  the  women  are  young,  the 
dress  is  amply  sufficient,  but  when  they  become  old  and  fat,  the  cloths,  which  are  always 
[of  uniform  size,  cannot  be  made  to  meet  by  several  inches.  However,  the  dress  in  question 
is  that  which  is,  sanctioned  by  ordinary  custom,  and  tlie  Aponos  are  perfectly  satisfied 
1  ffith  u 

The  palm-wine  which  has  just  been  mentioned  is  made  by  the  Aponos  in  a  very 
[simple  manner.    When  tlie  fruit  is  nearly  ripe,  the  natives  cUrab  the  trees  and  hang 


If      r, 


r.\ 


'^'<. 


542 

hollowed 
are  so 


THE  APONO. 


red  gourds  under  the  fruits  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  precious  liquor.    They 
«ic  oo  fond  of  this  drink,  that  even  in  the  early  morning  they  may  be  seen  climbing  the 
trees  and  drinking  from  the  suspended  calabashes.    During  the  season  the  Apono  people  \ 
are  constantly  intoxicated,  and,  in  consequence,  are  apt  to  be  quarrelsome  and  lazy,  wUling  i 
to  take  offence  at  any  sUght,  whether  real  or  imagined,  and  to  neglect  the  duties  which  at 
otLsr  times  of  the  year  they  are  always  ready  to  perform.  ' 


pes 


€.« 


TU£  OIANT  OANCB. 


Fortunately  for  themselves,  the  palm-wine  season  only  lasts  for  a  few  months,  audi 
during  the  remainder  of  the  year  the  Aponos  are  perforce  obliged  to  be  sober.     While  it| 
lasts,  the  country  is  most  unpleasant  to  a  stranper.  the  sound  of  the  drum,  the  dance,  and 
the  song  scarcely  ever  ceasing  nij:ht  or  day,  while  the  people  are  so  tetchy  and  quarrelj 
some  that  a  day  never  passes  without  a  fight,  which  often  leaves  considerable  f" 
behind  it.  . 

One  of  their  danees  is  very  peculiar,  and  is  called  by  the  name  of  Ocuya,  or  Oiantj 

Dance. 


THE  GIANT  DANCR 


543 


if  Ocuya,  or  Gianti 


This  curious  dance  is  performed  by  a  man  who  enacts  the  ^«tt  of  the  giant,  and  raises 

lllinselt'  to  tlie  necessary  height  by  means  of  stilts.    He  then  indues  a  wicker-work  frame, 

ihaped  like  the  body  of  a  man,  and  dressed  like  one  of  the  natives,  in  large  grass-cloths. 

lie  dress  reaches  to  the  ground,  so  as  to  conceal  the  stilts,  and,  in  spite  of  this  drawback, 

>  performer  walks  and  dances  as  if  he  were  using  his  unaided  feet. 

Of  course  he  wears  a  mask,  and  this  mask  is  mostly  of  a  white  colour.  It  has  large, 
lick  lips,  and  a  mouth  partly  open,  showing  the  gap  in  which  the  upper  incisor  teeth 
id  once  existed.  The  head-dress  is  much  lUce  a  lady's  bonnet  of  1864  or  1865.  The 
laterial  of  which  it  is  made  is  monkey -skin,  and  it  is  ornamented  with  feathers. 

The  Apouos  are  not  distinguished  as  warriors,  their  weapons  being  very  formidable  in  • 
mpearance,  and  very  inefficient  in  practice.  Each  Apouo  has  his  bow  and  arrows.  The 
fcrmer  is  a  stiff,  cumbrous  kind  of  weapon.  They  are  bent  nearly  in  a  semicircle,  the 
tring  being  nearly  two  feet  from  the  centre  of  the  bow.  The  string  is  of  vegetable  fibre. 
Hhe  arrows  are  ingeniously  armed  with  triangular  iron  heads,  each  being  attached  to  a 
lolloff  necic,  through  which  the  shaft  passes  loosely.  The -head  is  poisoned,  and  when  it 
Ipenetrates  the  flesh  it  remains  fixed  in  the  wound,  while  the  shaft  falls  to  the  ground,  just 
lis  is  the  case  with  the  Bosjesman  arrows  already  described. 

Their  spears  are  also  vather  clumsy,  and  are  too  heavy  to  be  thrown.  They  are, 
however,  rather  forinidable  in  close  combat.  The  weapon  which  is  most  coveted  by  the 
ipnno  tribe  is  a  sort  of  sword,  or  rather  scimitar,  with  a  wooden  handle  and  a  boldly  curved 
fclade.  An  ambitious  young  Apono  is  never  happy  until  he  has  obtained  one  of  these 
iciraitars,  and  such  a  weapon,  together  with  a  handsome  cap  and  a  well-made  "  dengui," 
Ifill  give  a  man  a  most  distinguished  appearance  among  his  fellows.  Although  the  curved 
Iforai  is  most  common,  some  of  these  swords  are  straight,  and  are  not  made  by  them- 
leh'es,  but  by  the  Abombos  and  Iljavis,  who  live  to  the  east  of  them.  The  blade  of  this 
teapon  is  four  feet  in  length,  and  the  handle  is  shaped  like  a  dice-box,  die  "  tang"  of  the 

de  riuiniug  through  it  and  being  clenched  on  the  end  of  the  hilt.    A  similar  form  of 
labile  is  seen  in  the  left-hand  figure  on  page  492. 

From  the  same  tribes  tht-y  procure  their  anvils,  which  are  too  large  for  their  resources ; 
|llieir  only  melting-pots  being  scarcely  able  to  hold  more  than  a  pint  of  iron  ore.    The 

ields  of  the  Apono  are  circular  and  made  of  basket-work. 

The  villages  of  the  Apono  are  well  and  neally  built.     One  of  them,  belonging  to 

pichiengain,  the  principal  chief  of  the  Apono  tribe,  was  measured  by  M.  du  Chaillu,  and 

|)und  to  consist  of  one  long  street,  nearly  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  long,  and  eighteen 

fards  wide.    The  houses  were  all  separated  by  an  interval,  and  each  house  was  furnished 

rith  a  little  verandah  in  front,  under  which  the  inhabitants  sit  and  smoke  i/hv.ir  pipes,  eat 

llieir  meals,  aid  enjoy  a  chat  with  their  neighbours. 

The  material  of  the  houses  is  chiefly  bamboo  and  stnya  of  thd  leaf-stalks  of  palm-trees, 

ail  the  average  height  of  a  hut  is  about  seven  feet. 

One  of  the  villages,  named  Mokaba,  deserved  the  name  of  a  town,  and  was  arranged  in 
isomewhat  difPerent  manner.  The  houses  were  a/ranged  in  tifee  parallel  rows,  forming 
pe  wide  principal  street  in  the  middle,  and  a  nr:'.<v>v  street  on  eitner  side.    The  houses  are 

anged  in  hollow  squares,  each  square  belonging  to  Oiie  family.  As  often  as  a  man  marries 
I  fresh  wife,  he  builds  a  separate  house  for  her,  and  all  these  new  houses  are  arranged  in 
kk  form  of  a  quadrangle,  the  empty  space  being  planted  with  palm-trees,  which  are  the 
jproperty  of  the  head-man  of  each  group,  and  which  pass  at  his  death  to  his  heir.    These 

lalm-trees  are  valuable  property,  and  are  especially  prized  as  furnishing  material  for  the 

ilm-wine  which  the  Apono  tribe  drink  to  such  an  extent. 

Superstition  is  as  rife  among  the  Aponos  as  among  other  tribes  which  have  been  men- 
hnd,  and  preserves  its  one  invariable  characteristic,  i.e.  an  ever-present  fear  of  evil. 
mm  M.  du  Chaillu  visited  them,  they  were  horribly  afraid  of  such  a  monster  as  a  white 
pan,  and  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  any  one  who  was  unlike  themselves  must  be  both 
fvil  and  supernatural. 
It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  the  chief  Nchiengain  was  induced  to  allow  the 

■avellers  to  pass  through  his  territories  ;  and  even  after  permission  had  been  granted,  it 

N  thought  bbtter  to  send  a  man  who  was  the  personal  friend  of  the  chief,  and  who  would 


I'll 
'-1 


\^ 


544 


THE  APONO. 


serve  to  calm  the  fears  with  which  he  regarded  the  approach  of  his  visitors.    There  .. 
certainly  some  reason  for  his  fear,  for,  by  some  unfortunate  mischance,  the  small-pox  swel 
through  the  country  during  the  time  of  M.  du  Chaillu's  travels,  and  it  was  very  natu 
that  the  people  should  think  that  the  white  stranger  M-as  connected  with  the  disease. 

When,  at  last,  the  traveller  entered  the  Apono  village,  there  was  a  general  conster. 
tion,  the  mei;  running  away  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them,  and  the  women  Heeij 
to  their  huts,  clasping  their  children  in  their  arms,  and  shrieking  with  terror.  The  villal 
was,  in  fact,  deserted,  in  spite  of  the  example  set  by  the  chief,  who,  although  as  imij 
frightened  as  any  of  his  subjects,  bore  in  mind  the  responsibilities  of  his  office,  and  stod 
in  front  of  his  house  to  receive  his  visitor.  In  order  to  neutralize  as  much  as  possible  tl 
effects  of  the  white  man's  witchery,  he  had  hung  on  his  neck,  body,  and  limbs  all  t| 
fetishes  which  he  possessed,  and  had  besides  covered  his  body  with  mysterious  lines 
alumbi  chalk.  Thus  fortified,  he  stood  in  front  of  his  hut,  accompanied  by  two  men,  wd 
bravely  determined  to  take  part  with  their  chief  in  his  perilous  adventure.  1 

At  first  Nchiengain  was  in  too  great  a  fright  to  look  at  his  visitor,  but  before  very  Ion 
he  ventured  to  do  so,  and  accept  some  presents.  Afterwards,  when  he  bad  got  over  tH 
fear  with  which  he  regarded  the  white  man,  he  acted  after  the  fashion  of  all  Africa, 
chiefs,  i.e.  he  found  all  sorts  of  excuses  for  not  furnishing  his  guests  with  guides  ail 
porters ;  the  real  object  being  to  keep  in  his  hands  the  wonderful  white  man  who  h^ 
such  inexhaustible  treasures  at  command,  and  who  might  make  him  the  richest  and  mo 
powerful  chief  in  the"  countiy. 

The  idols  of  the  Apono  tribe  are  hideously  ugly.  When  M.  du  Chaillu  was  in  AponJ 
land,  he  naturally  wished  to  bring  home  a  specimen  of  a  native  idol,  and  after  some  troubl 
induced  Nchiengain  to  present  him  with  a  specimen.  The  chief  oblif;ingly  sent  his  wij 
to  the  temple  to  fetch  an  idol,  which  he  generously  presented  to  his  guest.  I .  was! 
wooden  image,  so  large  that  the  woman  could  scarcely  carry  it,  and  was  of  such  a  characti 
that  it  could  not  possibly  be  exhibited  in  Europe. 

These  people  seem  to  possess  inventive  faculties  of  no  small  extent,  if  we  may  judd 
from  a  strange  legend  that  was  told  by  one  of  them. 

According  to  this  tale,  in  former  times  there  was  a  great  chief  called  Eedjiona,  til 
father  of  a  "beautiful  girl  called  Arondo.  He  was  very  fond  of  this  daughter,  and  woul 
not  allow  any  one  to  marry  her,  unless  he  promised  that,  if  his  daughter  died  before  li| 
husband,  he  should  die  with  her  and  be  buried  in  the  same  grave.  In  consequence 
this  announcement,  no  one  dared  to  ask  for  Arondo's  hand,  and  she  remained  uuuiarriej 
for  several  years. 

At  last  a  suitor  showed  himself,  in  the  person  of  a  man  named  Akenda  Mbani.  Thl 
name  signifies  "  he  who  never  goes  twice  to  the  same  place ; "  and  he  had  taken  it  in  coil 
sequence  of  a  law  or  command  of  his  father,  that  he  must  never  go  twice  to  the  sanl 
place.  He  married  Arondo,  and,  being  a  mighty  hunter,  he  brought  home  plenty  of  ganid 
but  if  he  had  by  chance  killed  two  large  animals,  such  as  antelopes  or  hoars,  together, " 
brought  home  one,  and  made  his  father-in-law  fetch  the  other,  on  the  plea  that  he  cou^ 
not  go  twice  to  the  same  place. 

After  some  years  Arondo  was  taken  ill  with  a  headache,  which  becnnie  worse  an 
worse  until  she  died,  and,  according  to  agreement,  Akenda  Mbami  died  with  her.  As  sod 
as  she  was  dead,  her  father  gave  orders  to  prepare  a  large  grave  for  the  husband  and  wifl 
In  the  grave  was  placed  the  bed  of  the  married  pair,  on  which  their  bodies  were  laid,  an 
they  were  accompanied  by  a  slave  killed  to  wait  on  them  in  the  land  of  ppirits,  and  ' 
much  wealth  in  the  shape  of  ivory,  plates,  mats,  and  ornaments.  Akenda  Mbani  wasalJ 
furnished  with  his  sword,  spear,  and  hunting-bag.  The  grave  was  then  filled  up,  and 
mound  of  sand  heaped  upon  it.  I 

When  Agambouai,  the  village  orator,  saw  these  arrangements,  he  disapproved  of  tlieil 
and  told  licdjiona  that  the  hysenas  would  scratch  up  the  mound  of  sand,  and  devour  t^ 
bodies  of  his  daughter  and  her  husband.    So  Eedjiona  ordered  the  grave  to  be  made 
deep  that  the  hyanias  could  not  get  at  the  bodies. 

Accordingly,  the  sand  was  removed,  and  the  bodies  of  Akenda  Mbani  nnd  his  vij 
were  seated  on  stook  while  the  grave  was  deepened.    When  it  was  deep  enough,  tli 


;tent,  if  we  may  juda 


le  remaiued  uinuairia 


"NATIVE  INNOCENCR" 


645 


people  replaced  the  bed,  aEd  lowered  the  slave  and  Arondo  into  the  grave.  They  then 
j  ^ceeded  to  place  Akenda  Mbani  by  her,  but  he  suddenly  revived,  and  declined  to  take 
his  place  in  the  grave  a  second  time,  on  the  ground  that  lie  never  went  twice  to  the  same 
place.  Redjiona  was  very  angry  at  this,  but  admitted  the  validity  of  the  excuse,  and 
consoled  himself  by  cutting  ofi'  the  head  of  Agambouai 


THE  APINGI. 

Passing  westward  to^  ard  the  coast,  we  come  to  the  Apingi  tribe.  These  people  inhabit 
g  tolerably  large  track  of  ountry,  and  extend  along  the  west  side  of  a  range  of  hills  which 
separates  them  from  the  Ishogo. 

The  Apingi  are  not  a  handsome  race.  Their  skin  is  black,  with  a  decided  tinge  of 
yellow,  but  this  lightne^  of  hue  may  probably  be  owing  to  the  mountainous  regions 
which  they  inhabiv.  They  wear  the  usual  grass-cloth  round  the  waist,  and  the  women 
are  restricted  to  two  of  the  squares,  each  twenty-four  inches  long  by  eighteen  wide,  as  is 
the  custom  throughout  a  large  portion  of  West  Africa  They  do  not,  however,  look  on 
clothing  in  the  same  light  as  we  do,  and  so  the  scantiness  of  their  apparel  is  of  no  con- 
sequence to  them. 

This  was  oddly  shown  by  the  conduct  of  the  head  wife  of  Beniandji,  an  Apingi  chief. 
She  came  with  her  husband  to  visit  M.  du  Chaillu,  who  presented  her  with  a  piece  of 
light-coloured  cotton  cloth.  She  was  delighted  with  the  present,  and,  much  to  her  host's 
dismay,  proceeded  to  disrobe  herself  of  her  ordinary  dress,  in  order  to  indue  the  new 
garment.  But,  when  she  had  laid  aside  the  grass-cloth  petticoat,  some  object  attracted 
her  attention,  and  she  began  to  inspect  it,  forgetting  all  about  her  dress,  chattering  and 
looKing  about  her  for  some  time  before  she  bethought  herself  of  her  cotton  robe,  which 
she  put  on  quite  leisurely. 

This  woman  was  rather  good-looking,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  Apingi  women  are  exceedingly 
ugly,  and  do  not  improve  their  beauty  by  the  custom  of  filing  tlie  teeth,  and  covering 
themselves  with  tattooing.  This  practice  is  common  to  both  sexes,  but  the  women  are 
fond  of  one  pattern,  which  makes  them  look  much  as  if  they  wore  braces,  a  broad  band 
of  tattooed  lines  passing  over  each  shoulder,  and  meeting  in  a  V-shape  on  the  breast. 
From  the  point  of  the  V,  other  lines  are  drawn  in  a  curved  form  upon  the  abdomen,  and 
a  similar  gv  cies  is  carried  over  the  back.  The  more  of  these  lines  a  woman  can  show,  the 
better  dressed  she  is  supposed  to  be.  • 

The  grass-cloths  above-mentioned  are  all  woven  by  the  men,  who  can  make  them  either 
plain  or  coloured.  A  square  of  the  former  kind  is  a  day's  work  to  an  Apingi,  and  a 
coloured  cloth  requires  from  two  to  three  days*  labour.  But  the  Apingi,  like  other 
savages,  is  a  very  slow  workman,  and  has  no  idea  of  the  determined  industiy  with  which 
an  European  pursues  his  daily  labour.  Time  is  nothing  to  him,  and  whether  a  giass- 
cloth  takes  one  or  two  days'  labour  is  a  matter  of  perfect  indifference.  He  will  not  dream 
of  setting  to  work  without  his  pipe,  and  always  has  his  friends  about  him,  so  that  he  may 
hghten  the  labours  of  the  loom  by  social  converse.  Generally,  a  number  of  looms  are  set 
up  under  the  projecting  eaves  of  the  houses,  so  that  the  weavers  can  talk  as  much  as  they 
like  with  each  other. 

The  Apingi  are  celebrated  as  weavers,  and  are  said  to  produce  the  best  cloths  in  the 
country.  They  are  held  in  such  estimation  that  they  are  sold  even  on  the  coast,  and  are 
much  used. as  mosquito  curtains.  The  men  generally  wear  a  robe  made  of  eight  or  nine 
squares. 

Barter,  and  not  personal  use,  is  the  chief  object  in  making  these  cloths,  the  Apingi 
thinking  that  their  tattooing  is  quite  enough  clotliing  for  all  social  purposes.  Indeed,  they 

VOL  I.  .  Mil 


I        ^ 


u 


iff 


•pa 


^\ 


'% 


r 


M': 


i'f,  . 


I    'WKk' 


546 


THE  APINGI. 


openly  say  that  the  tattooing  is  their  mode  of  dress,  and  that  it  is  quite  as  reasonable  as 
covering  up  the  body  and  limbs  with  a  number  of  absurd  gannento,  which  can  have  no 
object  but  to  restrain  the  movements.  Sometimes  the  Apingi  wear  a  cloth  over  cue 
shoulder,  but  this  is  used  as  a  sign  of  wealth,  and  not  intended  as  dress. 

like  most  tribes  which  live  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  the  Apingi,  who  inhabit  tlie 
district  watered  by  the  Rembo  river,  are  clever  boatmen,  and  excellent  swimmers.  The 
latter  accomplishment  is  a  necessity,  as  the  canoes  are  generally  veiy  small  and  frail,  Hut- 
bottomed,  and  are  easily  capsized.  They  draw  scarcely  any  water,  this  structure  being 
needful  on  account  of  the  poweiful  stream  of  the  Kembo,  which  runs  so  swiftly  that 
even  these  practised  paddlers  can  scarcely  make  more  than  three  or  four  miles  an  hour 
against  the  stream. 


JUVBB  SOSN£  ON  THB  BBUBO 


■■■•    ■% 


|!J4    ! 


"When  "ML  du  Chailluwas  passing  up  the  Eembo,  he  met  with  an  accident  that  showed 
the  strength  "^f  the  current.  An  old  woman  was  paddling  her  boat  across  the  stream,  but 
the  lij,'ht  bork  was  swept  down  by  the  stream,  and  dashed  against  that  of  Du  Cliaillu,  so  tliat 
both  upset  As  for  the  old  womar,  who  had  a  bunch  of  plantains  in  her  boat,  she  tlionglit 
of  nothing  but  her  fruit,  and  swam  down  the  stream  bawling  out  lustily,  "  Where  are  my 
plantains?  Give  me  m/  plan  isins!"  She  soon  captui'ed  her  canoe,  took  it  ashore, 
emptied  out  the  water,  auv.  paddled  off  agniu,  never  ceasing  her  lamentations  about  liur 


lost  bunch  of  plantai  is. 

There  is  a  curious  n 
covered  by  M.  du  Chaillu. 


vimonial  law  among  the  Apingi,  which  was  rocidontnlly  dis- 
A  young  man,  who  had  just  married  the  handsoniost  woman 
in  the  country,  showed  all  the  marks  of  poverty,  even  his  grass-cloth  dress  b«!ing  niff^n\ 
and  worn  out.  On  being  asked  the  reason  of  his  shabby  appearance,  he  pointed  to  iiis 
young  wife,  and  said  that  she  had  quite  ruined  him.  On  further  interrogation,  it  was  shown 
that  among  the  Apingi,  if  a  man  fell  in  love  with  the  wife  of  a  i?eiglibour,  and  she  reci- 
procated the  affection,  the  lover  might  purchase  her  from  the  husband,  wlio  was  bound  to 
sell  her  for  the  same  price  that  he  originally  paid  for  her.  In  the  present  instiincc,  so 
large  a  sum  had  been  paid  for  the  acknowledged  belle  of  the  country  that  the  lovci  hud 
been  obliged  to  part  with  all  his  property  before  he  could  secuio  her. 


APINGI  HOSPITALITY. 


647 


as  reasonable  as 
lich  can  have  no 
i  cloth  over  owe 

who  inhabit  tlie 
swimmers.  Tlie 
all  and  frnil,  flat- 
s  structure  being 
8  so  swiftly  that 
ur  miles  an  hour 


dent  that  showed 
s  the  stream,  but 
)u  Chaillu,  so  that 
bout,  she  thoiiglit 
"Where  are  my 
took  it  iishore, 
utions  about  livr 

rocidpntfilly  dis- 
iidsoiuost  woman 
ess  b(!iiij,'  ruj,'},'pd 
le  pointed  to  liis 
ion,  it  WHS  shown 
)ur,  niid  she  rcci- 
lio  was  bound  to 
soiit  iiistiincc,  sn 
at  thi!  lover  hud 


As  is  often  the  case  in  Africa,  the  slaves  are  treated  very  well  by  their  masters. 
Should  a  slave  be  treated  harshly,  he  can  at  any  time  escape  by  means  of  a  curious 
ind  most  humane  law.  He  finds  an  opportunity  of  slipping  away,  and  goes  to  another 
village,  where  he  chooses  for  himself  a  new  master.  This  is  done  by  "  beating  bongo," 
U.  by  laying  the  hands  on  the  head  and  saying,  "  Father,  I  wish  to  serve  you.  I 
choose  you  for  my  master,  and  will  never  go  back  to  my  old  master."  Such  an  offer 
nuty  not  be  refused,  neither  can  the  fugitive  slave  be  reclaimed,  unless  he  should  return 
to  the  village  which  he  left. 

The  Apingi  are  very  fond  of  palm-wine,  and,  like  other  neighbouring  tribes,  hang 
ciilabashes  in  the  trees  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  juice.  Being  also  rather  selfish, 
they  mostly  visit  their  palm-trees  in  the  early  morning,  empty  the  calabashes  into  a  vessel, 
and  then  go  off  into  the  woods  and  drink  the  wine  alone,  lest  some  acquaintance  should 
happen  to  see  them,  and  ask  for  a  share. 

Hospitality  is  certainly  one  of  the  virtues  of  the  Apingi  tribe.  When  M.  du  Chaillu 
visited  them,  the  chief  Hemandji  presented  him  with  food,  the  gift  consisting  of  fowls, 
cassava,  plantains,  and  a  young  stave.  The  latter  article  was  given  in  accordance  with  the 
ordinary  negro's  idea,  that  the  white  men  are  cannibals,  and  purchase  black  men  for  the 
purpose  of  eating  them.  "Kill  him  for  your  evening  meal,"  said  the  hospitable  chief; 
"he  is  tender  and  fat,  and  you  must  be  hungry."  And  so  deeply  was  the  idea  of 
caimibalism  implanted  in  his  mind,  that  nothing  would  make  this  really  estimable  gentle- 
man comprehend  that  men  could  possibly  be  wanted  as  labourers,  and  not  as  aiticles 
of  food. 

However,  a  very  fair  meal  (minus  the  slave)  was  prepared,  and  when  it  was  served 
up,  Remandji  appeared,  and  tasted  every  dish  that  was  placed  before  his  guests.  He  even 
drank  a  little  of  the  water  as  it  was  poured  out,  this  custom  being  followed  throughout 
the  tribe,  the  wives  tasting  the  food  set  before  their  husbands,  and  the  men  that  which 
they  offer  to  their  guests.  It  is  singular  to  see  how  ancient  and  universal  is  the  office 
of "  taster,"  and  how  a  custom  which  still  survives  in  European  courts  as  a  piece  of  state 
ceremonial  is  in  active  operation  among  the  savage  tribes  of  Western  Africa. 

Tlie  religious,  or  rather  the  superstitious,  system  of  the  Apingi  difiers  little  from  that 
wliich  we  have  seen  in  other  districtfj,  and  seems  to  consist  chieliy  in  a  belief  in  fetishes, 
aud  charms  of  various  kinds. 

For  example,  when  M.  du  Chaillu  told  Remandji  that  he  would  like  to  go  on  a 
leopard  hunt,  the  chief  sent  for  a  sorcerer,  or  "  ouganga,"  who  knew  a  charm  which 
enabled  him  to  kill  any  numbe;  of  leopards  without  danger  to  himself.  The  wizard  came, 
and  went  through  his  ceremoriies,  remarking  that  the  white  man  might  laugh  as  nmch  as 
he  pLase,  but  that  on  the  next  day  he  woidd  see  that  his  charm  (monda)  would  bring  a 
leopard. 

On  the  following  morning  he  started  into  the  woods,  and  in  t  le  afternoon  returned 
with  a  fine  leopard  which  he  had  killed.  He  asked  such  an  exorbitant  price  for  the  skin 
that  the  purchase  was  declined,  and  the  skin  was  therefore  put  to  its  principal  use,  namely, 
making  fetish  belts  for  warriors.  A  strip  of  skin  is  cut  from  the  head  to  the  tail,  and  is 
ihen  charmed  by  the  ouganga,  whose  incantations  are  so  powerful  that  neither  bullet, 
mow,  nor  spear,  can  wound  the  man  who  wears  the  belt.  Of  course  such  a  belt  commands 
a  very  high  price,  which  accounts  for  the  unwillingness  of  the  sorcerer  to  part  with 
the  skin. 

As  is  usual  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  when  twins  are  bom,  one  of  them  is  killed, 
as  an  idea  prevails  that,  if  both  are  allowed  to  live,  the  mother  will  die.  Only  one  case 
was  known  where  twins,  boys  seven  years  of  age,  were  allowed  to  survive,  and,  as  their 
mother  did  not  die,  she  was  respected  as  a  very  remarkable  womaix 

Sfieing  the  treasures  which  their  white  visitor  brought  among  them,  the  Apingi  could 
not  be  disabuses  of  the  notion  that  he  made,  or  rather  created,  them  all  himself,  and  that 
h'j  was  able,  bj  his  bare  word,  to  make  unlimited  quantities  of  the  same  articles.  One 
day  a  great  consultation  was  held,  and  about  thirty  chiefs,  with  Kemandji  at  their  head, 
caiiif!  and  preferred  the  modest  request  that  the  white  man  would  make  a  pile  of  beads 
M  high  at)  the  tallest  tiee,  aud  another  of  guns,  powder,  cloth,  brass  kettles,  and  copper 

hn2 


4l>M\m  i' 


m 


p.y,  ■•■  .T« 


I       ' 


648 


TH£  AFINGL 


Tod&  Nothing  could  persuade  them  that  such  a  feat  was  impossible,  and  the  refusal  to 
perform  the  expected  miracle  was  a  severe  disapjpointment  to  the  Apingi  chiefs,  who  had 
come  from  great  distances,  each  bringing  with  him  a  large  band  of  followers.  There  was 
even  an  Ashango  chief,  who  had  come  from  his  own  country,  more  than  a  hundred  niileg 
to  the  eastward,  bringing  with  him  a  strong  party  of  men  to  caiiy  away  his  share 
of  the  goods. 

This  scene  appears  to  have  made  a  great  impression  on  the  natives,  for  when 
Bemandji  and  his  son  died,  an  event  which  happened  not  long  after  Du  ChaiUu  had  left 
the  country,  the  people  firmly  believed  that  the  latter  had  killed,  him  on  account  of  hig 
friendship  for  him,  desiring  that  they  should  be  companions  in  the  spiiit  laud,  which  they 
believed  was  the  ordinary  habitation  of  white  men. 

Their  burial  customs  are  rather  curious,  and  not  at  all  agreeable.  The  body  is  left  in 
the  house  where  the  sick  person  has  died,  and  is  allowed  to  remain  there  as  long  as  it  can 
hold  together.  At  last,  the  nearest  relation  of  the  deceased  conies  and  cames  off  the 
body  on  his  shoulders,  bearing  it  to  some  convenient  spot  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
villaga  No  grave  is  dug,  but  the  corpse  is  laid  on  the  ground,  some  pieces  of  ivory  or  a 
few  personal  ornaments  are  laid  by  it,  and  the  funeral  ceremony  is  at  an  end. 


:i    \,  » 


PJK 


I 


%■( 


b  *    .' 


V      '! 


VXQQWi-iCtntnl  4/Hos.) 


I' 


OHAPTEK    iLL.VlI. 


THE  BAKALAL 


jBiniCTB  INHABITBD  BY  THE  BAKALAI— THEIR  BOVINO  AND  UNSBTTLED  HABITS — SKIIX  iN  HUNTINO 
—DIET  AND  MODE  OF  COOKINQ — A  FISH  BATTUE — CLEANLY  HABITS  OF  THE  BAKALAI — FOB- 
BIDDEN   HKAT8 — CBITEL    TREATMENT    OF    THE    SICK,   AND   BVPRR8TITI0N8     OF     THE    B    ZALAI 

THKIR  IDOLS — THE  WOMEN   AND   THBIB  BBLIGIOUS  BITES — AN  INTBV8I0N  ASD  ITS  CONSEQUENCES 
—THE  "KEBN"  OVEB  A  DEAD   PBBSON. 

The  large  and  important  tribe  of  the  Bakalai  inhabit  a  considerable  tract  of  country 
between  the  Equator  and  2°  S.,  and  long.  10"  to  13°  K 

The  land  in  which  they  dwell  is  not  tenanted  by  themselves  alone,  but  they  occupy 
(0  much  space  in  it  that  it  may  fairly  be  called  by  their  name.  They  have  a  peculiar 
faculty  for  colonization,  and  have  extended  their  settlements  in  all  directions,  some  being 
close  to  the  western  coast,  and  others  far  to  the  east  of  the  Ashangos.  Of  course,  their 
habits  differ  according  to  the  kind  of  country  in  which  they  are  placed,  but  in  all  situa- 
tions they  are  bold  and  enterprising,  and  never  fail  to  become  masters  of  the  district. 

One  clan  or  branch  of  this  tribe,  however,  has  abandoned  these  roving  habits,  and 
has  settled  permanently  at  a  place  called  Obindji,  after  the  chief  of  the  clan.  Being 
conveniently  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Onenga  and  Ofouboa  rivers,  Obindji  has  a 
commanding  position  for  trade,  and,  having  contracted  an  alliance  with  the  great  chief 
Quengueza,  carries  on  a  prosperous  commerce,  ebony  being  their  special  commodity.  In 
concluding  his  alliance  with  them,  Quengueza  showed  his  wisdom  by  insisting  upon  their 
maintaining  peace  with  all  their  neighbours,  this  indeed  having  been  his  policy  through- 
out his  life.  ^' 

When  Du  Chaillu  was  passing  along  the  Rembo  river,  Quengueza  addressed  the 
porters  who  carried  the  goods,  and  gave  them  excellent  advice,  which,  if  they  would  only 
nave  followed  it,  would  have  kept  them  clear  of  many  subsequent  quarrels  and  misfor- 
tunes. He  advised  them  never  to  pick  up  bunches  of  plantain  or  nuts  that  might  be 
lying  on  the  road,  because  those  objects  were  only  placed  as  a  bait.  Also,  if  told  to  catch 
and  kill  goats  or  fowls,  or  to  pluck  fruit,  they  were  to  refuse,  saying  that  it  was  the  duty 
of  the  host  to  supply  the  food,  and  not  to  set  his  guests  to  fetch  it  for  themselves.  They 
were  specially  enjoined  not  to  enter  other  houses  but  those  allotted  to  them,  not  to  sit  on 
strange  seats,  and  to  keep  clear  of  the  women, 

Obindji's  town  showed  clearly  the  character  of  the  inhabitants.  Bound  to  keep  the 
peace  by  the  treaty  with  Quengueza,  they  were  still  prepared  against  the  incursions  of 
inimical  tribes.  Usually,  the  houses  are  made  of  bftmboo.  but  those  of  Obindji  had 
regular  walls,  made  of  broad  strips  of  bark  lashed  firraly  to  the  bamboo  uprights.  When 
the  house  is  made  of  bamboo  alone,  the  inhabitant?,  can  be  seen  nearly  as  well  as  if  they 
were  birds  in  cages,  and  consequently  the  enemy  can  shoot  at  them  between  the  bars. 
In  Obindji,  however,  the  houses  were  not  only  defended  by  the  bark  walls,  but  were 
further  guarded  by  being  separated  into  two  rooms,  the  inner  chamber  being  that  in 


I 


arrvf^ 


550 


THE  BAKALAI. 


wliich  the  family  sleep.    So  saspicious  are  they,  that  they  never  spread  the  couch  on  the  I 
same  spot  for  two  successive  ni^nta. 

Ti  eir  great  ambition  seems  to  be  the  possession  of  the  rivers,  by  means  of  which  tliey 
can  triverae  the  country,  make  raids,  or  plant  new  settleinenfs  in  any  promising  siiot, 
Thus  uU  along  the  great  river  lienibo  are  found  districts  iuhabi  d  by  liftkalai,  aiui  each  I 
of  the  settlements  is  sure  to  be  the  parent  of  other  colonies  on  either  bank.  MoK.over, 
they  are  of  strangely  nomad  Iiabits,  setlliiig  down  for  a  time,  and  then  suddenly  brfakiiiir  I 
up  their  village,  taking  away  what  portable  stores  they  c.ui  ■.rwry,  abandoning  the  rest* 
and  settling  down  like  a  flight  of  locusts  in  some  fresh  i,yot.  The  causes  fur  this 
curious  habit  are  several,  but  superstition  is  at  the  bottom  of  them  all,  as  will  be  seen  j 
when  we  come  to  that  branch  of  the  subject. 

The  complexion  of  the  Bakalai  is  dark,  but  not  black,  and,  as  a  rule,  they  urc  of  fair  I 
height  and  well  made.     They  wear  the  usual  grass-cloth  as  long  as  they  cannot  procure 
American  or  European  goods,  but,  whenever  they  can  pui.    ise  a  piece  of  cotton  print, 
they  will  wear  it  aa  long  as  it  will  hang  together.     Of  washing  it  they  seem  to  have  no 
conception,  and  to  rags  they  have  no  objet  tion. 

Neitht  r  do  tlie  Bakalai  wash  themselves.     Those  who  live  on  the  banks  of  the  river  i 
swim  lik(  ducks,  and,  as  their  aquatic  excursions  often  end  in  a  capsize,  they  are  perforce 
washed  in  the  f     ^am.     But  washing  in  the  light  of  ablution  is  never  performed  by  them,  1 
and  those  who  live  inland,  iiud  have  uo  river,  never  know  the  feeling  of  water  on  their  j 
oily  bodies. 

o  '  account  of  ^heir  migratory  habits,  they  have  but  little  personal  property,  con-  ] 
central  1  rig  all  their  wealth  in  tlie  one  article  of  wives.  A  Bakalai  will  go  to  hunt,  an  art 
in  which  he  is  very  expert,  and  will  sell  the  tusks,  skins,  and  horns  for  European  jroods. 
As  soon  ad  he  ha  procured  this  wealth,  he  sets  off  to  buy  a  new  wife  with  it,  and  is  not 
very  particular  about  her  age,  so  that  she  be  young.  A  girl  is  often  married  when  quite 
a  ciiild,  and  in  that  case  she  lives  with  her  parents  until  she  has  reached  the  marriageable 
age,  which  in  *hat  country  is  attained  at  a  very  early  period. 

In  consequence  of  this  arrangement,  children  are  eagerly  expected,  and  jovfully 
welcomed  when  they  make  their  appearance.  As  a  rule,  African  women  are  not  prolific 
mothers,  so  that  a  wlfo  wh/  has  several  children  is  held  in  the  highest  estimation  as  the 
pruuacc.'  of  valuable  property,  and  carries  things  v,  dh.  a  high  hand  over  her  husband  and 
his  other  v  ives.  The  ideas  of  consanguinity  are  very  curious  among  the  Bakalai.  A 
man  will  not  marry  a  wife  who  belongs  to  the  same  village  or  clan  as  himself,  and  yet, 
if  a  man  dies,  his  son  takes  his  wives  as  a  matter  of  course,  and,  if  he  has  no  sou  old 
enough  to  do  so,  they  pass  to  his  brother. 

Slaves  also  constitute  part  of  a  Bakalai's  property,  and  are  kept,  not  so  much  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  their  master's  work,  wMch  is  little  enough,  but  as  live  stock,  to  be  sold 
to  the  regular  slave-dealers  whenever  a  convenient  opportunity  may 'occur. 

The  principal  food  of  the  Bakalai  is  the  cassava  or  manioc,  which  is  prepared  so  that 
it  passes  into  the  acid  state  of  fermentation,  and  becomes  a  sour,  but  otherwise  flavourless 
mess.  The  chief  advantage  of  this  mode  of  preparation  is,  that  it  will  keep  from  six 
weeks  or  two  months,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  is  no  nastier  than  it  was  when  com- 
paratively fresh.  They  have  also  a  singularly  unpleasant  article  of  diet  called  njavi  oil 
It  is  made  from  the  seeds  of  the  njavi,  one  of  the  large  forest  trees  of  the  country,  and  is 
prepared  by  first  boiling  the  seed,  then  crushing  it  on  a  board,  and  lastly  squeezing  out 
the  oil  in  the  hand.  Much  oil  is  wasted  by  this  primitive  process,  and  that  which  is 
obtained  is  very  distasteful  to  European  palates,  the  flavour  resembling  that  of  scorched 
lard.  It  is  chiefly  used  m  cooking  vegetables,  and  is'  also  employed  for  the  hair,  ^eing 
mixed  with  an  odoriferous  powder,  and  plastered  liberally  on  their  woolly  heads.  It  is 
principally  with  this  oil  that  the  skin  is  anointed,  a  process  which  is  really  needful  for 
those  who  wear  no  clothing  in  such  a  climate.  Palm  oil  is  sometimes  employed  for  the 
same  purpose,  but  it  is  too  dear  to  be  in  general  use. 

Even  the  natives  cannot  endure  a  very  long  course  of  this  manioc,  and,  when  they 
have  been  condemned  to  eat  nothing  but  vegetable  food  for  several  weeks,  have  a  positive 
craving  for  meat,  and  will  do  anything  to  procure  it. 


.  the  couch  on  the 


THE  GOUAMBA. 


C51 


Tins  craving  after  animal  food  somfttimes  becomes  almost  a  disease.  It  is  known  bv 
the  name  of  Gouaniba,  and  attacics  both  white  and  black  men  alike.  Quen<{ue/a  himself 
was  occasionally  aulyect  to  it,  and  was  actuully  found  weei)iiij{  with  the  a^^ony  ot  :  ouamba, 
a  proceeding  which  seems  absurd  and  puerile  to  those  who  have  nev»'r  been  subjected 
tn  tlie  same  affliction.  Those  who  suffer  from  it  become  positive  wild  beasts  at  the 
jii-lit  of  meat,  which  they  devour  with  an  eagerness  that  is  horrible  to  witness.  Evi  u 
)|.  (Ill  Chaillu,  with  all  his  guns  and  other  means  of  destroying  game,  occasionally 
suflVred  from  gouamba,  which  he  describes  as  "  real  and  frightful  torture." 

The  Bakalai  do  not  think  of  breeding  their  goats  and  chickens  for  food,  their  wander- 
ing habits  precluding  them  (roiii  either  agriculture  or  pastoral  habits,  and  they  are 
obliged,  therefore,  to  look  to  fiahiug  and  hunting  for  a  supply  of  animal  food. 


f* 


.'f 


<,all 


m 


V    ^ff 


'W 


t% 


I 


FISHINO  SCENB. 


The  former  of  these  pursuits  is  principally  carried  on  during  the  dry  season,  when  the 
1  of  the  river  have  receded,  and  pools  have  been  left  on  the  plains.  To  those  pools 
the  Bakalai  proceed  in  numbers,  men,  women,  and  children  taking  part  in  the  work. 
Kach  ia  furnished  with  a  pot  or  bowl,  with  which  they  bale  out  the  water  until  the  fish 
are  left  struggling  in  the  mud.  The  whole  party  then  rush  in,  secure  the  fish,  and  take 
them  home,  when  a  large  portion  is  consumed  on  the  spot,  but  the  greater  quantity  dried 
in  the  smoke  and  laid  up  for  future  stores. 

Savages  as  they  are,  the  Bakalai  are  very  cleanly  in  their  cooking,  as  is  mentioned  by 
M,du Chaillu.    "The  Bakalai  were  cooking  a  meal  before  setting  out  on  their  travels. 

is  astonishing  to  see  the  neatness  with  which  these  savages  prepare  their  food.  I 
watched  some  women  engaged  in  boiling  plantains,  which  form  the  bread  of  all  this 
region.  One  built  a  bright  fire  between  two  stones.  The  others  peeled  the  plantains,  then 
carefully  washed  them — just  as  a  clean  white  cook  would — and,  cutting  them  in  several 
pieces,  put  them  in  the  earthen  pot.  This  was  then  filled  with  water,  covered  over  with 
leaves,  over  which  were  placed  the  banana  peelings,  and  then  the  pot  was  put  on  the 
atones  to  boil.  Meat  they  had  not,  but  roasted  a  few  ground-nuts  instead ;  but  the  boiled 
Dlantains  they  ate  with  great  quantities  of  Cayenne  pepper."    From  this  last  circum- 


ii 


\ 


i^ 


\ 


\ 


W'rfy^ 


.\ 


^ 


> 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


:/, 


I  1.1 
11.25 


■tt  Uii   12.2 
us.    12.0 


—    6" 


wuu 

1.4  mil  1.6 


^^ 


^ 


J^ 

^<»"-^ 


^ 


.»* 


V 


w 


/A 


Fk)tDgra{iiic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WnSTIR.N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)872-4903 


IT 


\ 


C 


552 


THEBAKAUL 


A    i 


stance,  it  is  evident  that  the  Bakalai  do  not  share  in  the  superstitious  notion  about  red 
pepper  which  has  been  lately  mentioned.  ,  ' 

With  all  this  cleanliness  in  cooking,  they  are  so  fond  of  animal  food  that  they  will 
eat  it  when  almost  falling  to  pieces  with  decomposition.  And,  in  spite  of  their  love  for  I 
it,  there  is  scarcely  any  kind  of  meat  which  is  not  prohibited  to  one  family  or  another,  or 
at  all  events  to  some  single  individual.  For  example,  when  one  of  the  party  has  shot  a 
wild  bull  (Bos  braehiceros),  their  principal  chief  or  king  refused  to  touch  the  flesh,  saying 
that  it  was  "  roonda,"  or  prohibited  to  himself  and  his  family,  because,  many  generations 
back,  a  woman  of  his  family  had  given  birth  to  a  calf.  Another  family  was  prohibited 
from  eating  the  flesh  of  the  crococUle,  for  similar  reasons. 

So  careful  are  the  Bakalai  on  this  subject  that  even  their  love  for  meat  fails  beLn 
their  dread  of  the  "  roonda,"  and  a  man  will  sooner  die  of  starvation  than  eat  the  pro- 
hibited food.  Of  course,  this  state  of  things  is  sinoularly  inconvenient.  The  kindred 
prohibitions  of  Judaism  and  Mahometanism  are  trying  enough,  especially  to  travellers, 
who  cannot  expect  any  great  choice  of  food.  But,  as  in  the  latter  cases,  the  prohibited 
articles  are  invariably  the  same,  there  is  little  diiAoulty  about  the  commissariat.  I 

Among  the  Bakalai,  however,  if  the  traveller  should  happen  to  employ  a  party  of 
twenty  men,  he  may  And  that  each  man  has  some  "roouda"  wtiich  will  not  permit  him| 
to  join  his  comrades  at  their  repast    One  man,  for  example,  mav  not  eat  monkey's  flet 
while  another  is  prohibited  to  eat  pork,  and  a  third  is  forbidden  to  touch  the  hippo^  I 
potamus,  or  some  other  animal    So  strict  is  the  law  of  "  roonda,"  that  a  roan  will  often 
refuse  to  eat  anything  that  has  been  cooked  in  a  kettle  which  may  once  have  held  the 
forbidden  food.  I 

This  brinss  us  naturally  to  other  superstitions,  in  which  the  Bakalai  seem  to  be  either  I 
peculiarly  rich,  or  to  have  betrayed  mora  of  their  religious  system,  than  strangers  can j 
generally  learn  from  sava^ea 

The  usual  amount  of  inconsistency  is  found  in  their  religion,  if  we  may  dignify  with 
such  a  name  a  mere  string  of  iuconuruous  superstitions.  In  the  first  place,  there  is 
nothing  which  they  dread  so  much  as  death,  which  they  believe  to  be  the  end  of  all  life; 
and  yet  they  have  a  nearly  equal  fear  of  ghosts  and  spirits,  which  they  believe  to  haunt 
the  woods  after  dark.  I 

This  fear  of  death  is  one  of  their  principal  inducements  to  shift  their  dwellings.  If 
any  one  dies  in  a  village,  Death  is  thought  to  have  taken  possession  of  the  place,  and  tlie 
inhabitants  at  once  abandon  it,  and  setue  down  in  another  spot  The  prevalence  of  this 
idea  is  the  cause  of  much  cruelty  towards  the  sick  and  infirm,  who  are  remorselessly  | 
driven  from  the  villages,  lest  they  should  die,  and  so  bring  death  into  the  place. 

M.  da  Chailln  gives  a  very  forcible  illustration  of  this  practice.    "  I  have  twice  seen  I 
old  men  thus  driven  out,  nor  could  I  persuade  any  one  to  give  comfort  and  shelter  to 
these  friendless  wretches.    Once,  an  old  man,  poor  and  naked,  lean  as  death  himself,  and 
barely  able  to  walk,  hobbled  into  a  Bakalai  village,  where  I  was  staying.    Seeing  ine,  the 
poor  old  fellow  came  to  beg  some  tobacco — ^their  most  cherished  solace.    I  asked  him| 
where  he  was  going. 

'"I  don't  know.'  ) 

" '  Where  are  you  from?' 

"  He  mentioned  a  village  a  few  miles  off. 

" '  Have  you  no  friends  there  V 

*"None.' 

" '  No  son,  no  daughter,  no  brother,  no  sister  t ' 

"'None.* 

« '  You  are  sick  ? ' 

" '  They  drove  me  away  for  that* 

'"What  will  you  do?' 

"'Die!' 

"  A  few  women  came  up  to  him  and  gave  him,  water  and  a  little  food,  but  the  nenj 
saw  death  in  his  eyes.    They  drove  him  away.    He  went  sadly,  as  though  knowing  a  ' 


AN  INTRUDER. 


553 


18  notion  about  red. 


mbmitting  to  his  fate.    A  few  days  after,  his  poor  lean  body  was  found  in  the  wood. 
His  troubles  were  ended." 

This  is  the  '*  noble  savage,"  whose  unsophisticated  virtues  have  been  so  often  lauded 
by  those  have  never  seen  him,  much  less  lived  with  him.   ^ 

The  terror  which  is  felt  at  the  least  suspicion  of  witchcraft  often  leads  to  bloody  and 
crael  actions.  Any  one  who  dies  a  natural  death,  or  is  killed  by  violence,  is  thought  to 
hare  beea  bewitched,  and  the  first  object  of  his  friends  is  to  find  out  the  sorcerer.  There 
was  in  a  Bakalai  village  a  little  boy,  ten  years  of  age,  who  was  accused  of  sorceiy.  Hie 
mere  accusation  of  a  crime  which  cannot  be  disproved  is  quite  enough  in  this  land,  and 
the  population  of  the  village  rushed  on  the  poor  little  boy,  and  cut  him  to  pieces  with 
their  knives.  They  were  positively  mad  with  rage,  and  did  not  cool  down  lor  several 
hours  afterwards. 

The  prevalence  of  this  superstition  was  a  sad  trial  to  M.  du  Chaillu  when  he  was 
seized  with  a  fever.  He  well  knew  that  his  black  friends  would  think  that  he  had  been 
beiiritched,  and,  in  case  of  his  death,  would  be  sure  to  pounce  upon  some  unlucky  wretch, 
and  put  him  to  a  cruel  death  as  a  wizard.  Indeed,  while  he  was  ill  one  of  his  men  took 
up  the  idea  of  witchcraft,  and  at  night  paraded  the  village,  threatening  to  kill  the  sorcerer 
who  had  bewitched  his  master. 

Idolatry  is  carried  on  here,  as  in  most  heathen  countries,  by  dancing,  drumming,  and 
ginging,  neither  the  songs  nor  dances  being  very  decent  in  their  character. 

Oae  of  the  chief  idols  of  the  Bakalai  was  in  the  keeping  of  Mbango,  the  head  of  a 
clan.  The  image  is  made  of  wood,  and  represents  a  grotesque  female  figure,  nearly  of  the 
size  of  life.  Her  eyes  are  copper,  her  feet  are  cloven  like  those  of  a  deer,  one  cheek  is 
yellow,  the  other  red,  and  a  necklace  of  leopard's  teeth  hangs  round  her  neck.  She  is 
a  very  powerful  idol,  speaks  on  great  occasions,  and  now  and  then  signifies  approbation  by 
nodding  her  head.  Also  she  eats  meat  when  it  is  oifered  to  her,  and,  when  she  has 
exhibited  any  of  those  tokens  of  power,  she  is  taken  into  the  middle  of  the  street,  so 
that  all  the  people  may  assemble  and  feast  their  eyes  on  the  wooden  divinity. 

Besides  the  ordinary  worship  of  the  idol,  the  women  have  religious  ceremonies  of 
their  own,  which  strangely  remind  the  reader  of  the  ancient  mysteries  related  by  sundry 
classic  authors.  To  one  of  these  ceremonies  M.  du  ChaUlu  became  a  spectator  in  rather 
an  unexpected  manner. 

"One  day  the  women  began  their  peculiar  worship  of  Njambai,  which  it  seems  is 
their  good  spirit :  and  it  is  remarkable  that  all  the  Bakalai  clans  and  all  the  females  of 
tribes  I  have  met  during  my  journeys,  worship  or  venerate  a  spirit  with  this  same  name. 
Near  the  sea-shore  it  is  pronounced  Njembai,  but  it  is  evidently  the  same. 

"  This  worship  of  the  women  is  a  kind  of  mystery,  no  men  being  admitted  to  the 
ceremonies,  which  are  carried  on  in  a  house  very  carefully  closed.  This  house  was 
covered  with  dry  palm  and  banana  leaves,  and  had  not  even  a  door  open  to  the  street. 
To  make  all  close,  it  was  set  against  two  other  houses,  and  the  entrance  was  through  one 
of  these.  Quengueza  and  Mbango  warned  me  not  to  go  near  this  place,  as  not  even  they 
vere  permitted  so  much  as  to  take  a  look.  All  the  women  of  the  village  painted  their 
faces  and  bodies,  beat  drums,  marched  about  the  town,  and  from  time  to  time  entered  the 
idol  house,  where  they  danced  all  one  night,  and  made  a  more  outrageous  noise  than 
even  the  men  had  made  before.  They  also  presented  several  antelopes  to  the  goddess,  and 
on  the  fourth  all  but  a  few  went  off  into  the  woods  to  sing  to  Njambai. 

"  I  noticed  that  half-a-dozen  remained,  and  in  the  course  of  the  morning  entered  the 
Njambai  house,  where  they  stayed  in  great  silence.  Now  my  curiosity,  which  had  been 
greatly  excited  to  know  what  took  place  in  this  secret  worship,  finally  overcame  me.  I 
determined  to  see.  Walking  several  times  up  and  down  the  street  past  the  house  to  allay 
suspicion,  I  at  last  suddenly  pushed  aside  some  of  the  leaves,  and  stuck  my  head  through 
the  wall  For  a  moment  I  could  distinguish  nothing  in  the  darkness.  Then  I  beheld 
three  perfectly  naked  old  hags  sitting  on  the  clay  floor,  with  an  immense  bundle  of 
gieegrees  before  them,  which  they  seemed  to  be  silently  adoring. 

"  When  they  saw  me  they  at  once  set  up  a  hideous  howl  of  rage,  and  rushed  out  to 
call  their  companions  from  the  bush;  in  a  few  minutes  these  came  hurrying  in,  crying 


t         <»i;  Wii 


854 


THE  BAEALAL 


^1 


hi 


and  lamenting,  rusbing  towards  me  with  gestnxes  of  anger,  and  threatening  me  for  mj 
offence.  I  quickly  reached  my  house,  and  seizing  my  gun  in  one  hand  and  a  revolver  in 
the  other,  told  them  I  would  shoot  the  first  one  that  came  inside  my  door.  Th«  house 
was  surrounded  by  above  three  hundred  infuriated  women,  every  one  shouting  out  curses 
at  me,  but  the  sight  of  my  revolver  kept  them  back.  They  adjourned  presently  for  the 
Njambai  house,  and  from  there  sent  a  deputation  of  the  men,  who  were  to  inform  me  that 
I  must  pay  for  the  palaver  I  had  made. 

"  This  I  peremptorily  refused  to  do,  telling  Quengueza  and  Mbango  that  I  was  there 
a  stranger,  and  must  be  allowed  to  do  as  I  pleased,  as  their  rules  were  nothing  to  me,  who 
was  a  white  man  and  did  not  believe  in  their  idols.  In  truth,  if  I  had  once  paid  for  such 
a  transgression  as  this,  there  would  have  been  an  end  of  all  travelling  for  me,  as  I  often 
broke  through  their  absurd  rules  without  knowing  it,  and  my  only  course  was  to  declare 
myself  irresponsible. 

"  However,  the  women  would  not  give  up,  but  threatened  vengeance,  not  only  on  me, 
but  on  all  the  men  of  the  town ;  and,  as  I  positively  refused  to  pay  anything,  it  was  at 
last,  to  my  great  surprise,  determined  by  Mbango  and  his  male  subjects  that  they  would 
make  up  from  their  own  possessions  such  a  sacrifice  as  the  women  demanded  of  mt 
Accordingly  Mbango  contributed  ten  fathoms  of  native  cloth,  and  the  men  came  one  by 
one  and  put  their  otferings  on  th<?i  ground ;  some  plates,  some  knives,  some  mugs,  some 
beads,  some  mats,  and  various  other  articles.  Mbango  came  again,  and  asked  if  I 
too  would  not  contribute  something,  but  I  refused.  In  fact,  I  dared  not  set  such  a 
precedent.  So  when  all  had  given  what  they  could,  the  whole  amount  was  taken  to  the 
ireful  women,  to  whom  Mbango  said  that  I  was  his  and  his  men's  guest,  and  that  they 
could  not  ask  me  to  pay  in  such  a  matter,  therefore  they  paid  the  demand  themselves. , 
With  this  the  women  were  satisfied,  and  there  the  quarrel  ended.  Of  course  I  could  not 
make  any  further  investigations  into  their  mysteries.  The  Kjambai  feast  lasts  auout  two 
weeks.  I  could  learn  very  little  about  the  spirit  which  they  call  by  this  name.  Their 
own  ideas  are  quite  vague.  They  know  only  that  it  protects  the  women  against  their 
male  enemies,  avenges  their  wrongs,  and  serves  them  in  various  ways  if  they  please  it" 

The  superstitious  concerning  death  even  extend  to  those  cases  where  a  man  has  been 
killed  by  accident. 

On  one  occasion,  a  man  had  been  shot  while  bathing,  whereupon  the  whole  tribe  fell 
into  a  panic,  thought  that  the  village  had  been  attacked  by  witches,  and  straightway 
abandoned  it.  On  their  passage  to  some  more  favoured  spot,  they  halted  for  the  night  at 
another  village,  and  at  sunset  they  all  retired  to  their  huts,  and  began  the  mournful  chant 
with  which  they  celebrate  the  loss  of  their  friends.  The  women  were  loud  in  their 
lamentations,  as  they  poured  out  a  wailing  song  which  is  marvellously  like  the  "keen" 
of  the  Irish  peasantry  : — 

"  You  will  never  speak  to  us  any  more  I 

"  We  cannot  see  your  face  any  more  I 

"You  will  never  walk  with  us  again ! 

"  You  will  never  again  settle  our  palavers  for  us ! " 

And  so  on,  ad  libitum.  In  fact,  the  lives  of  the  Bakalai,  which  might  be  so  joyous 
and  free  of  care,  axe  quite  embittered  by  the  superstitious  fears  which  assail  them  on 
every  side. 


CHAPTER    XLVin 


THE  ASHIBA. 


I  imABANCB  AND  DRESS  OF  THR  NATIVBS — A  MATRIMONIAL  SQUABBLB— NATURAL  CCNNINO  OT  XHR 
ASHIBA — VARIOCB  MODES  OF  PBOCURINO  FOOD — NATIVE  PLANTATIONS — THE  CHQCF's  "  ZOMBO," 
OB  SALUTATION — ASHIBA  ABCHITKCTURB — NATIVE  AOBICULTUBB — SLAVERY  AMONG  THE  ASHIBA 
— HRDICINE  AND   8CBOEBT — AN   "  HEROIC  "   TREATMENT — SCPEBSTITIONS — HOW  TO  CATCH  GAME 

—TRIAL   OF  THE     ACCUSED— THE     ORDEAL    OF    THE    BINO THE  ASHUU  FAREWELL — ^FUNERAL 

CIRIH0NIE8 — DEATH  AND  BURIAL  OF  OLBNDA. 


ITsE  tribe  next  in  order  is  the  Ashira.     These  people  are  not  so  nomad  in  their  habits  as 
I  Bakalai,  and  are  therefore  more  concentrated  in  one  locality.    They  certainly  are  apt 

I  to  forsake  a  village  on  some  great  occasion,  but  they  never  move  to  any  great  distance, 

I  and  are  not  so  apt  to  take  flight  as  the  BakalaL 

The  Ashira  are  a  singularly  fine  race  of  men.      Their  colour  is  usually  black,  but 

I  individuals  among  them,  especially  those  of  high  rank,  are  of  a  comparatively  light  hue, 

I  being  of  a  dark,  warm  bronze  rather  than  black.    The  features  of  the  Ashira  are  tolerably 


The  dress  of  the  natives  has  its  distinguishing  points.  The  men  and  married  women 
Tear  the  grass-cloth  robe,  and  the  former  are  fond  of  covering  their  heads  with  a  neat  cap 
made  of  grass.  So  much  stress  do  they  lay  on  this  article  of  apparel,  that  the  best  way  of 
propitiating  an  Ashira  man  is  to  give  him  one  of  the  scarlet  woollen  caps  so  affected  by 
fishermen  and  yachtsmen  of  our  own  country.  There  is  nothing  which  he  prizes  so  highly 
IS  tills  simple  article,  and  even  the  king  himself  will  think  no  sacrifice  too  great  provided 
that  he  can  obtain  one  of  these  caps. 

The  men  also  carry  a  little  grass  bag,  which  they  sling  over  one  shoulder,  and  which  is 
ornamented  with  a  number  of  pendent  strings  or  thongs.  It  answers  the  purpose  of  a 
wket,  and  is  therefore  very  useful  where  the  clothing  is  of  so  veiy  limited  a  character. 
[Both  sexes  wear  necklaces,  bracelets,  and  anklets,  tame  of  thick  copper  bars,  and  they 
ilso  display  some  amount  of  artistic  taste  in  the  patterns  with  which  they  dye  their 


The  strangest  part  of  Ashira  fashion  is,  that  the  females  wear  no  clothing  of  any  kind 
lintil  they  are  married.  They  certainly  tie  a  small  girdle  of  grass-cloth  round  the  waists, 
jbat  it  is  only  intended  for  ornament,  not  for  dress.  As  is  usual  in  similar  cases,  the  whole 
^  the  toilet  is  confined  to  the  dressing  of  the  hair  and  painting  of  the  body.  The  woolly 
m  is  teased  out  with  a  skewer,  well  rubbed  with  oil  and  clay,  and  worKed  up  until  it 
something  like  a  cocked  hat,  rising  high  on  the  top  of  the  head  and  coming  to  a 
p>int  before  and  behind.  Mostly,  the  hair  is  kept  in  its  positiwi  by  a  number  of  littiie 
(ticks  or  leaves,  which  are  passed  through  it,  and  serve  as  the  framework  on  which  it 
''"^i   Filing  the  teeth  is  practised  by  the  Ashira,  though  very  few  of  them  canx  thei- 

ttice  to  such  an  extent  as  to  reduce  the  teeth  to  points. 


^*  •  'I 

!,   I, 


656 


THE  ASHIRA. 


'41 


I"     ''  fit! 


>  '^i 


Among  the  West  Africans,  the  women  are  not  so  badly  treated  as  in  the  south,  ani 
indeed,  are  considered  nearly  as  the  equals  of  the  men.  They  can  hold  property  of  then 
own,  and  are  quite  aware  of  the  importance  which  such  an  arrangement  gives  them.      [ 

Mayolo,  one  of  the  chiefs,  had  a  most  absurd  quarrel  with  his  favourite  wife,  a  yonni 
woman  uf  twenty  years  of  age,  and  remarkable  for  her  light-coloured  skin  and  hazel  eyel 
She  had  contrived  either  to  lose  or  waste  some  of  his  tobacco,  and  he  threatened  to  punisH 
her  by  taking  away  the  pipe,  which,  among  these  tribes,  belongs  equally  to  the  husband 
and  wife.  She  retorted  that  he  could  not  do  so,  because  the  plantain-stem  of  the  pip] 
was  cut  from  one  of  her  own  trees,  and  if  he  quarrelled  with  her,  she  would  take  awd 
the  stem,  and  not  allow  him  to  cut  another  from  the  plantain-trees,  which  belon<Ted  t1 
her  and  not  to  him.  The  quarrel  was  soon  made  up,  but  the  fact  that  it  took°plac( 
at  all  shows  the  position  which  the  women  hold  in  domestic  affairs. 

As  is  often  the  case  with  savages,  the  Ashira  exhibits  a  strange  mixture  of  characteij 
Ignorant  though  he  may  be,  the  Ashira  is  possessed  of  great  natural  cunning,  m 
man  can  lie  with  so  innocent  a  face  as  the  "  noble  savage,"  and  no  one  is  more  capable  oi 
taking  care  of  his  own  interests.  The  Ashira  porters  were  a  continual  source  of  troublj 
to  Du  Chaillu,  and  laid  various  deep  plans  for  increase  of  wages.  Those  of  one  clan 
refused  to  work  in  company  with  those  of  another,  and,  on  the  principle  of  trades'  uniona 
struck  work  unanimously  if  a  man  belonging  to  another  clan  were  permitted  to  handlj 
a  load. 

Having  thus  left  the  traveller  with  all  his  packages  in  the  forest,  their  next  plan  wa 
to  demand  higher  wages  before  they  would  consent  to  re-enter  the  service.  In  the  coursJ 
of  the  palaver  which  ensued  ou  this  demand,  a  curious  stroke  of  diplomacy  was  disl 
covered.  The  old  men  appeared  to  take  his  part,  declared  that  the  demands  of  the  yoiinj 
men  were  exorbitant,  and  aided  him  in  beating  them  down,  asking  higher  wages  for  themJ 
selves  as  a  percentage  on  their  honourable  conduct.  When  the  affair  was  settled,  and  thJ 
men  paid,  the  young  men  again  struck  work,  saying  that  it  was  not  fair  for  the  old  menj 
who  had  no  burdens  to  carry,  to  have  higher  wages  than  themselves,  and  demanding  thai 
all  should  be  paid  alike.  In  course  of  investigation  it  was  discovered  that  this  was  j 
deeply-laid  scheme,  planned  by  both  parties  in  order  to  exact  higher  wages  for  the  whole! 

These  people  can  be  at  the  same  time  dishonest  and  honourable,  hard-hearted  anq 
kind,  disobedient  and  faithful.  When  a  number  of  Ashira  porters  were  accompanying 
Du  Chaillu  on  his  journey,  they  robbed  him  shamefully,  by  some  unfortunate  coincil 
dence  stealing  just  those  articles  which  could  not  be  of  the  least  use  to  them,  and  the  1( 
of  which  would  be  simply  irreparable.  That  they  should  steal  his  provisions  was  to 
expected,  but  why  they  should  rob  him  of  his  focussing-glasses  and  black  curtains  of  thd 
camera  was  not  so  clear.  The  cunning  of  the  Ashira  was  as  remarkable  as  their  dis] 
honesty.  All  the  villages  knew  the  whole  circumstances.  They  knew  who  were  thef 
thieves,  what  was  stolen,  and  where  the  property  had  been  hidden,  but  the  secret  was  sq 
well  kept  that  not  even  a  child  gave  the  least  hint  which  would  lead  to  the  discovery  o^ 
the  stolen  goods. 

Yet  when,  in  the  course  of  the  journey,  they  were  reduced  to  semi-starvation,  ori 
account  of  the  n^;ro  habit  of  only  carrying  two  or  three  days'  provision,  the  men 
happened  to  kill  a  couple  of  monkeys,  and  offered  them  both  to  the  leader  whom  then 
had  been  so  remorselessly  plundering.  Even  when  he  refused  to  take  them  to  himself! 
they  insisted  on  his  retaining  the  lion's  share,  and  were  as  pleasant  and  agreeable  as  if  noj 
differences  had  existed. 

Next  day,  however,  those  impulsive  and  unreflecting  creatures  changed  their  conduclj 
:  again.  They  chose  to  believe,  or  say  they  believed,  that  the  expedition  would  cbme 
harm,  and  tried  to  get  their  pay  in  advance,  for  the  purpose  of  running  off  with  it.  When 
I  this  very  transparent  device  was  detected,  they  openly  avowed  their  intention  of  runnind 
.away,  and  threatened  to  do  so  even  without  their  pay.  Fortunately,  the  dreaded  name  ol 
*Quengueza  had  its  effect  on  them,  and,  as  it  was  represented  to  them  that  war  woulJ 
certainly  be  made  on  the  Ashira  by  that  chief  if  they  dared  to  forsake  the  white  travelleij 
whom  he  had  committed  to  their  charge,  they  resumed  their  burdens.  In  the  course  o^ 
the  day  supplies  arrived,  and  all  was  peace  again. 


THE  CHIEFS  "KOMBO." 


557 


The  reason  why  the  natives  dislike  taking  much  food  with  them  is  that  the  plantains 
Ifhichform  the  usual  rations  are  very  heavy,  and  the  men  would  rather  trust  to  the  chance 
I  of  comins  on  a  village  than  trouble  themselves  with  extra  loads.  However,  there  are  the 
hoola  and  mpegai  nuts,  on  which  the  natives  usually  live  while  travelling  in  the  nut 
lieason. 

The  koola  is  a  singularly  useful  nut.  It  grows  in  such  ahundance  on  the  tree,  that 
I  when  the  nuts  are  ripe,  the  whole  crown  of  the  koola-tree  appears  to  be  a  single  mass  of 
I  (nit  It  is  round,  about  as  large  as  a  cherry,  and  the  shell  is  so  hard  that  it  has  to  be 
ibroken  between  two  stones.  Thirty  of  these  nuts  are  considered  sufficient  for  a  meal, 
mn  for  a  native  African,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the  trees  are  so  plentiful  that  the  natives 
I  do  not  trouble  themselves  about  carrying  food  in  the  nut  season.  M.  du  Ghaillu,  however, 
I  fas  singularly  unfortunate,  for  he  contrived  to  miss  the  koola-trees  on  his  journey,  and 
Ihence  the  whole  party  suffered  great  privation.  >^ 

The  wild  swine  know  the  value  of  the  koola-nuts  as  well  as  the  natives,  and  in  the 
I  season  become  quite  fat  and  sleek. 

The  mpegai  nut  is  round,  like  the  koola,  but  the  kernel  is  three-lobed.  It  is  so 
I  full  of  oil  that  it  is  formed  into  cakes  by  the  simple  operation  of  pounding  the  kernel, 
biding  the  paste  in  leaves,  and  smoking  them  over  a  wood  fire.  When  thus  treated,  it 
|eau  be  kept  for  a  considerable  time,  and  is  generally  eaten  with  pepper  and  salt,  if  these 
lean  be  obtained.  Neither  the  koola  nor  the  mpegai  are  cultivated  by  the  improvident 
I  natives. 

About  ten  miles  from  Olenda's  residence  was  a  village  belonging  to  a  chief  named 
lAngoaka,  and  remarkable  for  the  manner  in  which  the  plantain  was  cultivated.  In  one 
I  plantation  there  were  about  thirty  thousand  trees,  set  about  five  feet  apart    Each  tree 

Ittced  five  or  six  shoots,  but  the  cultivators  cut  away  all  but  two  or  three  of  the  finest, 
lio  accordance  with  true  arboricultural  principles.  On  an  average,  thirty  pounds  weight  of 
mit  were  grown  on  each  tree,  and  the  natives  managed  so  as  to  keep  up  a  tolerably 
I  constant  supply  by  planting  several  varieties  of  the  tree,  some  bearing  fruit  in  six  months 
lifter  planting,  some  ten  months,  and  others  not  until  eighteen  months,  the  last  being  the 
■best  and  most  fertile. 

Wliile  describing  the  journeys  of  certain  travellers,  mention  is  frequently  made  of  the 
I  porters  and  their  loads.  The  burdens  are  carried  in  rather  a  peculiar  manner.  The  men 
I  have  a  sort  of  oblong  basket,  called  "  otaitai,"  which  is  made  of  canes  woven  closely  along 
I  the  bottom,  and  looiiely  along  the  sides.  The  elasticity  of  the  sides  enables  it  to  accom- 
liodate  itself  to  various-sized  loads,  as  they  can  be  drawn  together  if  the  loads  should  be 
Inuall,  or  expanded  to  admit  a  larger  burden.  Three  broad  straps,  made  of  rushes,  are 
lixed  to  the  otaitai,  one  passing  over  each  shoulder  of  the  porter  and  the  other  one  over 
liiis  forehead. 

Some  of  the  ceremonies  employed  by  the  Ashira  are  very  curious. 

Each  chief  has  a  sort  of  salutation,  called  "  Kombo,"  which  he  addresses  to  every  one 
I  of  importance  whom  he  meets  for  the  first  time.     For  example,  when  M.  du  Ghaillu  met 

nda,  the  head  chief  of  a  sub-tribe  of  the  Ashira,  a  singular  scene  took  place.  After 
[waiting  for  some  time,  he  heard  the  ringing  of  the  "  kando"  or  sacred  bell,  which  is  the 

iblem  of  royalty  in  this  land,  and  which  is  only  sounded  on  occasions  of  ceremony. 

Presently  the  old  chief  appeared — a  man  of  venerable  aspect,  and  very  old  indeed. 

a  woolly  hair  was  perfectly  white,  his  body  bent  almost  double  with  age,  and  his  face 
lone  mass  of  wrinkles.  By  way  of  adding  to  the  beauty  of  his  countenance,  he  had 
|(»vered  one  side  of  his  face  with  red  and  the  other  with  white  stripes.    He  was  so  oldi 

t  he  was  accompanied  by  many  of  his  childret),  all  old,  white-headed,  and  wrinkled 
I  men.  The  natives  held  him  in  great  respect,  believing  that  he  had  a  powerful  fetish 
[ijiainst  death. 

As  soon  as  he  had  recovered  from  the  sight  of  a  clothed  man  with  straight  hair,  steady 
hyes,  and  a  white  face,  he  proceeded  to  make  a  speech  which,  when  translated,  was  as 
jibllows :  "  I  have  no  bowels.  I  am  like  the  Ovenga  river ;  I  cannot  be  cut  in  two.  But 
lilso,  I  am  like  the  Niembai  and  Ovenga  rivers,  which  unite  together.  Thus  my  body  is 
limited,  and  nothing  can  divide  it."    This  address  was  rather  puzzling  because  no  sense 


658 


THE  ASHIRA. 


could  be  made  from  it,  but  tbe  interpreter  explained  that  this  was  merely  the  kombo,  andl 
that  sense  was  not  a  necessary  ingredient  in  it  I 

According  to  the  etiquette  or  the  country,  after  Olenda  had  made  his  salutation,  hel 
offered  his  presents,  consisting  of  three  goats,  twenty  fowls,  twenty  bunches  of  plantains,  I 
several  baskets  of  ground-nuts,  some  sugar-cane,  and  two  slaves.  That  the  Inst-mentionedl 
articles  should  be  declined  was  a  most  astonishing  phenomena  to  the  Ashii-a. 


H. 


'I 


OLBNDA'S  SAIiUTATION  TO  AN  I8H0U0  CHIBP. 


The  villages  of  the  Ashira  are  singularly  neat  and  cleanly,  a  most  remarkable  faclj 
considering  the  propensity  to  removal  on  the  death  of  an  inhabitant.  They  consist  mostly  I 
of  one  long  street,  the  houses  being  built  of  bark,  and  having  the  ground  cleared  at  the  I 
back  of  the  houses  as  well  as  in  the  front, — almost  the  only  example  of  such  industry  I 
in  this  part  of  Africa.    Paths  invariably  lead  from  one  village  to  another.  I 

The  Ashira  are  a  tolerably  industrious  tribe,  and  cultivate  the  land  around  theirl 
villages,  growing  tobacco,  plantains,  yams,  sugar-cane,  and  other  plants  with  much  success.! 
The  tobacco  leaver,  when  plucked  and  dried,  are  plaited  together  in  a  sort  of  flat  rope,  I 
and  are  then  rolled  up  tightly,  so  that  a  considerable  quantity  of  tobacco  is  contained  in  I 
a  very  small  space.  I 

Of  course,  they  drink  the  palm-wine,  and,  as  the  method  of  procuring  this  univeisaUyj 
{jEivomrite  beverage  is  rather  peculiar,  it  will  be  briefly  explained.  I 

The  native,  taking  with  him  an  empty  calabash  or  two,  and  a  kind  of  auger,  climbsl 
the  tree  by  means  of  a  hoop  made  of  pliant  creepers ;  tying  the  hoop  loosely  round  the  I 
tree,  he  gets  into  it,  so  that  his  back  is  pressed  against  the  hoop  and  his  feet  against  the| 
tree.    By  a  succession  of  "  hitches,"  he  ascends  the  tree,  much  as  a  chimney-sweep  of  t' 


8LA7ERT  AMONG  THE  ASHIRA. 


659 


)ly  the  kombo,  andl 


Lid  times  nsed  to  ascend  the  wide  chimneys,  which  are  now  superseded  by  the  narrow, 
picbine-swept  flues,  lifting  the  hoop  at  every  hitch,  and  so  getting  up  the  tree  with 
fonderful  ranidity.  When  he  has  reached  the  top,  he  takes  the  auger  out  of  the  little 
lig  which  is  hung  round  his  neck,  and  bores  a  deep  hole,  just  bdow  the  crown  of  the 
||ilm.  A  leaf  is  then  plucked,  rolled  up  in  a  tubular  form,  and  one  end  inserted  into  the 
peTthe  calabash  being  bung  just  below  the  other  end.  During  the  night  the  sap  runs 
Wly  into  the  calabash,  several  quarts  being  procured  in  a  single  night.  In  the  morning 
it  is  removed  and  a  fresh  calabash  substituted.  Even  in  its  fresh  state  the  juice  is  a  very 
pleasant  drink,  but  after  standing  for  twenty-four  hours  it  ferments,  and  then  becomes 
ottemely  intoxicating,  the  process  of  fermentation  being  generally  hastened  by  adding  the 
itmains  of  the  previous  day's  brewing.  The  supply  of  juice  decreases  gradually,  and, 
fhea  the  native  thinks  that  the  tree  will  produce  no  more,  he  plugs  up  the  hole  with 
(lay  to  prevent  insects  from  building  their  nests  in  it,  and  so  killing  the  valuable  tree. 
Three  weeks  is  the  average  juice-producing  time,  and  if  a  tree  be  forced  beyond  this 
point  it  is  apt  to  die. 

Besides  the  tobacco,  the  Ashira  cultivate  a  plant  called  the  liamba,  i.e.,  a  Cannabis,  or 
Indian  hemp,  either  the  same  species  from  which  the  far-famed  haschish  of  the  East  is 
Bade,  or  very  closely  allied  to  it  They  always  choose  a  rich  and  moist  soil  on  the  sunny 
ode  of  a  hill,  as  the  plant  requires  both  heat  and  moisture  to  attain  perfection.  The 
natives  seem  to  prefer  their  liamba  even  to  the  tobacco;  but  there  are  some  doubts 
vhether  both  these  plants  have  not  been  imported,  the  tobacco  from  America  and  the 
liamba  from  Asia,  or  more  likely  from  north-western  Africa.  Du  Chaillu  says  that  the 
AshiTa  and  Apingi  are  the  only  tribes  who  cultivate  it. 

Its  effects  upon  the  smokers  are  terrible,  causing  them  to  become  for  the  time  insane,- 

bing  into  the  woods  in  a  frantic  state,  quarrelling,  screaming,  and  at  last  falling  down 
ii  convulsions.  Permanent  madness  is  often  the  result  of  over-iudiilgence  in  this 
lotraordinary  luxuiy. 

The  above-mentioned  traveller  met  with  an  idiot  among  the  Ashira.  Contrary  to  the 
jisnal development  of  idiotcy  among  the  Africans,  the  man  was  lively  and  jocular,  jumping 
jihout  with  all  kinds  of  strange  antics,  and  singing  joyous  songs.  Tlie  other  inhabitants 
fere  very  fond  of  him,  and  treated  him  well,  and  with  a  sort  of  reverence,  as  something 
above  their  comprehension.  Idiots  of  the  dull  kind  are  treated  harshly,  and  the  usual 
node  of  getting  rid  of  them  is  to  sell  them  as  slaves,  and  so  to  foist -them  upon  the 
poichaser  before  he  learns  the  quality  of  his  bargain. 

Slavery  exists  among  the  Ashira  as  among  other  tribes,  but  is  conducted  in  so  humane 
[t  character  that  it  has  Uttle  connexion  with  the  system  of  slavery  as  the  word  is  generally 
ndeistood.  Olenda,  for  example,  had  great  numbers  of  slaves,  and  kept  them  in  separate 
i^ements,  each  consisting  of  two  or  three  hundred,  each  such  settlement  having  its 
diief,  himself  a  slava  One  of  these  slave-chiefs  was  ar  ■>.shango,  a  noble-looking  man, 
lith  several  wives  and  plenty  of  children.  He  exercised  luite  a  patriarchal  sway  over 
the  people  under  his  charge,  and  neither  he  nor  the  slaves  seemed  to  consider  their  situa- 
pon  at  all  degrading,  calling  themselves  the  children  of  Olenda.  ,i 

This  village  was  remarkably  neat,  and  the  houses  were  better  built  tlnp  those  of  the 
Aahiia  generally.  The  inhabitants  had  cleared  a  lai^etrack  of  ground,  and  covered  it 
with  the  plantains,  sugar-canes,  and  ground-nuts,  f^ij^tfV^it^h  ^^^'^  thriving  wondeifuUy, 
and  had  a  most  picturesque  appearance  when  con^Hp^'with  the  wild  beauties  of  the 
Mrrounding  forest  Most  of  these  slave  families  naa  been  inherited  by  Olenda,  and 
ttny  of  them  had  never  known  any  other  kind  of  Ufa 

Medicine  and  surgery  are  both  practised  among  the  tribes  that  live  along  the  Bembo, 
indin  a  very  singular  manner.  The  oddest  thing  about  the  practitioner  is,  that  the  natives 
always  try  to  procure  one  from  another  tribe,  so  that  an  Ashango  patient  has  a  Bakalai 
mat,  and  vice  versa.  The  African  prophet  has  little  honour  in  his  own  country,  but  the 
Wther  he  goes,  the  more  he  is  respected.  Evil  spirits  that  have  defied  all  the  exorcisms 
of  home-bred  prophets  are  sure  to  quail  before  the  greater  powers  of  a  sorcerw  who  lives 
<t  a  distance ;  while  the  same  man  who  has  failed  at  home  is  tolerably  sure  to  succeed 


660 


THE  ASHIRA. 


i  %  f 

:1 '  r 


r 


I'' 


The  natives  have  one  grand  panacea  for  all  kinds  of  disorders,  the  same  being  ul„ 
both  for  lumbago  and  leprosy.  This  consists  of  scarifying  the  afflicted  part  with  a  kuifi 
making  a  great  number  of  slight  cuts,  and  then  rubbing  in  a  mixture  of  pounded  capiicui 
and  lime-juice.  The  agony  caused  by-this  operation  is  horrible,  and  even  the  blunt  nervi 
of  an  African  can  barely  endure  the  pain.  If  a  native  is  seized  with  dysenterv,  the  ua. 
remedy  is  applied  internally,  and  the  patient  will  sometimes  drink  half  a  tumbler-fiill  fc 
a  dose.  There  is  some  ground  for  their  faith  in  the  capsicum,  for  it  really  is  beneficial  i 
the  West  African  climate,  and  if  a  traveller  feels  feverish  he  can  genei-ally  relieve  tt 
malady  by  taking  plenty  of  red  pepper  with  his  food. 

Sometimes,  when  the  disease  will  not  yield  to  the  lime-juice  and  pepper,  strongi 
remedies  are  tried.     M.  du  Chaillu  saw  a  curious  instance  of  the  manner  in  which 
female  practitioner  exercised  her  art  on  Mayolo,  whose  quarrel  with  his  wile  has  alreud< 
been  mentioned. 

The  patient  was  seated  on  the  ground,  with  a  genet  skin  stretched  before  him,  and  thi 
woman  was  kneading  his  body  with  her  hands,  muttering  her  incantations  in  a  lowvoici 
When  she  had  finished  this  manipulation,  she  took  a  piece  of  the  alumbi  chalk,  an. 
draw  a  broad  stripe  down  the  middle  of  his  chest  and  along  each  arm.  Her  next  proccsi 
was  to  chew  a  quantity  of  ixrats  and  seeds,  and  to  spirt  it  over  the  body,  directing  hei 
heaviest  shots  at  the  affected  parts.  Lastly,  she  took  a  bunch  of  dried  grasses,  twiste 
them  into  a  kind  of  torch,  lighted  it,  and  applied  the  flame  to  various  parts  of  the  liod; 
and  limbs,  beginning  at  the  feet  and  ending  with  the  head.  When  the  torch  had  burnei 
itself  out,  she  dashed  the  glowing  end  against  the  patient's  body,  and  so  ended  h>\ 
operations. 

Mdyolo  sat  perfectly  still  during  the  proceeding,  looking  on  with  curiosity,  and  onl;^ 
winning  slightly  as  the  flame  scorched  his  skin.  The  Africans  have  a  j^eat  faith  in  thi 
etticacy  of  tire,  and  seem  to  think  that,  when  it  has  been  applied,  it  effectually  preveul 
a  recurrence  of  the  disease. 

The  worship  of  the  Ashira  is  idolatry  of  the  worst  description.    One  of  their  oncans,  o| 
idols,  named  the  Housekeeper,  was  purchased  by  Du  Chaillu.    It  was,  of  course,  hideousl; 
ugly,  represented  a  female  figure,  and  was  kept  in  the  house  of  a  chief  for  the  purpose 
protecting  property.    The  natives  were  horribly  afraid  of  it,  and,  so  long  as  the  noui 
keeper  was  in  her  place,  the  owner  might  leave  his  goods  in  perfect  security,  know 
that  not  a  native  would  dare  to  touch  them. 

Skilful  hunters  as  they  are,  they  never  start  on  the  chase  without  preparing  themi 
selves  by  sundry  charms.  They  hong  all  kinds  of  strange  fetishes  about  their  persona 
and  cut  the  backs  of  their  hands  for  luck,  the  flowing  blood  having,  according  to  theii 
ideas,  a  wonderful  efi&cacy.  If  they  can  rub  a  little  powdered  sulphur  into  the  cuts,  tbi 
power  of  the  charm  is  supposed  to  be  doubled,  and  any  man  who  has  thus  prepare 
himself  never  misses  his  aim  when  he  shoots.  Painting  the  face  red  is  also  a  grea 
assistance  in  hunting ;  and,  in  consequence  of  these  strange  beliefs,  a  party  of  natives  jusi 
starting  for  the  chase  presents  a  most  absurd  appearance. 

Along  the  river  Rembo  are  certain  sacred  spots,  on  which  the  natives  think  themselvei 
bound  to  land  and  dance  in  honour  of  the  spirit.    In  one  place  there  is  a  cervmon] 
analogous  to  that  of  "  crossing  the  line  "  in  our  own  vessels.     When  any  one  passes  thi 
spot  for  the  first  time,  he  is  obliged  to  disembark,  to  chant  a  song  in  praise  of  the  loci 
deity,  to  pluck  a  bough  from  a  tree  and  plant  it  in  the  mud.     When  I)u  Chaillu  passi 
the  spot^  he  was  requested  to  follow  the  usual  custom,  but  refused,  on  the  ground 
disbelief  in  polytheism.     As  usual,  the  natives  admitted  his  plea  as  far  as  he  w 
concerned.    He  was  a  great  white  man,  and  one  God  was  enough  for  the  rich  and  v 
white  men.     But  black  men  were  poor  and  ignorant,  and  therefore  wanted  plenty 
gods  to  take  care  of  them. 

Many  superstitions  seem  to  be  connected  with  trees.    There  is  one  magnificent 
called  the  "  oloumi,"  perhaps  the  largest  species  that  is  to  be  found  in  Western  Afrii 
The  bark  of  the  oloutni  is  said  to  possess  many  healing  qualities,  and,  if  a  man  wasln 
himself  all  over  with  a  decoction  of  the  bark  before  starting  on  a  trading  expedition,  hj 
,  will  be  sure  tu  make  good  bargains.    Consequently,  the  oloumi«trees  (which  are  lathi 


'  r  t 


!y'll 


THE  ORDEAL  OF  THE  RING. 


5C1 


lieiroe)  are  always  damaged  bv  the  natives,  who  tear  great  strips  of  bark  from  the  trunk 
jlirtbe  purpose  of  making  th^  magic  decoction. 

A  rather  remarkable  ordeal  is  in  use  among  the  Asbira, — remarkable  because  it  is  so 
jictly  like  the  ordeals  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

A  Bakalai  canoe  had  been  injured,  and  a  little  boy,  son  to  Aquilai,  a  far-famed 
iBakiJai  sorcerer,  said  that  the  damage  had  been  done  by  one  of  Quetigueza's  men.  Of 
leoune  the  man  denied  the  accusation,  and  called  for  the  ordeal,  and,  as  the  matter 
leoaceroed  the  Bakalai,  an  Ashira  wizard  was  summoned,  according  to  the  usual  custom. 

He  said  that  "  the  only  way  to  make  the  truth  appear  was  by  the  trial  of  the  ring 
lloiled  in  oil"  Hereupon  the  Bakalai  and  the  Goumbi  (i.e.  Camma)  men  gathered 
ber,  and  the  trial  was  at  once  made. 


ASHIRA  FAREWELIi. 

{St$pag$6ii.) 

"The  Ashira  doctor  set  three  little  billets  of  bar-wood  in  the  ground,  with  their  ends 
Itogether,  then  piled  some  smaller  pieces  between,  until  all  were  laid  as  high  as  the  three 
hiecea.  A  native  pot  half  full  of  palm-oil  was  set  upon  the  wood,  and  the  oil  was  set  on 
llw.   When  it  burned  up  brightly,  a  brass  ring  from  the  doctor's  hand  was  cast  into  the 

Et  The  doctor  stood  by  with  a  little  vase  full  of  grass,  soaked  in  water,  of  which  he 
rew  in  now  and  then  some  bits.  This  made  the  oiL  blaze'  up  afresh.  At  last  all  was 
jbuTQt  out,  and  now  came  the  trial.  The  accuser,  the  little  boy,  was  required  to  take  the 
liing  out  of  the  pot.  He  hesitated,  but  was  pushed  on  by  his  father.  The  people  cried 
|wt,'Let  us  see  if  he  lied  or  told  truth.' 

"Finally  he  put  his  hand  in,  seized  the  red-hot  ring,  but  quickly  dropped  it,  having 
iKTetely  burned  his  fingers.    At  this  there  was  a  shout,  '  He  lied !  He  lied  1 '  and  the 
|6oQmbi  man  was  declared  innocent." 
VOLL  0  0 


l*fl 


062 


THE  ASHIRA. 


I- 1 

i" 


If.""; 


4 


The  reader  will  remember  Ihat  when  Du  Chaillu  viaited  the  Ashira,  he  was  recdv. 
bv  the  wonderful  old  chief  Olenda,  whose  salutation  was  of  so  extraordinaiy  a  character] 
Ihe  mode  in  which  he  dismissed  his  guests  was  not  less  curious.  Gathering  his  old  and 
white-haired  sons  round  him,  Olcnda  addressed  the  travellers,  wishing  them  succewJ 
and  utterinff  a  sort  of  benediotioa  He  then  took  some  sugar-cane,  bit  a  piece  of  thJ 
pith  out  of  it,  chewed  it,  and  spat  a  small  portion  into  the  hand  of  each  of  the  travellenl 
muttering  at  the  same  time  some  words  to  the  effect  that  he  hoped  that  all  things  woal(U 
go  pleasantly  with  them,  and  be  sweet  as  the  breath  which  he  had  blown  on  their  handi  | 

Advanced  as  was  his  age,  he  lived  for  some  years  longer,  until  he  succumbed  to  the 
■mall-pox  in  common  with  many  of  his  relatives  and  people.    The  circumstances  attendj 
ing  his  death  and  burial  were  very  characteristic  uf  the  people. 

First  Olenda's  head  wife  died  of  it,  and  then  the  disease  spread  with  frightMl 
rapidity  through  the  district,  the  whole  of  the  chiefs'  wives  being  taken  with  it,  andl 
Mpoto,  his  nephew  and  heir,  dying  after  a  very  short  illness.  Then  Olenda  himself  tookl 
the  disease.  Day  after  day  the  i>oor  old  man's  plaintive  voice  was  heard  chanting  hiil 
song  of  grief  at  the  pestilence  which  had  destroyed  his  clan,  and  one  morning  he  comj 
plained  of  fever  and  thirst,  the  sure  signs  of  the  disease.  On  the  third  day  afterwardsl 
Olenda  was  dead,  having  previously  exhorted  the  people  that  if  he  died  they  were  not  tol 
hold  the  white  man  responsible  for  his  death.  The  exhortation  was  needful,  as  they  had| 
idready  begun  to  accuse  him  of  bringing  Hxe  small-pox  among  them. 

His  bray  was  disposed  of  in  the  usual  Ashira  manner.  It  was  taken  to  an  ope' 
place  outside  the  villaae,  dressed  in  his  best  clothes,  and  seated  on  the  earth,  surrounde 
with  various  articles  of  property,  such  as  chests,  plates,  jugs,  cooking  utensils,  pipes,  m 
tobacco.  A  fire  was  also  made  near  him,  and  kept  burning  for  several  weeks.  As  th 
body  was  carried  to  the  place  of  sepulture,  the  people  broke  out  in  wild  plaintive  criet 
addressing  the  deceased,  and  asking  him  why  he  left  his  people.  Around  him  were  tb< 
bones  of  many  other  chiefs  who  had  precedeid  him  to  the  spirit-world ;  and  as  the  Ashin  1 
do  not  bury  tneir  dead,  but  merely  leave  them  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  it  may  h. 
imagined  that  the  place  presented  a  most  dismal  aspect. 

For  several  days  after  Olenda's  death  the  people  declared  that  they  had  seen  then 
deceased  chief  walking  among  them,  and  sa3ring  tnat  he  had  hot  left  them  entirely,  htl 
would  guard  and  watch  over  them,  and  would  return  occasionally  to  see  how  they  were] 
going  on. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 


THE  CAMMA,  OR  COMML 


Im  rmNAMD  vai,  ob  bimbo  bxtbb^ — Knra  qvmKOxmzjL.  and  his  soimnoN*— afpbabamob  of  thb 

CAMMA— OHABACTBB  OP  TBB  PBOPLB  A»  BXBMFUnKD  BY  THUB  KIMO — THB  "  PALAVKB "  AND 
m  DMCtPUNB — HONBBTT  OP  THB  OAHIf  A — THB  COVBSB  OP  JVSTICB  AND  I,AW  OP  BBPBISAL— 
CODI  OP   BTIQUBTTB — OAMMA  OIONITT — DANCING   AMONO  THB    CAUMA — THB   OOBILLA  DANCB — 

niFBiisTrnoN,  in  vsb  and  abvbb — qcrnottbka's  tbmplkb — hm  pbbilous  walk — good  and 

RTIt  SPIBITS — THB  OVBNOUA,  OB  VAHPIBB — THB  TBBBOBS  OP  SCPKBSTITION — INITIATION  INTO 
Tin  8A0BBD  MTSTIBIBa — BX0B0I8H — THB  8BLP-DECBITBB— THB  G0DDB88  OP  THB  8LATB8 — THB 
(ttDBAL  OP  THB  MBOUNDOC — A  TBBBIBLB  80BNB — 8ICKNK8S,  DKATH,  AMD  BOBUL— DISPOSITION 
or  THB  DBAD— BBBAXIMG  UP  OP  MOUBNINO — THB  WATBB  CU8T0M. 


Irthe  reader  will  look  on  the  west  coast  just  below  the  I^nator,  he  wUl  see  a  large  and 
iuportant  river  called  the  Femand  Vaz.  This  river  skirts  the  coast  for  some  distance, 
ind  ia  very  wide,  but,  when  it  turns  eastward,  it  suddenly  narrows  its  channel,  and  is 
knovm  by  the  name  of  Bembo.  The  whole  of  the  district  through  which  the  Rembo 
flows,  as  far  as  long.  10°  R,  is  inhabited  by  the  great  Camma  or  Commi  tribe,  which  is 
evidently  another  band  of  the  same  family  that  supplies  all  the  tribes  along  the  Rembo. 

This  tribe  is  broken  up  into  a  vast  number  of  sub-tribes  or  clans,  and  each  of  these 
cians  is  ruled  by  a  chief,  who  acknowledges  himself  to  be  a  vassal  of  one  great  chief  or 
king,  named  Quengueza  This  man  was  fond  of  calling  himself  King  of  the  Rembo,  by 
vhich  we  must  understand,  not  that  he  was  king  of  all  the  tribes  that  inhabit  its  banks, 
bat  that  he  had  authority  over  the  river,  and  could  prevent  or  encourage  trailic  as  he 
chose.  And,  as  the  Rembo  is  the  great  highway  into  Central  Africa,  ms  position  was 
necessarily  a  very  important  one. 

Still,  although  he  was  not  absolutely  the  king  of  these  tribes,  several  of  them 
acknowledged  his  superiority,  and  respected  him,  and  respect,  as  is  well  said  in  "  Eothen," 
implies  the  right  of  the  respected  person  to  take  the  property  of  those  who  respect  him. 
Consequently  Quengueza  had  a  right — and  exercised  it — to  the  wife  of  any  Bakalai  or 
Ashira,  and  even  the  chiefs  of  those  tribes  thought  themselves  honoured  by  placing 
tiieir  wives  at  the  disposal  of  so  eminent  a  personage.  And  he  certainly  claimed  an 
luthority  over  the  river  itself  and  its  traffic.  The  Bakalai  had  submitted  themselves  to 
him  for  the  sake  of  alliance  with  so  powerful  a  chief,  and  found  that  he  was  by  no  means 
disposed  to  content  himself  with  the  mere  name  of  sovereignty.  On  one  occasion,  when 
pacing  along  the  Rembo,  he  found  that  the  Bakalai  had  quarrelled  with  a  neighbouring 
tribe,  and  had  built  a  fence  across  the  river,  leaving  only  a  small  gap,  which  could  easily 
be  defended.  On  coming  to  this  obstacle,  Quengueza  became  very  angry,  called  for  axes, 
snd  in  a  minute  or  two  the  fence  was  demolished,  and  the  passage  of  the  river  freed. 
The  Bakalai  stood  on  the  banks  in  great  numbers,  and,  although  well  armed,  dared  not 
interfere. 

oo2 


'.   '•tl 


664 


THE  GAMMA. 


}-'i!f:.ii^:i 


The  mode  of  government  which  prevails  through  all  these  tribes  may  be  called  tliel 
patriarchal  Each  tribe  is  divided  into  a  number  of  sub-tribes  or  clans,  each  of  whichl 
resides  in  a  separate  locality,  which  is  usually  called  after  the  name  of  the  chief  orl 
patriarch.  This  man  is  always  reverenced,  because  he  is  sure  to  be  old  and  rich,  and  agel 
and  wealth  are  greatly  venerated  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Their  authority,  however,  isl 
extremely  limited,  and  they  are  rather  the  chief  advisers  of  their  clan  than  autocratg.1 
There  is  no  real  monarchy,  such  as  is  found  among  the  Kaffir  tribes,  although  the  most! 
important  chief  is  sometimes  greeted  with  the  title  of  king.  The  honour,  however,  is  anl 
empty  one,  as  the  other  chiefs  have  no  idea  of  submitting  themselves  to  one  whom  they  I 
consider  to  be  but  primus  inter  pares,  I 

The  Camma  are  a  fine  race  of  people,  and,  like  the  Ashira,  are  not  entirely  black,  but  I 
vary  much  in  hue,  some  having  a  decided  olive  or  chocolate  tint  of  skia  Neither  are  I 
their  features  those  of  the  true  negro,  the  face  of  -the  king  Quengueza  resembling  that  of] 
a  North  American  Indian  rather  than  that  of  an  African. 

The  character  of  the  Camma  is  well  typified  by  that  of  their  chief,  Quengueza.  He  I 
exhibited  a  singular  xaixture  of  nobility,  meanness,  kindness,  cruelty,  selKshness,  and 
generosity,  as  is  well  shown  by  the  visits  of  M.  du  Chaillu  and  Mr.  W.  Beade— the 
former  thinking  much  more  highly  of  him  than  the  latter. 

Like  other  savage  chiefs,  Quengueza  could  not  bear  his  white  visitors  to  leave  him.  He 
openly  thwarted  Mr.  Reade,  and  it  is  evident  from  M.  du  Chaillu's  account  that,  while 
he  was  pretending  to  procure  porters  for  the  journey  to  the  Bakalai,  he  was  in  reality 
throwing  every  obstacle  in  the  way.  The  possession  of  a  white  man  is  far  too  valuable ' 
to  a  black  chief  to  be  surrendered  in  a  hurry,  and  Quengueza  knew  his  own  interests  too  I 
well  to  allow  such  profitable  visitors  to  leave  his  land  as  long  as  he  could  detain  them 
in  it. 

Once  Mr.  Beade  had  succeeded  in  slipping  off,  in  spite  of  the  king's  assertion  that  he 
would  accompany  his  "  dear  friend  "  and  his  continual  procrastination.  He  had  paddled 
to  some  distance,  when  "  suddenly  my  men  stopped,  and  looked  at  each  other  with 
anxious  faces.  Lazily  raising  myself,  I  looked  back,  and  could  see  at  a  great  distance  a 
large  black  spot,  and  something  rising  and  falling  like  a  streak  of  light  in  the  sunshine. 
The  men  put  their  hands  to  their  ears :  I  listened,  and  could  hear  now  and  then  a  faint 
note  borne  towards  us  on  the  wind. 

'"  What's  that,  Mafuk?' 

" '  King,  sir.' 

" '  0,  he  is  coming,  is  he  ?'  said  I,  laughing.  '  Well,  he  can  easily  catch  us  now  be  is  so 
near.    Kabbi  I '  (i.e.  Paddle !) 

"  My  stewards  gave  an  uneasy  smile,  and  did  n'^t  answer  me. 

"  The  men  dipped  their  paddles  into  the  water,  and  that  was  all.  Every  man  was 
listening  with  bent  head,  as  if  trying  to  detect  the  words,  or  the  tune.  I  looked  round 
again.  I  could  see  that  it  was  a  large  canoe,  manned  by  about  twenty  men,  with  a 
kind  of  thatched  house  in  its  stem.  The  song  still  continued,  and  could  now  be  heard 
plainly.  My  men  flung  their  paddles  down,  and  begim  to  talk  to  one  another  in  an 
excited  manner. 

" '  What  is  che  matter  ? '  said  I,  pettishly. 

"  The  sweat  was  running  down  Mafuk's  forehead.  He  knew  what  he  had  to  fear,  if 
I  did  not. 

*"  It  is  (he  war  song  / ' 

"  On  came  the  canoe,  low  and  dark,  black  with  men,  the  paddles  tossing  the  white 
water  in  the  air.  On  it  came,  shot  swiftly  past  us,  arched  round,  and  came  close  along- 
sida    Tnen  arose  a  storm  of  angry  voices,  Quengueza's  raised  above  the  rest. 

" '  What  does  he  say,  Mafuk  ? ' 

•'' '  Says  we  must  go  back.' " 

And  go  back  they  were  forced  to  do,  for  just  at  that  moment  another  war-boat  came 
gliding  along,  and  the  whole  party  were  taken  prisoners,  Quengueza  embracing  his 
"  dear  friend,"  and  being  quite  lively  and  jocular  by  reason  of  his  success  in  recapturing 
him. 


THE  "  PALAVER" 


565 


;h  us  now  be  is  so 


he  had  to  fear,  it 


Yet  this  man,  superstitions  as  he  was,  and  dreading  above  all  things  the  small-pox, 
[iktt  scourge  of  savage  nations,  took  into  his  own  hut  a  favourite  little  slave,  who  bad 
[teen  seized  with  small-pox,  laid  the  boy  on  a  mat  close  to  his  own  bed,  and  insisted  on 
[nusing  him  throughout  the  illness. 

Afterwards,  when  the  small-pox  had  swept  throujgh  the  country,  and  almost  desolated 
h  the  sorrow  of  Quengueza  was  great  and  unfeigned.  Wives,  slaves,  and  relations  had 
[lU  been  carried  o£f  by  the  dreaded  plague ;  the  town  of  GU)umbi,  where  he  lived,  was 
[jeserted ;  and  the  poor  old  chief  was  obliged  to  collect  the  few  survivors  of  his  clan,  and 
[stablish  a  new  settlement  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  .  His  lamentations  had  all 
[ike  sublimity  of  intense  grief,  and  he  sat  chanting  his  monody  over  the  dead,  just  as 
jcktlin  describes  a  North  American  chief  when  his  tribe  had  perished  by  the  same  fearful 
[jkease. 

Ko  malady  is  so  terrible  to  the  savage  as  small-pox.  Scarcely  susceptible  of  bodily 
liiin,  enduring  the  most  frightful  wounds  with  quiet  composure,  and  tenacious  of  life  to 
[la  astonishing  degree,  he  succumbs  instantly  to  sickness ;  and  an  ailment  which,  a  white 
[nail  resists,  and  finally  throws  off,  will  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  be  fatal  to  the 
[black  one.  Yet  for  himself  Quengueza  had  no  fears,  and  his  sole  lamentations  were  for  his 

ds.  "The  Bakalai,"  said  he,  "are  all  gone;  the  Bembo  people  are  all  gone;  my 
Itidoved  Monbou  (his  head  slave)  is  gone ;  I  am  alone  in  the  world." 

In  spite  of  the  many  barbarous  customs  of  the  Camma  tribes,  they  have  a  code  of 
Imsutely-regulated  etiquette  If,  for  example,  the  king  holds  a  council,  he  takes  his  seat 
Ida  BQ  elevated  throne,  and  bears  in  his  hand  a  wooden  staff.  When  ho  has  had  his  say, 
[k  passes  the  staff  to  the  person  who  is  to  speak  next,  and  he  in  turn  to  his  successor, 
[h  such  meetings  the  utmost  order  is  preserved;  and  no  one  thinks  of  interrupting  the 
ufwka  as  long  as  he  has  possession  of  the  staff. 

[  It  is  not  every  one  who  has  the  right  of  speech  in  the  council  This  is  a  privilege 
[extended  to  a  very  few  men  called  Councillors,  or  Makagas,  and  only  to  them  does  the 
[bug  hand  the  staff  which  gives  the  permission  to  speak.  They  are  exceedingly  jealous 
[of  this  honour,  and  yet  it  has  been  conferred  upon  two  white  men,  one  being  M.  du  Chaillu, 

the  other  a  Captain  Lawlin  of  New  York.  The  latter  individual  caused  quite  a 
jitToIation  in  his  district,  abolishing  the  many  impediments  to  trade,  inflicting  severe 
[penalties  on  quarrelsome  chiefs  who  made  warlike  aggressions  on  their  neighbours,  and 
I  establishing  a  strict  code  of  criminal  laws. 

Some  such  arrangement  as  the  possession  of  the  orator's  staff  is  absolutely  necessary 
[for  the  due  r^ulation  of  the  innumerable  "  palavers,"  or  native  parliaments,  that  are  cou- 
[tbually  being  held  on  all  sorts  of  subjects.  If  one  trader  overreaches  another,  and  can 
[tie  detected  in  time,  a  palaver  is  held ;  and  a  similar  ceremony  is  gone  through  if  a  trader 
[pays  for  goods  in  advance  and  does  not  receive  them.  Bunaway  wives  are  the  most  feitile 
[louree  of  palavers,  and,  if  the  accused  be  proved  guilty,  the  penalty  is  very  severe.  Generally 
[the  offeading  wife  has  her  nose  and  ears  cut  off,  and  a  similar  punishment  is  it)flictt:d  on 

)  man  with  whom  she  is  found ;  but  the  latter  has  the  privilege  of  commuting  this 
lientence  for  a  fine — generally  a  slave.  Murder  is  a  frequent  cause  of  palavers,  and  it  is 
[i rather  remarkable  fact  that  the  natives  draw  no  distinction  between  accidental  homicide 
[isd  wilful  murder.  Death  is  not  necessarily  the  punishment  of  homicide,  but,  as  a  rule, 
[i  heavy  fine  is  substituted  for  the  capital  penalty. 

If  the  culprit  cannot  be  captured,  the  injured  husband  has  a  singular  mode  of  pro- 
jearing  a  palaver.    He  goes  out  and  kills  the  first  man  he  meets,  proclaiming  that  he  has 

e  so  because  some  one  has  run  away  with  his  wife.  The  course  of  jixstice  then  passes 
[oat  of  his  hands.  The  relatives  of  the  murdered  man  are  now  bound  to  take  up  the 
[iinarrel,  which  they  do  by  killing,  not  the  murderer,  but  some  one  of  another  vUIage. 
jBis  friends  retaliate  upon  a  third  village,  and  so  the  feud  passes  from  one  village  to 
linother  until  the  whole  district  is  in  arma  The  gates  are  barricaded,  no  one  dares  to  go 
lout  alone,  or  unarmed,  and  at  last  one  unfortunate  clan  has  a  man  murdered  and  can  find 
Ijio  chance  of  retaliation.    The  chief  of  the  clan  then  holds  a  palaver,  and  puts  forward 

I  claim  against  the  man  who  ran  away  with  the  wife.  The  chief  of  the  delinquent's 
[claa  then  pays  a  fine,  the  afi'air  is  settled,  and  peace  is  restored. 


■l\ 


I,. 


Hf 


? 


^  - 1 


566 


THE  GAMMA. 


Too  often,  however,  when  a  wife  is,  or  appears  to  be,  unfaithfal,  her  husband  is  jJ 
collusion  with  her,  for  the  pur{)OBe  of  extortiiis  mouev  out  of  some  imprudent  youni 
man.  She  gets  up  a  flirtation  with  the  susceptible  victim,  and  appoints  a  meeting  at  I 
spot, where  the  husband  has  placed  himself  in  concealment.  As  soon  as  the  couple  leacl 
the  appointed  place,  out  comes  the  husband,  and  threatens  a  palaver  if  a  fine  be  not  pai| 
at  once.  The  young  man  knows  well  enough  what  the  result  of  the  palaver  will  be  tl 
him,  and  accordingly  makes  the  best  of  the  business  and  pavin  his  fine.  So  completelj 
established  is  this  svstem,  that  even  the  most  powerful  chiefs  have  been  known 
purchase  pretty  wivoi  for  the  express  purpose  of  using  them  as  traps  wheremth 
ensnare  the  young  mien. 

As  time  is  not  of  the  least  consequence  to  the  Camma,  and  they  are  rather  pleaa 
than  otherwise  when  they  can  find  some  sort  of  amusement,  a  ^aver  will  sometimej 
expend  a  week  upon  a  trivial  cause.  All  these  palavers  are  held  in  the  simple  bntldina 
erected  for  the  purpose.  These  edifices  are  little  more  than  sheds,  composed  of  a  toc| 
supported  on  poles,  and  open  on  all  sides.  The  king  sits  in  the  middle  on  an  elevab 
throne  made  of  grass,  and  covered  with  leopard'Skins  as  emblems  of  his  rank,  while 
the  others  are  omiged  either  to  stand  or  to  sit  on  the  ground. 

When  palavers  are  of  no  avail,  and  nothing  but  war  can  be  the  result  of  the  qnarrel 
both  parties  try  to  frighten  the  enemy  by  the  nidvousness  of  their  appearance.    They  ai[ 
perfectly  aware  that  they  could  not  withstand  a  charge,  and,  knowing  that  the  enemy  i 
not  more  gifted  with  courage  than  themselves,  try  to  inspire  terror  by  their  menacin 
aspect    They  paint  their  faces  white,  this  being  the  war  colour,  and  sometimes  add  bail 
and  stripes  of  red  paint  •  The  white  paint  or  ctialk,  is  prepared  in  their  greegree  or  Ida 
houses,  and  is  thought  to  be  a  very  powerful  charm.    They  also  hang  fetishes  of  varioul 
kinds  upon  their  bodies,  and  then  set  off  in  their  canoes,  yelling,  shouting,  flounshiii) 
their  weapons,  and  trying  to  intimidate  their  adversories,  but  taking  very  good  care  no{ 
to  come  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  boats.  I 

The  Camma  seem  to  be  a  better  principled  people  than  the  Ashira.   When  Du  Ghaillj 
was  troubled  with  the  strikes  among  his  Aslura  porters,  his  Camma  men  stood  by  bin 
and  would  not  consent  to  his  plan  of  sending  them  forward  with  part  of  the  goodd 
They  feared  lest  he  should  be  poisoned  among  the  Ashira,  and  insisted  on  leaving  soml 
of  their  party  with  their  chief  ^^  I 

The  reader  may  remember  that  the  old  chief  Olcnd^  was  held  in  great  respect  by  hil 
people.  Among  the  tribes  of  Equatorial  Africa  much  reverence  is  paid  to  age,  an  oil 
person  being  looked  upon  as  nearly  ''.kin  to  the  spiiits  into  whose  land  he  is  scon  tl 
enter.  Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  of  the  South,  the  young  never  enter  the  presencj 
of  an  old  man  or  woman  without  bending  low,  and  making  a  genuine  school-giil 
courtesy.  When  they  seat  themselves,  it  is  always  at  a  respectful  distance;  and  if  thel 
are  asked  for  a  pipe,  or  for  water,  they  present  it  on  one  knee,  addressing  a  roan  as  "Father] 
and  a  woman  as  "  Mother."  It  is,  moreover,  contrary  to  etiquette  for  a  young  man  to  tel 
bad  news  to  an  old  one.  Even  the  dead  bodies  of  the  ola  are  honoured,  and  the  bonel 
and  skulls  are  laid  up  in  little  temples  made  expressly  for  them.  They  are  usually  lai< 
in  chalk,  which  is  therefore  thought  to  possess  sundty  virtues,  and  with  that  chalk  tlil 
relations  of  the  dead  man  mark  their  bodies  whenever  they  are  about  to  engage  in  anf 
important  undertaking.  The  skull  is  also  put  to  paotical  uses.  If  a  trader  tomes  tl 
make  purchases,  the  vendor  always  entertains  him  hospitably,  but  has  a  definite  purposl 
in  so  doing.  Before  he  prepares  the  banquet,  he  goes  to  the  fetish  house,  and  scrapes  j 
little  powder  from  the  skulL  This  he  mixes  with  the  food,  and  thus  administers  it  to  hil 
guest  The  spirit  of  the  dead  roan  is  then  supposed  to  enter  into  the  body  of  the  persol 
who  has  eaten  a  portion  of  his  skull,  and  to  impress  him  to  make  good  bargains  with  ^'•' 
host — in  other  words,  to  be  cheated. 

When  a  stranger  first  enters  a  Camma  village,  he  is  rather  surprised  at  the  nnmbel 
of  boxes  which  he  sees.  The  fact  is,  that  among  the  Camma  boxes  are  conventionally 
held  to  represent  property,  the  neighbours  giving  them  the  credit  of  being  filled  witi 
valuables.  Consequently  it  is  the  ambition  of  every  Cnmma  man  to  collect  as  man] 
chests  as  he  can,  leaving  the  chance  of  filling  them  to  a  future  opportunity.    When  hil 


THE  KING  DBUNK. 


667 


I  visiton  gave  Qaengueza  their  presents,  the  old  chief  was  quite  as  much  struck  with 
J  number  of  boxes  as  with  their  contents,  and  expressed  his  gratitude  accordingly. 
The  dances  of  the  Camma  have  much  in  common  with  those  of  other  tribes,  ^ut  they 
jgn  one  or  two  peculiarities  of  their  own.  A  fat  old  head-chief,  or  king,  as  their  nders 
Ke  generally  called— -though,  by  the  way,  the  term  "patriarch"  would  be  much  more 
[ippiopriate-— gav  a  grand  dinner  in  honour  of  his  white  visitor.  Noise  is  one  of  the  chief 
Uements  in  a  negro's  enjoyment,  as  it  is  in  the  case  of  a  child  The  negro,  in  fact,  is  the 
[t^est  child  in  many  thu^  and  always  remains  a  child.  On  this  occasion  the  "band" 
tjiatinguiahed  themselves  by  making  a  noise  disproportionately  loud  for  their  numbers. 


CAMMA  DANOa 


There  was  a  row  of  drummers,  each  beating  his  tioi'sy  instniment  with  such  energy 
that  a  constant  succession  of  drummers  took  the  instruments,  the  stoutest  and  strongest 
being  worn  out  in  less  than  an  hour.  There  were  also  a  number  of  boys  beating  with 
sticks  upon  hollow  pieces  of  wood,  and,  as  if  the  drummers  and  log-beaters  did  not  make 
suificient  noise,  the  musicians  had  hung  a  row  of  brass  kettles  on  poles,  and  were  banging 
them  with  sticks  as  if  they  had  been  drums.  Add  to  this  the  shouts  and  screams  of  the 
excited  dalncers,  and  the  noise  may  be  tolerably  well  appreciated. 

Great  quantities  of  pa'  i-wine  were  drunk,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  before  very 
long  the  whole  of  the  dancers  and  musicians,  including  the  king  himself,  were  in  various 
stages  of  intoxication.  As  to  the  king,  being  rather  mora  inebriated  than  his  subjects, 
lie  must  needs  show  his  own  skill  in  the  dance,  and  therefore  jumped  and  leaped  i  about 
the  ground  with  great  agility  for  so  heavy  a  man,  while  his  wives  bowed  down  to  his  feet 
as  he  danced,  clapped  their  hands  in  time  to  the  music,  and  treated  him  with  the  deepest 
veneration. 


868 


THE  CAMMA. 


As  to  the  dance  itsdf,  the  less  said  ahottt  it  the  better.    It  is  as  immodest  as  the] 
nnrestrained  savage  temperament  can  make  it,  inflamed  by  strong  drink  and  by  the] 
sonnd  of  the  drum,  which  seems  to  excite  the  i>eople  almost  to  madness.    The  songs 
with  which  they  accompany  the  dance  are  of  a  similar  nature,  and  are  worse  than  the 
worst  specimens  of  heathen  vice  as  narrated  by  the  classic  satirists. 

There  is,  however,  one  dance  in  which  the  immodest  element  does  not  exist  It  is 
called  the  GoriUa  Dance,  and  is  performed  as  a  means  of  propitiating  tJbe  deities  befo)« 
starting  on  a  gorilla-hunt :  for  this  is  part  of  the  great  gorilla  country,  in  which  aloue 
is  found  that  huge  and  powerful  ape  which  has  lately  attracted  so  much  attention. 

An  accoimt  of  a  goriUa-hunt  will  be  given  when  we  come  to  the  Fan  tribe,  but  at 
present  we  will  content  ourselves  with  the  gorilla^ance,  as  seen  by  Mr.  W.  Reade.  He 
had  made  several  unavailing  attempts  to  kill  a  gorilla,  and  had  b^;un  to  despair  of  success, 
although  the  place  was  a  well-known  haunt  of  these  animals. 

"  One  morning  Etia,  the  chief  hunter  of  the  ^lage,  came  and  told  me  that  he  had 
heard  the  cry  of  a  i^ina  (t.&  sorilla)  dose  to  one  of  the  neigbbourioff  plantations.  He 
said  that  we  should  certainly  be  able  to  kiU  him  next  day,  and  that  during  the  night  Le 
and  his  friends  would  celebrate  the  ||orilla-dance. 

"  lliis  Etia  was  a  Mchaga  slave.  His  skin,  to  use  Oshupia's  comparison,  was  like  that 
of  an  old  alligator — all  homy  and  wrinkled;  his  left  hand  had  been  cnppled  by  the  j 
teeth  of  a  goriuia ;  his  face  was  fbsardly  hideous,  and  yet  reminded  me  of  something  which 
I  had  seen  before.  After  puzzling  m^rself  for  a  long  time,  I  at  last  remembered  that  it 
was  the  mask  which  Mr.  Kyder  wore  in  the  character  of  Caliban  at  the  Princess's  which 
Etia  resembled  so  closely.  That  night  I  could  have  imagined  him  leas  man  than 
monster.  h 

"  In  the  house  allotted  to  the  slaves  three  old  men,  tiieir  fiMes  grotesquely  chalked, 
played  the  drums,  the  sounding  log,  and  the  one-stringed  harp.  To  them  danced  Etia, 
imitating  the  uncouth  movemente  of  the  gorilla,  l^en  the  iron  bell  was  rung,  and 
Ombniri»  the  evil  spirit,  was  summoned  to  attend,  and  a  hoarse  rattle  mingled  with  the 
other  sounds.  The  damsers  rushed  yolling  into  the  midst,  and  sprang  into  the  air.  Then 
would  be  a  pause,  broken  only  by  the  ndnt  slow  tinkling  of  the  harp,  then  the  dnun 
would  be  beaten,  and  the  sticks  thunderefl  on  the  log. 

"  In  another  dance  Caliban  assumed  the  various  attitudes  peculiar  to  the  ape.  Nov 
he  would  be  teaUd  on  the  ground,  his  legs  apart,  his  elbows  resting  on  his  knees,  his  head 
drooling,  and  in  his  faa  the  vacant  expression  of  the  brute ;  sometunes  he  folded  his  bands 
on  his  .forehead.  Suddenly  he  would  raise  his  head  with  prone  ears  and  flaming  eyes, 
while  a  loud  shout  of  applause  would  prove  how  natural  it  waai,  In  the  chorus  all  the 
dancers  assumed  such  postures  as  these,  while  Etia^  climbing  ape4ike  up  the  pole  which 
supported  the  root  towered  above  them  alL 

"  In  the  third  dance  he  imitated  the  gorilla  attacked  and  being  killed.  The  man,  who 
play^ed  the  hunter  inimitably,  acted  terror  and  irresolution  before  he  pulled  the  trigger  of 
his  imaginary  gun.  Caliban,  as  gorilla,  charged  upon  edl  fours,  and  fell  dead  at  the  man's 
feet,  in  the  act  of  attempting  to  seize  him  with  one  hand. 

"  You  may  be  sure  that  nothing  short  of  seeing  a  gorilla  in  its  wild  state  could  have 
afforded  me  so  much  interest  or  given  me  so  good  a  clue  to  the  animal's  real  habits.  For 
here  could  be  no  imposture.  It  was  not  an  entertainment  arranged  for  my  benefit,  but  a 
religious  festival  held  on  the  eve  of  an  enterprise." 

This  dance  brings  us  to  the  religion,  or  rather  the  superstition,  of  the  Camma  people. 
Superstition  has  its  estimable,  ita  grotesque,  and  its  dark  side,  and  there  is  scarcely 
any  people  among  whom  these  three  phases  are  more  strongly  marked. 

The  estimable  side  is,  of  course,  the  value  of  superstition  as  a  substitute  for  true 
religion — a  feeling  of  which  the  savage  never  has  the  least  idea,  and  which  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  make  him  comprehend.  He  often  takes  very  kindly  to  his  teacher,  picks 
up  with  wonderful  readiness  the  phrases  which  he  hears,  regulates  his  external  life  in 
accordance  with  the  admonitions  he  has  received ;  but  it  is  very,  very  seldom  indeed  that 
any  real  conviction  has  touched  his  heart;  and,  as  soon  as  the  direct  influence  of  his 
teacher  is  removed,  he  reverts  to  his  old  mode  of  life.   Mr.  Eeade  relates  a  rather  striking 


SUPERSTITION— ITS  USE  AND  ABUSE. 


I  oamplfl  ot  tbis  tendency.    He  met  ft  negress  on  her  way  to  church,  accompanied  hy  a 
i  bdotiful  little  girL 

I  Addressing  the  child,  \ie  asked  whether  she  was  the  woman's  danshter.  The  mother 
liaswered  in  the  affirmative ;  and,  in  the  same  breath,  offered  to  sell  her.  This  was  the 
original  negro  nature.  Just  then  the  heV  stopped,  and  her  education  made  itself  apparent. 
rUei-ghl"  she  cried,  "you  no  hear  bell  stop?  Me  go  now.  After  ehureh  we  palaver, 
|iveme  plenty  dash  (ie.  presents),  den  we  drink  rum,  den  you  take  him  (ie.  the  girl) ; 
[  palaver  said." 

Superstition,  therefore,  takes  the  place  of  personal  religion,  and,  in  spite  of  the  dread 
excesses  into  which  it  leads  the  savages,  it  does  at  all  events  keep  before  them  the  idea 
of  8  spiritual  world,  and  impresses  upon  them  the  fact  that  there  exist  beings  higher  and 
greater  than  themselves. 

That  their  superstitions,  debased  and  gross  as  they  are,  have  yet  the  power  of 

impressing  the  native  mind  with  a  feeling  of  veneration,  is  evident  by  the  extreme 

I  iiDwiliingness  of  these  people  to  utter  the  name  by  which  they  designate  the  Great  Spirit 

i  Of  coarse  their  idea  of  a  God  is  very  imperfect,  but  b'  ill  it  is  sufficient  to  impress  them 

I  with  such  awe  that  they  can  scarcely  be  induced  to  pronounce  the  sacred  name.    Only 

I  twice  did^Mr.  Beade  hear  it.   Once,  when  they  were  in  a  dangerous  storm,  the  men  threw 

op  their  arms,  and  ejaculated  the  holy  name  as  if  it  were  some  great  charm ;  and  on 

mother  occasion,  when  a  man  was  asked  suddenly  what  was  the  native  name  for  God, 

he  pointed  upwajrds,  and  in  a  low  voice  uttered  the  word  "  NjambL" 

llie  ceremonies  observed  at  the  time  of  full  moon  have  been  several  times  mentioned 
in  t}ie  course  of  the  present  work.  Du  Ghaillu  gives  an  account  of  one  of  these  cere- 
monies as  performed  by  the  Camma,  which  is  usSul  in  showing  the  precise  object  of  the 
cercmouy. 

One  day  Quengneza  sent  word  that  he  was  ill,  and  that  the  people  must  consult  Ilogo, 
Aeroint  of  the  moon,  and  ask  him  whether  he  was  bewitched,  and  how  he  was  to  be 
earei  Accordingly,  just  before  the  full  moon,  a  crowd  of  women  assembled  in  front  of 
Qaengaeza's  house,  accompanied  by  the  drums  and  the  usual  noisy  appurtenances  of  a  negro 
festival  They  formed  themselves  into  a  hollow  cirde,  and  sang  songs  in  honour  of  Ilogo, 
clapping  their  hands  in  unison  with  the  beating  of  the  druma 

in  the  midst  of  the  circle  sat  a  woman  stedfastly  gazing  at  the  moon,  and  waiting 

for  inspiration.    Two  .women  tried  this  post  unsuccessfully,  but  the  third  soon  began  to 

tremble,  her  limbs  to  work  convulsively,  then  to  stiffen,  and  at  last  she  fell  insensible  to 

I  the  ground.    Then  arose  the  chant  to  Uogo  with  .redoubled  energy,  the  singers  repeating 

>  the  same  words  over  and  over  again  for  about  half  an  hour,  until  the  prostrate  form  <» 

[  the  woman  b^n  to  show  signs  of  returning  sensibility.     On  being  questioned,  she  said 

,  that  she  had  seen  Ilogo,  and  that  he  had  told  her  that  the  king  was  not  bewitched,  but 

;  that  he  could  be  healed  by  a  remedy  prepared  from  a  certain  plant.    She  looked  utterly 

prostrated  by  the  inspiration,  and  not  only  her  hearers,  but  also  herself,  thoroughly 

believed  in  the  truth  of  her  strange  statement. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Quengueza  was  nearly  as  superstitious  as  his  subjects.  He  never 
stirred  without  his  favourite  fetish,  which  was  an  ugly  little  woodt^  image,  embellished 
with  a  row  of  four  sacred  cowries  stuck  on  its  abdomen.  These  cowries  are  not  indi- 
genous to  Western  Africa,  and  seem  to  have  been  brought  irom  the  eastern  coast  of  thei 
continent  Whenever  he  ate  or  drank,  the  fetish  always  bore  him  company,  and  before 
tating  he  saluted  it  by  passing  the  four  sacred  cowries  over  his  lips.  Before  drinking 
he  always  poured  a  few  drops  over  the  feet  of  the  image  by  way  of  a  libation. 

When  travelling,  he  liked  to  have  with  him  one  of  his  medicine-men,  who  could 
charm  away  rain  by  blowing  with  his  magic  horn.  So  sure  was  the  doctor  of  his  powers, 
that  on  one  occasion  he  would  not  allow  the  party  to  repair  a  dilapidated  hut  in  which 
they  passed  the  night.  As  it  happened,  a  violent  shower  of  rain  fell  in  tlie  middle  of  the 
night  and  drenched  the  whole  party.  The  doctor,  however,  was  not  at  all  disconcerted, 
but  8ud  that  if  he  had  not  blown  the  horn  the  rain  would  have  been  much  heavier. 

Still  his  natural  strength  of  mind  sometimes  asserted  itself,  and  on  one  remarkable 
occasion,  when  the  small-pox  had  destroyed  so  many  people,  and  the  survivors  wero 


570 


THE  CAMMA. 


crjring  out  for  vengeance  against  the  sorcerers  who  had  brought  the  disease  upon  them, 
Quengueza  forbade  any  more  shiughter.    The  small-pox,  he  said,  was  a  wind  sent  &oui  I 
IQambi  (pronounced  K'yamy^),  who  had  killed  enough  people  already. 

lake  most  native  cmefs,  Quengueza  had  a  pet  superstition  of  his  own.  At  his  own  I 
town  of  Gk>umbi  (or  Ngumbi,  as  it  is  sometimes  spelt),  there  was  a  very  convenient  and 
Atv  path  leading  from  the  houses  to  the  river.  Quengueza,  however,  never  would  use 
this  path,  but  always  embarked  or  landed  at  an  abominable  mud-bank,  over  which  it  was 
necessary-  to  run  as  fast  as  possible,  in  order  to  avoid  sinking  in  the  river.  The  reason 
was,  that  when  he  came  to  the  throne  he  had  been  told  that  an  enemy  had  placed  an  evil 
spirit  in  the  path,  and  that  he  would  die  if  he  went  along  it. 

So  powerful  was  this  spirit,  that  several  unavailing  attempts  had  been  made  to  drive  it 
away,  and  at  last  Quengueza  was  obliged  to  send  for  a  renowned  Bakalai  wizard  named 
AqiulaL  This  was  the  same  man  who  was  mentioned  in  page  661  as  the  father  of  the  boy 
who  was  tried  by  the  ordeal  of  the  hot  ring. 

"  The  people  gathered  in  great  numbers  under  the  immense  hangar  or  covered  space 
in  which  I  had  been  received,  and  there  lit  hres,  round  which  they  sat.  .  .  .  About  ten 
o'clock,  when  it  was  pitch  dark,  the  doctor  commenced  operations  by  singing  some 
boasting  songs  recounting  his  power  over  witches.  This  was  the  signal  for  all  the  people 
to  gathcir  into  their  houses,  and  about  their  fires  under  the  hangar. 

"Kext,  all  the  fires  were  carefully  extinguished,  all  the  lights  put  out,  and  in  about  an  I 
hour  more  not  a  light  of  any  kind  was  in  the  whole  town  except  mine.    I  gave  notice  | 
that  white  men  were  exempted  from  the  rule  made  in  such  cases,  and  this  was  allowed. 
The  most  pitchy  darkness  and  the  most  complete  silence  reigned  everywhere.    No  voice  I 
could  be  heard,  even  in  a  whisper,  among  the  several  thousand  people  gatheied  in 
the  gloom. 

"  At  last  the  curious  silence  was  broken  by  the  doctor ;  who,  standing  in  the  ceatre 
of  the  town,  began  some  loud  babbling  of  which  I  could  not  make  out  the  meaning. 
From  time  to  time  the  pet^le  answered  him  in  chorus.  This  went  on  for  an  hour;  and 
was  really  one  of  the  strangest  scenes  I  ever  took  part  in.  .  .  .  The  hollow  voice  of  tlie 
witch-doctor  resounded  curiously  through  the  silence,  and  when  the  answer  of  many 
mingled  voices  came  through  the  darkness,  it  really  assumed  the  air  of  a  serious,  old- 
fashioned  incantation  scene. 

"  At  last,  just  at  midnight,  I  heard  the  doctor  approach.  He  had  bells  girded  about  I 
him,  which  he  jingled  as  he  walked.  He  went  separately  to  every  family  m  the  town, 
and  asked  if  the  witch  which  obstructed  the  king's  highway  belonged  to  them.  Of  course 
all  answered  '  No.'  Then  he  b^an  to  run  up  and  down  the  bewitched  street,  calling  out 
loudly  for  the  witch  to  go  ofiT.  Presently  he  came  back,  and  announced  that  he  could  no 
longer  see  the  aniem^a,  and  that  doubtless  she  had  gone  never  to  come  back.  At  this  all 
the  people  rushed  out  and  shouted, '  Go  away !  go  away !  and  never  come  back  to  hurt 
our  king.' 

"  Then  fires  were  lit,  and  we  all  sat  down  to  eat.    This  done,  all  the  fires  w^re  again 
extinguished,  and  all  the  people  sang  wild  songs  until  four  o'clock.    Then  the  fires  were  | 
again  lit 

"  At  sunrise  the  whole  population  gathered  to  accompany  their  king  down  the  dreaded  I 
street  to  the  water. 

"  Quengueza,  I  knew,  was  brave  as  a  hunter  and  as  a  warrior.  He  was  also  intelligent 
in  many  things  where  his  people  were  very  stupid.  But  tlie  poor  old  king  was  now 
horribly  afraid.  He  was  assured  that  the  witch  was  gone,  but  he  evidently  thought  him- 
self walking  to  almost  certain  death.  He  would  have  refused  to  {ro  if  it  had  been  possible. 
He  hesitated,  but  at  last  determined  to  face  his  fate,  and  walked  manfully  down  to  the  j 
river  and  back  amid  the  plaudits  of  his  loyal  subjects."  I 

Throughout  the  whole  of  this  land  are  many  of  these  prohibitory  superstitions.    When,  J 
for  example,  a  woman  is  about  to  become  a  mother,  both  she  and  her  husband  are  pro- 
hibited from  seeing  a  gorilla,  as  all  the  natives  firmly  believe  that,  in  such  a  case,  the 
e:lpected  child  would  be  a  gorQla  cub  and  not  a  human  baby.    Drinking  the  water  of  the 
Beinbo  is  also  prohibited,  l^use  the  bodies  of  those  who  are  executed  for  witchcraft  m 


THE  ENCHANTED  ISLAND. 


m 


ehopped  ap  and  flnng  into  it^  and  the  natives  imagine  that,  if  they  were  to  drink  of  the 
water,  they  would  become  sorcerers  against  their  will  Yet,  as  if  to  show  the  inconsistency 
of  Buperstitiou,  there  is  a  rite,  which  will  be  presently  mentioned,  in  which  tasting  the 
vater  is  the  principal  ceremony. 

Then  there  is  a  certain  island  in  the  Rembo  of  which  the  natives  have  the  greatest 
(bead.    It  is  thick^  covered  with  trees,  and  the  people  fully  believe  that  in  the  midat « 
this  island  there  lives  a  huge  crocodile  covered  with  brass  scales.    This  crocodile  is  an 


1  ':  i4r 

3 

'^v  "  "  " 

r^^n^-,. 

^^1^*-^  ^v^V"""^ 

■^'i  .    ^            '■'^-.# 

%^v'  ^^XK^v,^ 

»,    • 

•       . 

""T^.     ^tf 

'V  J^ 

.;  .    -^-'x 

•  .;,:^'"- 

^'Ui^^'-~.. 

^i 

V        'J 

^■ 

^  '■ 

f 

■ ,'?::. :'^ii-  .  ^^:... 

:^-.-;  :  iiiiiiii       .  -.^ 

, ",' 

\ 

e. 

^,              r-     -^-^         „..    ii 

■•'  •    ^ 

1                           .'-.^ 

•^^■ 

■' ^f P**5   «. , 

■^ 

,s 

;*j^-,- 

^  ^.,1  ■       ,-'       ^: 

^^Sl 

rit,    r   .^^  - 

>■        " 

" 

-    i;. 

\i  ' 

V    '^    /.r    '  , 

--^-■-- 

— ^-  '---^-_ 

- 

-.          .             .             i'^ 

-                   '"■                 ""         •      r'                /^     "              ,''  j^     11^"^ — ^  M.- ^^-i.*  '-^\1 

■,'11 

tl 


J 


QUKNOUEZVS  WALK. 


down  the  dreaded 


enchanter,  and  by  his  incantations  every  one  who  lands  on  the  island  cither  dies  suddenly, 
or  goes  mad  and  wanders  about  until  he  dies.  Du  Ghaillu  of  course  did  land,  and 
traversed  the  island  in  different  directions.  The  people  were  stupeiied  with  astonishment ; 
bat  even  the  fact  of  his  safe  return  made  no  difference  in  their  belief^  l^^ecause  he  was 
white,  and  the  great  enchanter  had  no  power  over  white  men. 

As  to  the  fetishes,  they  are  innumerable.  Weather  fetishes  are  specially  plentiful, 
but,  unlike  the  charms  of  Southern  Africa,  they  are  used  to  keep  off  the  rain,  not  to 
produce  it. 

One  fetish  gave  our  traveller  a  vast  amount  of  trouble.  He  had  purchased,  from  a 
petty  chief  named  Babolo,  a  small  deserted  village,  and  had  built  a  new  house.  The 
edifice  was  completed  all  but  the  verandah,  when  the  builders  refused  to  work  any  longer, 
as  they  had  come  upon  a  great  health-fetish  that  Babolo  had  placed  there  when  the  village 
was  first  built.  They  flatly  refused  to  touch  it  until  Babulo  came,  and,  ever  atter  ms 
permission  had  been  gained,  they  were  very  nervous  about  the  seeming  desecration. 

The  fetish  was  a  good  example  of  such  articles.  Buried  in  the  sand  were  two  skulls, 
one  of  a  man  and  another  of  a  chimpanzee,  this  combination  having  a  high  reputation 


672 


THE  CAMMA. 


among  the  Camma.    These  were  buried  at  the  foot  of  the  two  posts  that  constituted  tlid 
entrance  to  the  village.    Then  came  a  quantity  of  crockery  and  broken  glass,  and  theo 
some  more  chimpanzee  skulls,  while  a  couple  of  wooden  idols  kept  company  with  the 
component  parts  of  the  charm.    A  sacred  creeper  was  also  planted  by  the  posts,  which  itL 
had  covered  with  its  branches,  and  the  natives  believe  that  as  long  as  the  creeper  survivesl 
so  long  does  the  fetish  retain  its  power.  I 

Babolo  was  very  proud  of  his  health-fetish,  as  no  one  had  died  in  the  village  since  itl 
had  been  set  up.  But,  as  there  had  never  been  more  than  fifteen  inhabitants,  the  low| 
death-rate  is  easily  accounted  for. 

From  their  own  accounts,  the  Camma  must  have  a  very  unpleasant  country.  It  isi 
overrun  with  spirits,  but  the  evil  far  outnumber  the  good,  and,  according  to  the  usual  I 
custom  of  ignorant,  nations,  the  Camma  pay  their  chief  reverence  to  the  former,  becausel 
they  can  do  the  most  harm.  I 

As  specimens  of  these  spirits,  three  will  be  mentioned.  The  first  is  a  good  spirit  called] 
Mbuiri,  who  traverses  the  country,  and  occasionally  pays  a  visit  to  the  villages.  He  haal 
taken  under  his  protection  the  town  of  Aniambia,  which  also  has  the  privilege  of  being 
guarded  by  an  evil  spirit  of  equal  power,  so  that  the  inhabitants  enjoy  a  peace  of  luiud 
not  often  to  be  found  in  the  Camma  country.  There  is  only  one  drawback  to  the  rppose 
of  the  place,  and  that  is  the  spirit  of  an  insane  woman,  who  made  her  habitation  outside 
the  village  when  she  was  alive,  and  continues  to  cultivate  her  plantation,  though  she  is  a 
spirit.  She  retains  her  dislike  to  human  beings,  and,  if  she  can  catch  a  man  alone,  she 
seizes  him,  and  beats  him  to  death.  I 

The  evil  spirit  which  protects  Aniambia  is  a  very  wicked  and  mischievous  being 
named  Abambou,  who  lives  chiefly  in  burial-places,  and  makes  his  bed  of  skeletons.  In 
order  to  propitiate  Abambou,  ofTerings  are  made  to  him  daily,  consisting  entiraly  of  food. 
Sometimes  the  Camma  cook  the  food,  and  lay  it  in  lonely  places  in  the  wood,  where 
Abambou  would  be  sure  to  find  it ;  and  sometimes  they  propitiate  him  by  offtrings  uf 
plantains,  sugar-cane,  and  nuts.  A  prayer  accompanies  the  ofi'ering,  and  is  geiieially 
couched  in  the  universal  form  of  asking  the  protecting  spirit  to  help  the  Camma  and 
destroy  inimical  tribes.  It  is  rather  cuiious  that,  when  a  free  man  makes  an  offering  to 
Abambou,  he  wraps  it  in  leaves ;  but  the  slaves  are  obliged  to  lay  it  on  the  bare  ground. 

Fetish-houses  are  appropriated  to  Mbuiri  and  Abambou,  and  are  placed  close  to  each 
other.  They  are  little  nuts,  about  six  feet  high  and  six  wide.  No  image  is  placed  in  the 
huts,  but  oidy  a  fire,  which  is  always  kept  burning,  and  a  chest,  on  the  top  of  which  are 
laid  some  sacred  chalk  and  red  parrot's  feathers. 

A  bed  is  usually  prepared  in  Abambou's  house,  on  which  he  may  repose  when  he  is 
tired  of  walking  up  and  down  the  country ;  and,  as  the  medicine-man  takes  care  that  no 
one  but  himself  shall  open  the  door  of  the  hut,  the  villagers  pass  by  in  awe-struck  silence, 
none  knowing  whether  at  that  moment  the  dreadful  Abambou  may  not  be  sleeping  witliin. 
Now  and  then  he  is  addressed  publicly,  the  gist  of  the  speeches  being  that  everybody  is 
quite  well  and  perfectly  happy,  and  hopes  that  he  will  not  hurt  them. 

The  evil  spirit,  however,  who  is  most  feared  by  this  tribe  is  the  Ovengua  or  Vampire. 
Tt  is  most  surprising  to  find  the  Hungarian  and  Servian  superstition  about  the  vampire 
existing  among  the  savages  of  Western  Africa,  and  yet  it  flourishes  in  all  its  details  along 
the  banks  of  the  Eembo. 

No  worship  is  paid  to  the  Ovengua,  who  is  not  thought  to  have  any  power  over 
diseases,  nor  to  exercise  any  influence  upon  the  tenor  of  a  man's  life.  He  is  simply  a 
destructive  demon,  capricious  and  cruel,  murdering  without  reason,  and  wandering  cease- 
lessly through  the  forests  in  search  of  victims. 

By  day  he  hides  in  dark  caverns,  so  that  travellers  need  not  fear  him,  but  at  night  he 
comes  out,  takes  a  human  form,  and  beats  to  death  all  whoci  he  meets.  Sometimes  wh*  n 
an  Ovengua  comes  across  a  body  of  armed  men,  they  resist  him,  and  kill  the  body  iu 
which  he  has  taken  up  his  residence. 

When  an  Ovengua  has  been  thus  killed,  the  conquerors  make  a  fire  and  bum  the 
body,  taking  particular  care  that  not  a  bone  shall  be  left,  as  from  the  bones  new  Ovengnas 
are  made.    The  natives  have  a  curious  idea  that,  if  a  person  dies  from  witchcraft,  the  body 


|M 


PUNISHMENT  FOR  WITCHURAIT. 


573 


>;y9  until  the  bones  are  free  from  flesh.    As  soon  as  this  is  the  case,  they  leave  the 

»ve  one  by  one,  form  themselves  end  to  end  into  a  single  line,  and  then  graduallv  resolve 

jemaelves  into  a  new  Ovengua.  '  Several  places  are  especially  dreaded  as  being  favourite 

InioTts  of  this  horrible  demon,  and  neither  bribes,  threats,  nor  persuasions,  can  induce  a 

ICimma  to  venture  near  them  after  nightfalL 

It  is  very  probable  that  cunning  and  revengeful  men  may  take  advantage  of  the  belief 
Iflithe  vampire,  and  when  they  have  conceived  an  antipathy  against  any  one,  may  waylay 
Ld  murder  him  treacherously,  and  then  contrive  to  throw  the  blame  on  the  Ovengua. 
I  The  prevalence  of  this  superstition  may  perhaps  account  for  much  of  the  cruelty 
IderciBed  upon  those  who  are  suspected  of  witchcraft,  the  fear  of  sorcery  being  so  over- 
Ifbelioing  as  to  overcome  all  feelings  of  humanity,  and  even  to  harden  the  hcibrt  of  the 
Ipaient  against  the  child.  The  slightest  appearance  of  disbelief  in  such  an  accusation 
Ifould  at  once  induce  the  terrified  multitude  to  include  both  parties  in  the  accusation,  and 
Ithe  consequence  is  that,  when  auy  one  is  suspected  of  Witulicraft,  none  are  so  loud  and 
iTirulent  in  their  execrations  as  those  who  ought  to  be  the  natural  protectors  of  the 
liccuAed. 

Mr.  C.  Reade,  in  his  "Savage  Africa,"  gives  an  example  of  the  cruelty  which  is 
liDspired  by  terror. 

I  A  petty  chief  had  been  ill  for  some  time,  and  a  woman  had  been  convicted,  by  her 
Idwn  confession,  of  having  bewitched  him.  It  is  true  that  the  confession  had  been 
lextorted  by  flogging,  but  this  fact  made  no  difference  in  the  minds  of  the  natives,  who  had 
Ilk)  forced  her  to  accuse  her  son,  a  boy  only  seven  years  old,  of  having  been  an  accomplice 
lin  the  crime.  This  was  done  lest  he  should  grow  up  to  manhood,  and  then  avenge  his 
iDother's  death  upon  her  murderers. 

"On  the  ground  in  their  midst  crouched  the  child,  the  mark  of  a  severe  wound  visible 
Ion  his  arm,  and  his  wrists  bound  together  by  a  piece  of  withy.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
Ichild's  face.  It  wore  that  expression  of  dogged  endurance  which  is  one  of  the  traditional 
Icharacteristics  of  the  savage.  While  I  was  there,  one  of  the  men  held  an  axe  before 
lliis  eyes — it  was  the  brute's  idea  of  humour.  Tlie  child  looked  at  it  without  showing  a 
jipark  of  emotion.  Some,  equally  fearless  of  death,  would  have  displayed  contempt,  anger, 
lor  acted  curiosity ;  but  he  was  the  perfect  stoic.  His  eye  flashed  for  a  moment  when  his 
liame  was  first  mentioned,  but  only  for  a  moment  He  showed  th .  a  ne  indifference 
liiien  he  heard  his  life  being  pleaded  for,  as  when,  a  little  while  before,  he  had  been 
llaunted  with  his  death." 

Both  were  killed.    The  mother  was  sent  to  sea  in  a  canoe,  killed  with  an  axe,  and 

en  thrown  overboard.    The  unfortunate  boy  was  burnt  alive,  and  oags  of  gunpowder 

Itere  tied  to  his  legs,  which,  according  to  the  account  of  a  spectator,  "  made  him  jump 

like  a  dog."    On  being  asked  why  so  cruel  a  death  had  been  inflicted  on  the  poor  boy, 

lihile  the  mother  was  subjected  to  the  comparatively  painless  death  by  the  axe,  the  man 

|ns  quite  astounded  that  any  one  should  draw  so  subtle  a  distinction.    Death  was  death 

1  his  opinion,  however  inflicted,  and,  as  the  writhing  of  the  tortured  child  amused  the 

ctatoTs,  he  could  not  see  why  they  should  deprive  themselves  of  the  gratification. 

"This  explains  well  enou<,'h  the  cruelty  of  the  negro :  it  is  the  cruelty  of  the  boy 

^ho  spins  a  cockchafer  on  a  pin ;  it  is  the  cruelty  of  ignorance.    A  twirling  cockchafer 

iod  a  hoy  who  jumps  like  a  dog  are  ludicrous  sights  to  those  who  do  not  possess  the 

lense  of  sympathy.    How  useless  is  it  to  address  such  people  as  these  with  the  logic  of 

m>n,  religion,  and  humanity !     Such  superstitions  can  only  be  quelled  by  laws  as 

mthless  as  themselves," 

Another  curious  example  of  this  lack  of  feeling  is  given  Ivy  the  same  author.     Some- 

m  a  son,  who  really  loves  his  mother  after  his  own  fashion,  thinks  that  she  is  getting 

Kvf  old,  and  becoming  more  infirm  and  imable  to  help  him.    So  he  kills  her,  xmder  the  idea 

Qiatshe  will  be  more  useful  to  him  as  a  spirit  than  in  bodily  form,  and,  before  dismissing 

W  into  the  next  world,  charges  her  with  messages  to  his  friends  and  relatives  who  have 

The  Camma  do  not  think  that  when  they  die  they  are  cut  off,  even  from  tangible 

Bmmunication  with  their  friends.    "  The  people  who  are  dead,"  said  one  of  the  men, 

[then  they  are  tired  of  staying  in  the  bush  {ie.  the  burying-ground),  then  they  come  for 


574 


THE  CAMMA. 


tin 


!»•  J  t 


pr 

1 

mi 

1 

mil 

B 

E 

1 

^ 

P 

1 

II' 

1 

1 

? 

1 

'K^: 

•.' 

one  of  their  people  which  they  like.  And  one  ghost  will  lav,  '  I  am  tired  of  staying  in] 
the  bush ;  please  to  build  a  little  house  for  me  iu  the  town  close  to  your  house.'  He  telli] 
the  man  to  dance  and  sing  too ;  so  the  men  call  plenty  of  women  by  night  to  dance  I 
and  sing."  I 

In  accordance  with  this  request,  the  people  build  a  miniature  hut  for  the  unquiet  spirit,! 
then  go  to  the  grave  and  make  an  idol.  They  then  take  the  bamboo  frame  on  which  the  I 
body  was  carried  into  the  bush,  and  which  is  always  left  on  the  spot,  place  on  it  some  I 
dust  from  the  grave,  and  carry  it  into  Uie  hut,  the  door  of  which  is  closed  by  a  white  I 
doth.  I 

Among  the  Camma,  as  with  many  savage  tribes,  there  is  a  ceremony  of  initiation  into! 
lertaitt  mysteries,  through  which  all  have  to  pass  before  they  can  be  acknowledged  as  men  I 
and  women.  These  ceremonies  are  kept  profoundly  secret  from  the  uninitiated,  but  I 
Mr.  Beade  contrived  to  gain  from  one  of  nis  nien  some  information  on  the  subject  I 

On  the  introduction  of  a  novice,  he  is  taken  iu  a  fetish  house,  stripped,  severely  I 
flogged,  and  then  plastered  with  goat's  dung,  the  ceremony  being  accompanied  by  music.  I 
Then  he  is  taken  to  a  screen,  from  behind  which  issues  a  strange  and  uncouth  sound,! 
supposed  to  be  produced  by  a  spirit  named  Ukuk.  There  seems,  however,  to  be  a  tacit  I 
understanding  tnat  the  spirit  is  only  supposed  to  be  present  in  a  vicarious  sense,  as  the  I 
black  informant  not  only  said  that  the  noise  was  made  by  the  fetish  man,  but  showed  tliel 
instrument  with  which  he  produced  it.  It  was  a  kind  of  whistle,  made  of  hollowed' 
mangrove  wood,  and  closed  at  one  end  by  a  piece  of  bat's  wing. 

During  five  d&yi  after  initiation  an  apron  is  worn,  made  of  dry  palm-leaves.  These  I 
ceremonies  are  not  restricted  to  certain  times  of  the  year,  but  seem  to  be  held  whenever! 
a  few  candidates  are  ready  for  initiatioa  Mr.  Keade  had  several  times  seen  lads  wearing! 
the  mystic  apron,  but  had  not  known  its  signification  until  Mongilomba  betrayed  the] 
secrets  of  the  lodge.  | 

The  same  man  also  gave  some  information  regarding  the  initiation  of  the  females.! 
He  was,  however,  very  reticent  on  the  subject,  partly,  perhaps,  because  the  women  kept| 
their  secret  close,  and  partly  because  he  was  afraid  lest  they  might  hear  that  he  had  acted  | 
the  spy  upon  them,  and  avenge,  their  insulted  rites  by  mobbing  and  beating  him. 

Some  of  the  ceremonies  are  not  concealed  very  carefully,  bein^  pertbrmed  in  the  openl 
air.  The  music  is  taken  in  hand  by  elderly  women,  called  Ngembi,  who  commence  opera- j 
tions  by  going  into  the  forest  and  clearing  a  space.  They  then  return  to  the  village,  aud! 
build  a  sacred  hut,  into  which  no  male  is  allowed  to  enter.  I 

The  novice,  or  Igonji,  is  now  led  to  the  cleared  space — which,  by  the  way,  must  be  a! 
spot  which  she  has  never  before  visited—  and  there  takes  her  place  by  a  fire  which  is! 
carefully  watched  by  the  presiding  Ngembi,  and  never  suffered  to  go  out.  For  two  days! 
and  nights  a  Ngembi  sits  beside  the  fire,  feeding  it  with  sticks,  and  continually  chnntingj 
"  The  fire  will  never  die  out"  On  the  third  day  the  novice  is  rubbed  with  black,  white,! 
and  red  chalk,  and  is  taken  into  the  sacred  hut,  where  certain  unknown  ceremonies  are] 
performed,  the  men  surrounding  it  and  beating- drums,  while  the  novice  within  continuallyl 
responds  to  them  by  the  cry,  "  Okanda !  yo  I  yo !  yo  I "  which,  as  Mr.  lieade  observes,! 
reminds  one  of  the  "  Evoe ! "  of  the  ancient  Bacchantes. 

The  spirit  Ukuk  only  comes  to  light  on  such  occasions.  At  other  times  he  lives  deepl 
below  the  surface  of  the  earth  in  his  dark  cavern,  which  is  imitated  as  well  as  may  be  byl 
the  sacred  hut,  which  is  thickly  covered  with  leaves,  so  that  not  a  ray  of  light  may  enter.! 
When  he  enters  the  hut,  he  blows  the  magic  whistle,  and  on  hearing  the  sound  all  thel 
initiated  repair  to  the  house.  | 

As  these  spirito  are  so  much  feared,  it  is  natural  that  the  natives  should  try  to  drivel 
them  out  of  every  place  where  they  have  taken  up  an  unwelcome  residence.  I 

With  some  spirite  the  favourite  spot  is  the  body  of  o  man,  who  is  thereby  made  ill,| 
and  who  will  die  if  the  spirit  be  not  driven  out  of  him.  Now  the  Camma  believe  that! 
evil  spirite  cannot  bear  noise,  especially  the  beating  of  drums,  and  so,  at  the  call  of  |the| 
fetish  man,  they  assemble  round  the  sick  man,  beat  drums  and  kettles  close  to  his  head,! 
sing,  dance,  and  shout  with  all  their  might  This  hubbub  gr<>s  on  until  either  the  patienti 
dies,  as  might  naturally  be  expected,  or  manages  to  recover  in  spite  of  the  noise.   Thel 


EJECTING  A  DEMON. 


676 


r  the  unquiet  spiritj 
:rame  on  which  the  I 
,  place  on  it  aomel 
I  closed  by  a  white! 


)alin-Ieave8.  These i 
o  be  held  whenever  I 
B  seen  lads  wearing! 
iomba  betrayed  the] 

ion  of  the  females.! 
se  the  women  kept! 
IX  that  he  had  acted! 
lating  him. 
rtbrmed  in  the  open  I 
10  commence  opera- 1 
i  to  the  village,  audi 

the  way,  must  be  al 
by  a  fire  which  isl 
out.  For  two  days  I 
ontinually  chnntingJ 
i  with  black,  wliiteJ 
>wn  ceremonies  arel 
within  continuallyl 
^r.  lieade  observes,! 

times  he  lives  deepl 
swell  as  may  be  byl 
of  light  may  enter.  I 
)g  the  sound  all  thel 


||(ople  who  assist  in  the  operation  do  so  with  the  greatest  vigour,  for,  by  some  strange 
lioiiieidence,  it  happens  that  the  very  things  which  disgust  an  evil  spirit,  such  as  dancing, 
Igsging,  drum-beating,  and  noise-making  in  general,  are  just  the  things  which  please  them 
■leit,  and  so  their  duties  and  inclinations  are  happily  found  to  coincide. 
I  Sometimes  the  demon  takes  up  his  residence  in  a  village,  and  then  there  is  a  vast 
Mo  before  he  can  be  induced  to  go  out 

A  fetish  man  is  brought  from  a  distance— the  farther  the  better— and  immediately  set 
Itowork.    His  first  business  is  to  paint  and  adorn  himself,  which  he  does  in  such  a  uiauncr 


KJECTINQ  A  OEllON. 


u  to  look  as  demoniacal  as  possible.  One  of  these  men,  nnmed  Damagondai,  seen  by 
Do  Chaillu,  had  made  himself  a  horrible  object.  His  face  was  whitened  with  chalk,  a 
ted  circle  was  drawn  on  each  side  of  his  moiith,  a  baud  of  the  sa^e  colour  surrounded 
Mcheye,  and  another  ran  from  the  forehead  to  the  tip  of  the  nose.  A  white  band  was 
diawn  from  the  shoulders  to  the  wrists,  and  one  hand  was  completely  whitened. 

On  his  head  was  a  tall  plume  of  black  feathers ;  strips  of  leopard  skin  and  a  variety 
of  charms  were  hung  upon  his  body;  and  to  his  neck  was  suspended  a  little  box,  in 
which  he  kept  a  number  of  familiar  spirits.    A  string  of  little  bells  encircled  his  waist. 

This  ghastly  figure  had  seated  himself  on  a  stool  before  another  box  full  of  charms, 

tnd  on  the  box  stood  a  magic  mirror.    Had  the  magician  been  brought  from  the  inland 

harts  of  the  country,  and  away  from  the  river  along  which  all  traffic  runs,  he  could  not 

lliave  possessed  such  an  article  ns  a  mirror,  and  would  have  used  instead  a  bowl  of  water. 

]By  the  mirror  lay  the  sacred  horn  full  of  the  fetish  powder,  accompanied  by  a  rattle 

eontainbg  snake-bones.    His  assistant  stood  near  him,  belabouring  a  hoard  with  two 

iticks. 


1- 


m 


THE  GAMMA. 


11  * 


(„;  ' 


7  : 


After  the  inoAntaltons  hod  been  continued  for  some  time,  the  wizard  ordered  that  the 
names  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  should  be  culled  out,  auJ  as  each  name  was 
shouted  he  looked  in  the  mirror.  However,  he  decided  at  last  that  the  evil  spirit  did  not 
live  in  any  of  the  inhabitants,  but  had  taken  up  his  residence  in  the  village,  which  he 
wanted  for  himself,  and  that  he  would  be  very  angry  il'  any  one  tried  to  share  it 
with  him. 

Du  Chaillu  saw  that  this  was  a  sly  attack  on  him,  as  he  had  just  built  some  corn. 
fortable  houses  in  the  village.  Next  morning  the  people  began  to  evacuate  the  place. 
They  carried  off  their  property,  and  tore  down  the  houses,  and  by  nightfall  not  an  inha- 
bitant was  leil  in  the  village  except  the  white  man  and  two  of  his  attendants,  l)oth  of 
whom  were  in  great  terror,  and  wnnted  to  follow  the  others.  Even  the  chief  was 
obliged  to  go,  and,  with  many  apologies  to  his  guest,  built  a  new  house  outside  the 
deserted  village. 

Not  wishing  to  give  up  the  houses  that  had  cost  so  much  time  and  trouble,  Du  Chnillu 
tried  to  induce  the  natives  to  rebuild  the  huts ;  but  not  even  tobacco  could  overcome 
their  fear  of  the  evil  spirit.  However,  at  last  some  of  the  bolder  men  tried  the  eyperi- 
ment,  and  by  degrees  u  new  village  arose  in  the  place  of  that  which  had  been  destroyed. 

The  same  ma;{ici;m  who  conducted  the  above-mentioned  ceremony  was  an  unmitigated 
cheat,  and  seems  to  have  succeeded  in  cheating  himself  as  well  as  his  countr}'meii.  He 
was  absurdly  afraid  of  darkness,  and  as  nightfall  came  on  he  alwavs  began  to  be  fright- 
ened, wailing  and  execrating  all  sorcerers,  witches,  and  evil  spirits,  lamenting  because  he 
knew  that  some  one  was  trying  to  bewitch  him,  and  at  last  working  himself  up  to  such 
a  pitch  of  excitement  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  had  to  turn  out  of  their 
huts,  and  begin  dancing  and  singing. 

Perhaps  this  self-deception  was  involuntary,  but  Damagondai  wilfully  cheated  the 
people  for  his  own  purposes.  In  his  double  capacity  of  chief  and  fetish  man  he  had 
the  charge  of  the  village  idols.  He  had  a  very  potent  idol  of  his  own,  with  copper 
eyes  and  a  sword-shaped  protruding  tongue.  With  the  eyes  she  saw  coming  events,  and 
with  the  tongue  she  foretold  the  future  and  cut  to  pieces  the  enemies  of  Damagondai'a 
people.  M.  du  Chaillu  wanted  to  purchase  this  idol,  but  her  owner  refused  to  sell  her. 
He  hinted,  however,  that  for  a  good  price  the  goddess  of  the  slaves  might  be  bought 
Accoi'diugly,  a  bargain  was  struck,  the  idol  in  question  was  removed  from  the  hut, 
packed  up,  and  carried  away  by  the  purchaser,  while  the  slaves  were  away  at  their  work. 
I)amagondai  was  rather  perplexed  as  to  the  answer  which  he  would  have  to  give  the  slaves 
when  they  came  home  and  found  their  idol-house  empty,  but  at  last  decided  to  toll  them 
that  he  had  seen  the  goddess  leave  her  house,  and  walk  away  into  the  woods. 

The  idol  in  question  was  an  absurd-looking  object,  something  like  a  compromise 
between  one  of  the  figures  out  of  a  " Noah's  Ark"  and  a  Dutch  wooden  doll. 

Various  as  are  all  these  superstitions,  there  is  one  point  at  which  they  all  converge, 
namely  the  dread  Mboundou  ordeal,  by  which  all  who  are  accused  of  witchcraft  are 
tested.  The  mboundou  is  a  tree  belonging  to  the  same  group  as  that  from  which  strychnine 
is  made,  and  is  allied  to  the  scarcely  less  celebrated  "vine"  from  which  the  Maconshie 
Indians  prepare  the  wourali  poison.  From  the  root  of  the  mboundou  a  drink  is  prepared, 
which  has  an  intoxicating  as  well  as  a  poisonous  quality,  and  which  is  used  for  two 
purposes,  the  one  being  as  an  ordeal,  and  the  other  as  a  means  of  divination. 

The  medicine-men  derive  most  of  their  importance  from  their  capability  of  drinking 
the  mboundou  without  injury  to  their  health ;  and  while  in  the  intoxicated  state  they 
utter  sentences  more  or  less  incoherent,  which  are  taken  as  revelations  from  the  particular 
spirit  who  is  consulted.    The  mode  of  preparing  the  poisoned  draught  is  as  follows  :— 

A  given  quantity  of  the  root  is  scraped  and  put  into  a  bowl,  together  with  a  pint  of 
water.  In  a  minute  or  so  a  slight  fermentation  takes  place,  and  the  water  is  filled  with 
little  bubbles,  like  those  of  champagne  or  other  sparkling  wines.  When  this  has  sub- 
sided, the  water  becomes  of  a  pale  reddish  tint,  and  the  preparation  is  complete.  Its 
taste  is  very  bitter. 

The  effects  of  the  mboundou  vary  greatly  in  different  individuals.  There  was  a 
hardened  old  sorcerer,  named  Olanga,  who  was  greatly  respected  among  his  people  for 


THE  ORDEAL 


rd  ordered  that  the 
as  each  name  was 
i  evil  spirit  did  not 
e  village,  which  he 
)  tried  to  ahara  it 

t  built  some  com*  I 
ivacuate  the  pluue. 
fhtfall  not  an  inha- 
attendants,  both  of  | 
en  the  chief  was 
house  outside  the 

trouble,  Du  Chnillu 
CO  could  overcome  j 
n  tried  the  experi- 
id  been  deotrojed. 
vas  an  unnutigatf>d 
i  countrjnien.  He 
bej^an  to  be  friglit- 
lenting  because  he 
himself  up  to  such 
turn  out  of  their 

ilfiilly  cheated  the 
[etish  man  he  had 
own,  with  copper 
;oming  events,  and 
js  of  Damagondai's 
refused  to  sell  her. 
might  be  bought 
ved  from  the  hut, 
iway  at  their  work. 
e  to  give  the  slaves 
lecided  to  tell  them 
woods. 

like  a  compromise 
in  doll. 

I  they  all  converge, 
I  of  witchcraft  are 
1  which  strychnine 
ich  the  Miicoushie 
I  drink  is  prepared, 
ih  is  used  for  two 
ation. 

ability  of  drinking 
xicated  state  they 
from  the  particular 
is  as  follows  :— 
ther  with  a  pint  of  I 
water  is  filled  with 
^hen  this  has  sub- 
is  complete.    Its 


877 


Ills  capability  of  drinking  mboundou  in  large  quantities,  and  without  any  permanent 
effect.  It  is  very  probable  that  he  may  have  had  some  antidote,  and  prepared  himself 
beforehand,  or  that  his  constitution  was  exceptionally  strong,  and  that  ho  could  take  with 
impunity  a  dose  which  wuuhl  kill  a  weaker  man. 

Olanga  was  constantly  drinking;  mboundou,  using  it  chiefly  as  a  means  of  divination. 
If,  for  example,  a  man  fell  ill,  bu  friends  went  ofiT  to  Olau^o,  and  asked  kim  to  drink 


OLANOA  DBINEINa  MBOUNDOU. 


mboundou  and  find  out  whether  the  man  had  been  bewitched.  As  soon  as  he  had  drunk 
the  poison,  the  men  sat  round  him,  beating  the  ground  with  their  sticks,  and  crying  out 
the  fornmla — 

"  If  he  is  a  witch,  let  the  mboundou  kill  hira. 

"If  he  is  not,  let  the  mboundou  go  out." 

In  about  five  minutes  symptoms  of  intoxication  showed  themselves.  The  old  man 
began  to  stagger,  his  speech  grew  thick,  his  eyes  became  bloodshot,  his  limbs  shook  con- 
vulsively, and  ho  began  to  talk  incoherently.  Now  was  the  time  to  ask  him  questions, 
and  accordingly  several  queries  were  propounded,  some  of  which  he  answered ;  but  he 
soon  became  too  much  intoxicated  to  understand,  much  less  to  answer,  the  questions  that 
vere  put  to  him.  Sleep  then  came  on,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  Olanga  began  to 
recover. 

With  most  persons,  however,  it  has  a  different  and  a  deadly  effect,  and  M.  du  Chaillu 
mentions  that  he  has  seen  persons  fall  dead  within  five  minutes  of  drinking  the  mboundou, 
the  blood  gushing  from  the  mouth,  eyes,  and  nose. 
VOL  I.  p  p 


WM^ 


If* 


I  ! 


578 


THE  GAMMA. 


It  is  very  seldom  that  any  one  but  a  professional  medicine-man  escapes  with  life  after 
drinking  mboundou.  Mostly  there  is  an  absence  of  the  peculiar  symptoms  which  show 
that  the  poison  is  working  itself  out  of  the  system,  and  in  such  a  case  the  spectators 
hasten  the  work  of  death  by  their  knives.  Sometimes  the  drinkers  rally  from  the  effects  of 
the  poison,  but  with  constitutions  permanently  injured ;  and  in  a  few  cases  they  escape 
altogether.  Vu  Chaillu  was  a  witness  to  such  an  event.  Three  yoimg  men,  who  ivere 
accused  of  witchcraft,  were  ac^udged,  as  Uiual,  to  drink  the  mboimdou.  They  drank  it, 
and  boldly  stood  their  ground,  surrounded  by  a  yelling  multitude,  armed  with  axes,  spean' 
and  knives,  ready  to  fall  upo:i  the  unfortunate  victims  if  they  showed  symptoms  that  the 
draught  would  be  fatal.  However,  they  succeeded  in  keeping  their  feet  until  the  effects 
of  the  poison  had  passed  off,  and  were  accordingly  pronounced  innocent 

According  .to  custom,  the  medicine-man  who  prepared  the  draught  finished  the  cere- 
mony by  taking  a  bowl  himself,  and  while  in  the  sti^  of  intoxication  he  gladdened  the 
hearts  of  the  people  by  saying  that  the  wizards  did  not  belong  to  their  vilkge,  but  came 
from  a  distance. 

It  is  evident  that  those  who  prepare  the  mboundou  can  make  the  draught  stronger  or 
weaker,  according  to  their  own  caprice ;  and  indeed  it  is  said  that,  when  any  one  who  is 
personally  disliked  has  to  drink  the  poison,  it  always  proves  fatal.  The  accused  persons 
are  not  allowed  to  see  that  it  is  prepared  fairly,  but  they  are  permitted  to  send  two  friends 
for  that  purpose. 

A  most  terrible  scene  was  once  witnessed  by  Du  Chaillu.  A  chief  named  Mpomo  had 
died,  and  the  people  were  in  «i  state  of  frenzy  about  it.  They  could  not  believe  that  a 
young  and  strung  man  could  be  seized  with  illness  and  die  unless  he  were  bewitched,  and 
accoMingly  a  powerful  doctor  was  brought  from  a  distance,  and  set  to  work.  For  two 
days  the  doctor  went  through  a  number  of  ceremonies,  like  those  which  have  been  de- 
scribed at  page  675,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  out  the  evil  spirits,  and  at  last  he  announced 
that  he  was  about  to  name  the  wizards.  The  rest  must  be  told  in  the  narrator's  own 
words : — 

"  At  last,  on  the  third  morning,  when  the  excitement  of  the  people  was  at  its  height— 
when  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  were  frantic  with  the  desire  for  revenge  on  the 
sorcerers — the  doctor  assembled  them  about  him  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  began  his 
final  incantation,  which  should  disclose  the  names  of  the  murderous  sorcerers. 

"  Every  man  and  boy  was  armed,' — some  with  spears,  some  with  swords,  some  with  guns 
and  axes ;  and  on  every  face  was  shoMm  a  determination  to  wreak  bloody  revenge  on  those 
who  should  be  pointed  out  as  the  criminals.  The  whole  town  was  wrapped  in  an  inde- 
scribable fury  and  horrid  thirst  for  human  blood.  For  the  first  time,  I  found  my  voice 
without  authority  in  Goumbi.  I  did  not  even  get  a  hearing.  What  I  said  was  passed  by 
as  though  no  one  had  spoken.  As  a  last  threat,  when  I  saw  proceedings  begun,  I  said  I 
would  make  Quengueza  punish  them  for  the  murders  they  had  done  in  his  absence.  But, 
alas  !  here  they  had  outvitted  me.  On  the  day  of  Mpomo's  death  they  had  sent  secretly 
to  Quengueza  to  ask  if  they  could  kill  the  witches.  He,  poor  man — sick  himself,  and 
always  afraid  of  the  power  of  sorcerers,  and  without  me  to  advise  him — at  once  sent  wosd 
back  to  kill  them  all  without  mercy.     So  they  almost  laughed  in  my  face. 

"  Finding  all  my  endeavours  vain,  and  that  the  work  of  bloodshed  was  to  be  carried 
through  to  its  dreadful  end,  I  determined,  at  least,  to  see  how  all  was  conducted. 

"  At  a  motion  from  the  doctor,  the  people  became  at  once  quite  still.  This  sudden 
silence  lasted  about  a  minute,  when  the  loud,  harsh  voice  of  the  doctor  was  heard : 

" '  There  is  a  very  black  woman,  who  lives  in  a  house ' — describing  it  fully,  with  its 
location — '  she  bewitched  Mpomo.* 

"  Scarce  had  he  ended  when  the  crowd,  roaring  and,  screaming  like  so  many  hideous 
beasts,  rushed  frantically  for  the  place  indicated.  They  seized  upon  a  poor  girl  named 
Okandaga,  the  sister  of  my  good  friend  and  guide  Adouma.  Waving  their  weapons  over 
her  head,  they  bore  her  away  towards  the  water-side.  Here  she  was  quickly  bound  with 
cords,  and  then  all  rushed  away  to  the  doctor  again. 

"  As  poor  Okandaga  passed  in  the  hands  of  her  murderers,  she  saw  me,  though  I 
thoiight  I  had  concealed  myself  from  view.    I  turned  my  head  away,  and  prayed  she 


A  TERRIBLE  SCENE. 


m 


might  not  see  ms.    I  cotild  not  help  her.    But  presently  I  heard  her  cry  out,  '  Chally, 
Ghally,  do  not  let  me  die ! ' 

"  It  was  a  moment  of  terrible  agony  to  me.  For  a  minute  I  was  miaded  to  rush  into 
ibe  crowd,  and  attempt  the  rescue  of  the  poor  victim.  But  it  would  have  been  of  not  the 
(lightest  use ;  the  people  were  too  frantic  and  crazed  to  even  notice  my  presence.  I 
should  only  have  sacrificed  my  own  life,  without  helping  her.  So  I  turned  away  into  a 
corner  bemnd  a  tree,  and — I.  may  confess,  I  trust-Hshed  bitter  tears  at  my  utter  power- 


"  Present  silence  again  fell  upon  the  crowd.  Then  the  harsh  voice  of  the  devilish 
doctor  again  rang  over  the  town.  It  seemed  to  m^*  like  the  hoarse  croak  of  some  death- 
foretelling  raven.  'There  is  an  old  woman  in  a  house' — describing  it — ^'she  also 
bewitched  Mpomo.' 

"Again  the  crowd  rushed  off.  This  time  they  seized  a  niece  of  King  Quengueza,  a 
noble-hearted  and  rather  majestic  old  woman.  As  they  crowded  about  her  with  flaming 
eyes  and  threats  of  death,  she  rose  proudly  from  the  ground,  looked  them  in  the  face  un- 
flinchingly, and,  motioning  them  to  keep  their  hands  off,  said,  'I  will  drink  the  mboundou; 
bat  woe  to  my  accusers  if  I  do  not  die.' 

"  Then  she,  too,  was  escorted  to  the  river,  but  without  being  bound.  She  submitted 
to  all  without  a  tear,  or  a  murmur  for  mercy. 

"Again,  a  third  time,  the  dreadful  silence  fell  upon  the  town,  and  the  doctor's  voice 
was  heard : 

"'There  is  a  woman  with  six  childrea  She  lives  on  a  plantation  towards  the  rising 
son.   She  too  bewitched  Mpomo.' 

"Again  there  was  a  furious  shout,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  brought  to  the  river 
one  of  Quengueza's  slave-women — a  good  and  much-respected  T/oman — ^whom  also 
I  knew. 

"The  doctor  now  approached  with  the  crowd. '  In  a  loud  voice  he  recited  the  crime 
of  which  these  women  were  accused.  The  first  taken,  Okandaga,  had — so  he  said— some 
weeks  before  asked  Mpomo  for  some  sal*-,  he  being  her  relative.  Salt  was  scarce,  and 
be  had  refused  her.  She  had  said  unpleasant  words  to  him  then,  and  had  by  sorcery 
taken  his  life. 

"Then  Quengueza's  niece  was  accused.  She  was  barren,  and  Mpomo  had  children. 
She  envied  him.    Therefore  she  had  bewitched  him. 

"Quengueza's  slave  had  asked  Mpomo  for  a  looking-glass.  He  had  refused  her. 
Therefore  she  had  killed  him  with  sorcery. 

"'As  each  accusation  was  recited  the  people  broke  out  into  curses.  Even  the  relatives 
of  the  poor  victims  were  obliged  to  join  in  this.  Every  one  rivalled  his  neighbour 
in  cursing,  each  fearful  lest  lukewarmness  in  the  ceremony  should  expose  him  to  a 
like  fate. 

"  Next  the  victims  were  put  into  a  large  canoe,  with  the  executioners,  the  doctor,  and 
a  number  of  other  people  all  armed. 

"Then  the  tam-tams  were  beaten,  and  the  proper  persons  prepared  the  mboundou. 
Qaabi,  Mpomo's  eldest  brother,  held  the  poisoned  cup.  At  sight  of  it  poor  Okandaga 
began  again  to  cry,  and  even  Quengueza's  niece  turned  pale  in  the  face — for  even  the 
negro  face  has  at  such  times  a  pallor,  which  is  quite  perceptible.  Three  other  canoes  now 
surrounded  that  in  which  the  victims  were.     All  were  crowded  with  armed  men. 

"Then  the  mug  of  mboundu  was  handed  to  the  old  slave-woman,  next  to  the  royal 
niece,  and  last  to  Okandaga.  As  they  drank,  the  multitude  shouted :  '  If  they  are  witches, 
let  the  mboundou  kill  them ;  if  they  are  innocent,  let  the  mboiindu  go  out.' 

"  It  was  the  most  exciting  scene  of  my  life.  Though  horror  almost  froze  my  blood, 
ray  eyes  were  riveted  upon  the  spectacle.  A  dead  silence  now  occurred.  Suddenly  the 
slave  fell  down.  She  had  not  touched  the  boat's  bottom  ere  her  head  was  hacked  off  by 
a  dozen  rude  swords. 

"  Next  came  Quengueza's  niece.  In  an  instant  her  head  was  ofiF,  and  the  blood  was 
dyeing  the  waters  of  the  river. 

"Meantime  poor  Okandaga  staggered,  and  struggled,  and  cried,  vainly  resisting  the 

pp2 


m 


I  !  . 


mk-i 

m 


680 


THE  OAMMA. 


) 


';^  ,    I' 


i  sU  -4       1 


working  of  the  poison  in  her  system.    Last  of  all  she  fell  too,  and  in  an  instant  her  head 
was  hewn  off. 

"  Then  all  became  confused.  An  almost  random  hacking  ensued,  and  in  an  incredibly 
short  space  of  time  the  bodies  were  cut  in  small  pieces,  which  were  cast  into  the  river. 

"  When  this  was  done,  the  crowd  dispersed  to  thuir  houses,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day 
the  toMm  was  very  silent.  Some  of  these  rude  people  felt  that  their  number,  in  their 
already  almost  extinguished  tribe,  was  becoming  less,  and  the  dread  of  death  filled  their 
hearts.  In  the  evening  poor  Adouma  came  secretly  to  my  house,  to  unburden  his 
sorrowing  heart  to  me.  He,  too,  had  been  compelled  to  take  part  in  the  dreadful  scene. 
He  dared  not  even  refrain  from  joining  in  the  curses  heaped  upon  his  poor  sister.  He 
dared  not  mourn  publicly  for  her  who  was  considered  so  great  a  criminal." 

The  ceremonies  which  attend  the  death  of  members  of  the  Camma  tribe  are  really 
remarkable.  As  soon  as  the  end  of  a  man  is  evidently  near,  his  relations  begin  to  mourn 
for  him,  and  his  head  wife,  throwing  herself  on  the  bed,  and  encircling  the  form  of  her 
dying  husband  with  her  arms,  pours  out  her  wailing  lamcntntiotis,  accompanied  by  the  tears 
and  cries  of  the  villagers  who  assemble  round  the  house.  The  other  wives  take  their 
turns  in  leading  the  lamentations,  and  after  his  death  they  bewail  him  in  the  most  pitiful 
fashion.  These,  pitiful  lamentations  are  partly  owing  to  real  sorrow,  but  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  are  also  due  to  the  fear  lest  any  one  who  did  not  join  in  the  mourning 
might  be  accused  of  having  bewitched  her  husband  to  death. 

For  several  days  they  sit  on  the  ground,  covered  with  ashes,  their  heads  shaved,  and 
their  clothing  torn  to  rags  ;  and  when  the  body  can  no  longer  be  kept  in  the  place,  the 
relatives  take  it  Co  the  cemetery,  which  is  usually  at  some  distance  down  the  river.  That, 
for  example,  of  Goumbi  was  situated  at  nearly  fifty  miles  from  the  place. 

No  grave  is  dug,  but  the  body  is  laid  on  the  ground,  and  surrounded  with  diffei-ent 
valuables  which  belonged  to  the  dead  man  in  his  lifetime.  The  corpses  of  the  chiefs  or 
head  men  are  placed  in  rude  boxes,  but  those  of  ordinar}'  men  are  not  defended  in  any 
way  whatever. 

For  at  least  a  year  the  mourning  continues,  and  if  the  dead  man  has  held  high  rank, 
it  sometimes  is  continued  for  two  years,  during  which  time  the  whole  tribe  wear  their 
worst  clothes,  and  make  a  point  of  being  very  dirty,  while  the  widows  retain  the  shaven 
head  and  ashes,  and  remain  in  perfect  seclusion.  At  the  end  of  the  appointed  time,  a 
ceremony  called  Bola-ivoga  is  performed,  by  which  the  mourning  is  broken  up  and  the 
people  return  to  their  usual  dresa 

One  of  these  ceremonies  was  seen  by  Du  Chaillu.  The  deceased  had  been  a  tolerably 
rich  man,  leaving  seven  wives,  a  house,  a  plantation,  slaves,  and  other  property,  all  vhich 
was  inherited,  according  to  custom,  by  his  elder  brother,  on  whom  devolves  the  task  of 
giving  the  feast.  Great  preparations  were  made  for  some  days  previously,  large  quantities 
of  palm-wine  being  brought  to  the  village,  several  canoo-loads  of  dried  fish  prepared,  all 
the  best  clothes  in  the  village  made  ready,  and  every  drum,  kettle,  and  anything  that 
could  make  a  noise  when  beaten  being  mustered. 

On  the  joyful  morning,  the  widows  begin  the  ceremony  by  eating  a  magic  porridge, 
composed  by  the  medicine-man,  and  are  then  released  formally  from  their  widowhood. 
They  then  throw  off  their  torn  and  soiled  garinents,  wash  away  the  ashes  with  which 
their  bodies  had  been  so  long  covered,  and  robe  thotnsolvoa  in  their  best  clothes,  covering 
their  wrists  and  ankles  with  iron  and  copper  jewellery. 

While  they  are  adorning  their  persons,  the  rest  of  the  people  arrange  themselves  in 
little  groups  in  front  of  the  houses,  and  to  each  group  is  given  an  enormous  jar  of  palm- wine. 
At  a  given  signal  the  drinking  begins,  and  is  continued  without  interruption  for  some 
twenty-four  hours,  during  which  time  dancing,  singing,  and  drum-beating  are  carried  on 
with  furious  energy.  Next  morning  comes  the  tlniil  ceremony.  A  large  crowd  of  men, 
armed  with  axes,  surround  the  house  formerly  ocoupi(<d  by  the  deceased,  and,  at  a  signal 
from  the  heir,  they  rush  at  once  at  it,  and  in  a  few  minutes  nothing  is  left  but  a  heap  of 
foments.  These  are  heaped  up  and  burned ;  and  when  the  flames  die  away,  the  cere- 
mony is  over,  and  the  heii  is  considered  as  having  entered  into  possession  of  the 
property. 


Ft'., 


CUSTOMS  OF  THE  CAMMA. 


581 


I  instant  her  head 

d  in  an  incredibly 

into  the  river. 

ihe  rest  of  the  day 

nuniher,  in  their 

death  filled  their 

to  unburden  his 

he  dreadful  scene. 

I  poor  sister.    He 

il." 

m  tribe  are  really 
18  begin  to  moum 
J  the  form  of  her 
>anied  by  the  tears 
wives  take  their 
n  the  most  pitiful 
,  but  there  is  no 
I  in  the  mournins 

heads  shaved,  and 

in  the  place,  the 

a  the  river.    That, 

led  with  different 
J  of  the  chiefs  or 
t  defended  in  any 

18  held  high  rank, 
9  tribe  wear  their 
retain  the  shaven 
appointed  time,  a 
roken  up  and  the 

d  been  a  tolerably 
roperty,  all  which 
rolves  the  task  of 
y,  large  quantities 
fish  prepared,  all 
ind  anything  that 

a  magic  porridge, 
their  widowhood, 
ishes  with  which 
i  clothes,  covering 

ige  themselves  in 
jar  of  palm- wine, 
ruption  for  somo 
ig  are  carried  on 
[8  crowd  of  men, 
and,  at  a  signal 
ft  but  a  heap  of 
3  away,  the  cere- 
ossession  of  the 


There  are  one  or  two  misceHaneons  customs  of  the  Camma  people  which  are  deserving 
of  a  brief  notice.  They  seem  to  be  rather  quarrelsome  among  themselves,  and  when  they 
get  into  a  fight  use  a  most  formidable  club.  This  weapon  is  made  of  heavy  and  hard 
wood,  and  is  nearly  seven  feet  long.  The  thick  end  is  deeply  notched,  and  a  blow  from 
the  "  tongo,"  as  it  is  called,  would  smash  the  skull  of  a  European.  The  native  African, 
however,  sustains  heavy  blows  without  being  much  the  worse  for  it ;  and,  although  every 
toDgo  will  be  covered  with  blood  and  woolly  hair,  the  combatants  do  not  seem  to  have 
sustained  much  injury. 

As  they  fight,  they  heap  on  their  adversaries  every  insulting  epithet  they  can  think 
of:  "Your  chief  has  the  leg  of  an  elephant,"  cries  one ;  "  Ho !  his  eldest  brother  has  the 
neck  of  a  wild  ox,"  shouts  a  second ;  "  Ho  1  you  have  no  food  in  your  village,"  bawls  a 
third ;  and,  according  to  the  narrator,  the  words  really  seem  to  do  more  damage  than 
the  blows. 


WATKB  CUSrOM. 


When  a  canoe  starts  on  a  long  journey,  a  curious  ceremony  is  enacted.  Each  man 
dips  his  paddle  in  the  water,  slaps  it  on  the  surface,  raises  in  the  air,  and  allows  one  drop 
of  the  water  to  fall  into  his  mouth.  After  a  good  deal  of  singing,  shouting,  and  antic- 
playing,  they  settle  down  to  their  work,  and  paddle  on  steadily  for  hours.  When  a  chief 
parts  from  a  guest,  he  takes  his  friend's  hands  within  his  own,  blows  into  them,  and 
solemnly  invokes  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors,  calling  on  them  to  take  care  of  the 
departing  guest 


I     "J 


M 


\    I 


OHAFTERL. 


{  '-' 


THE  SHEKIANI  AND  MFOXOWE. 


'^1, 


■J 


LOOALtTT  OV  THK  SHBKIAin— XODB  OF  OOyBBKlIKIIT — BKILZ.  IN  HUNTINOI — 8HBKIANI  ABCHITECTtTBB 
— MEDICAL  TBBATMSNT — ^NATIVK  80B0RBBB8 — ^FATB  OP  TBB  WIZABD — ^A  VICTIM  TO  817PBB- 
SXrnON — ^TBBATHBNT  OF  TBB  P08SB88BD— LOCALITT  OF  THB  MPONOWi— NATITR  FASHIONS— 
MPONGW^  MOtTBNma — 8Kn.L  m  I.ANOVAOB8 — THB  8VCCE88Fm.  TBADEB  ANIX  HI8  BELATI0N8— 
DBATH  OF  THB  MONABCH  AND  BLBCTION  OF  A  NBW  KINO — A  MPONOWi  COBOKATION— OLD 
KINO  OLA8S  AND  HIS  CHABACTBB — HU  SICKNB88,  SBAT^  BUBIAL,  AND  8UCCX880B. 

(1  • 

Scattered  over  a  considerable  track  of  country  between  the  Muni  and  Gaboon  Ilivers,on 
the  western  coast  of  Africa^  are  numerous  villages  of  the  Shekiani  or  Chekiani  tribe. 
The  Shekiani  are  divided  into  numerous  sub-tribes,  which  speak  a  common  language,  but 
call  themselves  by  various  names,  such  as  the  Mbondemo,  the  Mbousha,  the  Mbicho,  &c. 
Each  of  these  lesser  tribes  is  again  subdivided  into  clans  or  families,  each  of  which  has 
its  own  head. 

The  mode  of  government  is  very  simple,  and  indeed  scarcely  deserves  the  name ;  for 
although  the  chiefs  of  the  different  tribes  are  often  called  kings,  their  titles  are  but  empty 
honours,  and  their  authority  is  but  partially  recognised  even  by  the  head  men  of  the  clans. 
The  kings,  indeed,  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  their  so-called  subjects,  their  houses 
being  the  same,  and  their  mode  of  living  but  little  superior.  Still,  they  are  respected  as 
advisers ;  and  in  oases  of  difficulty,  a  few  words  from  one  of  these  kings  will  often  settle 
a  dispute  which  threatened  to  be  dangerous. 

Owing  to  their  proximity  to  the  coast,  the  Shekiani  are  great  traders,  and,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  contact  with  the  white  man,  present  a  most  curious  mixture  of 
savageness  and  civilization,  the  latter  being  modified  in  various  droll  ways.  Take,  for 
example,  the  Shekiani  mode  of  managing  fire-arma  When  they  go  to  hunt  the  elephant 
for  the  sake  of  its  tusks,  they  always  arm  themselves  with  trade  guns,  for  which  they  pay 
seven  shillings  and  sixpence.  The  quality  of  these  weapons  may  be  easily  imagined,  and 
it  is  really  wonderful  how  the  Birmingham  manufacturer  contrives  to  furnish  for  so  small 
a  sum  a  gun  that  deserves  the  name. 

Of  course  it  is  made  to  suit  native  ideas,  and  consequently  it  is  very  large  and 
very  heavy,  a  negro  contemptuously  rejecting  a  small  and  light  gun  which  might  be 
worth  thirty  or  forty  pounds.  Then  the  mainspring  of  the  lock  is  of  prodigious  strength, 
and  the  hammer  and  pan  of  proportionate  size.  Inferior,  of  course,  as  is  the  material,  the 
weapon  is  really  a  wonderful  article ;  and,  if  properly  handled,  is  capable  of  doing  good 
service.  But  a  negro  never  handles  anjrthing  carefully.  VThen  he  cocks  his  musket,  he 
wrenches  back  the  hammer  with  a  jerk  that  would  break  a  delicate  lock ;  when  he  wants 
to  carry  home  the  game  that  he  has  killed,  he  hangs  it  to  the  muzzle  of  the  piece,  and  so 
slings  it  over  his  shoulder,  and,  as  he  travels,  he  allows  it  to  bang  against  the  trees,  without 
the  least  care  for  the  straightness  of  the  banel 


S&li:'.. 


A  BOTAL  AMUSEMENT. 


683 


But  it  is  in  loading  the  weapon  that  he  most  distinguishes  himself.  First  he  pours 
down  the  barrel  a  quantity  of  powder  at  random,  and  rams  upon  it  a  tuR  of  dry  grass. 
Upon  the  grass  come  some  bullets  or  bits  of  iron,  and  then  more  grass.  Then  comes  more 
powder,  grass,  and  iron  as  before ;  and  not  until  then  does  the  negro  flatter  himself  that 
he  has  loaded  his  musket.  That  a  gun  should  burst  after  such  a  method  of  loading  is  not 
surprising,  and  indeed  it  is  a  wonder  that  it  can  be  fired  at  all  without  flying  to  pieces. 
But  the  negro  insists  on  having  a  big  gun,  with  plenty  of  powder  and  shot,  and  he  cares 
nothing  for  a  weapon  unless  it  goes  off  with  a  report  like  a  small  cannon,  and  has  a  recoil 
that  almost  dislocates  the  shoulder. 

The  Shekiani  are  of  moderate  size,  not  very  dark-coloured,  and  in  character  are  apt  to 
be  quarrelsome,  passionate,  revengeful,  and  utterly  careless  of  inflicting  death  or  pain. 
Owing  to  their  unsettled  habits,  they  are  but  poor  agriculturists,  leaving  all  the  culture  of 
tht  ,round  to  the  women.  Their  mode  of  making  a  plantation  is  very  simple.  When  they 
havb  fixed  upon  a  suitable  spot,  they  begin  to  clear  it  after  a  very  primitive  fashion. 
The  men  ascend  the  trees  to  some  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  height,  just  where  the  stem 
narrows,  supporting  themselves  by  a  flexible  vine-branch  twisted  hoop-fashion  roimd  the 
tree  and  their  waist.  They  then  chop  away  at  the  timber,  and  slip  nimbly  to  the  ground 
just  as  the  upper  part  of  the  tree  is  falling.  The  trunks  and  branches  are  then  gathered 
together  until  the  dry  season  is  just  over,  when  the  whole  mass  is  lighted,  and  on  the 
ground  thus  cleared  of  trees  and  brushwood  the  women  plant  their  manioc,  plantains, 
and  maize. 

Their  villages  are  built  on  one  model  The  houses  are  about  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in 
by  eight  or  ten  wide,  and  are  set  end  to  end  in  a  double  row,  so  as  to  form  a  long 
street.  The  houses  have  no  windows,  and  only  one  door,  which  opens  into  the  street.  At 
night  the  open  ends  of  the  street  are  barricaded,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  each  village  thus 
becomes  a  fortress  almost  impregnable  to  the  assa\ilts  of  native  warriora  In  order  to  add 
to  the  strength  of  their  position,  they  make  their  villages  on  the  crests  of  hills,  and  con- 
trive, if  possible,  to  build  them  in  the  midst  of  thom-brakes,  so  that,  if  they  were  attacked, 
the  enemy  would  be  exposed  to  their  missiles  while  engaged  in  forcing  their  way  through. 
the  thorns.  When  such  a  natural  defence  cannot  be  obtained,  they  content  themselves 
with  blocking  up  the  approaches  with  cut  thorn-branches. 

The  houses  are  made  of  the  so-called  bamboo  poles,  which  are  stuck  in  the  ground, 
and  lashed  to  each  other  with  vine-ropes.  The  interior  is  divided  at  least  into  two  apart- 
ments, one  of  which  is  the  eating  and  the  other  the  sleeping  chamber.  Each  Shekiani 
wife  has  a  separate  apartment,  with  its  own  door,  so  that  the  number  of  wives  may  be 
known  by  the  number  of  doors  opening  out  of  the  sitting-room. 

Although  their  houses  are  made  with  some  care,  the  Shekiani  are  continually  deserting 
their  villages  on  some  absurd  pretext,  usually  of  a  superstitious  character,  and,  during  their 
travels  towards  another  site,  they  make  temporary  encampments  in  the  woods,  their  rude 
huts  being  composed  of  four  sticks  planted  in  the  ground,  tied  together  at  the  top,  and 
then  covered  with  leaves. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  Shekiani  are  careless  about  inflicting  torture.  One 
day  M.  du  Chaillu  was  staying  with  one  of  the  so-called  Shekiani  "kings,"  named 
Njambai ;  he  heard  terrible  shrieks,  and  was  coolly  told  that  the  king  was  only  punishing 
one  of  his  wives.  He  ran  to  tha  spot,  and  there  found  a  woman  tied  by  her  waist  to  a 
stout  stake,  and  her  feet  to  smaller  stakes.  Cords  were  tied  round  her  neck,  waist,  wrists, 
and  ankles,  and  were  being  slowly  twisted  with  sticks,  cutting  into  the  flesh,  and  inflicting 
the  most  horrible  torture. 

The  king  was  rather  i  ilky  at  being  interrupted  in  his  amusement,  but,  when  his  guest 
threatened  instant  departure  unless  the  woman  were  released,  he  made  a  present  of  the 
victim  to  her  intercessor.  The  cords  had  been  so  tightly  knotted  and  twisted  that  they 
could  not  be  untied,  and,  when  they  were  cut,  were  found  to  have  been  forced  deeply  into 
the  flesh. 

The  same  traveller  gives  an  account  of  the  cruel  manner  in  which  the  Shekiani  treated 
an  imfortunate  man  who  had  been  accused  of  witchcraft.  He  was  an  old  man  belonging 
to  the  Mbousha  sub-tribe,  and  was  supposed  to  have  bewitohed  a  man  who  had  lately  died. 


'  I 


584 


THE  SHEKIANL 


"I  heard  one  day,  by  accident,  that  a  man  had  been  apprehended  on  a  chawe  of 
causing  the  death  of  one  of  the  chief  men  of  the  village.  I  went  to  Dayoko,  and  asked 
him  about  it.  He  said  yes,  the  man  was  to  be  killed  j  that  he  was  a  notorious  wizard 
and  had  done  much  harm.  ' 

"  So  I  begged  to  see  this  terrible  being. 

"  I  was  taken  to  a  rough  hut,  within  which  sat  an  old,  old  man,  with  wool  white  as 
snow,  wrmkled  face,  bowed  form,  and  shrunken  limbs.  His  hands  were  tied  behind  him, 
and  his  feet  were  placed  in  a  rude  kind  of  stocla.    This  was  the  great  wizard.    Several 


FATB  OF  THB  WIZABD. 


i  '■.■<fb.-, 


t   ft  I 


lazy  negroes  stood  guard  over  him,  and  from  time  to  time  insulted  him  with  opprobrious 
ep*  hets  and  blows,  to  which  the  poor  old  wretch  submitted  in  silence.  He  was  evidently 
in  his  dotage. 

"  I  asked  him  if  ho  had  no  friends,  no  relations,  no  son,  or  daughter,  or  wife  to  take 
care  of  hira.    He  said  sadly,  '  No  one.' 

"  Now  here  was  the  .secret  of  his  persecution.  They  were  tired  of  taking  care  of  the 
helpless  old  man,  who  had  lived  too  long,  and  a  charge  Oi"  .vitchcraft  by  the  gree-gree 
man  was  a  convenient  pretext  for  putting  him  out  of  thb  way.  I  saw  at  once  that  it 
would  be  vain  to  strive  to  save  him. 

"  T  went,  however,  to  Dayoko,  and  argued  the  case  with  him.  I  tried  to  explain  the 
absurdity  of  charging  a  harmless  old  man  with  supernatural  powers  ;  told  him  that  God 
did  not  permit  witches  to  exist ;  and  finally  made  an  offer  to  buy  the  old  wretch,  offering 
to  give  some  pounds  of  tobacco,  one  or  two  coats,  and  some  looking-glasses  for  him— 
goods  which  would  have  bought  me  an  able-bodied  slave. 


DEATH  OF  THE  WIZARD. 


685 


r,  or  wife  to  take 


"Dayoko  replied  that  for  his  part  he  would  be  glad  to  save  him,  hut  that  the  people 
must  decide ;  that  they  were  much  excited  against  him ;  but  that  he  would,  to  please  me, 
I  try  to  save  his  life. 

"  During  the  night  following  I  heard  siuging  all  over  the  town  all  night,  and  a  great 
I  nproar.  Evidently  they  were  preparing  themselves  for  the  murder.  Even  these  savages 
cannot  kill  in  cold  blood,  but  work  themselves  into  a  frenzy  of  excitement  first,  and  then 
tush  off  to  do  the  bloody  deed. 

"  Early  in  the  morning  the  people  gathered  together,  with  the  fetish  man — the  infernal 
I  lascal  who  was  at  the  bottom  of  tho  murder — in  their  midst.  His  bloodshot  eyes  glared  in 
lavage  excitement  as  he  went  around  from  man  to  man,  getting  the  votes  to  decide 
I  whether  the  old  man  should  die.  In  his  hands  he  held  a  bundle  of  herbs,  with  which  he 
sprinkled  three  times  those  to  whom  he  spoke.  Meantime  a  man  was  stationed  on  the 
top  of  a  high  tree,  wheQce  he  shouted  from  time  to  time  in  a  loud  voice, '  Jocoo  !  Jocoo  } ' 
at  the  same  time  shaking  the  tree  strongly.  '  Jocoo '  is  devil  among  the  Mbousha,  and  the 
business  of  this  man  was  to  drive  away  the  evil  spirit,  and  to  give  notice  to  the  fetish- 
man  of  his  approach. 

"  At  last  the  sad  vote  was  taken.  It  was  declared  that  the  old  man  was  a  most 
ina1i;]!naut  wizard ;  that  he  had  already  killed  a  number  of  people ;  that  he  was  minded 
to  kill  many  more ;  and  that  he  must  die.  No  one  would  tell  me  how  he  was  to  be  killed, 
and  they  proposed  to  defer  the  execution  till  my  departure,  which  I  was,  to  tell  the  truth, 
rather  glad  of.  The  whole  scene  had  considerably  agitated  me,  and  I  was  willing  to  be 
spared  the  end.  Tired,  and  sick  at  heart,  I  lay  down  on  my  bed  about  noon  to  rest, 
and  compose  my  spirits  a  little.  After  a  while,  I  saw  a  man  pass  my  window  almost 
like  a  flash,  and  after  him  a  horde  of  silent  but  infuriated  men.  They  ran  towards 
the  river. 

"Then,  in  a  little  while,  I  heard  a  couple  of  sharp,  piercing  cries,  as  of  a  man  in 
great  agony,  and  then  all  was  still  as 'death. 

"  I  got  up,  guessing  the  rascals  had  killed  the  poor  old  man,  and,  turning  my  steps 
towards  the  riveri  was  met  by  a  crowd  returning,  eveiy  man  armed  with  axe,  knife,  cutlass, 
or  spear,  and  these  weapons,  and  their  own  hands  and  arms  and  bodies,  all  sprinkled  with 
the  blood  of  their  victim.  In  their  frenzy  they  had  tied  the  poor  wizard  to  a  log  near 
the  river  bank,  and  then  deliberately  hacked  him  into  many  pieces.  They  finished  by 
splitting  open  his  skull,  and  scattering  the  brains  in  the  water.  Then  they  returned ;  and, 
to  see  their  behaviour,  it  would  have  seemed  as  though  the  country  had  juSt  been  delivered 
iifom  a  great  curse. 

"  By  night  the  men — whose  faces  for  two  days  had  filled  me  with  loathing  and  horror, 
80  bloodthirsty  and  malignant  were  they — were  again  as  mild  as  lumbs,  and  as  cheerful 
as  though  they  had  never  heard  of  a  witch  tragedy." 

Once,  when  shooting  in  the  forest,  Du  Chaillu  came  upon  a  sight  which  filled  him 
with  horror.  It  ^.-as  the  body  ( ''  a  young  woman,  with  good  and  pleasant  features,  tied 
to  a  tree  and  left  there.  The  wiiole  body  and  limbs  were  covered  with  gashes,  into  which 
the  torturers  had  rubbed  red  pepper,  thus  killing  the  poor  creature  with  sheer  agony. 

Among  other  degrading  superstitions,  the  Shekiani  believe  that  men  and  women  can 
be  changed  into  certain  animals.  One  man,  for  example,  was  said  to  have  been  suddenly 
transformed  into  a  large  gorilla  as  he  was  walking  in  the  village.  The  enchanted  animal 
haunted  the  neighbourhood  ever  afterwards,  and  did  great  mischief,  killing  the  men,  and 
carrying  off  the  women  into  the  forest.  The  people  often  hunted  it,  but  never  could 
manage  to  catch  it.  This  story  is  a  very  popular  one,  and  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  wherever  the  gorilla  lives. 

The  Shekiani  have  another  odd  belief  regarding  the  transformation  of  human  beings 
into  aninials.  Seven  days  after  a  child  is  bora,  the  girls  of  the  neighbourhood  assemble 
ia  the  house,  and  keep  up  singing  and  dancing  all  night.  They  fancy  that  '>n  the  seventh 
day  the  woman  who  waited  on  the  mother  would  be  possessed  of  an  evil  spirit,  which 
would  change  her  into  an  owl,  and  cause  her  to  suck  the  blood  of  the  child.  Bad  spirits, 
however,  cannot  endure  the  sight  or  sound  of  human  merriment,  and  so  the  girls  obligingly 
get  up  a  dance,  and  baffle  the  spirit  at  the  same  time  that  they  gratify  themselves.    As  in 


I 

A 


1 1 


686 


THE  MPONGWfi. 


■rR 


\  } 


^i. 


a  large  village  a  good  many  children  are  horn,  the  girls  contrive  to  insure  plenty  of  dances 
in  the  course  of  the  ^ear. 

Sometimes  an  evil  spirit  takes  possession  of  a  man,  and  is  so  strong  that  it  cannot  be 
driven  away  by  the  usual  singing  and  dancing,  the  struggles  between  the  exercisers  and 
the  demon  being  so  tierce  as  to  cause  the  possessed  man  to  fall  on  the  ground,  to  foam  ut 
the  mouth,  and  to  writhe  about  in  such  powerful  convulsions  that  no  one  can  hold  him. 
In  fact,  all  the  symptoms  are  those  which  the  more  prosaic  white  man  attributes  to 
epilepsy. 

Such  a  case  offers  a  good  opportunity  to  the  medicine-man,  who  comes  to  the  relief  of 
the  patient,  attended  by  his  assistant.  A  hut  is  built  in  the  middle  of  the  stieet,  and 
inhabited  by  the  doctor  and  patient  For  a  week  or  ten  days  high  festival  is  held,  and 
night  and  day  the  dance  and  song  are  kept  up  within  the  hut,  not  unaccompanied  with 
strong  drink.  Every  one  thinks  it  a  point  of  honour  to  aid  i^  the  demolition  of  the 
witch,  and,  accordingly,  every  one  who  can  eat  gorges  himself  until  he  can  eat  no  more ; 
ever}'  one  who  has  a  drum  brings  it  and  beats  it,  and  those  who  have  no  musical  instru- 
ments can  at  all  events  shout  and  sing  until  they  are  hoarse. 

Sometimes  the  natural  result  of  such  a  proceeding  occurs,  the  mnfortunate  patient 
being  fairly  driven  out  of  his  senses  by  the  ceaseless  and  deafening  uproar,  and  darting 
into  the  forest  a  confirmed  maniac. 


THE  MPONGWA 


Upon  the  Gaboon  River  is  a  well-known  negro  tribe  called  Mpongw^ 

Perhaps  on  accouut  of  their  contimial  admixture  with  traders,  they  apptoach  nearer 
to  civilization  than  those  tribes  which  have  been  described,  and  are  peculiariy  refined  in 
their  manners,  appearance,  and  language.  They  are  very  fond  of  dress,  and  the  women 
in  particular  are  remarkable  for  their  attention  to  the  toilet.  They  wear  but  little 
clothing,  their  dllrk,  velvet-like  skin  requiring  scarcely  any  covering,  and  being  admirably 
suited  for  setting  off  the  ornaments  with  which  they  plentifully  bedeck  themselves. 

Their  heads  are  elaborately  dressed,  the  woolly  hair  being  frizzed  out  over  a  kind  of 
cushion,  and  saturated  with  palm  oil  to  make  it  hold  together.  Artificial  hair  is  Iso 
added  when  the  original  stock  is  deficient,  and  is  neatly  applied  in  the  form  of  rosettes 
over  the  ears.  A  perfumed  bark  is  scraped  and  applied  to  the  hair,  and  the  whole  edifice 
is  finished  off  with  a  large  pin  of  ivory,  bone,  or  ebony. 

When  their  husbands  die,  the  widows  are  obliged  to  sacrifice  this  cherished  adornment 
and  go  about  with  shaven  heads,  a  custom  which  applies  also  to  the  other  sex  in  time 
of  mourning.  In  this  country  mourning  is  implied  by  the  addition  of  certain  articles  to 
the  ordinary  clothing,  but,  among  the  Mpongw^,  the  case  is  exactly  reversed.  "When  a 
woman  is  in  mourning  she  shaves  her  head  and  wears  as  few  and  as  bad  clothes  as 
possible ;  and  when  a  man  is  in  mournings  he  not  only  shaves  his  head,  but  abandons  all 
costume  until  the  customary  period  is  over. 

The  women  wear  upon  their  ankles  huge  brass  rings  made  of  Stair  rods,  and  many  of 
them  are  so  laden  with  these  ornaments  that  their  naturally  graceful  walk  degenerates 
into  a  waddle ;  and  if  by  chance  they  should  fall  into  the  watet,  they  are  drowned  by  the 
weight  of  their  brass  anklets. 

The  Mpongw<?s  are  a  clever  race,  having  a  wonderful  aptitudo  for  languages,  and 
swindling.  Some  of  the  men  can  speak  several  native  dialects,  and  are  well  versed 
in  English,  French,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese,  using  their  accomplishments  for  the  purpose 
of  cheating  both  of  the  parties  for  whom  they  interpret.  They  are  very  clever  at  an 
argument,  especially  of  that  kind  which  is  popularly  known  as  "  special  pleading,"  and 


THE  CORONATION  CEREMONY. 


687 


e  plenty  of  dances 


vill  prove  that  black  is  white,  not  to  say  blue  or  red,  with  astonishing  coolness  and 
ingenuity. 

Clever,  however,  as  they  are,  they  are  liable  to  be  cheated  in  their  town  by  their  own 
people — if  indeed  those  can  be  said  to  be  cheated  who  deliberately  walk  into  the  trap 
that  is  set  for  them.  They  will  come  down  to  the  coast,  imp  upon  some  unwary  trader 
with  their  fluent  and  plausible  tongues,  talk  him  into  advancing  goods  on  credit,  and 
then  slink  off  to  their  villages,  delighted  with  their  own  ingenuity.  As  soon,  however, 
18  they  reach  their  homes,  the  plunderers  become  the  plundered.  Indeed,  as  Mr.  W.  Reade 
well  remarks,  "  There  are  many  excellent  business  men  who  in  private  Me  are  weak,  vain, 
extravagant,  and  who  seem  to  leave  their  brains  behind  them.  Such  are  the  Mpongw^s, 
a  tribe  of  commercial  travellers,  men  who  prey  upon  ignorance  in  the  bush,  and  are 
devoured  by  flattery  in  the  town." 

As  soon  as  the  successful  trader  returns  to  his  village,  he  is  beset  by  all  his  friends 
and  relations,  who  see  in  him  a  mine  of  wealth,  of  which  they  all  have  a  share.  They 
sing  his  praises,  they  get  up  dances  in  his  honour,  they  extol  his  generosity,  eating  and 
drinking  all  the  whUe  at  his  expense,  and  never  leaving  him  until  the  last  plantain  has 
been  eaten  and  the  last  drop  of  rum  drunk.  He  has  nou  strength  of  mind  to  resist  the 
flattery  which  is  heaped  upon  him,  and  considers  himself  bound  to  reward  his  eulogists 
by  presents.  Consequently,  at  the  end  of  a  week  or  two  he  ia  as  poor  as  when  he  started 
on  his  expedition,  and  is  obliged  to  go  ofiT  and  earn  more  money,  of  which  he  will  be 
robbed  in  a  similar  manner  when  he  returns. 

These  feasts  are  not  very  enticing  to  our  European  palate,  for  the  Mpongw^  have  no 
idea  of  roasting,  but  boil  all  their  fooid  in  earthen  vessels.  They  have  little  scruple  about 
the  different  articles  of  diet,  but  will  eat  the  flesh  of  almost  any  animal,  bird,  or  reptile 
that  they  Can  kill 

Among  the  Mpongw^,  the  government  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  other  tribes 
in  Western  Equatorial  Africa.  The  diiferent  sub-tribes  or  clans  of  the  Mpongw^  are  ruled 
by  their  head-men,  the  principal  chief  of  a  district  being  dignified  with  the  title 
of  king. 

Dignity  has,  as  we  all  know,  its  drawbacks  as  well  as  its  privileges,  and  among  the 
Mpongvv^  it  has  its  pains  as  .well  as  its  pleasures.  When  once  a  man  is  fairly  made 
king,  he  may  do  much  as  he  likes,  and  is  scarcely  ever  crossed  in  anything  that  he  may 
desire.  Bat  the  process  of  coronation  is  anything  but  agreeable,  and  utterly  unlike  the 
gorgeous  ceremony  with  which  civilized  men  are  so  familiar. 

The  new  king  is  secretly  chosen  in  solemn  conclave,  and  no  one,  not  even  the  king 
elect,  knows  on  whom  the  lot  has  fallen.  On  the  seventh  day  after  the  funeral  of  the 
deceased  sovereign,  the  name  of  the  new  king  is  proclaimed,  and  all  the  people  make  a 
furious  rush  at  hira  They  shout  and  yell  at  him  ;  they  load  him  with  all  the  terms  of 
abuse  in  which  their  language  is  so  prolific  ;  and  they  insult  him  in  the  grossest  manner. 

One  man  will  run  up  to  him  and  shout,  "  You  are  not  my  king  yet ! "  accompanying 
the  words  with  a  sound  box  on  the  ear.  Another  flings  a  handful  of  mud  in  his  face, 
accompanied  by  the  same  words  ;  another  gets  behind  him  and  administers  a  severe  kick, 
and  a  third  slaps  his  face.  For  some  time  the  poor  man  is  hustled  and  beaten  by  them 
until  his  life  seems  to  be  worthless,  while  all  around  is  a  crowd  of  disappointed  subjects, 
who  have  not  been  able  to  get  at  their  future  monarch,  and  who  are  obliged  to  content 
themselves  by  pelting  him  with  sticks  and  stones  over  the  heads  of  their  more  fortunate 
comrades,  and  abusing  him,  and  his  parents,  and  his  brothers,  sisters,  and  all.his  relatives 
for  several  generations. 

Suddenly  the  tumult  ceases,  and  the  king  elect,  bruised,  mud-bespattered,  bleeding, 
and  exhausted,  is  led  into  the  house  of  his  predecessor,  where  he  seats  himself.  The 
whole  demeanour  of  the  people  now  changes,  and  silent  respect  takes  the  place  of  frantic 
violence.  The  head-men  of  the  tribe  rise  and  say,  "  Now  we  acknowledge  you  as  our 
king;  we  listen  to  you,  and  obey  you."  The  people  repeat  these  words  after  them,  and 
then  the  crown  and  royal  robes  are  brought.  The  crown  is  always  an  old  silk  hat,  which, 
oy  some  grotesque  chance,  has  become  the  sign  of  royalty  in  Western  Africa.  The  state 
lobea  are  composed  of  a  red  dressing-gown,  unless  a  beadle's  coat  can  be  procured,  and. 


h^  *i' 


; '  ta 


U 


I 


'  i  ; 


't     ■?    i 


088 


THE  MPONGWfi. 


arrayed  in  this  splendid  apparel,  the  new  king  is  presented  to  his  subjects,  and  receives 
their  homage. 

A  full  week  of  congratulations  and  festivities  follows,  by  the  end  of  which  time  the 
king  ia  in  sad  need  of  repose,  strangers  from  great  distances  continually  airiving,  and  all 
insisting  on  being  presented  to  the  new  king.  Not  until  these  lites  are  over  is  the  kinv 
allowed  to  leave  the  house. 

M.  du  Chaillu  was  a  witness  of  the  remarkable  ceremony  which  has  just  been 
described,  and  which  took  place  on  the  coronation  of  a  successor  to  the  old  King  Glugg, 


■^t.',*7*%|| 

I' 

r 

■•«««ft'  '■ 

mW:-:^ 

*■ 

.  -   % 

1. 

.• 

i,                             -'■■ 

'  Jj^ 

* 

C          I     *                 .      "'^^Sw*                    a\ 

/          '■  >^ ... 

1 

^   •  w^ 

1 

■  -'f 

, 

4w* 

mS^ 

tf-**^                ;LS^  « 

n 

V,     "^ 

liNMM 

^ 

ID 

J^^p 

^^^J 

! 

> 

Cg 

^^^^^^^^^H 

^^^^^^^^^HH 

^T   '^1 

^^^^^^^D 

^'^^'■— ^ 

■*:^^^**^^EI^ 

■  - 

"  -■'''"^'-      -^ 

'-7—      -^ 

^ 

-.•«S»jri'ir^^S 

CORONATION. 


tl^J 


who,  as  is  rather  quaintly  remarked,  "  stuck  to  life  with  a  determined  tenacity,  which 
almost  bid  fair  to  cheat  Death.     He  was  a  disagreeable  old  heathen,  but  in  his  last  days 
became  veiy  devout — after  his  fashion.     His  idol  was  always  freshly  painted  and  highly 
decorated ;  his  fetish  was  the  best  cared-for  fetish  in  Africa,  and  every  few  days  some 
great  doctor  was  brought  down  from  the  interior,  and  paid  a  large  fee  for  advising  tiie  old  [ 
icing.     He  was  afraid  of  witchcraft ;  thought  that  everybody  wanted  to  put  him  out  of  I 
the  way  by  bewitching  him  ;  and  in  this  country  "our  doctor  does  not  try  to  cure  yourf 
sickness ;  his  business  is  to  keep  off  the  witches."  '  I 

The  oddest  thing  was,  that  all  the  people  thought  that  he  was  a  powerful  wizard,  and 
were  equally  afraid  and  tired  of  him.  He  had  been  king  too  long  for  their  ideas,  and! 
they  certainly  did  wish  him  fairly  dead.  But  when  he  became  ill,  and  was  likely  to  die,! 
the  usual  etiquette  was  observed,  every  one  going  about  as  if  plunged  in  the  deepest! 
sorrow,  although  they  hated  him  sincerely,  and  were  so  afraid  of  his  supernatural  powers! 
that  scarcely  a  native  dared  to  pass  his  hut  by  night,  and  no  bribe  less  than  a  jug  of  I 
rum  would  induce  any  one  to  enter  the  house.    At  last  he  died,  and  then  every  one  went  j 


CANOE-MAKING. 


689 


into  mourning,  the  women  wailing  and  pouring  out  tears  w  h  the  asto  ihing  larhrymal 
capability  >vhioh  distitij^uiRlios  tlie  Africun  wumen,  wliu  i  ahed  tt-  s  copio  v  and 
laugh  at  tho  sainu  titno. 

Oa  tho  second  day  aftar  his  death  old  King  Glass  was  buried,  but  the  exa  jiot  of 
I  his  sepulture  no  one  knew,  except  a  few  old  councillors  on  whom  the  duty  i.  By 
way  of  a  monument,  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth  was  suspended  from  a  pole.  V  ry  one 
Itnew  that  it  only  marked  tlje  spot  where  King  Glass  was  not  buried.  For  si.\  i  the 
mourning  continued,  at  the  end  of  which  time  occurred  the  coronation,  and  the  chief 
Njogoni  became  the  new  King  Glass. 

The  mode  of  burial  varies  according  to  the  rank  of  the  deceased.  The  body  of  a  chief 
ij  carefully  interred,  and  so  is  that  of  a  king,  the  sepulchre  of  the  latter  being,  as  has  just 
been  mentioned,  kept  a  profound  secret.  By  the  grave  are  placed  certain  implements 
belonging  to  the  dead  person,  a  stool  or  a  jug  markine  the  grave  of  a  man,  and  a  calabash 
that  of  a  woman.  The  bodies  of  slaves  are  treated  less  ceremoniously,  being  merely 
taken  to  the  burying-ground,  thrown  down,  and  left  to  perish,  without  the  honours  of 
a  grave  or  accompanying  symbol. 

Like  other  dwellers  upon  river-banks,  the  Mpongwd  are  admirable  boatmen,  and 
display  great  ingenuity  in  making  canoes. 

The  tree  from  which  they  are  made  only  grows  inland,  and  sometimes,  when  a  large 
vessel  is  wanted,  a  suitable  tree  can  only  be  found  some  eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  shore. 
If  a  eanoe-maker  can  find  a  tree  within  two  or  three  miles  from  the  water,  he  counts 
himself  a  lucky  man ;  but,  as  the  trees  are  being  continually  cut  up  for  canoe-making, 
it  is  evident  that  the  Mpongw6  are  continually  driven  further  inland. 

When  a  Mpongw^  has  settled  upon  a  tree  which  he  thinks  will  make  a  good  canoe, 
he  transplants  all  his  family  to  the  spot,  and  builds  a  new  homestead  for  himself,  his 
vives,  his  children,  and  his  slaves.  Sometimes  he  will  economise  his  labour,  and  pitch 
his  encampment  near  three  or  four  canoe-trees,  all  of  which  he  intends  to  fashion  into 
vessels  before  he  returns  to  his  village.  When  the  trees  are  felled,  and  cut  to  the  proper 
icDgth— sixty  feet  being  an  ordinary  measurement — they  are  ingeniously  hollowed  by 
means  of  fire,  which  is  carefully  watched  and  guided  until  the  interior  is  burnt  away. 
The  outside  of  the  tree  is  then  trimmed  into  shape  with  tho  native  adze,  and  the  canoe 
is  ready.    A  clever  man,  with  a  large  family,  will  make  several  such  canoes  during  a 

jle  dry  season. 

The  next  and  most  important  business  is  to  get  the  canoes  to  the  water.  This  is 
by  cutting  a  pathway  through  the  wood,  and  laboriously  pushing  the  canoe  on 
tollers.  In  some  cases,  when  the  canoe-tree  is  nearer  the  sea  than  the  river,  the  maker 
takes  it  direct  to  the  beach,  launches  it,  and  then  paddles  it  round  to  the  river. 


,    (' 


HI 


fi  1 


II 


J*::;, 


/'I 


OHAFTEBLL 

THE  FANS. 


LOOALRT  OF  THR  TBIB* — THKB  OOLOUS  AITD  OBKBRAL  AmABAKTOB'— THK  KINO  OT  THB  TAN»— 
AN  VOLY  QUKBN — A  MIXED  OHABAOTKR — HOSPITALITY  AND  CUBI08ITY — FIBBCR  AND  WABLIXR 
NATUBB — THBIR     CONQURRINn     PaOOItEHS    WK8TWARD — WAR-KNIVK8,    AXB8,    AND   SPBAB8 — SKILL 

IN   IRON   WORK TUB   FAN   CROSS-BOW   AND   ITS   DIUINVTIVX    ABBOWS — WAR  SUIKLDS  AND  THRIR 

TALUB — KLBPHANT  HUNTINO — TUB  WIBB  NXT  AND  THB  8PBAB  TBAP — FAN  COOKBRT,  AND 
DIRT  IN  ORNBBAL — UOBTABS  AND  COOXINO  POTS— BABTHBBN  PIPB-B0WL8— OBAVINO  FOB  MEAT 
'— FATB  OF   TUX  BUEBP. 


i;  V' 


The  remarkable  tribe  which  now  comes  before  our  notice  inhabits  a  tract  of  land  just 
above  the  Equator,  and  on  the  easternmost  known  limits  of  the  Gaboon  River.  Their 
name  for  themselves  is  Ba-Fanh,  i.e.  the  Fan-people,  and  they  are  known  along  the  coast 
as  the  Pasuen. 

That  they  are  truly  a  singular  people  may  be  inferred  from  the  terse  summary  which 
has  been  given  of  them, — namely,  a  race  of  cannibal  gentlemen.  Their  origin  is  unknown ; 
but,  as  fur  as  can  be  gathered  from  various  sources,  they  have  come  from  the  north-east, 
their  bold  and  warlike  nature  having  overcome  the  weaker  or  more  timid  tribes  who 
originally  possessed  the  land,  and  who,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  seem  to  have  been 
allied  to  the  curious  dwarfish  race  which  has  been  described  on  page  "SSS. 

They  cannot  be  called  negroes,  as  they  are  not  black,  but  cofl'ee-coloured  ;  neither  do 
they  possess  the  enormous  lips,  the  elongated  skull,  nor  the  projecting  jaws,  which  are  so 
conspicuous  in  the  true  negro.  In  many  individuals  a  remarkable  sliape  of  the  skull  is 
to  be  seen,  the  forehead  running  up  into  a  conical  shape.  Their  figures  are  usually  slight, 
and  their  upper  jaw  mostly  protrudes  beyond  the  lower,  thus  giving  a  strange  expression 
to  the  countenance. 

The  men  are  dressed  simply  enough,  their  chief  costume  being  a  piece  of  bark- cloth, 
or,  in  case  the  wearer  should  be  of  very  high  rank,  the  skin  of  a  ti^er-cat,  with  t!ie  tail 
downwards.  They  have  a  way  of  adding  to  their  natural  heads  of  hair  a  sort  of  queue, 
exactly  like  that  of  the  British  sailor  in  Nelson's  days,  making  the  queue  partly  out  of 
their  own  hair,  and  partly  from  tow  and  other  fibres.  It  is  plaited  very  firmly,  and  is 
usually  decorated  with  beads,  cowries,  and  other  ornaments.  The  beard  is  gathered  into 
two  tufts,  which  are  twisted  like  ropes,  and  kept  in  shape  by  abundant  grease. 

The  King  of  the  Fans,  Ndiayai  by  n;  '•  was  noted  for  his  taste  in  dress.  His  queue 
divided  at  the  end  into  two  points,  each  of  hich  was  terminated  by  brass  rings,  while  a 
number  of  white  beads  were  worn  at  the  top  of  his  head.  His  entire  body  was  painted 
red,  and  was  also  covered  with  boldly-drawn  tattoo  marks.  Eound  his  waist  he  had 
twisted  a  small  piece  of  bark-cloth,  in  front  of  which  hung  the  tuft  of  leopard-skin  that 
designated  his  royal  authority.  The  whole  of  the  hair  which  was  not  gathered  into  the 
queue  was  teased  out  into  little  rc^ielets,  which  stood  well  out  from  the  head,  and  were 
terminated  by  beads  or  small  rings.*  His  ankles  were  loaded  with  brass  rings,  which  made 


THE  "CANNIBAL  GENTLEMEN.' 


601 


0  OT  THS  WkW— 

UCR  AND  WABLIKR 
ND  BPBABa — SKILL 
UIKLDS  AMD  TBRIR 
IN  COOXRBT,  AND 
JBAVINQ  FOB  MGAT 


ract  of  land  just 
)on  Eiver.  Theiv 
n  along  the  coast 

summary  which 
•igin  is  unknown ; 
mi  the  north-east, 
timid  tribes  who 
em  to  have  been 
I. 

lured ;  neither  do 
aws,  which  are  so 
pe  of  the  skull  is 
lie  usually  slight, 
trange  expression 

3ce  of  bark-cloth, 
-cat,  with  t)ie  tail 
r  a  sort  of  queue, 
neue  partly  out  of 
iry  firmly,  and  is 
is  gathered  into 
prease. 

ress.  His  queue 
ass  rings,  while  a 
body  was  painted 
his  waist  he  had 
leopard-skin  that 
gathered  into  the 
6  head,  and  were 
ings,  which  made 


ft  (Treat  jinffling  as  he  walked,  and  his  head  was  decorated  with  the  red  feathers  of  the 
touraco.  His  teeth  were  tiled  to  points,  aud  painted  black,  and  liis  body  was  hung  with 
quantities  of  charms  and  amulets. 

The  women  wear  even  less  costume  than  the  men.  Unmarried  girls  wear  none  at  all, 
ind,even  when  married,  a  slight  apron  is  all  that  they  use.  On  their  heads  they  generally 
wear  some  ornament,  and  the  wife  of  Ndiayai — who,  as  Du  Chaillu  remarks,  was  the 
ugliest  woman  he  had  ever  seen — had  a  cap  covered  with  white  shells,  and  had  made 
tattooing,  with  which  her  whole  body  was  covered,  take  the  place  of  clothing.  She  cer- 
tainly wore  !i  so-called  dress,  but  it  was  only  a  little  strip  of  red  Fan-cloth,  about  four 
inches  widi  Two  enormous  copper  rings  were  passed  tnrough  the  lobes  of  her  ears, 
which  they  dragged  down  in  a  very  unsightly  manner,  and  on  her  ankles  were  iron  rings 
of  great  weight.  These  were  her  most  precious  ornaments,  iron  being  to  tlie  Fans  even 
more  valuable  than  gold  is  among  ourselves.  Apparently  from  constant  exposure,  her 
skiu  was  rough  like  the  bark  of  a  tree. 

Most  of  the  married  women  wear  a  bark  belt  about  four  inches  wide,  which  passes 
over  one  shoulder  and  under  the  other.  This  is  not  meant  as  an  article  of  dress,  but 
only  a  sort  of  cradle.  The  child  is  seated  on  this  belt,  so  that  its  weight  is  principal!' 
sustained  by  it,  and  it  can  be  shifted  about  from  side  to  side  by  meraly  changing  the  belt 
from  one  arm  to  the  other.  The  women  are,  as  a  rule,  smaller  in  stature  than  the  men, 
and  are  not  at  all  pretty,  what  pretence  to  beanty  they  may  have  being  destroyed  by 
their  abominable  practice  of  painting  their  bodies  red,  aud  filing  their  teeth  to  sharp 
points. 

From  the  accounts  of  those  who  have  mixed  with  them,  the  Fans  present  a  strange 
jumble  of  characters.  They  practise  open  and  avowed  cannibalism — a  custom  which  is 
03  repulsive  to  civilized  feelings  as  can  well  be  imagined.  They  are  fierce,  warlike,  and 
ruthless  in  battle,  fighting  for  the  mere  love  of  it,  with  their  hand  against  every  man. 
Yet  in  private  life  they  are  hospitable,  polite,  and  gentle,  rather  afraid  of  strangers,  and 
as  mildly  inquisitive  as  cats.  Both  Da  Chaillu  and  Mr.  Kcadc  agree  in  these  points, 
and  the  latter  has  given  a  most  amusing  account  of  his  introduction  to  a  Fan  village.  He 
had  been  previously  chollenged  on  the  Gaboon  River  by  a  Fan,  who  forbade  the  boat  to 
pass,  but,  on  being  offered  a  brass  rod  per  diem  as  a  recompense  for  his  services  as  guide, 
"grinned  horribly  a  ghastly  smile,"  which  showed  his  filed  teeth,  and  agreed  to  conduct 
the  party  to  the  next  village.  He  kept  his  word  like  a  man,  and  brought  the  loat  to  a 
village,  where  our  author  made  his  first  acquaintance  with  the  tribe. 

"  I  examined  these  people  with  the  interest  of  a  traveller ;  they  hailed  me  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  a  mob.  The  chief's  house,  to  which  I  had  been  conducted,  was  surrounded 
by  a  crowd  of  cannibals,  four  deep ;  and  the  slight  modicum  of  liyht  which  native  archi- 
tecture permits  to  come  in  by  the  door  was  intercepted  by  heads  and  parrots'  feathers. 
At  the  same  time,  every  man  talked  as  if  he  had  two  voices. 

"Oshupu  obtained  me  a  short  respite  by  explaining  to  them  that  it  was  the  habit  of 
the  animal  to  come  out  to  air  himself,  and  to  walk  to  and  fro  in  the  one  street  of  the 
village. 

"Being  already  inured  to  this  kind  of  thing,  I  went  out  at  sunset  and  sat  before  the 
door.  Oshupu,  squatting  beside  me,  and  playing  on  a  musical  iustrument,  gave  the 
proceeding  the  appearance  of  a  theatrical  entertainment. 

"  And  this  taught  me  how  often  an  actor  can  return  the  open  memment  of  the  house 
with  sly  laughter  in  his  sleeve.  One  seldom  has  the  fortune  to  see  anything  so  ludicrous 
ou  the  stage  as  the  grotesque  grimaces  of  a  laughing  audience.  But  oh,  if  Hogarth  could 
have  seen  my  caimibals  I 

"  Here  stood  two  men  with  their  hands  upon  each  other's  shoulders,  staring  at  me  in 
mute  wonder,  their  eyes  like  saucers,  their  mouths  like  open  sepulchres.  There  an  old 
woman,  in  a  stooping  attitude,  with  her  hands  on  her  knees,  like  a  cricketer  '  fielding 
out;'  a  man  was  dragging  up  his  frightened  wife  to  look  at  me,  and  a  child  cried  bitterly 
with  averted  eyes. 

"  After  the  Fans  nad  taken  the  edge  off  their  curiosity,  and  had  dispersed  a  little,  I 
lose  to  enjoy  my  evening  promenade.    All  stared  at  me  with  increasing  wonder.    That  a 


m\ 


i 

.  s'l  r 


y 


.y 


&  I 


692 


THE  FANS. 


man  should  walk  backwards  and  forwards  with  no  fixed  oDject  is  something  which  the 
slothful  negro  cannot  understand,  and  which  possibly  appears  to  him  rather  the  action 
of  a  beast  than  of  a  human  being. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  they  contrived  to  conquer  their  timidity.  I  observed  tM'o  or 
three  girls  whispering  together  and  looking  at  me.  Presently  I  felt  an  inquisitive  finoer 
laid  on  my  coat,  and  heard  the  sound  of  bare  feet  running  away.  I  remained  in  the  same 
position.  Then  one  bolder  than  the  rest  approached  me,  and  spoke  to  me  smiling  T 
assumed  as  amiable  an  expression  as  Nature  would  permit,  and  touched  my  ears  to  show 
that  I  did  not  understand.  At  this  they  had  a  great  laugh,  as  if  I  had  said  something 
good,'and  the  two  others  began  to  draw  near  like  cats.  One  girl  took  my  hand  between 
hers,  and  stroked  it  timidly  ;  the  others,  raising  towaius  me  their  beautiful  black  eyes,  and 
Avitli  smiles  showing  teeth  which  were  not  filed,  and  which  were  as  white  as  snow,  de- 
manded permission  to  touch  this  hand,  which  seemed  to  them  so  strange.  And  then  they 
all  felt  my  cheeks  and  my  straight  hair,  and  looked  upon  me  as  a  tame  prodigy  sent 
to  theiii  by  the  gods ;  and  all  the  while  they  chattered,  the  pretty  things,  as  if  I  could 
understand  them. 

"  Now  ensued  a  grand  discussion  ;  first  my  skin  was  touched,  and  -then  my  coat,  and 
the  two  were  carefully  compared.  At  length  one  of  them  happened  to  pull  back  my  coat, 
and  on  seeing  my  wrist  they  gave  a  cry,  and  clapped  their  hands  unanimously.  They  had 
been  arguing  whether  my  coat  was  of  the  same  material  as  my  skin,  and  an  accident 
had  solved  the  mystery. 

"  I  was  soon  encircled  by  women  and  children,  who  wished  to  touch  my  hands,  and  to 
peep  under  my  cuffs — a  proceeding  which  I  endured  with  exemplary  patience.  Nor  did  I 
ever  spend  half  an  hour  in  a  Fan  village  before  these  weaker  vessels  had  forgotten  that 
they  had  cried  with  terror  ^^*hen  they  first  saw  me ;  and  before  I  also  had  forgotten  that 
these  amicable  Yaricos  would  stew  me  in  palm-oil,  and  serve  me  up  before  their  aged 
sires,  if  so  ordered,  with  as  little  reluctance  as  an  English  cook  would  crimp  her  cod,  skin 
her  eels  alive,  or  boil  her  lobsters  into  red  agony." 

The  Fans  are  a  fierce  and  warlike  people,  and  by  dint  of  arms  have  forced  their  way 
into  countries  far  distant  from  their  own,  wherever  that  may  have  been.  No  tribes  have 
been  able  to  stand  against  them,  and  even  the  large  and  powerful  Bakalai  and  Shekiani 
have  had  to  yield  up  village  after  village  to  the  invaders,  so  that  in  some  parts  all  these 
tribes  are  curiously  intermingled ;  and  all  these  are  at  war  with  each  other.  The  Fans, 
however,  are  more  than  a  match  for  the  other  two,  even  if  they  were  to  combine  forces, 
which  their  short-sighted  jealousy  will  not  permit  them  to  do ;  and  by  slow  degrees  the 
Bakalai  and  Shokiaui  are  wasting  away,  and  the  Fans  taking  their  places.  They  have 
even  penetrated  into  the  Mpongw^  country  so  that  they  proceed  steadily  from  the  east 
toward  the  sea-board. 

The  progress  made  by  the  Fans  has  been  astonishingly  rapid.  Before  1847  they  were 
only  known  traditionally  to  the  sea- shore  tribes  as  a  race  of  warlike  cannibals,  a  few 
villages  being  found  in  the  mountainous  region  from  which  the  head  waters  of  the 
Gaboon  River  take  their  origin.  Now  they  have  passed  westward  until  they  are 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  sea-coast  and  are  now  and  then  seen  among  the  settlements 
of  the  traders. 

Every  Fan  becomes  a  warrior  when  he  obtains  the  age  of  manhood,  and  goes  syste- 
matically armed  with  a  truly  formidable  array  of  weapons.  Their  principal  offensive 
weapon  is  the  huge  war-knife,  which  is  sometimes  three  feet  in  length,  and  seven  inches 
or  so  in  width. 

Several  forms  of  these  knives  are  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  593.  The 
general  shape  is  much  like  that  of  the  knives  used  in  other  parts  of  'Westem  Africa. 
That  on  the  right  hand  may  almost  be  called  a  sword,  so  large  and  heavy  is  it.  In  using 
it,  the  Fan  warrior  prefers  the  point  to  the  edge,  and  keeps  it  sharpened  for  the  express 
purpose.  Another  form  of  knife  is  seen  in  the  central  figure.  This  has  no  point,  and 
is  used  as  a  cutting  instrument.  That  on  the  left  hand  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  for- 
midable of  the  three.  It  is  used  for  delivering  a  blow  on  the  enemy's  shoulder,  and  it  is 
said  to  do  tremendous  execution.    Many  of  them  have  also  a  smaller  knife,  which  they 


WAE  WEAPONS. 


693 


use  for  cutting  meat,  and  other  domestic  purposes,  reserving  the  large  knives  entirely  for 

I  battle. 

All  these  knives  are  kept  very  sharp,  and  are  preserved  in  sheaths,  such  as  are  seen 

I  in  the  illustration.  The  sheaths  are  mostly  made  of  two  flat  pieces  of  wood,  slightly 
hollowed  out,  so  as  to  receive  the  blade,  and  covered  with  hide  of  some  sort.  Snake-skin 
forms  a  favourite  covering  to  the  sheaths,  and  many  of  the  sheaths  are  covered  with  human 
skin,  torn  from  the  body  of  a  slain  enemy.  Tlie  two  halves  of  the  sheath  are  bound 
together  by  strips  of  raw  hide,  which  hold  them  quite  firmly  in  their  places. 


1  r 


VAR-KNIVES. 


Axes  of  different  kinds  are  also  employed  by  the  Fans.    One  of  these  bears  a  singular 

Ittsemblance  to  the  Neam-Nam  war-knife,  as  seen  in  the  right-hand  figure  on  page  492, 
and  is  used  in  exactly  the  same  manner,  namely,  as  a  missile.   Its  head  is  flat  and  pointed, 

Undjust  above  the  handle  is  a  sharp  projection,  much  like  that  on  the  Neam-Nam  knife. 
When  the  Fan  warrior  flings  this  axe,  he  aims  it  at  the  head  of  the  enemy,  and  has 
J  knack  of  hurling  it  so  that  its  point  strikes  downwards,  and  thus  inflicts  a  blow  strong 
enough  to  crush  even  the  hard  skull  of  a  native  African. 

Then  there  is  another  axe,  which  may  be  seen  below  the  shield  shown  on  page  596. 
The  reader  will  not  fail  to  notice  the  elaborate  ornaments  with  which  the  blade  is  covered, 
and  which  give  evidence  of  the  skill  possessed  by  the  native  smith.  It  is  rather  a  heavy 
weapon,  and  is  not  used  as  a  missile,  but  in  hand-to-hand  encounters. 

Spears  are  also  used,  their  shafts  being  about  six  or  seven  feet  in  length,  and  of  some 
thickness.  They  are  used  for  thrusting,  and  not  for  throwing,  and  their  heads  are  of 
various  shapes.  There  is  a  very  good  gioup  of  them  in  the  museum  of  the  Anthropo- 
VI?  ^^^^^y>  exhibiting  the  chief  forms  of  the  heads.    These  spears,  as  well  as  the 

I  shield  which  accompanies  them,  were  brought  to  England  by  M.  du  Chaillu,  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  most  of  our  knowledge  concerning  this  remarkable  tribe. 

Some  of  the  spear-heads  are  quite  plain  and  leaf-shaped,  while  others  are  formed  in 
rather  a  fantastical  manner.  One,  for  example,  has  several  large  and  flat  barbs  set  just 
under  the  head,  another  has  only  a  single  pair  of  barbs,  while  a  third  looks  much  like  the 

j  sword-knife  set  in  the  end  of  a  shaft,  and  so  converted  into  a  spear. 


^„iito 


VOL.L 


%% 


694 


THE  FANS. 


All  their  weapons  ai-e  kept  in  the  best  order,  their  owners  beinff  ever  ready  for  a  fray ; 
and  they  are  valued  in  proportion  to  the  execution  whioh  they  have  done,  the  wamors 
having  an  almost  superstitious  regard  for  a  knife  which  has  killed  a  man. 

All  their  weapons  are  made  by  themselves,  and  the  quality  of  the  steel  is  really 
surprising.  They  obtain  their  iron  ore  from  the  surface  of  the  ground,  where  it  lies  about 
plentifully  in  some  localities.  In  order  to  smelt  it,  they  cut  a  vast  supply  of  wood  and 
build  a  large  pile.  laying  on  it  a  quantity  of  the  ore  broken  into  pieces.  More  wood  is 
then  thrown  on  the  top,  and  the  whole  is  lighted.  Fresh  supplies  of  wood  are  continually 
added,  until  the  iron  is  fairly  melted  out  of  the  ore.  Of  course,  by  this  rough  mode  of 
procedure,  a  considerable  percentage  of  the  metui  is  lost,  but  that  is  thought  of  very  little 
consequence. 

The  next  business  is  to  make  the  cast-iron  malleable,  which  is  done  by  a  series  of 
beatings  and  hammerings,  the  result  being  a  wonderfully  well-tempered  steel.  For  their 
purposes,  such  steel  is  far  preferable  to  that  which  is  made  in  England ;  and  when  a  Fan 
wishes  to  make  a  particularly  good  knife  or  spear-head,  he  would  rather  smelt  and  teuiptr 
iron  for  himself  than  use  the  best  steel  that  Sheffield  can  produce. 

The  bellows  which  they  employ  are  made  on  exactly  the  same  principle  as  those  which 
have  several  times  been  mentioned.  They  are  made  of  two  short  hollow  cylinders,  to  the 
upper  end  of  which  is  tied  a  loose  piece  of  soft  hide.  A  wooden  handle  is  fixed  to  each 
skin.  From  the  bottoms  of  the  cylinders  a  wooden  pipe  is  led,  and  the  two  pipes  converge 
in  an  iron  tube.  The  end  of  this  tube  is  placed  in  the  fire,  and  the  bellows-man,  by 
working  the  handles  up  and  down  alternately,  drives  a  constant  stream  of  air  into 
the  lira 

Their  anvils  and  hammers  are  equally  simple ;  and  yet,  with  such  rude  materials,  they 
contrive,  by  dint  of  patient  working,  to  turn  out  admirable  specimens  of  blacksmith's 
work.  All  their  best  weapons  are  decorated  with  intricate  patterns  engraven  on  the  blades, 
and,  as  time  is  no  object  to  them,  they  will  spend  many  months  on  the  figuring  and 
finishing  of  a  singlo  axe-blade.  The  patterns  are  made  by  means  of  a  small  cuisel  and 
a  hammer.  Some  of  their  ruder  knives  are  not  intended  as  weapons  of  war,  but  merely  as 
instruments  by  which  they  can  cut  down  the  trees  and  brushwood  that  are  in  the  way 
when  they  want  to  clear  a  spot  for  agriculture.  It  will  now  be  seen  why  iron  is  so 
valuable  a  commodity  among  the  Fans,  and  wliy  a  couple  of  heavy  anklets  made  of  this 
precious  metal  should  be  so  valued  by  the  women. 

There  is  one  very  singular  weapon  among  the  Fans.  Perhaps  there  is  no  part  of  the 
world  where  we  could  less  expect  to  find  the  crossbow  than  among  a  cannibal  tribe  at 
the  head  of  the  (Gaboon.  Yet  there  the  crossbow  is  regularly  used  as  an  engine  of  war, 
and  a  most  formidable  weapon  it  is,  giving  its  possessors  a  terrible  advantage  over  their 
foes.  One  of  these  bows  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  595.  It  was  brought  from 
the  Fan  country  by  M.  du  Chaillu,  and  is  now  in  the  collection  of  Colonel  Lane  Fox.  The 
ingenuity  exhibited  in  the  manufacture  of  tliis  weopon  is  very  great,  and  the  careful 
observer  cannot  but  wonder  at  che  odd  mixture  of  cleverness  and  stupidity  which  its 
structure  shows. 

The  bow  is  very  strong,  and  when  the  warrior  wishes  to  bend  it  he  seats  himself  on 
the  ground,  puts  his  foot  against  the  bow,  and  so  has  both  hands  at  liberty,  by  which  he 
can  haul  the  cord  into  the  notch  which  holds  it  until  it  is  released  by  the  trigger.  The 
shaft  is  about  five  feet  long,  and,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  is  split  for  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  its  length.  The  little  stick  which  is  thrust  between  the  split  poilions 
constitutes  the  trigger,  and  the  method  of  using  it  is  as  follows : — 

Just  below  the  notch  which  holds  the  string  is  a  round  hole  through  which  passes  a 
short  peg.  The  other  end  of  the  peg,  which  is  made  of  very  hard  wood,  is  fixed  into 
the  lower  half  of  the  split  shaft,  and  plays  ft^ely  through  the  hole.  When  the  two  halves 
of  the  shaft  are  separated  by  the  trigger,  the  peg  is  pulled  through  the  hole,  and  allows 
the^erd  .to^re8t.in  the  notch.  But  as  soon  as  the  trigger  is  removed  the  two  halves  close 
together,  and  the  .peg  is  thus  driven  up  through  the  hole,  knocking  the  cord  out  of  the 
notch.  I  have  .in  jay  collection  a  Chinese  orossboWr  the  itmur  of  which  ia  relewed  oa 
exactly  the  same  principle. 


THE  FAN  CROSSBOW. 


595 


•ready  for  a  fray; 
done,  the  wamoi's 
n. 

he  steel  is  really 
vhere  it  lies  about 
ipply  of  wood  and 
IS.  More  wood  is 
od  are  continually 
lis  rough  mode  of 
ught  of  very  little 

Dne  by  a  series  of 
i  steel.  For  tlieir 
;  and  when  a  Fan 
r  smelt  and  temper 

iple  as  those  which 
w  cylinders,  to  the 
lie  is  fixed  to  each 
two  pipes  converge 
le  bellows-man,  by 
tream  of  air  into 

ude  materials,  they 
sns  of  blacksmith's 
aven  on  the  blades, 
n  the  figuring  and 
a  small  caisel  and 
I  war,  but  merely  as 
at  are  in  the  way 
en  why  iron  is  so 
iklets  made  of  this 

;  is  no  part  of  the 
I  cannibal  tribe  at 

an  engine  of  war, 
vantage  over  their 

was  brought  from 
lel  Lane  Fox.  The 
and  the  careful 

upidity  which  ita 


it. 


e  seats  himself  on 
)erty,  by  which  he 
\f  the  trigger.  The 
is  split  for  a  con- 
1  the  split  portions 

gh  which  passes  a 
irood,  is  fixed  into 
len  the  two  halves 
e  hole,  and  allows 
le  two  halves  close 
e  cord  out  of  the 
Lch  is  xeleaaed  oa 


Of  course,  an  accura  e  aim  is  out  of  the  question,  for  the  trigger-peg  is  held  so  tightly 
lietween  the  two  halves  of  the  shaft  that  it  cannot  be  pulled  out  without  so  great  an  effort 
that  any  aim  must  be  effectually  deranged. 

But  in  the  use  of  this  weapon  aim  is  of  very  little  consequence,  as  the  bow  is  only 
used  at  very  short  ranges,  fifteen  yards  being  about  the  longest  distance  at  which  a  Fw 


0B0S8B0W. 


cares  to  expend  an  arrow.    The  arrows  themselves  are  not  calculated  for  long  range?, 

as  they  are  merely  little  strips  of  wood  a  foot  or  so  in  length,  and  about  the  sixth 

of  an  inch  in  diameter.    They  owe  their  terrors,  not  to 

their  sharpness,  nor  to  the  velocity  with  which  they  are 

impelled,  but  to  the  poison  with  which  their  tips  are 

imbued. ,  Indeed,  they  are  so  extremely  light  that  they 

cannot  be  merely  laid  on  the  groove  of  the  shaft,  lest 

they  should  be  blown  away  by  the  wind.    They  are 

therefore  fastened  in  their  place  with  a  little  piece  of 

gum,  of  which  the  archer  idways  takes  cure  to  have  a 

supply  at  hand.    Owing  to  their  diminutive  size,  they 

cannot  he  seen  until  their  force  is  expended,  and  to  this 

circumstance  they  owe  much  of  their  power.    They 

have  no  feathers,  neither  does  any  particular  care  seem 

to  be  taken  about  their  tips,  which,  although  pointed. 

Ate  not  nearly  as  sharp  as  those  of  the  tiny  arrows  used 

by  the  Dyaks  of  Borneo  or  the  Macoushies  of  the 


QUIVER  AND  ARROW& 


A  quiver  full  of  these  arrows  is  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration.  It  is  made  of  hide  with  the  hair 
on  it,  and  is  nearly  flat,  being  yet  quite  large  enough  to 
hold  a  considerable  number  of  the  arrows.  One  of  these 
weapons  is  seen  by  the  side  of  the  quiver,  and  affords  a 
good  idea  of  the  insignificant  appearance  of  these  for- 
midable little  darts.  The  poison  with  which  their  points 
are  imbued  is  procured  from  the  juice  of  some  plant  at 
present  unknown,  and  two  or  three  coatings  are  given 
before  the  weapon  is  considered  to  be  sufficiently  envenomed.  The  Fans  appear  to  be 
uDaq\iainted  with  any  antidote  for  the  poison,  or,  if  they  do  know  of  any,  they  keep  it  a 
profound  secret.  The  reader  may  remember  a  parallel  instance  among  the  Bosjesmans, 
vith  regard  to  the  antidote  for  the  poison-grub. 

Besides  these  arrows,  they  use  others  about  two  feet  in  length,  with  iron  heads,  when- 
ever they  go  in  search  of  large  game ;  but  in  warfare,  the  Uttle  arrow  is  quite  strong 

qq2 


SiW' 


S     i 


[ill 


596 


THE  FANS. 


BHIELD3  AND  WARAXB. 


enough  to  penetrate  the  skin  of  a  human  being,  and  is  therefore  used  in  preference  to  the 
larger  and  more  cumbrous  dart. 

The  only  defensive  weapon  is  the  shield,  which  is  made  from  the  hide  of  the  elephant. 
It  varies  slightly  in  shape,  but  is  generally  oblong,  and  is  about  three  feet  long  by  two 
and  a  half  wide,  so  that  it  covers  all  the  vital  parts  of  the  body.  The  piece  of  hide  used 
for  the  shield  is  cut  from  the  shoulders  of  the  elephant,  where,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
pachyderms  in  general,  the  skin  is  thickest  and  strongest.    No  spear  can  penetrate  this 

shield,  the  axe  cannot  hew  its  way 
through  it,  the  missile  knife  barely 
indents  it,  and  the  crossbow  arrows 
rebound  harmlessly  from  its  surfHce. 
Even  a  bullet  will  glance  off  if  it 
should  strike  obliquely  on  the  shield. 
Such  a  shield  is  exceedingly  valuable, 
because  the  skin  of  an  elephant  will 
not  afford  material  for  more  than 
one  or  two  shields,  and  elephant- 
killing  is  a  task  that  needs  much 
time,  patience,  courage,  and  ingenuity. 
Moreover,  the  elephant  must  be  an 
old  one,  and,  as  the  old  elephants  are 
proverbially  fierce  and  cunning,  the 
danger  of  hunting  them  is  very  great. 
The  shields  (marked  1  and  2)  in  the 
illustration  are  taken  from  the  col- 
lection of  Colonel  Lane  Fox,  as  is 
the  hatchet  which  is  seen  below 
them. 

Like  other  savages,  the  Fan  has 
no  idea  of  "sport."  He  is  necessarily 
a  "pot-hunter,"  and  thinks  it  the  most  foolish  thing  in  the  world  to  give  the  game  a  fair 
chance  of  escape.  When  he  goes  to  hunt,  he  intends  to  kill  the  animal,  and  cares  not 
in  the  least  as  to  the  means  which  he  uses.  The  manner  of  elephant-hunting  is  ex- 
ceedingly ingenious. 

As  soon  as  they  find  an  elephanc  feeding,  the  Fans  choose  a  spot  at  a  little  distance  where 
the  monkey-vines  and  other  creepers  dangle  most  luxuriantly  from  the  boughs.  Quietly 
detaching  them,  they  interweave  them  among  the  tree-trunks,  so  as  to  make  a  strong,  net- 
like barrier,  which  is  elastic  enough  to  yield  to  the  rush  of  an  elephant,  and  strong  enough 
to  detain  and  entangle  him.  Moreover,  the  Fans  know  well  that  the  elephant  dreads 
anything  that  looks  I  :e  a  fence,  and,  as  has  been  well  said,  may  be  kept  prisoner  in  an 
enclosure  which  woula  not  detain  a  calf. 

When  the  barrier  is  completed,  the  Fans,  armed  with  their  spears,  surround  the 
elephant,  and  by  shouts  and  cries  drive  him  in  the  direction  of  the  barrier.  As  soon  as 
he  strikes  against  it,  he  is  filled  with  terror,  and  instead  of  exerting  his  gigantic  strength, 
and  breaking  through  the  obstacle,  he  struggles  in  vague  terror,  while  his  enemies  crowd 
round  him,  inflicting  wound  after  wound  with  their  broad-bladed  spears.  In  vain  does 
he  strike  at  the  twisted  vines,  or  endeavour  to  pull  them  down  with  his  trunk,  and  equally 
in  vain  he  endeavours  to  trample  them  under  foot.  The  elastic  ropes  yield  to  his  efforts, 
and  in  the  meanwhile  the  fatal  missiles  are  poured  on  him  from  every  side.  Some  of  the 
hunters  crawl  through  the  brush,  and  wound  him  from  below ;  others  climb  up  trees, 
and  hurl  spears  from  among  the  boughs ;  while  the  bolder  attack  him  openly,  running 
away  if  he  makes  a  charge,  and  returning  as  soon  as  he  pauses,  clustering  roimd  him  like 
flies  round  a  carcase. 

This  mode  of  chase  is  not  without  its  dangers,  men  being  frequently  killed  by  the 
elephant,  which  charges  unexpectedly,  knock  them  down  with  a  blow  of  the  trunk,  and 
then  tramples  them  under  foot.    Sometimes  an  unfortunate  hunter,  when  charged  by  the 


COOKERY. 


697 


reference  to  the 

of  the  elephant, 
set  long  by  two 
tee  of  hide  used 
}  case  with  tlie 
i  penetrate  this 
lot  hew  its  way 
ile  knife  barely 
jrossbow  arrows 
from  its  surface. 
glance  off  if  it 
ely  on  the  shield, 
edingly  valuable, 
an  elephant  will 
.  for  more  than 
},  and  elephant- 
;hat  needs  much 
ge,  and  ingenuity, 
hant  must  be  an 
old  elephants  are 
and  cunning,  the 
hem  is  very  great. 
i  1  and  2)  in  the 
en  from  the  col- 
Lane  Fox,  as  is 
I  is  seen  below 

iges,  the  Fan  has 
He  is  necessarily 
e  the  game  a  fair 
oal,  and  cares  not 
it-hunting  is  ex- 

,le  distance  where 
boughs.  Quietly 
ake  a  strong,  net- 
md  strong  enough 
elephant  dreads 
)t  prisoner  in  an 

TS,  surround  the 
ier.  As  soon  as 
gigantic  strength, 
s  enemies  crowd 
In  vain  does 
rank,  and  equally 
ield  to  his  efforts, 
de.  Some  of  the 
climb  up  trees, 
openly,  running 
g  round  him  like 

tly  killed  by  tha 
if  the  trunk,  and 
charged  by  the 


animal,  loses  liis  presence  of  mind,  nins  towards  the  vine  barrier,  and  is  caught  in  the 
very  meshes  which  he  helped  to  weave.  Tree-climbing  is  the  usual  resource  of  a  chased 
hunter;  and,  as  the  Fans  can  run  up  trees  almost  as  easily  as  monkeys,  they  find  them- 
selves safer  among  the  branches  than  they  would  be  if  they  merely  tried  to  dodge  the 
animal  round  the  tree-trunks. 

The  Fans  also  use  an  elephant-trap  which  is  identical  in  principle  with  that  which  is 
used  in  killing  the  hippopotamus, — namely,  a  weighted  spcr  hung  to  a  branch  under 
which  the  elephant  must  pass,  and  detached  by  a  string  tied  to  a  trigger.  The  natives 
are  assisted  in  their  elephant-hunting  e:cpeditions  by  the  character  of  the  animal.  Suspi- 
cious and  crafty  as  is  the  elephant,  it  has  a  strong  disinclination  to  leave  a  spot  where 
it  finds  the  food  which  it  likes  best ;  and  in  consequence  of  this  peculiarity,  whenever  an 
elephant  is  discovered,  the  Fans  feel  sure  that  it  will  remain  in  the  same  place  for  several 
days,  and  take  their  measures  accordingly. 

When  they  have  killed  an  elephant,  they  utilize  nearly  the  whole  of  the  enormous 
carcase,  taking  out  the  tusks  for  sale,  using  the  skin  of  the  back  for  shields,  and  eating 
the  whole  of  the  flesh.  To  European  palates  the  flesh  of  the  elephant  is  distasteful, 
partly  on  account  of  its  peculiar  flavour,  and  partly  because  the  cookery  of  the  native 
African  is  not  of  the  best  character.  M.  du  Chaillu  speaks  of  it  in  very  contemptuous 
terms.  "  The  elephant  meat,  of  which  the  Fans  seem  to  be  very  fond,  and  which  they 
have  been  cooking  and  smoking  for  three  days,  is  the  toughest  and  most  disagreeable 
meat  I  ever  tasted.  T  cannot  explain  its  taste,  because  we  have  no  flesh  which  tastes 
like  it,  but  it  seems  full  of  muscular  fibre  or  gristle ;  and  when  it  has  been  boiled  for  two 
days,  twelve  hours  each  day,  it  is  still  tough.  The  flavour  is  not  unpleasant ;  but, 
although  I  had  tried  at  different  times  to  accustom  myself  to  it,  I  found  only  that  my 
disgust  grew  greater." 

Wliether  elephant-meat  is  governed  by  the  same  culinary  laws  as  ox-meat  remains  to 
be  seen ;  but,  if  such  be  the  case,  the  cook  who  boiled  the  meat  for  twenty-four  hours 
seems  to  have  ingeniously  hit  upon  a  plan  that  would  make  the  best  beef  tough,  stringy, 
tasteless,  and  almost  uneatable.  Haid  it  been  gently  simmered  for  six  hours,  the  result 
might  have  been  different ;  but  to  boil  meat  for  twenty-four  hours  by  way  of  making  it 
tender  is  as  absurd  as  boiling  an  egg  for  the  same  period  by  way  of  making  it  soft. 

As  to  their  diet  in  general,  the  Fans  do  not  deserve  a  very  high  culinary  rank.  They 
have  plenty  of  material,  and  very  slight  notions  of  using  it.  The  manioc  affords  them 
a  large  portion  of  their  vegetable  food,  and  is  particularly  valuable  on  account  of  the 
ease  with  which  it  is  cultivated,  a  portion  of  the  stem  carelessly  placed  in  the  ground 
producing  in  a  single  season  two  or  three  large  roots.  The  leaves  are  also  boiled  and 
eaten.  Pumpkins  of  different  kinds  are  largely  cultivated,  and  even  the  seeds  are 
rendered  edible.  M.  du  Chaillu  says  that  during  the  pumpkin  season  the  villages  seem 
covered  with  the  seeds,  which  are  spread  out  to  dry,  and,  when  dried,  they  are  packed  in 
leaves  and  hung  in  the  smoke  over  the  fireplace,  in  order  to  keep  off  the  attacks  of  an 
insect  which  injures  them. 

When  they  are  to  be  eaten,  they  are  first  boiled,  and  then  the  skin  is  removed.  The 
seeds  are  next  placed  in  a  mortar  together  with  a  little  sweet  oil,  and  are  pounded  into  a 

\  pulpy  mass,  which  is  finally  cooked  over  the  fire,  either  in  an  earthen  pot  or  in  a 
plantain  leaf.  This  is  a  very  palatable  sort  of  food,  and  some  persons  prefer  it  to  the 
pumpkin  itself. 

The  mortal's  are  not  in  the  least  like  those  of  Europe,  being  long  narrow  troughs,  two 

I  feet  in  length,  two  or  three  inches  deep,  and  seven  or  eight  wide.    Each  family  has  one 

or  two  of  these  small  implements,  but  there  are  always  some  enormous  moitars  for  the 

I  common  use  of  the  village,  which  are  employed  in  pounding  manioc.    "When  the  seed 

I  is  pounded  into  a  paste,  it  is  formed  into  cakes,  and  can  be  kept  for  some  little  time. 

The  cooking  pots  are  made  of  clay,  and  formed  with  wonderful  accuracy,  seeing  that 
I  the  Fans  have  no  idea  of  the  potter's  wheel,  even  in  its  simplest  forms.    Their  cooking- 
pots  are  round  and  flat,  and  are  shaped  something  like  milk-pans.    They  also  make  clay 
vater-bottles  of  quite  a  classical  shape,  and  vessels  for  palm-wine  are  made  from  tha 
[same  material    These  wine-jars  are  shaped 'much  like  the  amphoree  of  the  ancientB^ 


i  hJT 


698 


THE  FANS. 


The  clay  is  moulded  by  hand,  dried  thoroughly  in  the  sun,  and  then  baked  in  a  fire. 
The  exterior  is  adorned  with  patterns  much  like  those  on  the  knives  and  axes. 

The  Fans  also  make  the  bowls  of  their  pipes  of  the  same  clay,  but  always  form  the 
stems  of  wood.  The  richer  among  them  make  their  pipes  entirely  of  iron,  and  prefer 
them,  in  spite  of  their  weight  ^nd  apparent  inconvenience,  to  any  others.  They  also 
make  very  ingenious  water-bottles  out  of  reeds,  and,  in  order  to  render  them  water-tight, 
plaster  them  within  and  without  with  a  vegetable  gum.  This  gum  is  first  softened  in 
the  fire,  and  laid  on  the  vessel  like  pitch.  It  has  a  very  unpleasant  flavour  until  it  is 
quite  seasoned,  and  is  therefore  kept  under  water  for  several  weeks  before  it  is  used. 

Like  some  other  savage  tribes,  the  Fans  have  a  craving  for  meat,  which  sometimes 
becomes  so  powerful  as  to  deserve  the  name  of  a  disease.  The  elephant  affords  enough 
meat  to  quell  this  disease  for  a  considerable  time,  and  therefore  they  have  a  great  liking 
for  the  flesh  of  this  animal  But  the  great  luxury  of  a  Fan  is  the  flesh  of  a  sheep,  an 
animal  which  they  can  scarcely  ever  procura  Mr.  W.  Beade,  in  his  "  Savage  Africa," 
gives  a  moat  amusing  description  of  the  sensation  produced  among  his  Fan  boatmen  :— 

"  Before  I  left  the  village  I  engaged  another  man,  which  gave  me  a  crew  of  eight  1 
also  purchased  a  smooth-skinned  sheep,  and  upon  this  poor  animal,  as  it  lay  shacV  'ed  in 
our  prow,  many  a  hungry  eye  was  cast  When  it  bleated  the  whole  crew  burst  into  one 
loud  carnivorous  grin.  Bushmen  can  sometimes  enjoy  a  joint  of  stringy  venison,  a  cut 
off  a  smoked  elephant,  a  boiled  monkey,  or  a  grilled  snake ;  but  a  sheep — a  real  domestic 
sheep !—  an  animal  which  had  long  been  looked  upon  as  the  pride  Of  their  village,  the 
eyesore  of  their  poorer  neighbours — which  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  calling 
'  brother,'  and  upon  whom  they  had  lavished  all  the  privileges  of  a  fellow-citizen ! 

"  That  fate  should  have  sent  the  white  and  wealthy  offspring  of  the  sea  to  place  this 
delicacy  within  their  reach  was  something  too  strong  and  sudden  for  their  feeble  minds. 
They  were  unsettled ;  they  could  not  paddle  properly ;  their  souls  (which  are  certainly  in 
their  stomachs,  wherever  ours  may  be)  were  restless  and  quivering  towards  that  sheep,  as 
(I  have  to  invent  metaphors)  the  needle  ere  it  rests  upon  its  star. 

"  When  one  travels  in  the  company  of  cannibals,  it  is  bad  policy  to  let  them  become 
too  hungry.  At  mid-day  I  gave  orders  that  the  sheep  should  be  killed.  There  was  a 
yell  of  triumph,  a  broad  knife  steeped  in  blood,  a  long  struggle  ;  then  three  flies  blazed 
forth,  three  clay  pbts  were  placed  thereon,  and  filled  with  the  bleeding  limbs  of  the 
deceased.  On  an  occasion  like  this,  the  negro  is  endowed  for  a  few  moments  with  the 
energy  and  promptitude  of  the  European. 

"  Nor  would  I  complain  of  needless  delay  in  its  preparation  for  the  table — which  was 
red  clay  covered  with  grass.  The  mutton,  having  been  slightly  warmed,  was  rapidly 
devoured. 

"  After  this  they  wished  to  recline  among  the  fragments  of  the  feast,  and  enjoy  a 
sweet  digestive  repose.  But  then  the  white  man  arose,  and  exercised  that  power  with 
which  the  lower  animals  are  quelled.  His  look  and  his  tone  drew  them  to  their  work, 
though  they  did  not  understand  his  words." 


CHAPTER  LII. 


THE  ¥AHS-{cQnclude(i). 


cavhibaubu  Ain>  m  oktrloficbnt  ahono  thb  fans — nativk  idbas  on  thb  bttbjkct — ezchanob 

OF  BODIES   BETWEEN  VILLAOE8 — ATTACK   ON   A   TOWN   AND    BOBBEBT  OP  TUB   GBAVKS — MATBI- 

HONIAL  CUSTOMS — ^BABOAININO  POB  A   WIFE COPPEB   "  NEPTUNES  " — THE   MABBIAGE   FEAST— 

BKUOION  OF  THB  PANS — THB  IDOL-HOVSBS — LOVE  OF  AMULETS — DANCE  IN  HONOUB  OF  THE  FULL 
NOON — PLATINO  THB  HANDJA — ELEPHANTS  CAUGHT  BT  THE  FETISH — ^PBOBABLE  CHABACTEB  OF 
TBK  "  FBTTSH  "  IN  QUESTION— THE  OOJULLA  AND  ITS  HABITS— ▲  OOAULA  HVMX  BY  THB  FANS— 
V8E  OF  TUB  8KUIX. 


The  preceding  story  naturally  brings  us  to  the  chief  characteristic  of  the  Fans, — ^namely 
their  cannibalisin. 

Some  tribes  where  this  custom  is  practised  are  rather  ashamed  of  it,  and  can  only  be 
induced  to  acknowledge  it  by  cautious  cross-questioning.  The  Fans,  however,  are  not  in 
the  least  ashamed  of  it,  and  will  talk  of  it  with  perfect  freedoui — at  least  until  they  see 
that  their  interlocutor  is  shocked  by  their  confessioa  Probably  on  this  accnvnt  mis- 
sionaries have  found  some  difficulty  in  extracting  information  on  the  subject.  Their 
informants  acknowledged  that  human  flesh  was  eaten  by  their  tribe,  but  not  in  their 
village.  Then,  as  soon  as  they  had  arrived  at  the  village  in  which  cannibalism  was  said 
to  exist,  the  inhabitants  said  that  the  travellers  had  been  misinfomied.  Certainly  their 
tribe  did  eat  human  flesh,  but  no  one  in  their  village  did  so.  But,  if  they  wanted  to  see 
cannibalism,  they  must  go  back  to  the  village  ftom  which  they  had  just  come,  and  there 
they  would  find  it  in  full  force. 

Knowing  this  peculiarity,  Mr.  W.  Beade  took  care  to  ask  no  questions  on  the  subject 
until  he  had  passed  through  all  the  places  previously  visited  by  white  men,  and  tlien 
questioned  an  old  and  very  polite  cannibal.  His  answer  were  plain  enough.  Of  couise 
they  all  ate  men.  He  ate  men  himself.  Man's  flesh  was  very  good,  and  was  "  like 
monkey,  all  fat."  He  mostly  ate  prisoners  of  war,  but  some  of  his  friends  ate  the  bodies 
of  executed  Wizards,  a  food  of  which  he  was  rather  afraid,  thinking  that  it  might  disagree 
with  him. 

He  would  not  allow  that  he  ate  his  own  relations  when  they  died,  although  such  a 
statement  is  made,  and  has  not  as  yet  been  disproved.  Some  travellers  say  that  the  Fans 
do  not  eat  people  of  their  own  village,  but  live  on  terms  ol  barter  with  neighbouring 
villages,  amicably  exchanging  their  dead  for  culinary  purposes.  The  Oshebas,  another 
cannibal  tribe  of  the  same  country,  keep  up  friendly  relations  with  the  Fans,  and 
exchange  the  bodies  of  the  dead  with  them.  The  bodies  of  slaves  are  also  sold  for  the 
pot,  and  are  tolerably  cheap,  a  dead  slave  costing,  on  the  average,  one  small  elephant's 
tufk. 

The  friendly  Fan  above  mentioned  held,  in  common  with  many  of  his  dark  country- 
men, the  belief  that  all  white  men  were  cannibals.  "  These,"  said  a  Bakalai  slave,  on 
fiist  beholding  a  white  man,  "  are  the  men  that  eat  us !"    So  he  asked  Mr.  Beade  why 


rt*   -J  ft? 


41.  ^-t 


r 


i  ^ 


If'' 


600 


THE  FANa 


the  white  men  take  the  trouble  to  send  to  Africa  for  neproes,  when  they  could  eat  as 
many  white  men  as  they  liked  in  their  own  land.     Hia  interlocutor,  having  an  eye  to  tlw 
possible  future,  discreetly  answered  that  they  were  obliged  to  do  so,  because  the  flesh  of  \ 
white  men  was  deadly  poison,  with  which  answer  the  worthy  cannibal  was  periecily 

ftA.tlAl10U  I 

Just  before  M.  du  ChaiUu  came  am<»g  the  Fans  a  strange  and  wild  incident  hnd 
occurred.  It  haa  tdready  been  mentioned  that  the  Fans  have  been  lor  some  years  pusliin?  I 
their  way  westward,  forming  part  of  the  vast  stream  of  human  life  that  continually  poi 


ATTACK  ON  A  MPONOW^  VILLAGE. 


over  the  great  mountain  wall  that  divides  Central  Africa  from  the  coast  tribps.  After 
passing  through  various  districts,  and  conquering  their  inhabitants,  they  came  upon  a 
village  of  the  Mpongw^,  and,  according  to  their  wont,  attacked  it.  The  Mpongwe  were 
utterly  incapable  of  resisting  these  warlike  and  ferocious  invaders,  and  soon  fled  from 
their  homes,  leaving  them  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

The  Fans  at  once  engaged  in  their  favourite  pastime  of  plunder,  robbing  every  bnt 
that  they  could  find,  and,  when  they  had  cleared  all  the  houses,  invading  the  burial' 
grounds,  and  digging  up  the  bodies  of  the  chiefs  for  the  sake  of  the  ornaments,  weapons, 
and  tools  which  are  buried  with  them. 

They  had  filled  two  canoes  with  their  stolen  treasures  when  they  came  upon  a  grave 
containing  a  newly-buried  body.  This  they  at  once  exhumed,  and,  taking  it  to  a  con' 
venicnt  spot  under  some  mangrove-trees,  lighted  a  fire,  and  cooked  the  body  in  the  very 
pots  which  they  had  found  in  the  same  grave  with  it  The  reader  will  remember  that 
the  Mpongw^  tribe  bury  with  the  bodies  of  their  principal  men  the  articles  which  they 
possessed  in  life,  and  that  a  chief's  grave  is  therefore  a  perfect  treasure-house 


MATRIMONIAL  CUSTOMS. 


601 


1  they  could  eat  as 
aving  an  eye  to  tlw 
because  the  flesh  of  \ 
libal  was  peiieclly 

wild  incident  had 
some  years  pusliin^  | 
.t  cuutiuually  poi 


All  bodies,  however,  are  not  devoured,  those  of  the  kings  and  great  chiefs  being 
I  buried  together  with  their  best  apparel  and  most  valuable  ornaments. 

The  matrimonial  customs  of  the  Fans  deserve  a  brief  notice. 

The  reader  may  remember  that,  as  a  general  rule,  the  native  African  race  is  not  a 

[prolific  one— at  all  events  in  its  own  land,  though,  when  imported  to  other  countries  as 

slaves,  the  Africans  have  large  families.    Children  are  greatly  desired  by  the  native  tribes 

because  they  add  to  the  dignity  of  the  parent,  and  the  lack  of  children  is  one  of  the 

leasoas  why  polygamy  is  so  "-'  './ersally  practised;  and,  as  a  rule,  a  man  has  more  wives 


i^'l 


BAiiQAIMINa  FOB  A  WIFE. 


;oast  tribps.  After 
they  came  upon  a 
lie  Mpongw^  were 
^nd  soon  fled  from 

robbing  every  hut 
vading  the  burial' 
rnaments,  weapons, 

;ame  upon  a  grave 
iking  it  to  a  con- 
e  body  in  the  very 
ill  remember  that 
rticles  which  they 
-house 


than  children.  Yet  the  Fans  offered  a  remarkable  exception  to  this  rule,  probably  on 
account  of  the  fact  that  they  do  not  marry  until  their  wives  have  fairly  arrived  at 
woman's  estate.  They  certainly  betroth  their  female  children  at  a  very  early  age,  often 
as  soon  as  they  are  born,  but  the  actual  marriage  does  not  take  place  until  the  child  has 
become  a  woman,  and  in  the  meantime  the  betrothed  girl  remains  with  her  parents, 
and  is  not  allowed  that  unrestricted  licence  which  prevails  among  so  many  of  the 
I  African  tribes. 

This  early  betrothal  is  a  necessity,  as  the  price  demanded  for  a  wife  is  a  very  heavy 

I  one,  and  a  man  has  to  work  for  a  long  time  before  he  can  gather  sufficient  property  for  the 

purchase.    Now  that  the  Fans  have  forced  themselves  into  the  trading  parts  of  the 

country,  "traders'  goods"  are  the  only  articles  that  the  father  will  accept  in  return  for 

I  daughter ;  and,  as  those  goods  are  only  to  be  bought  with  ivory,  the  Fan  bridegroom 

3  to  kill  a  great  number  of  elephants  before  he  can  claim  his  wife. 

Bargaining  for  a  wife  is  often  a  very  amusing  scene,  especially  if  the  father  has  been 
I  sufficiently  sure  of  his  daughter's  beauty  to  refrain  from  betrothing  her  as  a  child,  and  to 


'Mi 


™ 


J'. 


\A<^ 


1 1.  V* 


THE  FANS. 

Sut  her  irp,  aa  xb  were,  to  auction  when  she  is  nearly  old  enough  to  be  mairlod.    Thel 
usky  suitor  dresses  himself  in  his  best  appurel,  and  waits  on  the  father,  iu  order  to  orHjul 
the  negotiation.  I 

His  business  is,  of  course,  to  depreciate  the  beauty  of  the  girl,  to  represent  tliat  I 
although  she  may  be  very  pretty  as  a  child  of  eleven  or  twelve,  she  will  have  fallen  ntfl 
in  her  good  looks  wbdn  she  is  a  mature  woman  of  tourteen  or  fifteen.  Tlie  father,  on  tliel 
contrar}',  extols  the  value  of  his  daughter,  speaks  slightingly  of  the  suitor  as  a  man  quitel 
beneath  his  noti«:e,  and  forthwith  sets  a  price  on  her  that  the  richest  warrior  could  notl 
hope  to  pay.  Copper  and  brass  pans,  technically  called  "  neptunes,"  are  the  chief  articles! 
of  barter  among  the  Fans,  who,  however,  do  not  use  them  for  cooking,  preferring  for  tliisl 
purpose  their  own  clay  pots,  but  merelv  for  a  convenient  mode  of  carrying  a  certainl 
weight  of  precious  metal.  Anklets  and  armlets  of  copper  are  also  much  valued,  and! 
BO  are  white  beads,  while  of  late  years  the  abomiQable  "trade-guns"  have  becoiual 
indispensable.  I 

At  lost,  after  multitudinous  arguments  on  both  sides,  the  affair  is  settled,  and  the! 
price  of  the  girl  agreed  upon.  Part  is  generally  paid  at  the  time  by  wt^  of  earnest,  and! 
the  bridegroom  promises  to  pay  the  remainder  when  he  comes  for  his  wire.  I 

As  soon  as  the  day  of  the  wedding  is  fixed,  the  bridegroom  and  his  firiends  begin  to  I 
make  preparations  for  the  grand  feast  with  which  they  are  expected  to  entertain  a  vast  I 
number  of  guests.  Some  of  them  go  ofif  and  busy  themselves  in  hunting  elephants, 
smoking  and  drying  the  fiesh,  and  preserving  the  tusks  for  sale.  Others  prepare  lai^e 
quantities  of  manioc  bread  and  plantains,  while  others  find  a  congenial  occupation  in 
brewing  great  quantities  of  palm-wine.  Hunters  are  also  engaged  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  up  the  supply  of  meat.  I 

When  the  day  is  fixed,  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  assemble,  and  the  bride  i& 
handed  over  to  her  husband,  who  has  already  paid  her  price. 

Both  are,  of  course,  dressed  in  their  very  best.  The  bride  wean,  as  is  the  custom 
among  unmarried  females,  nothing  but  red  paint  and  as  many  ornaments  as  she  can 
manage  to  procure.  Her  hair  is  decorated  with  great  quantities  of  white  beads,  and  her 
wrists  and  ankles  are  hidden  under  a  profusion  of  brass  and  copper  rings.  The  bride- 
groom oils  his  body  until  his  skin  shines  like  a  mirror,  blackens  and  polishes  his  well-filed 
teeth,  adorns  his  head  with  a  tuft  of  brightly-coloured  feathers,  and  ties  round  his  waist  | 
the  handsomest  skin  which  he  possesses. 

A  scene  of  unrestrained  jollity  then  commences..  The  guests,  sometimes  several  I 
hundred  in  number,  keep  up  the  feast  for  three  or  four  days  in  succession,  eating  elejfiiants' 
flesh,  drinking  palm-wine,  and  dancing,  until  the  powers  of  nature  are  quite  exliuustc d, 
and  then  sleeping  for  an  hour  or  two  with  the  happy  facility  that  distinguishes  the  native 
African.  Awaking  from  their  brief  slumber,  they  begin  the  feast  afresh,  an(ji  after  the 
first  few  hours  scarely  one  of  the  guests  is  sober,  or  indeed  is  expected  to  be  so.  At 
last,  however,  all  the  wine  is  drunk,  and  then  the  guests  return  to  an  involuntary  state  of 
sobriety. 

We  now  come  to  the  religion  and  superstitions  of  the  Fan  trib^.  As  far  as  they  have 
any  real  worship  they  are  idolatera. 

Each  village  has  a  huge  idol,  specially  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  family  or  clan  of 
which  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  are  composed,  and  at  certain  times  the  whole  family 
assemble  together  at  the  idol-house  or  temple,  and  then  go  through  their  acts  of  worship, 
which  consist  chiefly  of  dancing  and  singing.  Around  each  of  the  temples  are  placed  a 
number  of  skulls  of  wild  animals,  among  which  the  gorilla  takes  the  most  conspictuous 
place.  Such  spots  are  thought  very  sacred,  and  no  one  would  venture  to  remove  any  of 
the  skulls,  such  an  act  of  desecration  being  thought  a  capital  offence. 

Like  many  other  savage  tribes,  they  are  very  careless  of  human  life,  and  have  many  { 
capital  offences,  of  which  witchcraft  is  the  most  common.    It  may  seem  strange  that 
people  who  habitually  eat  the  bodies  of  their  fellow-men  should  have  any  superstitions 
feelings  whatever,  but  among  the  Fans  the  dread  of  sorcery  is  nearly  as  great  as  among  | 
some  of  the  tribes  which  have  been  already  mentioned. 

Witchcraft,  however,  is  not  always  punished  with  death,  the  ofiiender  being  sometimes 


KEW  MOON  CEREMONY. 


608 


As  far  as  they  have  I 


er  being  sometimes 


Lid  into  slavery,  ine  "  emigrant"  ships  having  of  late  years  received  many  Fans  on  board. 
jit  will  be  seen  that  the  Fans  always  utilize  their  criminals.  Those  who  are  condemned 
m  theft,  or  other  ordinary  crime,  are  executed,  and  their  bodies  eaten.  But  the  wizards 
liie  supposed  to  possess  some  charms  which  would  make  their  bodies  as  injurious  after 
l^th  03  the  culprits  had  been  during  life,  and  so  they  sell  the  criminal  ifor  "  traders' 
ads." 

Kg  Fan  ever  dreams  of  going  without  a  whole  host  of  amulets,  each  of  which  is 
Lpposed  to  protect  him  from  some  special  danger.  The  most  valuable  is  one  v  hich  is 
Ijgteaded  to  guard  the  wearer  in  battle,  and  this  is  to  be  found  on  the  person  of  everv 
I  fan  warrior  who  can  afford  it.  It  is  very  simple,  being  nothing  but  an  iron  chain  with 
I  links  an  inch  and  a  half  Ions  by  an  inch  in  width.  This  is  hung  over  the  left  shoulder 
liod  under  the  right  arm,  and  is  thought  to  be  very  efficacious.  Perhaps  such  a  chain  may 
I  It  some  time  or  other  have  turned  the  edge  of  a  weapon,  and,  in  consequence,  the  illogical 
I  natives  have  thought  that  the  iron  chains  were  effectual  preservatives  in  war. 

Next  in  value  comes  a  small  bag,  which  is  hung  round  the  neck,  and  which  is  a  con- 
lipicuous  ornament  among  the  men.  This  is  also  a  battle  fetish,  and  is  made  of  the  skin 
of  some  rare  animal.  It  contains  bits  of  dried  skin,  feathers  of  scarce  birds,  the  dried  tips 
of  monkeys'  tails,  the  dried  intestines  of  certain  animals,  shells,  and  bits  of  bone.  Each 
Lticle  must  have  been  taken  from  some  rare  animal,  and  have  been  specially  consecrated 
by  the  medicine-man.  The  warriors  are  often  so  covered  with  these  and  similar  fetishes 
that  they  rattle  at  eveiy  step,  much  to  the  gratification  of  the  wearer,  and  even  the 
I  children  are  positively  laden  with  fetish  ornaments. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  throughout  the  whole  of  the  tribes  which  have  been 
I  described  runs  a  custom  of  celebrating  some  kind  of  religious  ceremony  when  the  new 
moon  is  first  seen.    This  custom  is  to  be  also  found  among  the  Fans,  and  has  been 
graphically  described  by  Mr.  W.  Reade : — 

"The  full  moon  began  to  rise.     When  she  was  high  in  the  heavens,  I  had  the  fortune 

)  witness  a  religious  dance  in  her  honour.     There  were  two  musicians,  one  of  whom  hud 

an  Instrument  called  handja,  constructed  on  the  principle  of  an  harmonicon ;  a  piece  of 

iiard  wood  being  beaten  with  sticks,  and  the  notes  issuing  from  calabashes  of  different 

lizes  fastened  below. 

"  This  instrument  is  found  everywhere  in  Western  Africa.    It  is  called  Balonda  in 

I  Senegambia ;  Marimba  in  Angola.     It  is  also  described  by  Froebel  as  being  used  by  the 

Indians  of  Central  America,  where,  which  is  still  more  curious,  it  is  knuwn  by  the  same 

ume— Marimba.  The  other  was  a  drum  which  stood  upon  a  pedestal,  its  skin  made  from 

an  elephant's  ear.    The  dull  thud  of  this  drum,  beaten  with  the  hands,  and  the  harsh 

I  lattle  of  the  handja,  summoned  the  dancers. 

"They  came  singing  in  procession  from  the  forest.    Their  dance  was  uncouth;  their 
1 80Dg  a  solemn  tuneless  chant ;  they  revolved  in  a  circle,  claspii^g  their  hands  as  we  do  in 
prayer,  with  their  eyes  fixed  always  on  the  moon,  and  sometimes  their  arms  flung  wildly 
towards  her. 

"The  youth  who  played  the  drum  assumed  a  glorious  attitu-le.  As  I  looked  upon 
him— his  head  thrown  back,  his  eyes  upturned,  his  fantastic  head-dress,  his  naked,  finely- 
moulded  form — I  saw  beauty  in  the- savage  for  the  first  time. 

"The  measure  changed,  and  two  women,  covered  with  green  leaves  and  the  skins  of 
wild  beasts,  danced  in  the  midst,  where  they  executed  a  pas-de-deux  which  would  have 
made  a  premiire  dansevae  despair.  They  accompanied  their  intricate  stops  with  miraculous 
contortiojis  of  the  body,  and  obtained  small  presents  of  white  beads  from  the  spectators. 

"  It  has  always  appeared  to  me  a  special  ordinance  of  Nature  that  women,  who  are 
so  easily  fatigued  by  the  ascent  of  a  flight  of  stairs,  or  by  a  walk  to  church,  should  be 
able  to  dance  for  any  length  of  time ;  but  never  did  1  see  female  endurance  equal  this. 
Never  did  I  spend  a  worse  night's  rest.  All  night  long  those  dreary  deafening  sounds 
drove  sleep  away,  and  the  next  morning  these  two  infatuated  women  were  still  to  be  seen 
within  a  small  but  select  circle  of  '  constant  admirers,'  writhing  their  sinuous  (and  now 
somewhat  odorous)  forms  with  unabated  ardour." 
^  The  furm  of  lUiirimba  or  hancya  which  is  used  among  the  Fans  has  mostly  seven 


■■I 


604 


THE  FANa 


i 


t , 


hi*, 


■  1 


!l 


4 

IP! 


notes,  und  the  gourds  have  each  a  hole  in  them  covered  with  a  piece  of  spider's  web  i 
has  akeady  btiuu  tiurxated  of  the  Central  African  drums.    The  Fan  haadJA  u  festeuea 


t 

.' 

.  •  ■ 

^  - 

\ 

• 

• 

t.                  - 

> 

/ 

'   I 

i.  . 

- 

'^^^ 

» 

• 

^  1 

•;       '  'v        .      V 

k 

lI' 

.... 

■V     » 

..,.-> 

,        ,      ^^   ',»' 

" 

V 

,  r 

/ 

\'A', 

.  1 

■/^    ' 

•  / 

1  ■'/'.  ,.,■■' 

1. 

n.,-i,.|^ 

• 

/■ 

OAKCE  IN  HUNOUB  OF  THE  NEW  MUON. 


a  slight  frame  ;  and  when  the  performer  intends  to  play  the  instrument,  he  sits  down,  places 
the  frame  on  his  knees,  so  that  the  handja  is  suspended  hetween  them,  and  then  beats  on 


ELEPHANT-CHARMINO. 


605 


% 


lekoys  with  two  short  sticks.    One  of  those  sticks  is  made  of  hnrrl  wood,  but  the  end 
the  other  is  covered  with  some  soft  mateiiul  so  as  to  deaden  the  sound.    The  Fans  have 
8ome  ear  for  music,  and  possess  some  pretty  though  rudely-constructed  airs. 

f  course  the  Fans  have  drums.  The  favourite  form  seems  rather  awkward  to 
;uropeans.  It  consists  of  a  wooden  and  slightly  conical  cvlinder,  some  four  feet  in 
ijjtn  and  only  ten  inches  in  diameter  at  the  wider  end,  the  other  me  uring  barely  seven 
ches.  A  skin  is  stretched  tiyhtly  over  the  larco  end,  and  when  th*-  performer  ploys  on 
he  stands  with  bent  knees,  holding  the  drum  between  them,  uud  beats  furiously  on  the 
1^  with  two  wooden  sticks. 

To  return  to  the  Fan  belief  in  charms. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  Fans  mostly  hunt  the  elephant  by  driving  it 
ligiiut  a  barrier  artiflcially  formed  of  vines,  and  killing  it  as  it  struggles  to  escape  from 
the  tangled  and  twisted  creepers.  They  have  also  another  and  most  ingenious  plan, 
which,  however,  scarcely  seems  to  bo  their  own  invention,  but  to  be  partly  borrow-^d  from 
the  tribes  through  which  they  have  passed  in  their  progress  westward.  Tliis  plan  is 
Idlled  the  Nghal,  that  being  the  name  of  the  enclosure  into  which  the  animals  are  enticed. 
While  Mr.  Keade  was  in  the  country  of  the  Mpougw^  tribe,  into  which,  it  will  be  remem- 
liered,the  Fans  had  forced  their  way,  the  hunters  found  out  that  three  elephants  frequented 
J  certain  portion  of  the  forest.  Honourably  paying  the  Mpongw4  for  permission  to  hunt 
in  then  grounds,  they  set  out  and  built  round  an  open  patch  of  ground  an  enclosure, 
|ilightly  made,  composed  of  posts  and  railings  Bound  the  nghal  were  the  huts  of  the 
Fan  hunters.  Wben  Mr.  Eeade  arrived  there,  he  was  iold  that  the  three  elephants  were 
lithin  the  nghal,  sleeping  under  a  tree ;  and  euro  enough  there  they  were,  one  of  them  being 
I  fine  old  male  with  a  large  pair  of  tusks.  If  he  had  chosen  he  could  have  walked 
through  the  fence  without  taking  the  trouble  to  alter  his  p  ,  but  here  he  was,  together 
with  his  companions,  without  the  slightest  idea  of  escaping.  So  certain  were  the  hunters 
diat  their  mighty  prey  was  safe,  that  they  did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  close  the 
ipenings  through  which  the  animals  had  entered  the  nghal.  They  were  in  no  hurry  to 
kill  the  elephants.  They  liked  to  look  at  them  as  they  moved  about  in  the  nghal,> 
ipparently  unconscious  of  the  continual  hubbub  around  them,  and  certainly  undisturbed 
^  it.  The  elephants  were  to  i-emain  there  until  the  new  moon,  which  would  rise  in  a 
fcrtnight,  and  then  they  would  be  killed  in  its  honour. 

On  inquiring,  it  was  found  that  the  enclosure  was  not  built  round  the  elephants,  as 
night  have  been  supposed.  No.  It  was  built  at  some  distance  from  the  spot  where  the 
[elephants  were  feeding.  "  The  medicine  men  made  fetish  for  them  to  come  in.  They 
eame  in.  The  medicine  men  made  fetish  for  them  to  remain.  And  they  remained. 
[When  they  were  being  killed,  fetish  would  be  made  that  they  might  not  be  angry.  In  a 
fortnight's  time  the  new  moon  would  appear,  and  the  elephants  would  then  be  killed. 
Before  that  time  all  the  shrubs  and  light  grass  would  be  cut  down,  the  fence  would  be 
itrenathened,  and  interlaced  with  boughs.  The  elephants  would  be  killed  with  spears, 
erossbows,  and  guns." 

The  natives,  however,  would  not  allow  their  white  visitor  to  enter  the  nghal,  as  he 
[wished  to  do,  and  refused  all  his  bribes  of  beads  and  other  aitides  precious  to  the  soul  of 
the  Fan.  They  feared  lest  the  presence  of  a  white  man  might  break  the  fetish,  and  the 
tight  of  a  white  face  might  frighten  the  elephants  so  much  as  to  make  them  disregard  nil 
the  charms  that  had  been  laid  upon  them,  and  rush  in  their  terror  against  the  fragile 
harrier  which  held  them  prisoners. 

As  to  the  method  by  which  the  elephants  were  induced  to  enter  the  enclosure,  no 
other  answer  was  made  than  that  which  had  already  been  given.  In  India  the  enclosure 
is  a  vast  and  complicated  trap,  with  an  opening  a  mile  or  so  in  width,  into  which  the 
elephants  are  driven  gradually,  and  which  is  closed  behind  them  as  they  advance  into 
imaller  and  smaller  prisons.  In  Africa  all  that  was  done  was  to  build  an  enclosure,  to 
leave  an  opening  just  large  enough  to  admit  an  elephant,  to  make  fetish  for  the  elephants, 
Md  in  they  came. 

The  wliole  thing  is  a  mystery.  Mr.  Reade,  who  frankly  confesses  that  if  he  had  not 
nth  bis  own  eyes  seen  the  nghal  and  its  still  open  door  he  would  have  refused  to 


I 


^"'•■'m 


,,*•%.»(: 


B'"  'm\ 


606 


THE  FANa 


Wm'i 


>  'i> 


?-f*" 


believe  the  whole  story,  is  of  opinion  that  the  "  fetish "  in  question  is  threefold.  Hd 
suggests  that  the  first  fetish  was  a  preparation  of  some  plant  for  which  the  elephanU 
have  the  same  mania  that  cats  have  for  valerian  and  pigeons  for  salt,  and  thinks  that  th«j 
may  have  been  enticed  into  the  nghal  by  means  of  this  herb.  Then,  after  they  had  been, 
induced  to  enter  the  enclosure,  that  they  were  kept  from  approaching  the  fence  by  means  ol 
drugs  distasteful  to  them,  and  that  tho  "  fetish  "  which  prevented  them  fwm  being  angi 
when  killed  was  simply  a  sort  of  opiate  thrown  to  them.  The  well-known  fastidionsne^ 
of  the  elephant  may  mduce  some  readers  to  think  that  this  last  suggestion  is  ratheij 
improbable.  But  it  is  also  known  that,  in  some  parts  of  Africa,  elephants  are  usually 
drugged  by  poisoned  food,  and  that  the  Indian  domesticated  elephant  will  do  almo 
anything  for  sweetmeats  in  which  the  intoxicating  hemp  forms  an  ingredient 

That  the  elephants  are  prevented  from  approaching  the  fence  by  means  of  a  distastefblj 
preparation  seems  likely  from  a  piece  of  fetishism  that  Mr  Reade  witnessed.  At  a  certain 
time  of  the  day  the  medicine  man  made  his  round  of  the  fence,  singing  in  a  nielanchoh 
voice,  and  dabbing  the  posts  and  rails  with  a  dark  brown  liquid.  This  was  acknow- 
ledged to  be  the  fetish  >by  which  the  elephants  were  induced  to  remain  within  the  enclosure,! 
and  it  is  very  probable  that  it  possessed  some  odour  which  disgusted  the  keen-scentedj 
animals,  and  kept  them  away  from  its  influence.  I 

Mr.  Reade  also  suggest<8  that  this  method  of  catching  elephants  may  be  a  relic  of  the! 
days  when  African  elephants  were  taken  alive  and  trained  to  the  service  of  man,  asl 
they  are  now  in  India  and  Ceylon.  That  the  knowledge  of  elephant-training  has  been  lostl 
is  no  wonder,  considering  the  internecine  feuds  which  prevail  among  the  tribes  of  Africa  J 
and  prevent  them  from  developing  the  arts  of  peace.  But  that  they  wera  so  caught  and! 
trained,  even  in  the  old  classical  days,  is  well  known ;  and  from  all  accounts  the  elephants] 
of  Africa  were  not  one  whit  inferior  to  their  Iivlian  relatives  in  sagacity  or  docility.        1 

Yet  there  is  now  no  part  of  Africa  in  which  the  natives  seem  to  have  the  least  ideal 
that  such  monstrous  animals  could  be  subjected  to  the  sway  of  man,  and  even  in) 
Abyssinia  the  sight  of  elephants  acting  as  beasts  of  burden  and  traction  filled  the  natives  { 
.with  half  incredulous  awe  i 

When  the  Fans  have  succeeded  in  killing  an  elephant,  they  proceed  to  go  through  a  I 
curious  ceremony,  which  has  somewhat  of  a  religious  character  about  it.  No  meat  is  I 
touched  until  these  rites  have  been  completed. 

The  whole  hunting  party  assembles  round  the  fallen  elephant,  and  dances  round 
body.  The  medicine  man  then  comes  and  cuts  off  a  piece  of  meat  from  one  of  the  hind  I 
legs  and  places  it  in  a  basket,  there  being  as  many  baskets  as  slain  elephants.  The  meat  I 
is  then  cooked  under  the  superintendence  of  the  medicine  man  and  the  party  wlio  killed  I 
the  elephant,  and  it  is  then  carried  off  into  the  woods  and  offered  to  the  idoL  Of  course! 
the  idol  is  supposed  to  eat  it,  and  the  chances  are  that  he  does  so  through  the  medium  of  | 
his  representative,  the  medicine  man.  Before  the  baskets  are  taken  into  the  woods,  the  [ 
hunters  dance  about  them  as  they  had  danced  round  the  elephant,  and  beseech  the  idol  to  I 
be  liberal  towards  them,  and  give  them  plenty  of  elephants  so  that  they  may  be  able  to  I 
give  him  plenty  of  meat  I 

The  spirits  being  thus  propitiated,  the  flesh  is  stripped  off  the  bones  of  the  elephant, 
sliced,  and  hung  upon  branches,  and  smoked  until  it  is  dry,  when  it  can  be  kept  for  a| 
considerable  time. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  one  of  the  principal  ornaments  of  the  idol  temple  is  I 
the  skull  of  the  gurilla,  and  the  same  object  is  used  by  several  of  the  tribes  for  a  similar 
purpose.  The  fact  is,  all  the  natives  of  those  districts  in  which  the  gorilla  still  survive 
are  horribly  afraid  of  the  animal,  and  feel  for  it  that  profound  respect  which,  in  the  savage 
mind,  is  the  result  of  fear,  and  fear  only.  A  savage  never  respects  anything  that  he  does 
not  fear,  and  the  very  profound  respect  which  so  many  tribes,  even  the  fierce,  warlike,  and 
well-armed  Fans,  have  for  the  gorilla,  show  that  it  is  really  an  animal  which  is  to  be 
dreaded. 

There  has  been  so  much  controversy  about  the  gorilla,  and  the  history  of  this  gigantic  { 
ape  is  so  inextricably  intei'woven  with  this  part  of  South  Afhca»  that  the  present  work 
would  be  imperfect  without  a  brief  notice  of  it 


IvH 


»■  7s.' ."''•> 


THE  GORILLA  AND  ITS  HABITS. 


607 


In  the  above-mentioned  controversy,  two  opposite  views  were  taken— one,  that  the 
Imrilla  was  the  acknowledged  king  of  the  forest,  supplanting  all  other  wild  animals,  and 
I  even  attacking  and  driving  away  the  elephant  itself  Of  man  it  had  no  dread,  lying  in 
[fait  for  him  and  attacking  him  whenever  it  saw  a  chance,  and  being  a  terrible  anta- 
I  moist  even  in  fair  fight,  the  duel  between  man  and  beast  being  a  combat  d  r<mtrance,  in 
Ifiiich  one  or  the  other  must  perish. 

I  Those  who  took  the  opposite  view  denounced  all  these  stories  as  "  old  wives'  fables, 
jHily  fit  to  be  relegated  to  your  grandmother's  bookshelves," — I  quote  the  exact  woitls — 
jiod  saying  that  the  gorilla,  being  an  ape,  was  necessarily  a  timid  and  retiring  animal, 
ji&aid  of  man,  and  running  away  when  it  saw  him.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  mention 
[that  M.  du  Chailltt  is  responsible  for  many  of  the  statements  contained  in  the  former  of 
[these theories — several,  however,  being  confessedly  gathered  from  hearsay,  aqd  that  several 
[others  were  prevalent  throughout  Europe  long  before  Bu  Chaillu  published  his  wdl- 
I  blown  work. 

The  truth  seems  to  lie  between  these  statements,  and  it  is  tolerably  evident  that  the 
^  rilla  is  a  fierce  and  savage  beast,  ./hen  attacked,  but  that  it  will  not  go  out  of  its  way 
I  to  attack  a  man,  and  inde^  will  always  avoid  him  if  it  can.  That  it  is  capable  of  being 
[a fierce  and  determined  enemy  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  one  of  Mr.  W.  Keade's  guides, 
the  hunter  Etia,  had  his  left  hand  crippled  by  the  bite  of  a  gorilla ;  and  Mr.  Wilson 
[oeDtions  that  he  has  seen  a  man  who  had  lost  nearly  the  whole  calf  of  one  leg  in  a 
[iimilar  manner,  and  who  said  that  he  was  in  a  fair  way  of  being  torn  in  pieces  if  he  had 
[not  been  rescued  by  his  companions.  Formidable  as  are  the  terrible  jaws  and  teeth  of 
I  the  gorilla  when  it  succeeds  in  seizing  a  man,  its  chaige  is  not  nearly  so  much  to  be  feared 
IS  that  of  the  leopard,  as  it  is  made  rather  leisurely,  and  permits  the  agile  native  to  spring 
I  aside  and  avoid  it. 

On  account  of  the  structure  common  to  all  the  monkey  tribe,  the  gorilla  habitually 

[walks  on  all-fours,  and  is  utterly  incapable  of  standing  upright  like  a  man.     It  can 

assume  a  partially  erect  attitude,  but  with  bent  knees,  stooping  body,  and  incurved  feet, 

and  is  not  nearly  so  firmly  set  on  its  legs  as  is  a  dancing  bear.    Even  while  it  stands  on 

[  its  feet,  the  heavy  body  is  so  ill  supported  on  the  feeble  legs  that  the  animal  is  obliged  to 

balance  itself  by  swaying  its*  large  arms  in  the  air,  just  as  a  rope-dancer  balances  himself 

I  with  his  pole. 

In  consequence  of  the  formation  of  the  limbs,  the  tracks  which  it  leaves  are  very 
I  carious,  the  long  and  powerful  arms  being  used  as  crutches,  and  the  shuit  feeble  hind 
1^  swung  between  them.     It  seems  that  each  party  or  family  of  gorillas  is  govenied  by 
I  an  old  male,  who  rules  them  just  as  the  bull  rules  its  mates  and  children. 

The  natives  say  that  the  gorilla  not  only  walks,  but  charges  upon  all-fours,  though  it 
j  will  raise  itself  on  its  hind  legs  in  order  to  survey  its  foes.  Etia  once  elfacted  for  Mr. 
W.  Reade  the  scene  in  which  he  had  received  the  wound  that  crippled  his  hand. 
Directing  Mr.  Eeade  to  hold  a  gun  as  if  about  to  shoot,  he  rushed  forward  on  all-fours, 
seized  the  left  wrist  with  one  of  his  hands,  dragged  it  to  his  mouth,  made  believe  to  bite 
it,  and  then  made  off  on  all-fours  as  he  had  charged.  And,  from  the  remarkable  intelli- 
gence which  this  hideous  but  polite  hunter  had  shown  in  imitating  other  animals,  it  was 
I  evident  that  his  story  was  a  true  one. 

As  to  the  houses  which  the  gorilla  is  said  to  build,  there  is  some  truth  in  the  story. 
Houses  they  can  scarcely  be  called,  inasmuch  as  they  have  no  sides,  and  in  their  con- 
I  stroction  the  gorilla  displays  an  architectural  power  far  inferior  to  that  of  many  animals. 
I  The  lodge  of  the  beaver  is  a  palace  compared  with  the  dwelling  of  the  gorilla.     Many  of 
the  deserted  residences  mky  be  found  in  the  forests  which  the  gorilla  inhabits,  and  look 
much  Uke  herons'  nests  on  a  rather  large  scale.    Tliey  consist  simply  of  sticks  torn  from 
the  trees  and  laid  on  the  spreading  part  of  a  horizontal  branch,  so  as  to  make  a  rude  plat- 
form.   This  nest,  if  we  may  so  call  it,  is  occupied  by  the  female,  and  in  process  of  time 
I  is  shared  by  her  offspring.    The  males  sleep  in  a  large  tree. 

Shy  and  retiring  in  its  habits,  the  gorilla  retreats  from  the  habitations  of  roan,  and 
loves  to  lurk  in  the  gloomiest  recesses  of  the  forest,  where  it  finds  its  favourite  food,  and 
vhere  it  is  free  from  the  intrusion  of  man. 


"'  '< 


» 


r 


» 

1   ■ 


1 1  r 


(        ' 


'h  y*  (   ) 


\,h        M 


?''     -" 


608 


THE  FANS. 


As  to  the  nntameable  character  of  the  gorilla  as  contrasted  with  the  chimpanzee,  Mr. 
Beade  mentions  that  he  has  seen  young  specimens  of  both  animals  kept  in  a  tame  state] 
and  both  equally  gentle. 

We  now  come  to  the  statement  that,  when  the  gorilla  is  working  himself  up  to  an 
attack,  he  beats  his  breast  until  it  resounds  like  a  great  drum,  giving  out  a  loud  booniin(r 
sound  that  can  be  heard  through  the  forest  at  the  distance  of  three  miles.  How  such  a 
sound  can  be  produced  in  such  a  manner  it  is  not  easy  to  comprehend,  and  Mr.  Beade,  on 
careful  inquiry  from  several  gorilla^hunters,  could  not  find  that  one  of  them  had  ever 
heard  the  sound  in  question,  or,  indeed,  had  ever  heard  of  it.  They  said  that  the  gorilla 
had  a  drum,  and,  on  being  asked  to  show  it,  took  their  interlocutor  to  a  large  hollow  tree, 
and  said  that  the  gorilla  seized  two  neighbouring  trees  with  his  hands,  and  swung  him- 
self against  the  hollow  trunk,  beating  it  so  "strong-strong"  with  his  feet  that  thr 
booming  sound  could  be  heard  at  a  great  distance. 

Etia  illustrated  the  practice  of  the  gorilla  by  swinging  himself  against  the  tree  in  a 
similar  manner,  but  failed  in  producing  the  sound,    However,  he  adhered  to  his  state- 
ment, and,  as  a  succession  of  heavy  blows  against  a  hollow  trunk  would  produce  a  sort  of  | 
booming  noise,  it  is  likely  that  his  statement  may  have  been  in  the  main  a  correct  one. 

ifow  that  the  natives  have  procured  fire-arms,  they  do  not  fear  tl  ~  'gorilla  as  much  as 
they  used  to  do.  Still,  even  with  such  potent  assistance,  gorilla-hv  ng  is  not  without 
its  dangers,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  many  instances  are  known  where  a  man  has  been 
severely  wounded  by  the  gorilla,  though  Mr.  Beade  could  not  hear  of  a  single  case  where 
the  animal  had  killed  any  of  its  assailants. 

When  the  native  hunters  chase  the  gorilla,  and  possess  fire-arms,  they  are  obliged  to 
fire  at  very  short  range,  partly  because  the  dense  nature  of  those  parts  of  the  forest  which 
the  gorilla  haunts  prevents  them  from  seeing  the  animal  at  a  distance  of  more  than  ten  ^ 
twelve  yards,  and  partly  because  it  is  necessary  to  kill  at  the  first  shot  an  animal  wV'ch 
if  only  wounded,  attacks  its  foes,  and  uses  fiercely  the  formidable  weapons  with  which  ? 
has  been  gifted.  Any  one  who  has  seen  the  skull  of  an  adult  gorilla,  and  noticed  the  va 
jaw-bones,  the  enormous  teeth,  and  the  high  bony  ridges  down  the  head  which  afforu 
attachment  to  the  muscles,  can  easily  understana  the  terrible  force  of  a  gorilla's  bite. 
The  teeth,  and  not  the  paws,  are  the  chief,  if  not  the  only  weapons  which  the  animal 
employs ;  and,  although  they  are  given  to  it  in  order  to  enable  it  to  bite  out  the  pith  oi 
the  trees  on  which  it  principally  feeds,  they  can  be  used  with  quite  as  great  elfect  in 
combat. 

So  the  negro  hunter,  who  is  never  a  good  shot,  and  whose  gun  is  so  large  and  heavy 
that  to  take  a  correct  aim  is  quite  out  of  the  question,  allows  the  gorilla  to  come  within 
three  or  four  yards  before  he  delivers  his  fire.  Sometimes  the  animal  is  too  quick  for 
him,  and  in  thstfc  case  he  permits  it  to  seize  the  end  of  the  barrel  in  its  hands  and  drag  it 
to  its  mouth,  and  then  fires  just  as  the  great  jaws  enclose  the  muzzle  between  the  teeth. 
Seizing  the  object  of  attack  in  the  hands,  and  drawins  it  to  the  mouth,  seems  to  be  with 
the  gorilla,  as  with  others  of  the  monkey  tribe,  the  ordinary  mode  of  fighting. 

The  hunter  has  to  be  very  careful  that  he  fires  at  the  right  moment,  as  the  gigantic 
strength  of  the  gorilla  enables  it  to  make  very  shoi-t  work  of  a  trade  gun,  if  it  should 
happen  to  pull  the  weapon  out  of  its  owner's  hands.  A  French  officer  told  Mr.  Eeade 
that  he  had  seen  one  of  these  guns  which  had  been  seized  by  a  gorilla,  who  had  twisted 
and  bent  the  barrel  "  comme  une.  papillote." 

The  same  traveller,  who  is  certainly  not  at  all  disposed  to  exaggerate  the  size  or  the 
power  of  the  gorilla,  was  greatly  struck  by  the  asnect  of  one  that  had  been  recently  killed. 
"  One  day  Mongilambu  came  and  told  me  that  tnero  was  a  freshly-killed  <Toiilla  for  sale. 
I  went  down  to  the  beach,  and  saw  it  lying  in  a  small  canoe,  which  it  almost  filled.  It 
was  a  male,  and  a  very  large  one.  The  preserved  specimen  can  give  you  no  idea  of  what 
this  animal  really  is,  with  its  skin  still  unshrivelled,  and  the  blood  scarcely  diy  upon  its 
wounds.  The  hideousness  of  its  face,  the  grand  breadth  of  its  breast,  its  massive  arms, 
and,  abovo  all,  its  hands,  like  those  of  a  human  being,  impressed  me  with  emotions  which 
I  had  not  expected  to  feel.  But  nothing  is  perfect.  The  huge  trunk  dwindled  into  a  pair 
of  legs,  thin,  bent,  shrivelled,  and  decrepid  as  those  of  an  old  womaa" 


hr. 


Si 


GORILLA  HUNTING. 


t  an  animal  wl'.cb 


609 


Such  being  the  impression  made  on  a  civilized  being  by  the  dead  body  of  a  gorilla 
lying  in  a  canoe,  the  natives  may  well  be  excused  for  entertaining  a  superstitious  awe  of 
it  as  it  roams  the  forest  in  freedom,  and  for  thinking  that  its  skuJI  is  a  fit  adornment  for 
the  temple  of  their  chief  idol 

To  a  party  of  native  hunters  unprovided  with  fire-arms,  the  chase  of  the  animal  is  a 
senrice  of  real  difficulty  and  danger.  They  are  obliged  to  seek  it  in  the  recesses  of  its  own 
haunts,  and  to  come  to  close  quarters  with  it.  The  spear  is  necessarily  the  principal 
weapon  employed,  as  the  arrow,  even  though  poisoned,  does  not  kill  at  once,  and  the 
goriUa  is  only  incited  by  the  pain  of  a  wound  to  attack  the  man  who  inflicted  it.  Their 
fear  of  the  animal  is  also  increased  by  the  superstition  which  has  already  been  mentioned. 


hf 


P' 


GORILLA.  HUNT. 


that  a  man  is  sometimes  transformed  into  a  gorUla,  and  becomes  thereby  a  sort  of  sylvan 
demon,  who  cannot  be  killed — at  all  events,  by  a  black  man — and  who  is  possessed  with 
a  thirst  for  killing  every  human  being  that  he  meets.  / 

Any  specially  large  gorilla  is  sure  to  be  credited  with  the  reputation  of  being  a  trans- 
formed man  ;  and  as  the  adult  male  sometimes  measures  five  feet  six  inches  or  so  in  height, 
there  is  really  some  excuse  for  the  native  belief  that  some  supernatural  power  lies  hidden 
in  this  monstrous  ape. 

After  a  careful  investigation,  Mr.  Eeade  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that,  except  in 
point  of  size,  there  is  no  essential  differenie  in  the  gorilla  and  the  chimpanzee,  botli 
animals  going  usually  on  all-fours,  and  both  building  slight  houses  or  platforms  in  the 
trees,  both  changing  their  dwelling  in  search  of  food  and  to  avoid  the  neighbourhood  of 
man,  and  both,  without  being  gregarious,  sometimes  assembling  together  in  considerable 
Dcmbers. 


TOLL 


RB 


OHAFTEB  MIL 


THE  KBUMEN  AND   FANTL 


ZiOOAUTT  OF  THB  KBUHBN— THSnt  RNll  nBVBLOPlCRNT  AND  ItOSViVXrXJJt  XNDUBAMCB — THXIB  SKIIX 
DT  BOATINO — OOIiOlTB  OF  THB  KIlimN-— THBIB  VRAT  SDfPLB  DBB88 — DOUBLE  NOURNCLATUBB— 
THBIB  USB  TO  TBAVBLLRB8— OOTBBNIIBNT  OF  THB  KRUMBM — THBIB  UVBLT  AND  CHERBFUL 
OHABACTBB — D01IB9TIC    LIFB   OF   THB    KBVUBN — BABNINO  WIVB8 — BEUOION   OF  THB  KBUUKN— 

THB    DBTTT    "  SITFFIN  " KBDMAN    FIHnCBAI. — THB     OBAIN    COAST — THB     FANTI     TBIBB — TBKIB 

KATIVB   INOOLBNRB — FANTZ  BOATS   AND   THBIB   HANAGBUBNT— THB   XBA-KBA   DUEASB — ^A    WUJ> 
UCOBND — ^DBBSS  OF  THB  FAHTI— lOBAS,  OF  ▲  WVtVBM  BTATB. 


u4- 


?k*  *?t 


Aloito  tho  Grain  Coast  of  Western  AMca  there  is  a  race  of  men  Vfho  come  too  pro- 
minently before  European  e>es  to  be  omitted  from  this  work.  They  have,  in  a  degree, 
lost  the  habits  of  their  original  savage  life,  but  they  illustrate  so  well  the  peculiar  negro 
character  that  a  small  space  must  be  devoted  to  them. 

The  name  Kru,  or  Croo,  and  sometimes  Cirew,  or  Crew — so  diversified  is  the  ortho- 
graphy of  native  names — is  a  corruption  of  the  Grebo  word  "  Krao."  The  tribe  inhabits 
a  district  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  along  the  coast,  and  extending  for  a  consider- 
able, but  uncertain,  distance  inland.  A  good  many  smaller  tribes  have  been  gradually 
absorbed  into  them,  and,  as  they  have  adopted  the  language,  manners,  and  customs,  as  well 
as  the  name  of  Krao,  we  will  treat  of  them  all  under  the  same  title. 

In  the  "  Wanderings  of  a  F.  RG.S."  there  is  a  cuiious  account  of  the  derivation  of ! 
the  word  Grebo,  one  of  the  absorbed  tribes.  Accordidg  to  their  own  tradition,  they 
originally  inhabited  the  interior^  and,  finding  that  their  district  was  too  thickly  populated, 
a  laige  number  of  them  determined  to  emigrate  westward,  and  secretly  prepared  for 
departure,  the  majority  being  averse  to  the  scheme.  As  they  embarked  in  a  huriy,  a 
number  of  the  canoes  were  upset,  but  the  remainder  succeeded  in  bounding  over  the 
waves.  The  people  who  were  capsized,  and  were  left  behind,  were  therefore  called 
"  Waibc,"  or  the  Cp.psized.  while  the  others  took  the  name  of  Grebo,  from  the  bounding 
grey  monkey,  called  Gr^. 

The  Krumen  are  a  fine  race,  and  present  a  great  contrast  to  the  usual  slim-limbed  and  I 
almost  effeminate  savages  of  the  interior.    They  are  extremely  powerful,  and  are  able  to 
paddle  for  some  forty  miles  at  a  stretch,  without  seeming  to  be  the  least  fatigued  at  the  [ 
end  of  their  labours.     They  are  the  recognised  seamen  of  the  coast,  and  have  made  them- 
selves necessary  to  the  traders,  and  even  to  Government  vessels,  as  they  can  stand  a  j 
wonderful  amount  of  work,  and  are  not  affected  by  the  climate  like  the  white  sailors. 

A  Kruman  lays  himself  out  for  a  sailor  as  soon  as  he  becomes  his  own  master,  and  is  j 
content  to  bedn  life  as  a  " boy,"  so  that  he  may  end  it  as  a  "  man"— ie.  he  hires  him- 
self out  in  order  to  obtain  goods  which  will  purchase  a  wife  for  him,  and  by  dint  of  several 
voyages  he  adds  to  the  number  of  his  wives,  and  consequently  to  the  respect  in  which  he 
is  held  by  his  countrymen. 


MANAGEMENT  OF  CANOES. 


611 


He  19  a  marvellous  canoe-man,  and  manages  his  diminutive  boat  witli  a  skill  that 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated  lie  drives  it  throagh  tHe  surf  with  fearless  speed,  and 
cares  nothing  for  the  boiling  water  around  him.  "The  Kruman,"  writes  Mr.  Beade, 
•squats  in  it  on  ,his  knees,  and  bales  the  water  out  with  one  of  his  feet  Sometimes  he 
paddles  with  his  hands  ;  sometimes,  thrusting  a  leg  in  the  water,  he  spins  the  canoe  round 
vlien  at  full  speed,  like  a  skater  on  the  '  outside-edge.'  If  it  should  capsize,  as  the  laws 
of  equilibrium  sometimes  demand,  he  turns  it  over,  bales  it  out  with  a  calabash,  swim- 
ming all  the  while,  and  glides  in  again,  his  skin  shining  like  a  seal's." 

These  singular  little  canoes  are  pointed  at  each  end,  and  crescent-shaped,  so  that  they 
project  fore  and  aft  out  of  the  water.  They  are  very  narrow,  and  are  made  out  of  the 
-  rie  trunk  of  a  tree,  usually  the  cotton-wood,  or  a  kind  of  poplqr.    The  interior  is  first 


IMCK — THKIB  SKaL 
;  NOURMCLATCBE— 
:.T  AND  CHEKBFUL 
OF  THB  KBUUEN — 
NTI  TBIBX — TBRIB 
,   DI8BA8B — ^A    VUJ> 


ho  come  too  pro- 
have,  in  a  degree, 
he  peculiar  negro 


the  derivation  of 
vn  tradition,  they 
thickly  populated, 
retly  prepared  lor 
•ked  in  a  hurry,  a 
jouiiding  over  the 
e  therefore  called 
i'om  the  bounding 

1  slim-limbed  and 
il,  and  are  able  to 
st  fatigued  at  the  1 
have  made  them- 1 
they  can  stand  a 
white  sailors.        I 
>wn  niaster,  and  is 
ie.  he  hires  him- 
by  dint  of  several 
ispect  in  which  he 


KBUMEN  AND  TBEm  CANOES. 


[  lollowed  out  with  fire,  next  trimmed  with  an  adze,  and  the  ribs  are  prevented  from  col- 
jsing  by  four  or  five  cross-sticks.    They  are  very  massively  constructed,  and,  as  the 
'  wood  is  very  light,  they  do  not  sink  even  if  they  are  filled  with  water.    So  small  are 
'  ij,  that  at  a  little  distance  they  cannot  be  seen,  and  the  inmates  appear  to  be  treading 
I  water. 

It  is  a  curious  sight  to  watch  a  fleet  of  these  canoes  come  off  towards  a  ship.  As 
toon  as  an  English  ship  anchors,  a  swarm  of  these  canoes  comes  dashing  along,  their  black 
inmates  singing  songs  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  shouting  "  Bateo  !  Bateo !  Gi' way  1 
Baigri  1 "  and  similar  exclamations,  as  they  race  with  each  other  towards  the  vessel.  No 
i  European  has  been  known  to  manage  one  of  these  frail  canoes,  the  usual  result  of  getting 
into  one  being  that  the  boat  turns  over,  and  deposits  the  rash  adventurer  in  the  sea. 

The  appearance  of  the  men  has  been  graphically  described  by  the  "  F.  R  G.  S." 
"Conceive  the  head  of  a  Socrates,  or  a  Silenus,  upon  the  body  of  the  Antinous,  or  Apollo 
Belvedere.  A  more  magnificent  development  of  muscle,  such  perfect  symmetry  in  the 
balance  of  grace  and  strength,  my  eyes  had  never  yet  looked  upon.  But  the  faces! 
I  Except  when  lighted  up  by  smiles  and  good  humour— expression  to  an  African  face  is 
allin  all— nothuig  could  be  more  unprepossessing.    The  flat  nose,  the  high  cheek-bones, 

bb2 


612 


THE  KRUMEN. 


the  yellow  eyes,  the  chalky  white  teeth,  pointed  like  the  shark's,  the  muzzle  protruded 
like  that  of  a  dog-monkey,  combine  to  form  an  unusual  amount  of  ugliness. 

"  To  this  adds  somewhat  the  tribe-mark,  a  blue  line  of  cuts  half  an  inch  broad,  from 
the  forehead  scalp  to  the  nose-tip — in  some  cases  it  extends  over  both  lips  to  the  chin, 
whence  they  are  called  Blue-noses — whilst  a  broad  arrow  or  wedge,  pointed  to  the  face, 
and  also  blue,  occupies  each  temple,  just  above  the  zygomata.  The  marks  are  made  with 
a  knife,  little  cuts  into  which  the  oily  husk  of  a  gum  is  rubbed.  Their  bodies  are 
similarly  ornamented  with  stars,  European  emblems,  as  anchors,  &c.,  especially  with  broad 
double  lines  down  the  breast  and  other  parts. 

"  Their  features  are  distinctly  African,  without  a  mixture  of  Arab ;  the  conjunctiva  is 
brown,  yellow,  or  tarnished — a  Hamitic  pectdiarly — and  some  paint  white  goggle-like 
ovals  round  the  orbits,  producing  the  effect  of  a  loup.  This  is  sometimes  done  for  sick- 
ness, and  individuals  are  rubbed  over  with  various  light  and  dark  coloured  powders.  The 
skin  is  very  dark,  often  lamp-black ;  others  are  of  a  deep  rich  brown,  or  bronze  tint,  but 
a  light-complexioned  man  is  generally  called  Tom  Coffee. 

"  They  wear  the  hair,  which  is  short  and  kinky,  in  crops,  which  look  like  a  Buddha's 
skull-cap,  and  they  shave  when  in  mourning  for  their  relations.  A  favourite  'fash' 
(i.  e.  fashion)  is  to  scrape  off"  a  parallelogram  behind  the  head,  from  the  poll  to  the  cere- 
bellum ;  and  others  are  decorated  in  that  landscape  or  parterre  style  which  wilder  Africaus 
love.  The  back  of  the  cranium  is  often  remarkably  flat,  and  I  have  seen  many  heads  of  | 
the  pyramidal  shape,  rising  narrow  and  pointed  high  to  the  apex. 

"  The  beard  is  seldom  thick,  and  never  long ;  the  moustachio  is  removed,  and  the  pile, 
like  the  hair,  often  grows  in  tufts.  The  tattoo  has  often  been  described.  There  seems 
to  be  something  attractive  in  this  process— the  English  sailor  can  seldom  resist  the 
temptation. 

"  They  also  chip,  sharpen,  and  extract  the  teeth.  Most  men  cut  out  an  inverted  V 
between  the  two  middle  incisors  of  the  upper  jaw ;  others  draw  one  or  two  of  the  central 
lower  incisors  ;  others,  especially  the  St.  Andrews'  men,  tip  or  sharpen  the  incisors,  like 
the  Wahiao  and  several  Central  African  tribes. 

"  Odontology  has  its  mysteries.  Dentists  seem,  or  rather  seemed,  to  hold  as  a  theory 
'  -Jiat  destruction  of  the  enamel  involved  the  loss  of  the  tooth ;  the  Krumen  hack  their 
masticators  with  a  knife,  or  a  rough  piece  of  hoop- iron,  and  find  that  the  sharpening, 
instead  of  producing  caries,  act  as  a  preservative,  by  facilitating  the  laniatory  process. 
Similarly  there  are  physiologists  who  attribute  the  preseiTation  of  the  negro's  teeth  to  I 
his  not  drinking  anything  hotter  than  blood  heat.  This  is  mere  empiricism.  The  Arabs 
swallow  their  coffee  nearly  boiling,  and  the  East  African  will  devour  his  agali,  or  porridge, 
when  the  temperature  would  scald  the  hand.  Yet  both  these  races  have  pearls  of  teeth, 
except  when  they  chew  lime  or  tobacco." 

The  native  dress  of  the  men  is  simple  enough,  consisting  of  a  pink  and  white  or  blue 
and  white  check  cloth  round  the  waist,  and  a  variety  of  ornaments,  made  of  skin,  metal, 
glass,  or  ivory.  The  latter  substance  is  mostly  obtained  either  from  the  Gaboon  or 
Cameroon,  and  is  worn  in  the  shape  of  large  arm-rings,  cut  slowly  with  a  knife,  and 
polished  by  drawing  a  wet  cord  backwards  and  forwards.  Some  of  the  sailor  Krumen 
have  their  names  (ie.  their  nautical  names)  engraved  on  their  armlets,  and  some  of  them 
wear  on  the  breast  a  brass  plate  with  the  name  engraved  upon  it.  Of  course  some  of  | 
their  ornaments  are  charms  or  fetishes. 

The  women  present  a  disagreeable  contrast  to  the  men,  their  stature  being  short,  their  I 
proportions  ungainly,  and  their  features  repulsive.    Their  style  of  dress,  which  is  merely 
a  much-attenuated  petticoat,  displays  nearly  the  whole  of  the  figure,  and  enables  the 
spectators  to  form  a  very  accurate  opinion  of  their  personal  appearance.    Of  course,  the 
chief  part  of  the  work  is  done  by  the  women,  and  this  custom  has  doubtlessly  some  effect  j 
in  stunting  and  deteriorating  the  form.  i 

All  the  Krumen  have  two  names,  one  being  that  by  which  they  are  called  in  their  own 
tongue,  and  one  by  which  they  are  known  to  their  employers.  It  really  seems  a  pity  that 
these  fine  fellows  should  be  degraded  by  the  ludicrous  English  names  which  are  given  to 
them.    Their  own  names— c.  g.  Kofd,  Nakii,  Tiyd,  &c,— are  easy  enough  to  speak,  and  it  j 


A  TEUE  COMMONWEALTH. 


613 


would  be  far  better  to  use  them,  and  not  to  "  call  them  out  of  their  names,"  according  to 
the  domestic  phrase.  Here  are  the  names  of  five  men  who  engaged  to  take  Mr.  Beade  to 
the  Gaboon :  Smoke  Jack,  Dry  Toast,  Cockroach,  Pct-of-Beer,  and — of  all  names  in  the 
world  for  a  naked  black  man — Florence  Nightingale. 

They  always  demand  rice,  that  being  a  necessity  with  them,  and  as  long  as  they  get 
their  pint  and  a  half  per  diem  of  rice  they  can  stand  unlimited  work.  They  cook  the 
rice  for  themselves  in  their  primitive  but  effective  manner,  and  feed  themselves  much  as 
turkeys  are  crammed,  seizing  large  handfuls  of  rice,  squeezing  them  into  balls,  and  con- 
triving, in  some  mysterious  way,  to  swallow  them  whole  without  being  choked.  When 
they  enter  the  naval  service  they  consider  thomaslves  as  made  men,  getting  not  only 
their  rice,  but  allowance  in  lieu  of  other  rations,  plenty  of  clothing,  and  high  wages,  so 
that  when  they  go  ashore  they  are  rich  men,  and  take  their  rank.  Of  course  they  are 
fleeced  by  all  their  relations,  who  flock  round  them,  and  expect  to  be  feasted  for  several 
days,  but  still  the  soi'""  Krumancan  buy  a  wife  or  two,  and  set  up  for  a  " man"  at  once. 
In  his  own  p^  ;e,  i  "  nigger  for  ship,  ki  "  "  country."  One  year  is  the  usual  term 
of  engagemeub,  ^nd  V.  lardly  possible  to  in«.  ^d  Krumen  to  engage  for  more  than  three 
years,  so  attached  are  they  to  "  me  country." 

Their  government  is  simple.  They  are  divided  into  four  classes,  or  castes, — namely,  the 
dders,  the  actual  warriors,  the  probationary  warriors,  and  the  priests ;  the  latter  term 
including  the  priests  proper,  the  exorcists,  and  the  physicians.  They  are  strictly  repub- 
lican, and  no  one  is  permitted  to  accumulate,  or,  at  all  events,  to  display,  wealth  much 
above  the  average  of  his  fellows.  Should  even  one  of  the  elders  do  so,  a  palaver  is  held, 
and  his  property  is  reduced  to  proper  level.  This  is  described  by  the  English-speaking 
Krumen  as  the  punishment  for  "  too  much  sass."  In  fact,  property  is  held  on  the  joint- 
stock  princinle,  so  that  the  word  commonwealth  is  veiy  applicable  to  their  mode  of 
government. 

Capital  punishment  is  rare,  and  is  seldom  used,  except  in  cases  of  witchcraft  or 
murder,  and  it  is  remarkable  that,  in  the  latter  case,  no  distinction  is  made  between  acci- 
dental manslaughter  and  murder  with  malice  prepense.  The  poison  ordeal  is  common 
here,  the  draught  being  prepared  from  the  "  sass- wood "  of  the  gidden  tree ;  and  there  is 
a  wholesome  rule  that,  i£  the  accused  survives  the  ordeal,  the  accuser  must  drink  it  in 
his  turn. 

That  they  are  arrant  liars,  that  they  are  confirmed  thieves,  and  that  they  have  not 
the  slightest  notion  of  morality,  is  but  to  say  that  they  are  savages,  and  those  who  have 
to  deal  with  them  can  manage  well  enough,  provided  that  they  only  bear  in  mind  these 
characteristics.  If  they  hear  that  they  are  going  to  some  place  which  they  dislike — 
probably  on  account  of  some  private  feud,  because  they  are  afraid  of  some  man  whose 
domestic  relations  they  have  disturbed — they  will  come  with  doleful  faces  to  their  master, 
and  tell  him  the  most  astounding  lies  about  it 

Yet  they  are  a  cheerful,  lively  set  of  fellows,  possessing  to  the  full  the  negro's  love 
of  singing,  drumming,  and  dancing.  Any  kind  of  work  that  they  do  is  aided  by  a  song, 
and  an  experienced  traveller  who  is  paddled  by  Krumen  always  takes  with  him  a  drum 
of  some  sort,  knowing  that  it  will  make  the  difference  of  a  quarter  of  the  time  occupied 
in  the  journey.  Even  after  a  hard  day's  work,  they  will  come  to  their  master,  ask  per- 
mission to  "make  play,"  and  will  keep  up  their  singing  and  dancing  until  after 
midnight.  Under  such  circumstances  the  traveller  will  do  well  to  grant  his  permission, 
under  the  condition  that  they  remove  themselves  out  of  earshot.  Even  their  ordinary 
talk  is  so  much  like  shouting,  that  they  must  always  be  quartered  in  outhouses,  and 
when  they  become  excited  with  their  music  the  noise  is  unendurable. 

They  are  very  fond  of  intoxicating  liquids,  and  are  not  in  the  least  particular  about 
the  quality,  so  that  the  intoxicating  property  be  there. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  they  are  arrant  thieves,  and  in  nothing  is  their 
thieving  talent  more  conspicuous  than  when  they  exercise  it  upon  spirituous  liquors. 
They  even  surpass  the  British  sailor  in  the  ingenuity  which  they  display  in  discovering 
and  stealing  spirits,  and  there  is  hardly  any  risk  which  they  will  not  run  in  order  to 
obtain  it.    Contrary  to  the  habit  of  most  savage  people,  they  are  very  sensitive  to  pain, 


I 

I 
'iiii'iii 


m 


Si 


m 

if  I 


.■  Sill 

m 


^M 


i 


614 


THE  KEUMEN. 


and  a  flogging  which  would  scarcely  be  felt  by  a  Bush  boy  will  elicit  shrieks  of  pain 
from  a  Kruman.  They  dread  the  whip  almost  as  much  as  death,  and  yet  they  will 
brave  the  terrors  of  a  certain  flogginc  in  order  to  get  at  rum  or  brandy. 

No  precautions  seem  to  be  available  against  their  restless  cunning,  and  the  unwary 
traveller  is  often  surprised,  when  he  feels  ill  and  wants  some  brandy  as  a  medicine,  that 
not  a  drop  is  to  be  found,  and  yet,  to  all  appearance,  his  spirit-case  has  been  under  his 
own  eyes,  and  so  have  the  rascals  who  have  contrived  to  steal  it.  Even  so  experienced  a 
traveller  as  Captain  Burton,  a  man  who  knows  the  negro  character  better  than  almost 
any  European,  says  that  he  never  had  the  chance  of  drinking  his  last  bottle  of  cognac, 
it  always  having  been  emptied  by  his  Krumen. 

Provisions  of  all  kinds  vanish  in  the  same  mysterious  way :  they  will  strangle  goats, 
and  prepare  them  so  as  to  look  as  if  they  had  been  bitten  by  venomous  serpents ;  and  as 
for  fowls,  they  vanish  as  if  they  had  voluntarily  flown  down  the  throats  of  the  robbei-s. 
Anything  bright  o-  polished  is  sure  to  be  stolen,  and  it  is  the  hardest  thing  in  the  world 
to  take  mathematical  instruments  safely  through  Western  Africa,  on  account  of  the  thievisii 
propensities  of  the  Krumen. 

Even  when  they  siv>al  articles  which  they  cannot  eat,  it  is  very  difficult  to  discover 
the  spot  where  the  misslr?  object  is  hidden,  and,  as  a  party  of  Krumen  always  share 
their  plunder,  they  have  an  interest  in  keeping  their  business  secret.  The  only  mode  of 
extracting  information  is  by  a  sound  flogging,  and  even  then  it  often  happens  that  the 
cunning  rascals  have  sent  off  theii:  plunder  by  one  of  their  own  people,  or  have  contrived 
to  smuggle  it  on  board  some  ship. 

We  now  come  to  the  domestic  habits  of  the  Eruman  as  summed  up  in  marriage, 
religion,  death,  and  burial. 

These  people  are,  as  has  been  seen,  a  prudent  race,  and  have  the  un  African  faculty 
of  looking  to  the  future.  It  is  this  faculty  which  causes  them  to  work  so  hard  for  their 
wives,  the  fact  being,  that,  when  a  man  has  no  wife,  he  must  work  entirely  for  himself; 
when  he  has  one,  she  takes  part  of  the  labour  off  his  hands ;  and  when  he  marries  a  dozen 
or  so,  they  can  support  him  in  idleness  for  the  rest  of  his  days. 

So,  when  a  young  man  has  scraped  together  sufficient  property  to  buy  a  wife,  he  goes 
to  the  girl's  father,  shows  the  goods,  and  strikes  the  bargain.  If  accepted,  he  marries  her 
after  a  very  simple  fashion,  the  whole  ceremony  consisting  in  the  father  receiving  the 
goods  and  handing  over  the  girl.  He  remains  with  her  in  her  father's  house  for  a  week 
or  two,  and  then  goes  off  on  another  trip  in  order  to  earn  enough  money  to  buy  a  second. 
In  like  manner  he  possesses  a  third  and  a  fourth,  and  th^n  sets  up  a  domicile  of  his  own, 
each  wife  having  her  own  little  hut 

However  many  wives  a  Kruman  may  have,  the  first  takes  the  chief  rank,  and  rules 
the  entire  household.  As  is  the  case  in  most  lands  where  polygamy  is  practised,  the 
women  have  no  objection  to  sharing  the  husband's  affections.  On  the  contrary,  the  head 
wife  will  generally  urge  her  husband  to  add  to  his  number^  because  ever}'  additional  wife 
is  in  fact  an  additional  servant,  and  takes  a  considerable  amount  of  work  off  her  shoulders. 
And  an  inferior  wife  would  always  prefer  to  be  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  wife  of  a 
wealthy  man,  than  the  solitary  wife  of  a  poor  man,  for  whom  she  will  have  to  work  like 
a  slave. 

Although  the  women  are  completely  subject  to  their  husbands,  they  have  a  remedy 
in  their  hands  if  they  are  very  badly  treated.  They  run  away  to  their  own  family,  and 
then  there  is  a  great  palaver.  Should  a  separation  occur,  the  children,  although  they 
love  their  mother  better  than  their  father,  are  conf  idered  his  property,  and  have  to  go 
with  himu 

Their  religion  is  of  a  very  primitive  character,  and,  although  the  Krumen  have  for  so 
many  years  been  brought  in  contact  with  civilisation,  and  have  been  sedulously  taught 
by  missionaries,  they  have  not  exchanged  their  ild  superstitions  for  a  new  religion.  That 
they  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  amulets  and  v^harms  has  been  already  mentioned,  and 
therefore  it  is  evident  that  they  must  have  some  belief  in  the  supernatural  beings  who 


THE  GOD  «  SUFFIN." 


610 


!>  shrielcs  of  pain 
nd  yet  they  will 

[,  and  the  unwary 
a  medicine,  tliat 
8  been  under  his 
I  80  experienced  n, 
3tter  than  almost 
bottle  of  cognac, 

rill  strangle  goats, 
serpents ;  and  as 
ts  of  the  robbei's. 
bing  in  the  world 
mt  of  the  thievish 

fficult  to  discover 
men  always  share 
Ihe  only  mode  of 
happens  that  the 
or  have  contrived 


i  up  in  marriage, 

in-African  faculty 
;  so  hard  for  their 
birely  for  himself; 
le  marries  a  dozen 

uy  a  wife,  he  goes 
ed,  he  marries  her 
her  receiving  the 
house  for  a  week 
y  to  buy  a  second, 
micile  of  his  own, 

if  rank,  and  rules 
y  is  practised,  the 
ontrary,  the  head 
r}'  additional  wife 
;  off  her  shoulders, 
teenth  wife  of  a 
lave  to  work  like 

ey  have  a  remedy 

own  family,  and 

en,  although  they 

r,  and  have  to  go 


ae  supposed  to  be  influenced  \ij  these  charms.  Yet,  as  to  worship,  very  little  is  known 
of  it,  probably  because  very  little  is  practised.  On  one  occasion,  when  a  vessel  was 
wrecked,  a  Krunian  stood  all  night  by  the  sea-side,  with  his  face  looking  westward, 
waving  the  right  arm,  and  keeping  up  an  incessant  howling  until  daybreak.  The  others 
looked  at  him,  but  did  not  attempt  to  join  him. 

There  is  one  religious  ceremony  which  takes  place  in  a  remaikable  cavern,  called  by 
the  euphonious  name  of  Grand  Devil  Cave.    It  is  a  hollow  in  an  enormous  rock,  having 


W 


FETISHEIS,  MALB  AND  FBHALB. 


at  the  end  a  smaller  and  interior  cavern  in  which  the  demon  resides.  Evidently  par- 
taking that  dislike  to  naming  the  objoct  of  their  superstitions  which  caused  the  believing 
in  fairies  to  term  them  the  "  Good  ri'Oi)le,"  and  the  Norwegians  of  the  present  day  to 
speak  of  the  bear  as  the  "  Disturber,"  or  "  He  in  the  fur  coat,"  the  Krumen  prudently 
designate  this  demon  as  "Suffin,"  i.e.  Something. 

When  they  go  to  worship  they  lay  beads,  tobacco,  provisions,  and  rum  in  the  inner 
cavern,  which  are  at  once  removed  by  the  mysterious  Suffin,  who  is  supposed  to  consume 
them  alL    In  return  for  the  liberality  of  his  votaries,  Suffin  answers  any  questions  in 


d ' 


ea# 


THE  KRUMEN. 


any  language.  The  Krumen  believe  as  firmly  in  the  existence  and  supernatnral  character 
of  Sufhn  as  the  Babylonians  in  the  time  of  Daniel  believed  that  Bel  consumed  daily  the 
"twelve  great  measures  of  fine  flour,  the  forty  sheep,  and  the  six  vessols  of  wine  "  tlmt  wete 
offered  to  him.  And,  as  a  convincing  proof  of  the  danger  of  incredulity,  they  point  with 
awe  to  a  tree  which  stands  near  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  Devil  Cave,  and  which  wui 
formerly  a  Kruman  who  expressed  his  disbelief  in  Suffin,  and  was  straightway  transfomed 
into  the  tree  in  question. 

Their  mode  of  swearing  is  by  dipping  the  finger  in  salt,  pointing  to  heaven  and  earth 
with  it,  as  if  invoking  the  powers  of  both,  and  then  putting  the  tip  of  the  finger  in  the 
mouth,  as  if  calling  upon  the  offended  powers  to  avenge  the  peijury  on  the  person  of  him 
who  had  partaken  of  the  salt.  Considering  the  wolfish  voracity  of  the  Krumen,  which 
they  possess  in  common  with  other  savages,  they  show  great  self-control  in  yielding  to  a 
popular  superstition  which  forbids  them  to  eat  the  hearts  of  cattle,  or  to  drink  the  blood. 

The  dead  Kruman  is  buried  with  many  ceremonies,  and,  notably,  a  fire  is  kept  up 
before  his  house,  so  that  his  spirit  may  warm  itself  while  it  is  prepared  for  appreciating 
the  new  life  into  which  it  has  been  born.  Food  is  also  placed  near  the  grave  for  the 
same  benevolent  purpose.  Should  he  be  a  good  man,  he  may  lead  the  cattle  which  have 
been  sacrificed  at  his  funeral,  and  so  make  his  way  to  the  spirit  land,  in  which  he  will 
take  rank  according  to  the  number  of  cattle  which  he  has  brought  with  him.  Sometimes 
he  may  enter  the  bodies  of  children,  and  so  reappear  on  earth.  But  should  he  be  a  bad 
man,  and  especially  should  he  be  a  wizard — i.e.  one  who  practises  without  authority  the 
arts  which  raise  the  regular  practitioners  to  wealth  and  honour — his  state  after  death  is 
very  terrible,  and  he  is  obliged  to  wander  for  ever  through  gloomy  swamps  and  fetid 
marshes. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Krumen  have  some  idea  of  a  transitional  or  purgatorial 
state.  The  paradise  of  the  Krumen  is  called  Kwiga  Oran,  i.e.  the  City  of  tnc  Ghosts, 
and  before  any  one  can  enter  it  he  must  sojourn  for  a  certain  time  in  the  inteitncdiate 
space  called  Menu,  or  Menuke. 

It  may  be  as  well  to  remark  here  that  the  Grain  Coast,  on  which  the  Krumen  chiefly 
live,  does  not  derive  its  name  from  com,  barley,  or  other  cereals.  The  grain  in  question 
is  the  well-known  cardamom,  or  Grain  of  Paradise,  which  is  used  ab  a  medicine  throughout 
the  whole  of  Western  Africa,  and  is  employed  as  a  remedy  against  various  diseases.  It 
is  highly  valued  as  a  restorative  after  fatigue  ;  and  when  a  man  has  been  comph'tely  worn 
out  by  a  long  day's  march,  there  is  nothing  that  refreshes  him  more  than  a  handful  of  the 
cardamoms  in  a  fresh  state,  the  juicy  and  partly  acid  pulp  contrasting  most  agreeable 
with  the  aromatic  warmth  of  the  seeds. 

The  cardamom  is  used  either  internally  or  externally.  It  is  eaten  as  a  stomachic,  and 
is  often  made  into  a  poultice  and  applied  to  any  part  of  the  body  that  suffers  pain. 
Headache,  for  example,  is  said  to  be  cured  by  the  cardamom-seed,  pounded  and  mixed 
with  water  into  a  paste ;  and,  even  duiiog  the  hot  fit  of  fever,  the  cardamom  powder  ia 
applied  as  a  certain  restorative. 


t-  ~^■ 


I? 


THE  KRA-KRA. 


617 


IHEFANTL 


The  district  of  Western  Africa,  vhich  is  now  known  by  the  general  title  of  the  Gold 
Coast,  AsLantee,  or  Ashanti,  is  occupied  by  two  tribes,  who  are  always  on  terms  of  deadly 
feud  with  each  other.  Internecine  quarrels  are  one  of  the  many  curses  which  retard  the 
progress  of  Africa,  and,  in  this  case,  the  quarrel  is  so  fierce  and  persistent,  that  even  at 
the  present  day,  thouah  the  two  great  tribes,  the  Fanti  and  the  Ashanti,  have  fought  over 
and  over  again,  and  tne  latter  are  clearly  the  victors,  and  have  taken  possession  of  the 
land,  the  former  are  still  a  large  and  powerful  tribe,  and,  in  spite  of  their  so-called  exter- 
mination, have  proved  iheir  vitality  in  many  ways. 

The  Fanti  tribe  are  geographically  separated  from  their  formidable  neighbours  by  the 
Bossumpea  River,  and  if  one  among  either  tribe  passes  this  boundary  it  is  declared  to 
be  an  overt  act  of  war.  Unfortunately,  England  contrived  to  drift  into  t.'iis  war,  and,  as 
bad  luck  would  have  it,  took  the  part  of  the  Fanti  tribe,  and  consequently  shared  in 
their  defeat. 

It  is  really  not  astonishing  that  the  Fanti  should  have  been  so  completely  conquered, 
as  they  have  been  termed  by  Mr.  Duncan,  a  traveller  who  knew  them  well,  the  dirtiest 
and  laziest  of  all  the  Africans  that  ho  had  seen.  One  hundred  of  them  were  employed 
under  the  supervision  of  an  Englishman,  and,  even  with  this  incitement,  they  did  not  do 
as  much  as  a  gang  of  fifteen  English  labourers.  Unless  continually  goaded  to  work  they 
will  lie  down  and  bask  in  the  sun ;  and  eve~.  if  a  native  overseer  be  employed,  he  is  just 
as  bad  as  the  rest  of  his  Cv^untrymen. 

Even  such  work  as  they  do  they  will  only  perform  in  their  own  stupid  manner.  For 
example,  in  fetching  stone  for  building,  they  will  walk,  some  twenty  in  a  gang,  a  full  mile 
to  the  quarry,  and  come  back,  each  with  a  single  stone  weighing  some  eight  or  nine 
pounds  on  his  head.  Every  burden  is  carried  on  the  head.  They  were  once  supplied 
with  wheelbarrows,  but  they  placed  one  stone  in  each  wheelbarrow,  and  then  put  the 
barrows  on  their  heads.  The  reason  why  they  are  so  lazy  is  plain  enough.  They  can 
live  well  for  a  penny  per  diem,  and  their  only  object  in  working  is  to  procure  rum, 
tobacco,  and  cotton  cloths.  So  the  wife  has  to  earn  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  the 
husband  earns — and  consumes — the  luxuries. 

The  Fanti  tribe  are  good  canoe-men,  but  their  boats  are  much  larger  and  heavier  than 
those  which  are  employed  by  the  Krumen.  They  are  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  length, 
and  are  furnished  with  weather  boards  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  out  the  water.  The 
shape  of  the  paddle  is  usually  like  that  of  the  ace  of  clubs  at  the  end  of  a  handle  ;  but, 
when  the  canoes  have  to  be  taken  through  smooth  and  deep  water,  the  blades  of  the 
paddles  are  long  and  leaf-shaped,  so  as  to  take  a  good  hold  of  the  water.  The  Fanti 
boatmen  are  great  adepts  in  conveying  passengers  from  ships  to  the  shore.  Waiting  by 
the  ship's  side,  while  the  heavy  seas  raise  and  lower  their  crank  canoes  like  corks,  they 
seize  the  right  moment,  snatch  the  anxious  passenger  off  the  ladder  to  which  he  has  been 
clinging,  deposit  him  in  the  boat,  and  set  off  to  shore  with  shouts  of  exultation.  On 
account  of  the  surf,  as  much  care  is  needed  in  landing  the  passengers  on  shore  as  in 
taking  them  out  of  the  vessel.  They  hang  about  the  outskirts  of  the  surf-billows  as  they 
curl  and  twist  and  dash  themselves  to  pieces  in  white  spray,  and,  as  soon  as  one  large 
wave  has  dashed  itself  on  the  shore,  they  paddle  along  on  the  crest  of  the  succeeding 
wave,  and  just  before  it  breaks  they  jump  out  of  the  boat,  run  it  well  up  the  shore,  and 
then  ask  for  tobacco. 

The  men  are  rather  fine-looking  fellows,  tall  and  well-formed,  but  are  unfortunately 
liable  to  many  skin  diseases,  among  which  the  terrible  kra-kra  is  most  dreaded.  This 
horrible  disease,  sometimes  spelt  as  it  is  pronounced,  craw-craw,  is  a  sort  of  leprosy  that 
overruns  the  entire  body,  and  makes  the  surface  most  loathsome  to  the  eye.    Unfortu- 


f-         ..... 

III 


Vii:: 


C  nM 


'A 


I  It 

^  III 


m 


THE  FANTI. 


— ^ 


!    i 


;!> 


nately,  it  is  very  contagious,  and  even  white  persons  have  been  attaclced  by  it  mcTely  by 
placing  tituir  huuds  on  the  spot  against  which  a  negro  atDicted  with  kra-kra  has  been  resting. 
Souietimus  the  whole  crew  of  a  ship  will  be  seized  with  kra-kra,  which  even  communi- 
cates itself  to  goats  and  ether  animals,  to  whom  it  often  proves  fatal. 

ThR  natives  have  a  curious  legend  respecting  the  origin  of  this  horrible  disease.  Tlio 
first  man,  named  Itaychow,  came  one  day  with  his  son  to  a  great  hole  in  the  ground,  from 
which  fire  issues  all  nigltt.  They  heard  men  speaking  to  them,  but  could  not  distinguish 
tl.oir  faces.  So  liaychow  sent  his  son  down  the  pit,  and  at  the  bottom  he  met  the  king 
of  the  fire-hole,  who  challenged  him  to  a  trial  of  spear-throwing,  the  stake  being  his  life. 
He  won  the  contest,  and  the  fii-e-king  was  sc  pleased  with  his  prowess  that  he  told  the 
voung  man  to  ask  for  anything  that  he  liked  before  he  was  restored  to  the  upper  air.  The 
boon  chosen  was  a  remedy  for  every  disease  that  he  could  name.  He  enumerated  every 
malady  that  he  could  recollect,  and  received  a  medicine  for  each.  As  he  was  going  away, 
the  fir<)-king  said,  "  You  have  forgotten  one  disease.  It  is  the  kra-kra,  and  by  that  you 
shall  die." 

Their  colour  is  rather  dark  chocolate  than  black,  and  they  have  a  tolerably  well-formed 
nose,  and  a  facial  angle  better  than  that  of  the  true  negro.  Their  dress  is  simply  a  couple 
of  cotton  cloths,  one  twisted  round  the  waist,  and  the  other  hung  over  the  shoulders.  This, 
however,  is  scarcely  to  be  reckoned  as  clothing,  and  is  to  be  regarded  much  as  an 
European  regfids  his  hat,  i.e.  as  something  to  be  worn  out  of  doors.  Like  the  hat,  it  is 
doffed  wheri'jver  a  Fanti  mcets>  a  superior ;  this  curious  salutation  being  found  also  in 
some  of  the  South  Sea  Islands. 

The  women  when  young  are  ugly  in  foce  and  beautiful  in  form — when  old  they  are 
hideous  in  both.  In  spite  of  the  Islamism  with  which  they  are  brought  so  constantly  in 
contact,  and  which  has  succeeded  in  making  them  the  most  civilized  of  the  West  African 
tribes,  the  women  are  so  far  from  veiling  their  faces  that  their  costume  begins  at 
the  waist  and  ceases  at  the  knees.  Unfortunately,  they  spoil  the  only  beauty  they 
possess,  that  of  shape,  by  an  ugly  appendage  called  the  "  cankey,"  i.e.  a  tolerably  large 
oblong  bag  of  calico,  stuffed  into  cushion-shape,  and  then  tied  by  tapes  to  the  wearers 
back,  so  that  the  upper  edge  and  two  of  the  comers  project  upwards  in  a  very  ludicrous 
way.  It  is,  in  fact,  only  a  slight  exaggeration  of  an  article  of  dress  which  at  orie  time 
was  fashionable  throughout  Europe,  and  which,  to  artistic  eyes,  had  the  same  demerit  of 
spoiling  a  good  shape  and  not  concealing  a  bad  one.  The  married  women  have  some 
excuse  for  wearing  it,  as  they  say  that  it  forms  a  nice  cushion  for  the  baby  to  sit  upon ; 
but  the  young  girls  who  also  wear  it  have  no  such  excuse,  and  can  only  plead  the  fashion 
of  the  day. 

Round  the  waist  is  always  a  string  of  beads,  glass  or  clay  if  the  wearer  be  poor,  gold 
if  she  be  rich.  This  supports  the  "  shim,"  a  sort  of  under- petticoat,  if  we  may  so  term  it, 
which  is  simply  a  strip  of  calico  an  inch  or  so  in  width,  one  end  being  fastened  to  the 
girdle  of  beads  in  front,  and  the  other  behind.  They  all  wear  plenty  of  ornaments 
of  the  usual  description,  i.e.  necklaces,  bracelets,  armlets,  anklets,  and  even  rings  for 
the  toes. 

The  hair  of  the  married  women  is  dressed  in  rather  a  peculiar  manner.  Though  crisp  and 
curly,  it  grows  to  nine  or  ten  inches  in  length,  and  is  frizzled  and  teased  out  with  much 
skill  and  more  patience.  A  boldly-defined  line  is  shaved  round  the  roots  of  hair,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  locks,  previously  saturated  with  grease,  and  combed  out  to  their  greatest 
length,  are  trained  upwards  into  a  tall  ridge.  Should  the  hair  be  too  short  or  too  scanty 
to  produce  the  required  effect,  a  quantity  of  supplementary  hair  is  twisted  into  a  pad  and 
placed  under  the  veritable  locks. 

This  ridge  of  hair  is  supported  by  a  large  comb  stuck  in  the  back  of  the  head,  and, 
although  the  shape  of  the  hair  tufts  differ  considerably,  it  is  always  present,  and  always 
made  as  large  as  possible. 

The  Fanti  have  their  peculiar  superstitions,  which  have  never  yet  been  extirpated. 

In  accordance  with  their  superstitious  worship,  they  have  a  great  number  of  holy  days 

in  the  course  of  the  year,  during  which  they  make  such  a  noise  that  a  European  can 

^scarcely  live  in  the  town.    Besides  uttering  the  horrible  roars  and  yells  which  seem  unpro- 


THE  PRIM-ffiVAL  CHILD. 


619 


ducoable  by  other  than  negro  throats,  they  blow  horni  and  Ion(^  wooden  trumpets,  the 
sound  of  which  is  described  as  resembling  the  roar  of  a  bull,  and  walk  in  proct'ssion, 
gurrounding  with  their  horns  and  trumpets  the  noisiest  instrument  of  all, — namely,  the 
kin-kosi,  or  big  drum.  This  is  about  four  feet  in  length  and  one  in  width,  and  tukcH  two 
men  to  play  it,  one  carrving  it,  negro  fashion,  on  his  head,  and  the  other  walking  buliind, 
and  belabouring  it  without  the  least  regard  to  time,  the  only  object  being  to  make  as 
much  noise  as  possible. 

Their  fetishes  are  innumerable,  and  it  is  hardiv  possible  to  walk  anywhere  without 
seeing  a  fetish  or  two.  Anything  does  for  a  fetish,  but  the  favourite  article  is  a  bundle  of 
regs  tied  together  like  a  child's  rag  doll.  This  is  placed  in  some  public  spot,  and  so  great 
is  the  awe  with  which  such  articles  are  regarded,  that  it  will  sometimes  remain  in  the 
same  place  for  several  weeks.  A  little  image  of  clay,  intended  to  represent  a  human 
bein;;,  is  sometimes  substituted  for  the  rag-doll. 

The  following  succinct  account  of  the  religious  system  is  given  in  the  "  "Wanderings 
of  a  F.  R.  6.  S. : " — "  The  religious  ideas  of  the  Fanti  are,  as  is  usual  in  Africa,  vague  and 
indistinct.  Each  person  has  his  Samdn — literally  a  skeleton  or  goblin— or  private  fetish, 
an  idol,  rag,  fowl,  feathers,  bunch  of  grass,  a  bit  of  glass,  and  s*^  forth ;  to  this  he  pays 
the  {jreatest  reverence,  because  it  is  nearest  to  him. 

"The  Bosorus  are  imaginary  beings,  probab'v  of  ghostly  origin,  called  'spirits'  by  the 
missionaries.  Abonsum  is  a  malevolent  being  that  lives  'v  the  upper  regions.  Sasa- 
bonsiiui  is  the  friend  of  witch  and  wizard,  hates  priests  ani;.  missionaries,  and  inhabits 
huge  silk-cotton  trees  in  the  gloomiest  forests ;  he  is  a  moni^trous  being,  of  human  shope, 
of  red  colour,  and  with  long  hair.  The  reader  will  not  uiil  to  re.  wk  tie  similarity  of 
Sasabonsdm  to  the  East  Indian  lidkshasha,  the  malevolent  ghost  c  i  Brahmin,  brown  in 
colour,  inhabiting  the  pipul  tree. 

"Nyankupon,  or  Nyawe,  is  the  supreme  deity,  but  the  worci  also  mears  the  visible 
firmament  or  sky,  showing  that  there  has  been  no  atten|ji  i  o  separutw  tht  .leal  from  the 
material.  This  being,  who  dwells  in  Nyankuponfi,  or  Nyinkuponkroo,  is  too  far  from 
earth  to  trouble  himself  about  human  affairs,  which  are  committed  to  the  Bosorus.  Tin's, 
however,  is  the  belief  of  the  educated,  who  doubtless  have  derived  something  fvom 
European  systems — the  vulgar  confound  him  with  sky,  rain,  and  thunder. 

" '  Kra,'  which  the  vocabularies  translate  '  Lord,'  is  the  Anglicised  okro,  or  ocroe, 
meaning  a  favourite  male  slave,  destined  to  be  sacrificed  with  his  dead  master ;  and 
'sunsurn,'  spirit,  means  a  shadow,  the  man's  umbra.  The  Fantis  have  regular  days  of 
rest :  Tuesdays  for  fishermen,  Fridays  for  bushmen,  peasants,  and  so  on." 

There  is  very  little  doubt  that  the  conjecture  of  the  author  is  right,  and  that  several 
of  these  ideas  have  been  borrowed  from  European  sourcea 

The  rite  of  circumcision  is  practised  among  the  Fantis,  but  does  not  seem  to  be 
universal,  and  a  sacred  spot  is  always  chosen  for  the  ceremony.  At  Accra,  a  rock  rising 
out  of  the  sea  is  used  for  the  purpose. 

Burial  is  conducted  with  the  usual  r.Cf^r  paniments  of  professional  mourners,  and  a 
funeral  feast  is  held  in  honour  of  the  deceused.  A  sheep  is  sacrificed  for  the  occasion, 
and  the  shoulder-bone  is  laid  on  the  grave,  where  it  is  allowed  to  remain  for  a  considerable 
time.  Sometimes  travellers  have  noticed  a  corpse  placed  on  a  platform  and  merely 
covered  with  a  cloth.  These  are  the  bodies  of  men  who  have  died  without  paying  their 
debts,  and,  according  to  Fanti  l&wa,  there  they  are  likely  to  remain,  no  one  being  bold 
enough  to  bury  them.  By  their  laws,  the  man  who  buries  another  succeeds  to  his 
property,  but  also  inherits  his  debts,  and  is  legally  responsible  for  them.  And  as  in 
Western  Africa  the  legal  rate  of  interest  is  far  above  the  wildest  dreams  of  European 
usurers — say  fifty  per  cent,  per  annum,  or  per  mensem,  or  per  diem,  as  the  case  may  be — 
to  bury  an  exposed  corpse  involves  a  risk  that  no  one  likes  to  run. 

One  of  their  oddest  superstitions  is  their  belief  in  a  child  who  has  existed  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world.  It  never  eats  nor  drinks,  and  has  remained  in  the  infantile  state 
ever  since  the  world  and  it  came  into  existence.  Absurd  as  is  the  idea,  this  miraculous 
child  is  firmly  believed  in,  even  by  persons  who  have  had  a  good  education,  and  who  say 
that  they  have  actually  .seen  it.    Mr.  Dimcan,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  account  of 


620 


THE  FANTL 


u  \  • 


lib  lif 


h 


l1 


'! 


it,  determined  to  see  it,  and  was  so  quick  in  his  movements  that  he  quite  disconcerted  its 
nurse,  and  stopped  her  preparations  for  his  visit. 

"  Being  again  delayed,  I  lost  patience,  and  resolved  to  enter  the  dwelling.  My  African 
friends  and  the  multitude  assembled  from  all  parts  of  the  town,  and  warned  me  of  the 
destruction  that  would  certainly  overtake  me  if  I  ventured  to  go  in  without  leave    But 

I  showed  them  my  double-barrelled 
gun  as  my  fetish,  and  forced  my 
way  through  the  crowd. 

"  On  entering  through  a  very 
narrow  door  or  gateway,  into  a 
circle  of  about  twenty  yards'  dia- 
meter, fenced  round  by  a  close 
paling,  and  covered  outside  wit! 
long  grass  (so  that  nothing  withiu 
could  be  seen),  the  first  and  only 
thing  that  I  saw  was  an  old  woman 
who,  but  for  her  size  and  sex,  I 
should  have  taken  for  the  myste- 
rious being  resident  there  from  the 
time  of  the  creation.  She  cer- 
tainly was  the  most  disgusting  and 
loathsome  being  I  ever  beheld. 
She  had  no  covering  on  her  person 
with  the  exception  of  a  small 
piece  of  dirty  cloth  round  her 
loins.  Her  skin  was  deeply 
wrinkled  and  extremely  dirty, 
with  scarcely  any  flesh  on  her 
bones.  Her  breasts  hung  hal  f  way 
down  her  body,  and  she  had  all 
the  appearance  of  extreme  old  age. 
This  ancient  woman  was  the  sup- 
posed nurse  of  the  immortal  child. 
"  On  my  entering  the  yard,  the 
old  fetish-woman  stepped  before 
me,  making  the  most  hideous 
gestures  ever  witnessed,  and  en- 
deavoured to  drive  me  out,  that  I 
might  be  prevented  from  entering 
into  the  god's  house,  but,  in  spite 
of  all  her  movements,  I  pushed 
her  aside,  and  forced  my  way  into 
the  house.  Its  outward  appear- 
ance was  that  of  a  cone,  or  ex- 
tinguisher, standing  in  the  centre 
of  the  enclosure.  It  was  formed 
by  long  poles  placed  triangularly,  and  thatched  with  long  grass.  Inside  it  I  found  a  clay 
bench  in  the  form  of  a  chair.  Its  tenant  was  absent,  and  the  old  woman  pretended  that 
she  had  by  her  magic  caused  him  to  disappear." 

Of  course,  the  plan  pursued  by  the  old  fetish-woman  was  to  borrow  a  baby  whenever 
any  one  of  consequence  desired  an  interview,  and  to  paint  it  with  coloured  chalks,  so  that 
it  was  no  longer  recognisable.  She  would  have  played  the  same  trick  with  Mr.  Duncan, 
and,  from  the  repeated  obstacles  thrown  in  the  way  of  his  visit,  was  evidently  trying  to 
gain  time  to  borrow  a  baby  secretly. 

At  a  Fanti  funeral  the  natives  excel  themselves  in  noise-making,  about  the  only 
exertion  in  which  they  seem  to  take  the  least  interest  As  soon  as  a  man  of  any  note  is  dead, 


Mj^/je:/^ 


THB  FBIM.£VAL  CHILD. 


AN  INGENIOUS  DEVICR 


621 


i  disconcerted  its 


all  his  relations  and  friends  assemble  in  front  of  his  hut,  drink,  smoke,  yell,  sing,  and  fire 
guns  continually.  A  dog  is  sacrificed  before  the  hut  by  one  of  the  relations,  though  the 
object  of  the  sacrifice  does  not  seem  to  be  very  clear.  Rings,  bracelets,  and  other  trinkets 
are  buried  with  the  body,  and,  as  these  ornaments  are  often  of  solid  gold,  the  value  of 
buried  jewellery  is  very  considerable.  Of  course,  the  graves  are  sometimes  opened  and 
1 1  robbed,  when  the  corpse  is  that  of  a  wealthy  person. 

One  ingenious  Fanti  contrived  to  enrich  himself  very  cleverly.  One  of  his  sisters  had 
been  buried  for  some  time  with  all  her  jewellery,  and,  as  the  average  value  of  a  well-to-do 
TToman's  trinkets  is  somewhere  about  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  the  affectionate  brother  thought 
tbat  those  who  buried  his  sister  had  been  guilty  of  unjustifiable  waste.  After  a  while 
Ids  mother  died,  and  he  ordered  her  to  be  buried  in  the  same  grave  with  his  sister.  The 
ingenious  part  of  the  transaction  was  that  the  man  declared  it  to  be  contrary  to  filial 
duty  to  bury  the  daughter  ai>  the  bottom  of  the  grave,  in  the  place  of  honour,  and  to 
lay  the  mother  above  her.  The  daughter  was  accordingly  disinterred  to  give  place  to  the 
mother,  and  when  she  was  again  laid  in  the  grave  all  her  trinkets  had  somehow  or  other 
vanished. 

The  dances  of  the  Fanti  tribe  are  rather  absurd.  Two  dancers  stand  opposite  each 
other,  and  stamp  on  the  ground  with  each  foot  alternately.  The  stamping  becomes  faster 
and  faster,  until  it  is  exchanged  for  leaping,  and  at  every  jump  the  hands  are  thrown  out 
with  the  fingers  upwards,  so  that  the  four  palms  meet  with  a  sharp  blow.  The  couple  go 
on  dancing  until  they  fail  to  strike  the  hands,  and  then  they  leave  off,  and  another  pair 
take  their  place. 


PAGOBB  AND  SHEATH. 


\l\.. 

m 


'  I 


W.     H  'rt^  i^y 


J..     I 


'f 


•■1    ^ 

t 


i! 


CHAPTER  LIV. 


THE  ASHANTL 


OBIGIN  AND  OBimBAL  APPKARANOR  OF  TBS  AIRANTI-~Air  AaBAMTX  OAPTAIN  AND  BIB  VNIFOBH— TBI 
GOLD  COAST — GOLD  WA8HINO— THH  "  TU.XXI8BX  "  WIIOUTa— INOXMIOVB  FBAUDB — THK  CAB0CEBB8, 
OB  NOBLES  OF  ASHANTI — POBTBAIT  OF  A  MOUNTKD  OADOORXB — TUB  HOBSB  ACCOUTBEHENTB— 
'  LAW  OF  BOTAL  8UCCR8SI0N — HABBIAOB  BBBTBIOTIONB— THK  YAM  AND  .'^DAI  CUSTOMS — FKTISB 
DBVH  AND  TBUMFET — RKLTOI0U8  BTBTBM  OF  ABHANTI— WOBBHIP  OF  BABTH  AND  8KX — FBTISHEB 
— ^DBBIVATION  OF  THB  WORD — IBI^  "  KLA,"  OB  VAUZUAB  BFIBIT. 

Whence  the  Ashanti  tribe  came  is  not  very  certain,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  formerly 
inhabited  a  more  inland  part  of  the  continent,  and  worked  their  way  westward,  afte;*  the 
usual  fashion  of  these  tribes. 

Their  traditions  state  that,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  the  Ashanti,  with 
several  other  tribes,  were  gradually  ousted  from  their  own  lands  by  the  increasing  followers 
of  Islam,  and  that  when  they  reached  a  land  which  was  full  of  gold  they  took  courage, 
made  a  bold  stand  for  freedom,  and  at  last  achieved  their  own  independence. 

At  this  time  the  people  were  divided  into  a  considerable  number  of  states— between 
forty  and  fifty,  according  to  one  historian.  After  having  driven  away  their  oppressors,  they 
came  to  quarrel  among  themselves,  and  fought  as  fiercely  for  precedence  as  they  had 
formerly  done  for  liberty,  and  at  last  the  Ashanti  tribe  conquered  the  others,  and  so 
consolidated  the  government  into  a  kingdom. 

In  general  appearance,  the  Ashanti  much  resemble  the  Fanti,  though  they  are  not 
perhaps  so  strongly  built  They  are,  however,  quite  as  good-looking,  and,  according  to 
Mr.  Bowdich,  the  women  are  handsomer  than  those  of  the  Fanti.  As  a  rule,  the  higher 
classes  are  remarkable  for  their  cleanliness,  but  the  lower  are  quite  as  dirty  as  the 
generality  of  savage  Africans. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  remarkable  style  of  costume  in  which  the  Ashanti  indulge,  a 
figure  of  an  army  captain  is  introduced  on  page  623.  On  his  head  is  a  vast  double  plume 
of  eagles'  feathex^,  surmounting  a  sort  of  helmet  made  of  rams'  horns,  gilt  in  a  spiral  pattern, 
and  tied  under  his  chin  by  a  strap  covered  with  cowries.  His  bow  is  slung  at  his  back, 
and  his  quiver  of  small  poisoned  arrows  hangs  from  his  wrist,  while  in  his  other  hand  is 
held  an  ivory  staff,  carved  in  a  spiral  pattern.  His  breast  is  covered  with  a  vast  number  of 
little  leathern  pouches  gilt  and  painted  in  light  colours,  mostly  scarlet,  and  from  his  arms 
bang  a  number  of  horse-tails.  Great  boots  of  rod  hide  cover  his  legs  to  mid-thigh,  and 
are  fastened  to  his  belt  by  iron  chains. 

This  belt  is  a  very  curious  piece  of  leather  work.  One  of  these  articles  is  in  my 
collection,  and  is  furnished  with  the  following  implements.  First  comes  a  small  dagger- 
knife,  with  a  blade  about  four  inches  long,  and  next  to  it  is  a  little  circular  mirror  about  as 
large  as  a  crown-piece,  and  enclosed  in  a  double  case  like  that  which  is  now  used  for 
prismatic  compasses.    Then  comes  a  razor,  a  singularly  primitive-looking  specimen  of 


GOLD-WASHING. 


623 


cutlery,  mounted  in  a  handle  which  is  little  morei  than  a  piece  of  stick,  with  a  slit  in  it. 
Next  comes  a  leathern  pouch  about  four  inches  square  and  one  inch  in  depth,  having  its 
interior  lined  with  coarse  canvas,  and  its  exterior  decorated  with  little  round  holes  punched 
in  the  leather,  and  arranged  in  a  simple  pattera  Lastly  comes  the  rasDr-strop,  a  very 
ingenious  implement,  consisting  of  a  tube  filled  with  emery  powder,  and  sliding  into  a 
sheath  so  as  to  allow  the  powder  to  adhere  to  it. 

All  these  articles  are  protected  by  leathern  sheaths  stained  ot  different  colours,  and 
are  suspended  by  short  straps  from  the  belt. 

The  country  where  the  Ashanti  tribes  now  live  is  popularly  termed  the  Gold  Coast,  on 
account  of  the  richness  with  which  the  precious  metal  is  scattered  over  its  surface.  It 
is  found  almost  entirely  in  the  form  of  dusl^ 
and  is  obtained  by  a  very  rude  and  imperfect 
mode  of  washing.  The  women  are  the  chief 
gold  washers,  and  they  set  about  their  task 
armed  with  a  hoe,  a  basin-shaped  calabash, 
and  several  quills.  With  the  hoe  they  scrape 
up  a  quantity  of  sand  from  the  bed  of  some 
stream,  and  place  it  in  the  calabash.  A 
quantity  of  water  is  then  added,  and,  by  a 
peculiar  rotatory  movement  of  the  hand,  the 
water  and  sand  are  shaken  up,  and  made  to 
fly  gradually  oyer  the  top  of  the  basin. 

When  this  movement  is  adroitly  per- 
formed, the  water  and  lighter  sand  escape 
from  the  bowl,  while  the  gold  dust  sinks  by 
its  own  weight  to  the  bottom,  and  is  thus 
separated,  and  put  in  the  quills.  Much  skill 
is  required  in  handling  the  calabash,  and 
one  woman  will  find  a  fair  supply  of  gold 
where  another  will  work  all  day  and  scarcely 
find  a  particle  of  the  metal. 

Of  course,  by  this  rude  method  of  work 
the  quantity  of  gold  obtained  is  in  very  small 
proportion  to  the  labour  bestowed  in  obtain- 
ing it;  and  if  the  natives  only  knew  the  use  of 
mercury,  they  would  gain  three  or  four  times 
as  much  gold  as  they  do  at  present.    The 

quills,  when  filled  with  gold-dust,  are  generally  fastened  to  the  hair,  where  they  are 
supposed  to  be  as  ornamental  as  they  are  precious.  The  best  time  for  gold-washing  is 
after  violent  rains,  when  the  increased  rush  of  water  has  brought  down  a  fresh  supply 
of  sand  from  the  upper  regions.  As  one  of  the  old  voyagers  quaintly  remarked,  "  It 
raineth  seldom,  but  every  shower  of  rain  is  a  shower  of  gold  unto  them,  for  with  the 
violence  of  the  water  falhng  from  the  mountains  it  bringeth  from  them  the  gold." 

A  good  gold-washer  will  procure  in  the  course  of  a  year  a  quantity  of  the  dust 
which  will  purchase  two  slaves.  The  average  price  of  a  slave  is  ten  "miukali," 
each  minkali  being  worth  about  12«.  6d. ;  and  being  valued  in  goods  at  one  musket, 
eighteen  gun-flints,  twenty  charges  of  powder,  one  cutlass,  and  forty-eight  leaves  of 
tobacco.  The  reader  may  judge  what  must  be  the  quality  of  the  musket  and  cutlass. 
Gold  is  weighed  by  the  little  familiar  red  and  black  seeds,  called  in  Western  Africa 
"tilikissi,"  and  each  purchaser  always  has  his  own  balances  and  his  own  weights.  As 
might  be  supposed,  both  vendor  and  purchaser  try  to  cheat  each  other.  The  gold-finder 
mixes  with  the  real  gold-dust  inferior  sand,  made  by  melting  copper  and  silver  together, 
or  by  rubbing  together  copper  filings  and  red  coral  powder.  If  larger  pieces  of  gold  M'ere 
to  be  imitated,  the  usual  plan  was  to  make  little  nuggets  of  copper,  and  surrotmd  them 
with  a  mere  shell  of  gold.  This,  of  course,  was  the  most  dangerous  imposition  of  the 
three,  because  the  gold  coating  defied  the  tests,  and  the  fraud  would  not  be  discovered 


ASHAMXI  GASXAIN. 


/•  ^■ 


^\i 


'  i 


624 


THE  ASHANTL 


unless  the  nugget  were  cut  in  two— rather  a  tedious  process  when  a  great  number  were 
offered  for  sale. 

As  to  the  buyers,  there  was  mostly  something  wrong  about  their  balances ;  while  as  to 
the  weights,  tlifty  soaked  the  tilikissi  seeds  in  melted  butter  to  make  them  heavier,  and 
sometimes  made  sham  tilikissis  of  pebbles  neatly  ground  down  and  coloured. 

In  spite  of  all  the  drawbacks,  the  quantity  of  gold  annually  found  in  Ashanti-land 
is  very  great,  and  it  is  used  by  the  richer  natives  in  barbaric  profusion.  They  know  or 
care  little  about  art.    Their  usual  way  of  making  the  bracelets  or  armlets  is  this.    The 


CABOCEEB  Am)  SOIiDIEBS. 


:;l:' 


Lisjv''!  -H;; 


smith  melts  the  gold  in  a  little  crucible  of  red  clay,  and  then  draws  in  the  sand  a  little 
furrow  into  which  he  runs  the  gold,  so  as  to  make  a  rude  and  irregular  bar  or  stick  of 
metal  When  cold,  it  is  hammered  along  the  sides  so  as  to  square  them,  and  is  then 
twisted  into  the  spiral  shape  which  seems  to  have  instinctively  impressed  itself  on  gold 
workers  of  all  ages  and  in  all  countries. 

The  collars,  earrings,  and  other  ornaments  are  made  in  this  simple  manner,  and  the 
wife  of  a  chief  would  scarcely  think  herself  dressed  if  she  had  not  gold  ornaments  worth 
some  eighty  pounds.  The  great  nobles,  or  Caboceers,  wear  on  state  occasions  bracelets  of 
such  weight  that  they  are  obliged  to  rest  their  arms  on  the  heads  of  little  slave  boys,  who 
stand  in  front  of  them. 

The  Caboceers  are  very  important  personages,  and  in  point  of  fact  were  on  the  eve  of 
becoming  to  the  Ashanti  kingdom  what  the  barons  were  to  the  English  kingdom  in  the 
time  of  John.  Indeed,  they  were  gradually  becoming  so  powerful  and  so  numerous,  that 
for  many  years  the  king  of  Ashanti  has  steadily  pursued  a  policy  of  repression,  and,  when 


i 


eat  numlier  were 


THE  CABOCEERS. 


625 


one  of  the  Caboceers  died,  has  refused  to  acknowledge  a  successor.  The  result  of  this  wise 
policy  is,  that  the  Caboceers  are  now  comparatively  few  in  number,  and  even  if  they  were 
all  to  combine  against  the  king  he  could  easily  repress  them. 

An  umbrella  is  the  distinctive  mark  of  the  Caboceers,  who  in  the  present  day  exhibit 
an  odd  mixture  of  original  savagery  and  partially  acquired  civilization.  The  Caboceers 
have  the  great  privilege  of  sitting  on  stools  when  in  the  presence  of  the  king.  Moreover, 
"these  men,"  says  Mr.  W.  Keade,  "would  be  surrounded  by  their  household  suites,  like 
the  feudal  lords  of  ancient  days ;  their  garments  of  costly  foreign  silks  unravelled  and 
weaved  anew  into  elaborate  patterns,  and  thrown  over  the  shoulder  like  the  Eoman  toga, 
leaving  the  right  arm  bare ;  a  silk  fillet  encircling  the  temples ;  Moorish  charms,  enclosed 
in  small  cases  of  gold  and  silver,  suspended  on  their  breasts,  with  necklaces  made  of 
'aggiy  beads,'  a  peculiar  stone  found  in  the  country,  and  resembling  the  'glein-ndyr'  of 
the  ancient  Britons ;  lumps  of  gold  hanging  from  their  wrists ; 
while  handsome  girls  would  stand  behind  holding  silver  basins 
in  their  hands." 

The  illustration  on  page  624  represents  a  Caboceer  at  the 
head  of  his  wild  soldiery,  and  well  indicates  the  strange  mixture 
of  barbarity  and  culture  which  distinguishes  this  as  well  as  other 
West  African  tribes. 

It  will  be  seen  from  his  seat  that  he  is  no  very  great  horse- 
man, and,  indeed,  the  Caboceers  are  mostly  held  on  their  horses 
by  two  men,  one  on  each  side.  When  Mr.  Duncan  visited  Western 
Africa,  and  mounted  his  horse  to  show  the  king  how  the  English 

dragoons  rode  and  fought,  two  of  the  retainers  ran  to  his  side, 

and  passed  their  arms  round  him.    It  was  not  without  some 

difficulty  that  he  could  make  them  understand  that  Englishmen 

rode  without  such  assistance.    The  Caboceer's  dress  consists  of 

au  ornamental  turban,  a  jacket,  and  a  loin-cloth,  mostly  of  white, 

and  so  disposed  as  to  leave  the  middle  of  the  body  bare.    On  Us 
,  feet  he  wears  a  remarkable  sort  of  spur,  the  part  which  answers 

to  the  rowel  being  flat,  squared,  and  rather  deeply  notched.    It 

is  u.sed  by  striking  or  scoring  the  horse  with  the  sharp  angles, 

and  not  by  the  slight  pricking  movement  with  which  an  English 

jockey  uses  his  spurs.    The  rowels,  to  use  the  analogous  term, 

pass  through  a  slit  in  an  oval  piece  of  leather,  which  aids 

in  binding  the  spur  on  the  heel.     A  pair  of  these  curious 

spurs  are  now  in  my  collection,  and  were  presented  by  Dr.  R 

Irvine,  II.K 
His  weapons  consist  of  the  spear,  bow,  and  aiTows — the  latter 

being  mostly  poisoned,  and  furnished  with  nasty-looking  barbs 

extending  for  several  inches  below  the  head.    The  horse  is  almost 

hidden  by  its  accoutrements,  which  are  wonderfully  like  those 

of  the  knights  of  chivalry,  save  that  instead  of  the  brilliant 

emblazonings  with  which  the  housings  of  the  chargers  were 

covered,  sentences  from  the  Koran  are  substituted,  and  are 

scattered  over  the  entire  cloth.    The  headstall  of  the  horse  is 

made  of  leather,  and,  following  the  usual  African  fashion,  is  cut 

into  a  vast  number  of  thongs. 
One  of  these  headstalls  and  the  hat  of  the  rider  are  in  my 

collection.    They  are  both  made  of  leather,  most  carefully  and 

elaborately  worked.    The  hat  or  helmet  is  covered  with  flat, 

quadrangular  ornaments  also  made  of  leather,  folded  and  beaten 

until  it  is  nearly  as  hard  as  wood,  and  from  each  of  them  depend  six  or  seven  leather 

thongs,  so  that,  when  the  cap  is  placed  on  the  head,  the  thongs  descend  as  far  as  the 

mouth,  and  answer  as  a  veil    The  headstall  of  the  horse  is  a  most  elaborate  piece  of 

workmanship,  the  leather  being  stamped  out  in  bold  and  rather  artistic  patterns,  and 
VOL  I.  as. 


BOW  AND  ARBOWS. 


^1 


626 


THE  ASHANTI. 


m ; 


if  t< 


If' 


p  <(^<' 


.fhu-^' 


f    i 


]\ 


< . 


K 


decorated  with  three  circular  leathern  ornaments,  in  which  a  8tar*8haped  pattern  has  been 
neatly  worked  in  red,  hlack,  and  white.  Five  tassels  of  leathern  thongs  hang  from  it,  and 
ore  probably  used  as  a  means  of  keeping  off  the  flies. 

The  common  soldiers  are,  as  may  be  seen,  quite  destitute  of  uniform,  and  almost  of 
clothing.  They  wear  several  knives  and  daggers  attached  to  a  necklace,  and  they  carry 
any  weapons  that  they  may  be  able  to  procure — guns  if  possible;  and,  in  default  of 
firearms,  using  bows  and  spears.  Two  of  the  petty  officers  are  seen  blowing  their  huge 
trumpets,  which  are  simply  elephant  tusks  hollowed  and  polished,  and  sometimes  carved 
with  various  patterns.  They  are  blown  from  the  side,  as  is  the  case  with  African  wind 
instruments  generally. 

In  Ashanti,  as  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  the  royal  succession  never  lies  in  the  direct 
line,  but  passes  to  the  brother  or  nephew  of  the  deceased  monarch,  the  nephew  in  question 
being  the  son  of  the  king's  sister,  and  not  his  brother.  The  reason  for  this  arrangement 
is,  that  the  people  are  sure  that  their  futiire  king  has  some  royal  blood  in  his  veins, 
whereas,  according  to  their  ideas,  no  one  can  be  quite  certain  that  the  sou  of  the  queen  is 
also  the  son  of  the  king,  and,  as  the  king's  wives  are  never  of  royal  blood,  they  might 
have  a  mere  plebeian  claimant  to  the  throne.  Therefore  the  son  of  the  king's  sister  is 
always  chosen ;  and  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  sister  in  question  need  not  be  married, 
provided  that  the  father  of  her  child  be  strong,  good-looking,  and  of  tolerable  position 
in  life. 

In  Ashanti  the  king  is  restricted  in  the  number  of  his  wives.  But,  as  the  prohibition 
f.xes  the  magic  number  of  three  thousand  three  hunc'red  and  thirty-three,  he  has  not 
much  to  complain  of  with  regard  to  the  stringency  of  the .  law.  Of  course,  with  the 
exception  of  a  chosen  few,  these  wives  are  practically  servants,  and  do  all  the  work 
about  the  fields  and  houses. 

The  natives  have  their  legend  about  gold.  They  say  that  when  the  Great  Sp'rit  fii-st 
created  man,  he  made  one  black  man  and  one  white  one,  and  gave  them  their  choice  of 
two  gifts.  One  contained  all  the  treasures  of  the  tropics — the  fruitful  trees,  the  fertile 
soil,  the  warm  sun,  and  a  calabash  of  gold  dust.  The  other  gift  was  simply  a  quantity  of 
white  paper,  ink,  and  pens.  The  former  gift,  of  course,  denoted  material  advantages,  and 
the  latter  knowledge.  The  black  man  chose  the  former  as  being  the  most  obvious,  and 
the  white  man  the  latter.    Hence  the  superiority  of  the  white  over  the  black. 

Conceding  to  the  white  man  all  the  advantages  which  he  gains  from  his  wisdom,  they 
are  very  jealous  of  their  own  advantages,  and  resent  all  attempts  of  foreigners  to  work 
their  mines ;  if  mines  they  can  be  called,  where  scarcely  any  subterraneous  work  is  needed. 
They  will  rather  allow  the  precious  metal  to  be  wasted  than  permit  the  white  man  to 
procure  it.  As  to  the  mulatto,  they  have  the  most  intense  contempt  for  him,  who  is  a 
"  white-black  man,  silver  and  copper,  and  not  gold." 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  more  stress  will  be  laid  upon  Dahome  than 
Ashanti,  and  that  in  cases  where  manners  and  customs  are  common  to  both  kingdoms, 
they  will  be  described  in  connexion  with  the  latter.  In  both  kingdoms,  for  example,  we 
find  the  terrible  "  Customs,"  or  sacrifice  of  human  life,  and  in  Ashanti  these  may  be  reduced 
to  two,  namely,  the  Yam  and  the  Adai. 

The  former,  which  is  the  greater  of  the  two,  occurs  in  tiie  beginning  of  September, 
when  the  yams  are  ripe.  Before  the  yams  are  allowed  to  be  used  for  general  con- 
sumption, the  "  Custom  "  is  celebrated ;  i.e.  a  number  of  human  beings  are  sacrificed  with 
simdry  rites  and  ceremonies.  There  are  lesser  sacrifices  on  the  Adai  Customs,  which  take 
place  every  three  weeks,  and  the  destruction  of  human  life  is  terrible.  The  sacrifices  are 
attended  with  the  horrible  music  which  in  all  countries  where  human  sacrifices  have  been 
permitted  has  been  its  accompaniment. 

In  the  figures  on  page  627,  both  of  which  are  taken  from  specimens  in  my  collection, 
are  shown  two  of  the  instruments  which  are  used  as  accompaniments  to  the  sacrifice  of 
human  beings.  The  first  is  the  Fetish  drum,  represented  in  the  left-hand  figure  of  the 
illustration.  It  is  carved  with  enormous  perseverance  out  of  a  solid  block  of  wood,  and 
in  its  general  form  presents  a  most  singular  resemblance  to  the  bicephalous  or  two-headed 
gems  of  the  Gnostics.    The  attentive  reader  will  notice  the  remarkable  ingenuity  witli 


,  J-. 


THE  FETISH  DEUM  AND  TRUMPET. 


627 


which  the  head  of  a  man  is  combined  with  that  of  a  bird,  the  latter  being  kept  subservient 
to  the  former,  and  yet  having  a  bold  and  distinct  individuality  of  its  own. 

From  the  top  of  the  united  heads  rises  the  drum  itself,  which  is  hollowed  out  of  the 
game  block  of  wood.  The  parchment  head  of  the  drum  is  secured  to  the  instrument  by 
a  number  of  wooden  pegs,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  heat  of  the  meridian  sun  was  quite 
sufficient  to  tighten  the  head  of  the  drum  whenever  it  became  relaxed.  Of  course,  the 
plan  of  tightening  it  by  means  of  a  moveable  head  is  not  known  in  Westerp  Africa,  and, 
even  if  it  were  known,  it  would  not  be  practised.  The  natives  never  modify  a  custom. 
They  exchange  it  for  another,  or 
they  abolish  it,  but  the  reforming 
spirit  never  existed  in  the  negro 
mind 

On  the  side  of  the  drum  may 
be  seen  the  air-hole,  which  is 
usually  found  in  African  drums, 
and  which  is  closed  with  a  piece  of 
spider  web  when  the  .strument 
is  used  Sometimes  the  drums  are 
of  enormous  size,  the  entire  trunk 
of  a  tree  being  hollowed  out  for 
the  purpose.  The  skin  which 
foms  the  head  is  mostly  that  of 
an  antelope,  but  when  the  Ashanti 
wants  a  drum  to  be  very  powerful 
against  strange  fetishes,  he  makes 
the  head  of  snake  or  crocodile 
(kin. 

The  former  material  holds  a 
high  place  in  the  second  instru- 
ment, which  is  a  fetish  trumpet. 
As  is  the  case  with  all  African 
trumpets,  it  is  blown  flute-fashion, 
from  the  side,  and  not  like  a 
European  trumpet,  from  the  end. 
It  is  made  from  the  tusk  of  an 
elephant,  carefully  hollowed  out,  and  furnished  with  a  curious  apparatus,  much  like  the 
vibrator  in  a  modern  harmonium  or  accordion.  As  the  instrument  has  sustained  rather 
rough  treatment,  and  the  ivory  has  been  cracked  here  and  there,  it  is  impossible  to  pro- 
duce a  sound  from  it;  and  at  the  best  the  notes  must  have  been  of  a  very  insignificant 
character,  deadened  as  they  must  be  by  the  snake-skin  covering.  The  skin  in  question  is 
that  of  a  boa  or  python,  which  is  a  very  powerful  fetish  among  all  Africans  among  whom 
the  boa  lives,  and  it  covers  almost  the  whole  of  the  instrument. 

A  most  weird  and  uncanny  sort  of  look  is  communicated  to  the  trumpet  by  the  horrid 
trophy  which  is  tied  to  it.  This  is  the  upper  jaw  of  a  human  being,  evidently  a  negro, 
by  its  peculiar  development,  the  jaw  being  of  the  prognathous  character,  and  the  pro- 
jecting teeth  in  the  finest  possible  order. 

From  the  mere  existence  of  these  sacrifices  it  is  evident  that  the  religious  system  of 
the  Ashanti  must  be  of  a  very  low  character.  They  are  not  utter  atheists,  as  is  the  case  with 
some  of  the  tribes  which  have  already  been  mentioned ;  but  they  cannot  be  said  even  to 
have  risen  to  deism,  and  barely  to  idolatry,  their  ideas  of  the  Supreme  Deity  being  exceed- 
ingly vague,  and  mixed  up  with  a  host  of  superstitious  nolJions  about  demons,  both  good 
and  evil,  to  whom  they  give  the  name  of  Wodsi,  and  which  certainly  absorb  the  greater 
part  of  their  devotions  and  the  whole  of  their  reverence,  the  latter  quality  being  with 
them  the  mere  outbirth  of  fear. 

Their  name  for  God  is  "  Nyonmo,"  evidently  a  modification  of  Nyamye,  the.  title 
which  is  given  to  the  Supreme  Spirit  by  the  Gammas  and  other  tribes  of  tiie  Bembo.    But 

ss2 


THE  FETISH  DRUM  ASD  TBUUFET. 


»it    >,| 


■'.\:'m 


Hj 

m   ''i 

wi 

1 1 '  'I' 

^1    ^R     ^'     ' 

|H|    v^^^M^^SLi 

mf9§Wmn 

I 


1   ,J 

r,.  •* 


I,- 


^-•..-.  i 


628 


THE  ASHANTL 


■•■' 

!-\  ^rv 

i  ^  J 

s-'i 

ift.i 

m 

^'?-.- 

';>  i'\. 

'i,*   , 

'i 

Nyonmo  also  means  the  sky,  or  the  rain,  or  the  thunder,  prohably  beoanse  they  proceed 
from  the  sky,  and  they  explain  thunder  by  the  phrase  that  Nyonmo  is  knocking.  As  the 
sli^  is  venerated  as  one  deity,  so  the  earth  is  considered  as  another  though  inferior  deity, 
which  is  worshipped  under  the  name  of  "  Sikpois." 

As  to  the  Wodsi,  they  seem  to  be  divided  into  various  ranks.  For  example,  the  earth, 
the  air,  and  the  sea  eae  Wodsi  which  exercise  their  influence  over  all  men ;  whereas  other 
Wodsi,  which  are  visible  in  the  forms  of  trees  or  rivers,  have  a  restricted  power  over 
towns,  districts,  or  individuals. 

The  scrap  of  rag,  leopard's  claws,  sacred  chains,  peculiar  beads,  bits  of  bone,  bird- 
beaks,  &c.  which  are  worn  by  the  Wontse,  or  fetish  men,  have  a  rather  curious  use,  which 
is  well  explained  by  the  "  F.R.G.S."  : — "  The  West  Africans,  like  their  brethren  in  the  East, 
Imve  evil  ghosts  and  haunting  evastra,  which  work  themselves  into  the  position  of 
demons.  Their  various  rites  are  intended  to  avert  the  harm  which  may  be  done  to  them 
by  their  Pepos  or  Mulungos,  and  perhaps  to  shift  it  upon  their  enemies.  When  the 
critical  moment  has  arrived,  the  ghost  is  adjured  bv  the  fetish  man  to  come  forth  from 
the  possessed,  and  an  article  is  named — a  leopard's  cla^.  peculiar  beads,  or  a  rag  from  the 
sick  man's  body  nailed  to  what  Europeans  call  the '  Devil's  tree ' — in  which,  if  worn  about 
the  person,  the  haunter  will  reside.  It  is  tec'  -'oally  called  Kehi,  or  Keti,  i.e.  a  chair  or 
a  stobL  The  word  fetish,  by  the  way,  is  a  corrU|,iion  of  the  Portuguese  Feiti^o,  ix.  witch- 
craft, or  colouring." 

Their  belief  respecting  the  Kra,  or  Kla,  or  soul  of  a  man,  is  very  peculiar.  They 
believe  that  the  Kla  exists  before  the  body,  and  that  it  is  transmitted  from  one  to  another. 
Thus,  if  a  child  dies,  the  next  is  supposed  to  be  the  same  child  bom  again  into  the  world ; 
and  so  thoroughly  do  they  believe  this,  that  when  a  woman  finds  that  she  is  about  to 
become  a  mother,  she  ^oes  to  the  fetish  man,  and  requests  him  to  ask  the  Kla  of  her 
future  child  respecting  its  ancestry  and  intended  career.  But  the  Kla  has  another  office ; 
for  it  is  supposed  to  be  in  some  sort  distinct  from  the  man,  and,  like  the  demon  of 
Socrates,  to  give  him  advice,  and  is  a  kind  of  small  Wodsi,  capable  of  receiving  offerings. 
The  Kla  is  also  dual,  male  and  female ;  the  former  urging  the  man  to  e^,  and  the  ^ter 
to  good. 


OLASP-KinFB  AND  RAZOR.— WEST  AFRICA. 
(FrtmmyCoUteUon.i 


Hi 


CHAPTER  LV. 


DAHOME. 


I  CIABAOTBBISTIO  OF  THS  WB8TBBII  AVBIOAN — IiOOAUTy  OF  DAHOlfB — THB  FIVB  DIBTRIOTB—- DAHOHAM 
ABCHITBOTTrBB— "  8WIBH  "  H0U8BS— THK  TULTUBE  AND  HIS  FOOD — THB  LSOBA — BNAKB  VOBSHIP 
IN  DAHOMB — PUNISHHENT  OF  A  8NAZB-KILLBB — BTIQCETTB  AT  OOUBT— aOUBNBT  OF' A  MAN 
OF  BANK  TO  THB  OAFITAI. — AFBICAN  HAMUOOK — BIONIFIOATION  OF  THB  WOBD  DAHOMB — OBBB- 
UONIBS  ON  THB  JOUBNBT — KANA,  OB  OAIfANINA,  THB  "  OOUNTBY  CAPITAL " — BBAUTT  OF  THB 
80KNBBT THB    OY08    AND    GOZO'S    CUSTOM — APPBOACH    TO    KANA — A   QHA8TLT    OBNAMBNT — 


"THB  BBLL  COMBS  " — ^THB   AMAZONS — THBIB  FRBOCITT   AND   COT7BAOB — THBIB   YIAtk 
AND  WBAPONS — ^BBTIBW  OF  THB  AMAZONS— OBQANIZATION  OF  THB  FOBCIU. 


TnnPHina 


!  These  is  a  veir  remarkable  p|oint  about  the  tme  negro  of  Western  Africa,  namely,  tbe 
e  which  he  has  made  of  his  contact  with  civilization.  It  luight  be  imagined  that  he 
would  have  raised  himself  in  the  social  scale  by  his  frequent  intercourse  with  men  wiser 
and  more  powerful  than  himself,  and  who,  if  perhaps  they  may  not  have  been  much  better 
in  a  moral  point  of  view,  could  not  possibly  have  been  worse.  But  he  has  done  nothing 
of  the  kind,  and,  instead  of  giving  up  his  old  barbarous  customs,  has  only  increased  their 
barbarity  by  the  additional  means  which  he  has  obtained  from  the  white  man. 

Exchanging  the  bow  and  arrows  for  the  gun,  and  the  club  for  the  sword,  he  has 
employed  his  better  weapons  in  increasing  his  destructive  powers,  and  has  chiefly  used 
them  in  fighting  and  selling  into  slavery  those  whom  he  had  previously  fought,  and  yrho 
respected  him  as  long  as  the  arms  on  both  sides  were  equal.  Aad  the  strangest  thing  is 
that,  even  considering  his  captives  as  so  much  property,  the  only  excuse  wmch  could  be 
found  for  the  savage  cruelty  with  which  he  makes  raids  on  every  town  which  he  thinks  he 
can  conquer,  he  has  not  yet  learned  to  abolish  the  dreadful  "  custom  "  of  human  sacrifices, 
although  each  prisoner  or  criminal  killed  is  a  dead  loss  to  him. 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  strangest  kingdoms  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  that  of 
Dahome ;  a  kingdom  begun  in  blood  and  cruelty,  and  having  maintained  its  existence  of 
more  than  two  centuries  in  spite  of  the  terrible  scenes  continually  enacted — scenes  which 
would  drive  almost  any  other  nation  to  revolt.  But  the  fearful  sacrifices  for  which  the 
name  of  Dahome  has  been  so  long  infamous  are  not  merely  the  offspring  of  a  despotic 
king's  fancy ;  they  are  sanctioned,  and  even  forced  upon  him,  by  his  people — ^fit  subjects 
ofsuchaking. 

It  is  situated  in  that  part  of  Africa  commonly  known  as  the  Slave  Coast,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Gold,  Ivory,  and  Grain  Coasts,  and  its  shores  are  washed  by  the  waters 
of  the  Bight  of  Benin.  Dahome  alone,  of  the  four  great  slave  kingdoms,  Ashanti, 
Yomba,  Benin,  and  Dahome,'  has  retained  its  power,  and,  to  the  eye  of  an  experienced 
observer,  even  Dahome,  which  has  outlived  the  three,  will  speedily  follow  them. 

On  its  coasts  are  the  two  celebi-ated  ports,  Lagos  and  Whydah,  which  have  for  so  long 
been  the  outlets  by  which  the  slaves  captured  in  the  interior  were  sent  on  board  the  ships. 


w% 


(s 


680 


DAHOME. 


n 


*  » 


J,  J.-  .V.    ■  i-  ■ 


tn 


Lagos,  however,  has  been  already  ceded  to  England,  and,  under  ft  better  management,  will 
probably  become  one  of  the  great  ports  at  which  a  legitimate  trade  can  be  carried  on,  and 
which  will  become  one  of  the  blessings  instead  of  the  curses  of  Western  Africa. 

Whydah,  being  one  of  the  towns  through  which  a  traveller  is  sure  to  pass  in  going  into 
the  interior  of  Dahome,  is  worth  a  passing  notice. 

In  the  first  place.  Captain  Burton,  from  whom  the  greater  part  of  our  knowledge  of 
this  strange  land  is  derived,  states  that  the  very  name  is  a  misnomer.  In  the  first  place, 
we  have  attributed  it  to  the  wrong  spot,  and  in  the  next  we  have  given  it  a  most  corrupted 
title.  The  place  which  we  call  Whydah  is  known  to  the  people  as  Ore-hwe  (Plantation 
House),  while  the  roal  Hwe-dah — as  the  word  ought  to  be  spelt-— belongs  rightly  to  a  Uttle 
kingdom  whose  capital  was  Savi. 

Originally  a  port  belonging  to  the  king  of  Savi,  and  given  up  entirely  to  piracy,  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Agaja,  king  of  Dahome,  who  easily  found  an  excuse  for  attacking 
a  place  which  was  so  valuable  as  giving  him  a  direct  communication  from  the  interior  to 
the  sea,  without  the  intervention  of  middle-men,  who  each  take  a  heavy  per-centage 
from  all  gO(jds  that  pass  through  their  district.  From  1725,  when  it  thus  passed  into 
Dahoman  hands,  it  rapidly  increased  in  size  and  importance.  Now  it  presents  an  extra- 
ordinary mixture  of  native  and  imported  masters,  and  we  will  endeavour  to  cast  a  rapid 
glance  at  the  former. 

The  place  h  dividea  into  five  distrioti  each  governed  by  its  own  Caboceer ;  and  it  is  a 
notable  fact,  that  nowadays  a  Caboceer  need  not  be  a  native.  The  post  of  Caboceer  of  the 
Soglaji,  or  English  quarter,  was  offered  to  Captain  Burton,  who,  however,  conld  not  be 
tempted  to  accept  it,  even  by  the  umbrella  of  rank — equal  to  the  blue  ribbon  of  our  own 
system. 

At  the  entrance  of  every  town  there  is  the  De-sum,  or  Custom-house,  and  close  by  it 
are  a  number  of  little  fetish  houses,  wherein  the  trader  is  supposed  to  return  his  thanks 
to  the  propitiating  demons.  The  streets  are  formed  by  the  walls  of  enclosures  and  the 
backs  of  houses ;  and,  as  Dahoman  architecture  is  regulated  by  law,  a  very  uniform  effect 
is  oi/ained.  The  walls  are  mud,  popularly  called  "  swish,"  sometimes  mixed  with  oyster- 
shells  to  strengthen  it,  and  built  up  in  regular  courses,  each  about  two  feet  and  a  half  in 
'Mckness.    By  law,  no  walls  are  allowed  to  be  more  than  four  courses  high. 

The  hot  sun  soon  bakes  the  mud  into  the  consistence  of  soft  brick ;  and,  were  it  not  for 
the  fierce  rains  of  the  tropics,  it  would  be  very  lasting.  As  it  is,  the  rainy  season  is  very 
destructive  to  walls,  and  the  early  part  of  the  dry  season  is  always  a  busy  time  with 
native  architects,  who  are  engaged  in  repairing  the  damages  caused  by  the  rains.  There  is 
a  sm.  U  amount  of  salt  in  the  mud,  which  increases  the  liability  to  damage.  On  the  Gold 
Coast  the  natives  ingeniously  strengthen  the  swish  walls  by  growing  cactus  plants ;  but 
the  negroes  of  Dahome  neglect  this  precaution,  and  consequently  give  themselves — as  lazy 
people  proverbially  do — a  vast  amount  of  needless  trouble. 

There  are  no  windows  to  the  houses ;  but  the  roofs,  made  of  grass  and  leaves  fastened 
on  a  light  framework,  are  nmde  so  that  they  can  be  partially  raised  from  the  walls,  like 
the  "fly  "of  a  tent 

In  spite  of  the  presence  of  localized  Christian  missions,  and  the  continual  contact  of 
Islamism,  the  system  of  fetishism  is  rampant  in  Whydah.  No  human  sacritices  take 
place  there,  all  the  victims  being  forwarded  to  the  capital  for  execution.  But,  according 
to  Captain  Burton, "  even  in  the  bazaar  many  a  hut  will  be  girt  round  with  the  Zo  Vodun, 
a  country  rope  with  dead  leaves  dangling  from  it  at  spaces  of  twenty  feet.  (Zo  Vodun 
signifies  fire-fetish.) 

"  After  a  conflagration,  this  fetish  fire-prophylactic  becomes  almost  universal.  Opposite 
the  house-gates,  again,  we  find  the  Vo-siva  defending  the  inmates  from  harm.  It  is  of 
many  shapes,  especially  a  stick  or  a  pole,  with  an  empty  old  calabash  for  a  head,  and  a 
body  composed  of  grass,  thatch,  palm-leaves,  fowls'  feathers,  and  achatina  shells.  These 
people  must  deem  lightly  of  an  influence  thao  can  nustake,  even  in  the  dark,  such  a 
scarecrow  for  a  human  being. 

"  Near  almost  every  door  stands  the  Legba-gbau,  or  Legba-pot,  by  Europeans  commonly 
called  the  '  Devil's  dish.'    It  is  a  common  clay  shard  article,  either  whole  or  broken,  and 


pass  in  going  into 


THE  LEGBAS. 


631 


Lery  morning  and  evening  it  is  filled,  generally  by  women,  with  cooked  maize  and  palm- 
oil,  for  the  benefit  of  the  turkey-buzzard.  '  Akrasu,'  the  vulture,  is,  next  to  the  snake,  the 
happi*ist  animal  in  Dahome.    He  has  always  abuudanco  of  food,  like  storks,  robins, 

I  swallows,  crows,  adjutant-cranes,  and  other  holy  birds  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  .  . 
"  Travellers  abuse  this  '  obscene  fowl,'  forgetting  that  without  it  the  towns  of  Yoruba 

I  would  be  uninhabitable The  turkoy-buzzard  perched  on  the  topmost  stick  of  a  blasted 

calabash-tree  is  to  the  unromantic  natives  of  Africa  what  the  pea-fowl  is  to  more  engaging 
Asians.    It  always  struck  me  as  the  most  appropriate  emblem  and  heraldic  bearing  for 

I  decayed  Dahome." 

The  Legbo,  or  idol  to  whom  the  fowl  is  sacred,  is  an  abominable  image,  rudely  moulded 

I  oat  of  clay,  and  represented  in  a  squatting  attitude.    Sometimes  Lcgba's  head  is  of  wood, 


PUNISHMENT  OF  A  SNAK&U,Xl<LK11. 


with  eyes  and  teeth  made  of  cowries,  or  else  painted  white.  Legba  is  mostly  a  male 
deity,  rarely  a  female,  and  the  chief  object  ot  the  idol-maker  seems  to  be  that  the 
worshipper  shall  have  no  doubt  on  the  subject.  Legba  sits  in  a  little  hut  open  at  the 
sides;  and  as  no  one  takes  care  of  him,  and  no  one  dares  to  meddle  with  him,  the  country 
is  full  ot  these  queer  little  temples,  insidf  which  the  god  is  sometimes  seen  in  tolerable 
preservation,  but  in  most  cases  has  sunk  into  a  mere  heap  of  mud  and  dust.  Some  of 
these  wooden  Legbaa  are  seen  on  page  615,  but  they  are  purposely  selected  on  account  of 
the  exceptional  delicacy  displayed  by  the  carver. 

Snakes  are  fetish  throughout  Dahome,  and  are  protected  by  the  severest  laws.  All 
serpents  are  highly  venerated,  but  there  is  one  in  particular,  a  harmless  snake  called  the 
"Danhgbwe,"  which  is  held  in  the  most  absurd  reverence.   It  is  of  moderate  size,  reaching 


632 


DAHOME 


i;» 


some  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  and  is  rather  delicately  colrored  with  brown,  yellow,  and 
white.  The  Danhgbwe  is  kept  tame  in  fetish  houses,  ?)'.  ■:'  r>ne  of  them  uhould  ntray,  it 
is  carefully  restored  by  the  man  who  finds  it,  and  who  ;nr.,r>lg  on  the  giound  and  coven 
hf  Jiself  with  drist  before  he  touches  it,  as  he  would  in  th.  '  e^cace  of  a  king.  Formerly 
tie  penalty  for;  killing  one  of  these  snakes  was  death,  liut  it  is  now  commuted  for  a 
puiMshment  which,  although  very  severe,  is  not  necessarily  fatal  to  the  sufferer.  It 
partakes  of  the  mixture  of  the  horrible  and  the  grotesque  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
this  land.  Mr.  Duncan  saw  three  men  undergo  this  punishment.  Three  small  louses 
were  built  of  dry  sticks,  and  thatched  with  dry  grass.  The  culprits  were  then  placed  in 
ftont  of  the  houses  by  the  fetish-man,  who  made  a  long  speech  to  the  spectators,  and  I 
explained  the  enormity  of  the  offence  of  which  they  had  been  guilty. 

They  then  proceeded  to  tie  on  the  shoulders  of  each  culprit  a  dog,  a  kid,  and  two 
fowls.  A  quantity  of  palm-oil  was  poured  over  them,  and  on  their  heads  were  balanced 
baskets,  containing  little  open  calabashes  filled  with  the  same  material,  so  that  at  the 
least  movement  the  calabashes  were  upset,  and  the  oil  ran  all  over  the  head  and  body. 
They  were  next  marched  round  the  little  houses,  and,  lastly,  forced  to  crawl  into  them, 
the  dog,  kid,  and  fowls  being  taken  off  their  shoulders  and  thrust  into  the  house  with 
them.  The  doors  being  shut,  a  large  mob  assembles  with  sticks  and  clods,  and 
surrounds  the  house.  The  houses  are  then  fired,  the  dry  material  blazing  up  like  gun- 
powder, and  the  wretched  inmates  burst  their  way  through  the  flaming  walls  and  roof, 
and  rush  to  the  nearest  running  stream,  followed  by  the  crowd,  who  beat  and  pelt  them 
unmercifully.  If  they  can  reach  the  water,  they  are  safe,  and  should  they  be  men  of 
any  consequence  they  have  little  to  fear,  as  their  friends  surround  them,  and  keep  off  the 
crowd  untU  the  water  is  reached. 

The  whole  of  the  proceedings  are  shown  in  the  illustration  on  the  preceding  page. 

In  the  distance  is  seen  one  of  the  culprits  being  taken  to  his  fetish  house,  the  basket 
of  calabashes  on  his  head,  and  the  animals  slung  round  his  neck.  Another  is  seen 
creeping  into  the  house,  near  which  the  fetish  man  is  standing,  holding  dead  snakes  in 
his  hands,  and  horrible  to  look  at  by  reason  of  the  paint  with  which  he  ha»  covered 
his  face.  In  the  foreground  is  another  criminal  rushing  towards  the  water,  just  about  to 
plunge  into  it  tmd  extinguish  the  flames  that  are  still jpla3nng  about  hio  oil-saturated  hair 
and  have  nearly  burned  off  all  his  scanty  clothing.  The  blazing  hut  is  seen  behind  him, 
and  around  are  the  spectators,  pelting  and  striking  him,  while  his  personal  friends  are 
checking  them,  and  keeping  the  way  clear  towards  the  water. 

We  will  now  leave  Whydah,  and  proceed  towards  the  capital. 

When  a  person  of  rank  wishes  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  king,  the  latter  sends  some 
of  his  officers,  bearing,  as  an  emblem  of  their  rank,  the  shark-stick,  i.e.  a  kind  of  tomahawk 
about  two  feet  long,  carved  at  the  end  into  a  rude  semblance  of  the  shark;  another  image 
of  the  same  fish  being  made  out  of  a  silver  dollar  beaten  flat  and  nailed  to  the  end  of 
the  handle.  One  of  the  officers  will  probably  have  the  lion-stick  as  his  emblem  of  the 
trust  reposed  in  him ;  but  to  unpractised  eyes  the  lions  carved  on  the  stick  would  answer 
equally  well  for  the  shark,  and  both  would  do  well  as  "  crocodile  "  sticks,  the  shapes  of 
the  animals  being  purely  conventional 

The  mode  of  travelling  is  generally  in  hammocks,  made  of  cotton  cloth,  but  some- 
times formed  of  silk :  these  latter  are  very  gaudy  affairs.  The  average  size  of  a  hammock 
is  nine  feet  by  five,  and  the  ends  are  lashed  to  a  pole  some  nine  or  ten  feet  in  length.  Upon 
the  pole  is  fixed  a  slight  framework,  which  supports  an  awning  as  a  defence  against  the 
sun.  The  pole  is  carried  not  on  the  shoulders  but'  the  heads  of  the  bearers,  and,  owing  to 
their  awkwardness  and  rough  movements,  an  inexperienced  traveller  gets  his  head  knocked 
against  the  pole  with  considerable  violence.  Tvro  men  carry  it,  but  each  hammock 
requires  a  set  of  seven  men,  some  to  act  as  relays,  and  others  to  help  in  getting  the 
vehicle  over  a  rough  part  of  the  road.  Each  man  expects  a  glass  of  rum  morning  and 
evening,  and,  as  he  is  able  to  make  an  unpopiilar  master  very  uncomfortable,  it  is  better 
to  yield  to  the  general  custom,  especially  as  rum  is  only  threepence  per  pint. 

Being  now  fairly  in  the  midst  of  JDahome,  let  us  see  what  is  the  meaning  of  the 
nam& 


THE  AMAZONS. 


683 


Somewhere  about  a.d.  1620,  an  old  king  died  and  left  three  sons.  The  oldest  took 
his  father's  kingdom,  dnd  the  youngest,  Dako  by  name  (some  writora  call  him  Tacudona), 
went  abroad  to  seek  his  fortune,  and  settled  at  a  place  not  far  from  Agbome.  By  degrees 
Dako  became  more  and  more  powerful,  and  was  continually  encroaching  upon  the  country 
belonging  to  a  neighbouring  king  called  Danh,  i.e.  the  Snake,  or  Rainbow.  As  the 
numl:^  of  his  followers  increased,  Dako  pestered  Danh  for  more  and  more  land  for  them, 
antil  at  last  the  king  lost  patience,  and  said  to  the  pertinacious  mendicant,  "  Soon  thou 
wilt  build  in  my  belly."  Dako  thought  that  this  idea  was  not  a  bad  one,  and  when  he 
had  collected  sufficient  warriors,  he  attacked  Danh,  killed  him,  took  possession  of  his 
kingdom,  and  built  a  new  palace  over  his  corpse,  thus  literally  and  deliberately  fulfilling 
the  prediction  made  in  haste  and  auger  by  his  conquered  foe.  In  honour  of  his  victory, 
the  conqueror  called  the  place  Danh-ome,  or  Danh's-belly.  The  "  n  "  in  this  word  is  a 
nasal  sound  unknown  to  English  ears,  and  the  word  is  best  pronounced  Dah-ome,  as  a 
dissyllable. 

The  great  neighbouring  kingdom  of  Allada  was  friendly  with  Dahome  for  nearly  a 
hundred  yeaiti,  when  they  fell  out,  fought,  and  Dahome  again  proved  victorious,  so  that 
Allada  allowed  itself  to  be  incorporated  with  Dahome. 

It  was  a  little  beyond  Allada  where  Captain  Burton  first  saw  some  of  the  celebrated 
Amazons,  or  female  soldiere,  who  wUl  be  presently  described,  and  here  began  the  strange 
series  of  ceremonies,  far  too  numerous  to  be  separately  described,  which  accompanied  the 
progress  of  so  important  a  visitor  to  the  capital 

A  mere  slight  outline  will  be  given  of  them.  At  every  village  that  was  passed  a 
dance  was  performed,  which  the  travellers  were  expected  to  witness.  All  the  dances 
being  exactly  alike,  and  consisting  of  writhings  of  the  body  and  stamping  with  the  feet, 
they  soon  became  very  monotonous,  but  had  to  be  endured.  At  a  place  called  Aquine 
a  body  of  warriors  rushed  tumultuously  into  the  cleared  space  of  the  village  under  its 
centre  tree.  They  were  about  eighty  in  number,  and  were  formed  four  deep.  Headed 
by  a  sort  of  flag,  and  accompanied  by  the  inevitable  drum,  they  came  on  at  full  speed, 
singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  performing  various  agile  antics.  After  circling 
round  the  tree,  they  all  fell  flat  on  the  ground,  beat  up  the  dust  with  their  hands,  and 
flung  it  over  their  bodies.  This  is  the  roval  salute  of  Western  Africa,  and  was  performed 
in  honour  of  the  king's  canes  of  office,  which  he  had  sent  by  their  bearers,  accompanied 
by  the  great  ornament  of  his  court,  an  old  liqueur  case,  covered  with  a  white  cloth,  and 
borne  on  a  boy's  head. 

From  this  case  were  produced  bottles  of  water,  wine,  gin,  and  rum,  of  each  of  which 
the  visitors  were  expected  to  drink  three  times,  according  to  etiquette.  After  this 
ceremony  had  been  completed,  the  escort,  as  these  men  proved  to  be,  preceded  the  party 
to  the  capital,  dancing  and  capering  the  whole  way. 

After  several  halts,  the  party  arrived  within  sight  of  Eana,  the  country  oapital.  "  It 
is  distinctly  Dahome,  and  here  the  traveller  expects  to  look  upon  the  scenes  of  barbaric 
splendour  of  which  all  the  world  has  read.  And  it  has  its  own  beauty ;  a  French 
traveller  has  compared  it  with  the  loveliest  villages  of  fair  Provence,  while  to 
Mr.  Duncan  it  suggested  '  a  vast  pleasure-groimd,  aot  unlike  some  parts  of  the  Great 
Park  at  Windsor.' 

"  After  impervious  but  sombre  forest,  grass-barrens,  and  the  dismal  swamps  of  the  path, 
the  eye  revels  in  these  open  plateaux ;  their  seducin  j  aspect  is  enhanced  by  scattered 
plantations  of  a  leek-green  studding  the  slopes,  by  a  background  of  gigantic  forest 
dwarfing  the  nearer  palm-files,  by  homesteads  buried  in  cultivation,  and  by  calabashes 
and  cotton-trees  vast  as  the  view,  tempering  the  fiery  summer  to  their  subject  growths, 
and  in  winter  collecting  the  rains,  which  would  otherwise  bare  the  newly-buried  seed. 
Nor  is  animal  life  wanting.  The  turkey-buzzard,  the  kite,  and  the  kestrel  soar  in  the 
upper  heights ;  the  brightest  fly-catchers  flit  through  the  lower  strata ;  the  little  grey 
squirrel  nimbly  climbs  lus  lofty  home;  and  a  fine  large  spur-fowl  rises  from  the  plantations 
of  maize  and  cassava." 

As  is  usual  with  African  names,  the  word  Eana  has  been  spelled  in  a  difierent  way 
by  almost  every  traveller  and  every  writer  on  the  subject     Some  call  it  Canua,  or 


m 


>'*(«; 


W-^ 


IHHI 

^H!^^ 

U.ii.i^ 

^'  )'n 


Ph 


634 


DAHOME. 


w 

1 

I 

1 

i^ 

u 

i 
1 

}    .'. 


Cannah,  or  Camah,  \5"hile  others  write  the  word  as  Calmina,  evidently  a  corrnption  of 
Kana-mina,  the  "  mina  "  being  an  addition.  All  the  people  between  the  Little  Pope  and 
Acua  are  called  Mina.  We  shall,  however,  be  quite  safe,  if  throughout  our  account  of 
"Western  Africa  we  accept  the  orthography  of  Captain  Burton.  Eana  was  seize.^.  about 
1818  by  King  Gozo,  who  liked  the  place,  and  so  made  it  his  country  capital — much  as 
Brighton  was  to  England  in  the  days  of  the  Regency.  He  drove  out  the  fierce  and 
warlike  Oyoa  (pronounced  Aw-yaws;,  and  in  celebration  of  so  important  a  victory 
instituted  an  annual  "custom,"  i.e.  a  human  sacrifice,  in  which  the  victims  are  dressed 
like  the  conquered  Oyos. 

This  is  called  Gozo's  custom,  and,  although  the  details  are  not  precisely  known,  its 
general  tenor  may  be  ascertained  from  the  following  facts.  One  traveller,  who  visited 
Kana  in  1863,  saw  eleven  platforms  on  poles  about  forty  feet  high.     On  each  platform 


"THE  BELL  COMES." 


was  the  dead  body  of  a  man  in  an  erect  position,  well  dressed  in  the  peasant  style,  and 
having  in  his  hand  a  calabash  containing  oil,  grain,  or  other  product  of  the  land.  One 
of  them  was  set  up  as  if  leadint^'  a  sheep. 

When  Mr.  Duncan  visited  Kana,  or  Cananina,  as  he  calls  it,  he  saw  relics  of  this 
"  custom."  The  walls  of  the  place,  which  were  of  very  great  extent,  were  covered  with 
human  skulls  placed  about  thirty  feet  apart,  and  upon  a  pole  was  the  body  of  a  man  in 
an  upright  position,  holding  a  basket  on  his  head  wfth  both  his  arms.  A  little  farther 
on  were  the  bodies  of  two  other  men,  hung  by  their  feet  from  a  sort  of  gallows,  about 
twenty  feet  high.  They  had  been  in  that  position  about  two  months,  and  were  hardly 
recognisable  as  human  beings,  and  in  fact  must  have  presented  as  repulsive  an  appearance 
as  the  bodies  hung  in  chains,  or  the  heads  on  Temple  Bar.  Two  more  bodies  were  hung 
in  a  similar  manner  in  the  market-place,  and  Mr.  Duncan  was  informed  that  they  were 
criminals  executed  for  intrigues  with  the  king's  wives. 

At  Kana  is  seen  the  first  intimation  of  the  presence  of  royalty.  A  small  stream  runs 
by  it,  and  supplies  Kana  with  water.  At  daybreak  the  women-slaves  of  the  palace  are 
released  from  the  durance  in  which  they  are  kept  during  the  night,  and  sent  off  to  fetch 
water  for  the  palace.    They  are  not  fighting  women  or  Amazons,  as  they  are  generally 


mall  stream  runs 


"THE  BELL  COMES." 


635 


called;  bat  the  slaves  of  the  Amazons,  each  of  these  women  having  at  least  one  female 
slave,  and  some  as  many  as  fifty. 

The  very  fact,  however,  that  they  are  servants  of  the  Amazons,  who  are  the  servants 
of  the  king,  confers  on  them  a  sort  of  dignity  which  they  are  not  slow  to  assert.  No 
man  is  allowed  to  look  at  them,  much  less  to  address  them,  and  in  consequence,  when 
the  women  go  to  fetch  water,  they  are  headed  by  one  of  their  number  caiTjdng  a  rude 
bell  suspended  to  the  neck.  When  the  leader  sees  a  man  in  the  distance,  she  shakes  the 
bell  vigorously,  and  calls  out,  "  Gan-ja,"  i.e.  "  the  bell  comes."  As  soon  as  the  tijikle  of 
the  beU  or  the  cry  reach  the  ears  of  any  men  who  happen  to  be  on  the  road,  they  immedi- 
ately run  to  the  nearest  footpath,  of  which  a  number  are  considerately  made,  leading  into 
the  woods,  turn  their  backs,  and  wait  patiently  until  the  long  file  of  women  has  passed. 

They  had  need  to  escupe  as  fast  as  they  can,  for  if  even  one  of  the  water-pots  should 
happen  to  be  broken,  the  nearest  man  would  inevitably  be  accused  of  having  frightened 
the  woman  who  carried  it,  and  would  almost  certainly  be  sold  into  slavery,  together  with 
his  wife  and  family. 


BELLS. 

(From  Colonel  Lane  Foils  Collection.) 

As  might  be  expected,  the  attendants  at  the  palace  are  very  proud  of  this  privilege, 
and  the  uglier,  the  older,  and  the  lower  they  are,  the  more  perseveringly  do  they  ring  the 
bell  and  utter  the  dreaded  shout,  "  Gan-ja."  The  oddest  thing  is  that  even  the  lowest  of 
the  male  slaves  employed  in  the  palace  assume  the  same  privilege,  and  insist  on  occu- 
pying the  road  and  driving  all  other  travellers  into  the  by-paths.  "  This,"  says  Captain 
Burton, "  is  one  of  the  greatest  nuisances  in  Dahome.  It  continues  through  the  day. 
In  some  parts,  as  around  the  palace,  half  a  mile  an  hour  would  be  full  speed,  and  to 
make  way  for  these  animals  of  burthen,  bought  perhaps  for  a  few  pence,  is,  to  say  the 
least  of  it,  by  no  means  decorous."  » 

The  town  of  Kana  has  in  itself  few  elements  of  beauty,  however  picturesque  may  be 
the  surrounding  scenery.  It  occupies  about  three  miles  of  ground,  and  is  composed 
primarily  of  the  palace,  and  secondly  of  a  number  of  houses  scattered  round  it,  set  closely 
near  the  king's  residence,  and  becoming  more  and  more  scattered  in  proportion  to  their 
distance  from  it.  Captain  Burton  estimates  the  population  at  4,000.  The  houses  are 
built  of  a  red  sandy  clay. 

The  palace  walls,  which  are  of  great  extent,  are  surrounded  by  a  cheerful  adornment 
in  the  shape  of  human  skulls,  which  are  placed  on  the  top  at  intervals  of  thirty  feet  or  so. 


^>\\ 


.■I 

* 

4l 


i^i- 


'636 


DAHOME. 


K  \j 


and  striking,  as  it  were,  the  key-note  to  the  Dahoman  character.  In  no  place  in  the  worid 
is  human  Me  sacrificed  with  such  prodigality  and  with  such  ostentation. 

In  most  countries,  after  a  criminal  is  executed,  the  body  is  allowed  to  be  buried,  or,  at 
the  most,  is  thrown  to  the  beasts  and  the  birds,  In  Dahome  the  skull  of  the  victim  18 
cleansed,  and  used  as  an  ornament  of  some  building,  or  as  an  appendage  to  the  court  and 
its  precincts.  Consequently,  the  one  object  which  strikes  the  eye  of  a  traveller  is  the 
humain  skidL  The  walls  are  edged  with  skulls,  skulls  are  heaped  in  dishes  before  the 
king,  skulls  are  stuck  on  the  tops  of  poles,  skulls  are  used  as  the  heads  of  banner-staves, 
skuUs  are  tied  to  dancers,  and  all  the  temples,  or  Ju-ju  houses,  are  almost  entirely  built 
of  hmnan  skulls.    How  they  come  to  be  in  such  profusion  we  shall  see  presently. 

Horrible  and  repulsive  as  this  system  is,  we  oug!rt  to  remember  that  even  in  our 
own  country,  in  an  age  when  art  and  literature  were  held  in  the  highest  estimation,  the 
quartered  bodies  of  persons  executed  for  high  treason  were  exposed  on  the  gates  of  the 
principal  cities,  and  that  in  the  very  heart  or  the  capital  their  heads  were  exhibited  up  to 
a  comparatively  recent  date.  This  practice,  though  not  of  so  wholesale  a  character  as  the 
"  custom  "  of  Dahome,  was  yet  identical  with  it  in  spirit. 

As  the  Amazons,  or  female  soldiers,  have  been  mentioned,  they  will  be  here  briefly 
described. 

This  celebrated  force  consists  wholly  of  women,  officers  as  well  as  privates.  They  hold 
a  high  position  at  court,  and,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  are  of  such  importance  that  each 
Amazon  possesses  at  least  one  slave.  In  their  own  country  they  are  called  by  two  names, 
Akho-si,  i.e.  the  King's  wives,  and  Mi-no,  i,e.  our  mothers ;  the  first  name  being  given  to 
them  on  the  hiciis  a  non  lucendo  principle,  because  they  arc  not  allowed  to  be  the  wives 
of  any  man,  and  the  second  being  used  as  the  conventional  title  of  respect.  The  real 
wives  of  the  king  do  not  bear  arms,  and  though  he  sometimes  does  take  a  fancy  to  one  of 
his  women-soldiers,  she  may  not  assume  the  position  of  a  regular  wife. 

About  oue-third  of  the  Amazons  have  boon  married,  but  the  rest  are  unmarried 
maidens.  Of  course  it  is  needful  that  such  a  body  should  observe  strict  celibacy,  if  their 
efficiency  is  to  be  maintained,  and  especial  pains  are  taken  to  insure  this  object.  In  the 
first  place,  the  strictest  possible  watch  is  kept  over  them,  and,  in  the  second,  the  power 
of  superstition  is  invoked.  At  one  of  the  palace  gates,  called  significantly  Agbo-dewe, 
i.e.  the  Discovery  Gate,  is  placed  a  potent  fotisli,  who  watches  over  the  conduct  of  the 
Amazons,  and  invariably  discovers  the  soldier  who  breaks  the  most  important  of  the 
militaiy  laws.  The  Amazons  are  so  afraid  of  this  fetish,  that  when  one  of  them  has  trans- 
gressed she  has  been  known  to  confess  her  fault,  and  to  give  up  the  name  of  her  partner 
in  crime,  even  with  the  knowledge  that  ho  will  die  u  cruel  death,  and  that  she  will  be 
severely  punished,  and  probably  be  executed  by  her  fellow-soldiers.  Besides,  there  is  a 
powerful  e^it  de  corps  reigning  among  the  Amazons,  who  are  fond  of  boasting  that  they 
are  not  women,  but  men. 

They  certainly  look  as  if  they  were,  beinp,  as  a  rule,  more  masculine  in  appearance 
than  the  male  soldiers,  tall,  muscular,  and  nosHossod  of  untlinching  courage  and  ruthless 
cmelty.  Bloodthirsty  and  savage  as  are  tno  Daliomans  naturally,  the  Amazons  take  the 
lead  in  both  qualities,  seeming  to  avenge  themselves,  as  it  were,  for  the  privations  to 
which  they  are  doomed.  The  spinster  soldiers  aro  women  who  have  been  selected  by  the 
king  from  the  families  of  his  subjects,  ho  having  the  choice  of  them  when  they  arrive  at 
marriageable  age ;  and  the  once  married  soldiers  are  women  who  have  been  detected  in 
infidelity,  and  are  enlisted  instead  of  executed,  or  wives  who  are  too  vixenish  towards 
their  husbands,  and  so  are  appropriately  drafted  into  the  army,  where  their  oombative 
dispositions  may  find  a  more  legitimate  object. 

In  order  to  increase  their  bloodthirsty  spirit,  and  inspire  a  feeling  of  emulation,  those 
who  have  killed  an  enemy  are  allowed  to  tsxtiibit  a  symbol  of  their  prowess.  They 
remove  the  scalp,  and  preserve  it  for  exhibition  on  all  reviews  and  grand  occasions.  They 
have  also  another  decoration,  etjuivalent  to  i\w  Victoria  Cross  of  this  country,  namely,  a 
cowrie-shell  fastened  to  the  butt  of  the  musket.  After  thn  battle  is  over,  the  victorious 
Amazon  smears  part  of  the  ritie-butt  with  the  blood  of  the  fallen  enemy,  and  just  before 


place  in  the  woiid 

0  be  buried,  or,  at 

1  of  the  victim  is 
B  to  the  court  and 
a  traveller  is  the 
dishes  before  the 
of  banner-staves, 

aost  entirely  built 
presently, 
that  even  in  onr 
3st  estimation,  the 
L  the  gates  of  the 
re  exhibited  up  to 
a  character  as  the 


D  be  here  briefly 

ivates.  They  hold 
portance  that  each 
ted  by  two  names, 
me  being  given  to 
id  to  be  the  wives 
•espect.  The  real 
J  a  fancy  to  one  of 

ist  are  unmarried 
celibacy,  if  their 
is  object.  In  the 
second,  the  power 
santly  Agbo-dewe, 
le  conduct  of  the 
important  of  the 
)f  them  has  trans- 
me  of  her  partner 
that  she  will  be 
Besides,  there  is  a 
}oasting  that  they 

me  in  appearance 
age  and  ruthless 
^azons  take  the 
the  privations  to 
m  selected  by  the 
len  they  arrive  at 
been  detected  in 
vixenish  towards 
their  oombative 

emulation,  those 
prowess.  They 
occasions.  They 
)untry,  namely,  a 
er,  the  victorious 
,  and  just  before 


MILITARY  DECORATION. 


637 


it  dries  spreads  another  layer.  This  is  done  until  a  thick,  soft  paste  ia  formed,  into  which 
the  cowrie  is  pressed.  The  musket  is  then  laid  in  the  sun,  and  when  properly  dry  the 
jhell  is  firmly  glued  to  the  weapon. 

The  possession  of  this  trophy  is  eagerly  coveted  by  the  Amazons  and,  after  a  battle, 
those  who  have  not  slain  an  enemy  with  their  own  hand  are  half-maddened  witli  envious 


fl 


'■M\ 

'■   '' fX 

;   ■  f1\ 


^-fi<>- 


DAHOUAN  AMAZONS, 


jealousy  when  they  see  their  more  successful  sisters  assuming  the  coveted  decoration. 
One  cowrie  is  allowed  for  each  dead  man,  and  soma  oi  the  boldest  and  fiercest  of  the 
Amazons  have  their  musket-butts  completely  covered  with  cowries,  arranged  in  circles, 
stars,  and  similar  patterns. 

The  dress  of  the  Amazons  varies  slightly  according  to  the  position  which  they  occupy. 
The  ordinary  uniform  is  a  blue  and  white  tunic  of  native  cloth,  but  made  without  sleeves, 
80  as  to  allow  full  freedom  to  the  arms.    Under  this  is  a  sort  of  shirt  or  kilt,  reaching 


^  i 


'1 


>t'  ;l 


m  . 


638 


DAHOME. 


FOWDt:R  FLASK. 


below  the  knees,  and  below  the  shirt  the  soldier  wears  a  pair  of  short  linen  trousem 
Bound  the  waist  is  gimled  the  aromimition-belt,  which  is  made  exactly  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  the  bandolier  of  the  Middle  Ages.  It  consists  of  some  thMy  hollow  wooden 
cylinders  sticking  into  a  leathern  belt,  each  cylinder  containing  one  charge  of  powder. 

When  they  load  their  guns,  the  Amazons  merely 
pour  the  powder  down  the  barrel,  and  ram  the 
bullet  after  it,  without  taking  the  trouble  to  intro- 
duce wadding  of  any  description,  so  that  the  force 
of  the  powder  is  much  wasted,  and  the  directiou 
of  the  bullet  veiy  uncertain.  Partly  owing  to  the 
great  windage  caused  by  the  caieless  loading  and 
badly  fitting  balls,  and  partly  on  account  of  the 
inferiority  of  the  powder,  the  charges  are  twice 
as  large  as  would  be  required  by  a  European 
soldier. 

Captain  Burton  rightly  stigmatizes  the  exist- 
ence of  such  an  armv  as  an  unmixed  evil,  and 
states  that  it  is  one  of  the  causes  which  will  one 
day  cause  the  kingdom  of  Dahome  to  be  obliterated  from  the  earth.  "The  object 
of  Dahoman  "ars  and  invasions  has  always  been  to  lay  waste  and  to  destroy,  not 
to  aggrandize. 

"As  the  history  puts  it,  the  rulers  have  ever  followed  the  example  of  Agaja,  the 
second  founder  of  the  kingdom ;  aiming  at  conquesu  and  at  striking  terror,  rather  than  at 
accretion  and  consolidation.  Hence  there  has  been  a  decrease  of  population  with  an 
increase  of  territory,  which  is  to  nations  the  surest  road  to  ruin.  In  the  present  day  the 
wars  have  dwindled  to  mere  slave-hunts — a  fact  it  is  well  to  remember. 

"  The  warrior  troops,  assumed  to  number  2,500,  should  represent  7,500  children ;  the 
waste  of  reproduction  and  the  necessary  casualties  of  'service'  in  a  region  so  depopulated 
are  as  detrimental  to  the  body  politic  as  a  proportionate  loss  of  blood  would  be  to  the 
body  personal  Thus  the  land  is  desert,  and  the  raw  material  of  all  industiy,  man,  is 
everywhere  wanting." 

Fierce,  cruel,  relentless,  deprived  by  severe  laws  of  all  social  ties,  the  women- soldiers 
of  Dahome  are  the  only  real  fighters,  the  men-soldiers  being  comparatively  feeble  and 
useless.    They  are  badly  and  miscellaneously  armed,  some  having  trade  guns,  but  the 
greater  number  being  only  furnished  with  bow  and  arrow,  swords,  or  clubs.  All,  however, 
whether  male  or  female,  are  provided  with  ropes  wherewith  to  bind  their  prisoners, 
slave-himts  being  in  truth  the  real  object  of  Dahoman  warfare.    From  his  profound 
knowledge  of  negro  character,  Captain  Burton  long  ago  prophesied  that  the  kingdom  of  I 
Dahome  was  on  the  wane,  and  that  "  weakened  by  traditional  policy,  by  a  continual  [ 
scene  of  blood,  and  by  the  arbitrary  measures  of  her  king,  and  demoralized  by  an  export 
slave-trade,  by  close  connexion  with  Europeans,  and  by  frequent  failure,  this  band  of  I 
black  Spartans  is  rapidly  falling  into  decay." 

He  also  foretold  that  the  king's  constant  state  of  warfare  with  Abeokuta  was  a  pohtical 
mistake,  and  that  the  Egbas  would  eventually  prove  to  be  the  conquerors.  How  true  I 
these  remarks  were  has  been  proved  by  the  events  of  the  last  few  years.  The  king 
Gelele  made  his  threatened  attack  on  Abeokuta,  and  was  hopelessly  beaten.  In,  spite 
of  the  reckless  courage  of  the  Amazons,  who  fought  like  so  many  mad  dogs,  and  were 
assisted  by  three  brass  six-pounder  field-guns,  his  attack  failed,  and  his  troops  were 
driven  off  with  the  loss  of  a  vast  number  of  prisoners,  while  the  killed  were  calculated  at 
a  thousand. 

How  recklessly  these  Amazons  can  fight  is  evident  from  their  performances  at  a 
review.  In  this  part  of  the  country  the  simple  fortifications  are  made  of  the  acacia 
bushes,  which  arc  furnished  with  thorns  of  great  length  and  sharpness,  and  are  indeed 
formidable  obstacles.  At  a  review  witnessed  by  Mr.  Duncan,  model  forts  were  constructed 
of  these  thorns,  which  were  heaped  up  into  walls  of  some  sixty  or  seventy  feet  in 
thickness  and  eight  in  height.    It  may  well  be  imagined  that  to  cross  such  ramparts  as 


AMAZON  REVIEW. 


639 


m 


)rt  linen  trousem 
on  the  same  prin- 
y  hollow  wooden 
charge  of  powder. 
I  Amazons  merely 
reel,  and  ram  the 
le  trouble  to  intro- 
,  so  that  the  force 
,  and  the  direction 
'artly  owing  to  the 
reless  loading  and 
on  account  of  the 
charges  are  twice 
d  by  a  European 


pie  of  Agaja,  the  | 
TOP,  rather  than  at  j 
opulation  with  an 
lie  present  day  the 

r,500  children;  the 

ion  so  depopulated 

i  would  be  to  the 

industiy,  man,  is 

;he  women- soldiers 
ratively  feeble  and 
ade  guns,  but  the 
ubs.  All,  however, 
id  their  prisoners, 
'rom  his  profound 
it  the  kingdom  of  j 
y,  by  a  continual' 
ilized  by  an  export  j 
lure,  this  band  of 


would  be  no  easy  task,  even  to  European  soldiers,  whose  feet  are  defended  Ijy 
thick-soled  boots,  and  that  to  a  barefooted  soldiery  they  must  be  simply  impregnable. 
Within  the  forts  were  built  strong  pens  seven  feet  in  height,  inside  of  which  were  cooped 
up  a  vast  number  of  male  and  female  slaves  belonging  to  the  king. 

The  rev'ew  began  by  the  Amazons  forming  with  shouldered  arms  about  two  hundred 
feet  in  front  of  the  strong  fort,  and  waiting  for  the  word  of  command.  As  soon  as  it  was 
given,  they  nshed  forward,  charged  the  solid  fence  aa  though  thorns  were  powerless 
against  their  )are  feet,  dashed  over  it,  tore  down  the  fence, '  and  returned  to  the  king  in 
triumph,  leading  with  them  the  ca])tuTed  slaves,  and  exhibiting  also  the  scalps  of  warriois 


■if' 


AMAZOM  BEVIEW. 


I  the  had  fallen  in  previous  battles,  but  who  were  conventionally  supposed  to  have  perished 
|fc  the  present  occasion.    So  rapid  and  fierce  was  the  attack,  that  scarcsly  a  minute  had 
I'dapsed  after  the  word  of  command  was  given  and  when  the  women  were  seen  returning 
with  their  captives. 

The  organization  of  the  Amazonian  army  is  as  peculiar  as  its  existence.  The  regiment 
is  divided  into  three  battalions,  namely,  the  centre  and  two  wings.  The  centi-e,  or  Fanti 
kttalion,  is  somewhat  analogous  to  our  Guards,  and  its  members  distinguished  by 
wearing  on  the  head  a  narrow  white  fillet,  on  whicli  are  sewn  blue  crocodiles.  This  orna- 
ment was  granted  to  them  by  the  king,  because  one  of  their  number  once  killed  a 
crocodile.  As  a  mark  of  courtesy,  the  king  generally  confers  on  his  distinguished  visitors 
the  honorary  rank  of  commander  of  the  Fanti  battalion,  but  this  rank  does  not  entitle 
him  even  to  order  the  corps  out  for  a  review. 


1 1 


640 


DAHOME. 


The  Grenadiers  are  represented  by  the  Blunderbuss  Company,  who  are  selected  for  their 
size  and  strength,  and  are  each  followed  by  a  slave  carrying  ammunition.  Equal  in  rank 
to  them  are  the  sharpshooters,  or  "  Sure-to-kill"  Company,  the  Carbineers,  and  the 
Bayonet  Company.         « 

The  women  of  most  acknowledged  courage  are  gathered  into  the  Elephant  Company, 
their  special  business  being  to  hunt  the  elephant  for  the  sake  of  its  tusks,  a  task  which 
they  perform  with  great  courage  and  success,  often  bringing  down  an  elephant  with  a 
single  volley  from  their  imperfect  weapons. 

The  youngest,  best-looking,  most  active,  and  neatest  dressed,  are  the  archers.  They 
are  furnished  with  very  poor  weapons,  usually  bow  and  small  arrows,  and  a  small 


its- 


i 

I 

! 


B  • 


1 


9       3 


QUIVBBS  AND  ABR0W& 


knife.  Indeed,  tlicf  are  more  for  show  than  for  use,  and  wear  by  way  of  uniform  a 
dress  more  scanty  than  that  of  the  regular  army,  and  are  distinguished  also  by  an  ivoiy 
bracelet  on  the  left  arm,  and  a  tattoo  extending  to  the  knee.  They  are  specially  trained 
in  dancing,  and  when  in  the  field,  they  are  employed  as  messengers  and  in  carrying  oft' 
the  dead  and  wounded.     Their  official  title  is  Go-hen-to,  ie.  the  bearers  of  quivers. 

The  greater  number  of  the  Amazons  are  of  course  line-soldiers,  and  if  they  only  had 
a  little  knowledge  of  military  manoeuvres,  and  could  be  taught  to  load  properly,  as  well 
as  to  aim  correctly,  would  treble  their  actual  power.  Tlieir  manoeuvres,  however,  are 
compared  by  Captain  Burton  to  those  of  a  flock  of  sheep,  and  they  have  such  little 
knowledge  of  concerted  action  that  they  would  be  scattered  before  a  charge  of  the  very 
worst  troops  in  Europe. 


WAE-DEUM  AND  EAZOB. 


J  selected  for  their 
Q.  Equal  in  rank 
rbineers,  and  the 


641 


Lastly  come  tu«.  Bazor-women.  This  curious  body  is  intended  for  striking  terror  into 
I  the  enemy,  the  soldiers  being  armed  with  a  large  razor,  that  looks  exactly  as  if  it  had 
beeu  made  for  the  clown  in  a  pantomime.  The  blade  is  about  two  feet  in  length,  and  the 
handle  of  course  somewhat  larger,  and,  when  opened,  the  blade  is  kept  from  shutting  by 
a  spring  at  the  back.  It  is  employed  for  decapitating  criminals,  but  by  way  of  a  weapon  it  is 
glmoat  worse  than  useless,  and  quite  as  likely  to  wound  the  person  who  holds  it  as  it  is 
Mm  against  whom  it  is  directed.  The  razor  was  invented  by  a  brother  of  the  late 
King  Oezo.  By  the  side  of  the  razor  is  shown  one  of  the  war-drums  of  the  Amazons. 
I  Both  of  these  instruments  were  taken  from  the  slain  warriors  in  the  attack  upon 
Abeokuta. 


,u 


f  i^4\ : 


r.jl 


iray  of  uniform  a 
'.  also  by  an  ivoiy 
I  specially  trained 
id  in  carrying  off 

of  quivers. 
1  if  they  only  had 

property,  as  well 
i^res,  however,  are 
r  have  such  little 
iharge  of  the  very 


WAR-DRUM  AND  RAZOR 


TOLL 


TX 


If 


CHAPTER   LVI. 


DAHOME— Conet'nufdL 


IHB  SmJOATB  SXNO — THK  ^<  CUSTOMS  "  OF  DAHOMK — APFEABAMCB  OF  KIHO  QBLELE — ETIQUKTTE  AT 
COUBT — ^THB  Kma  DBINKS — THB  OALABASHRS  OF  8TATB — THB  XINO's  PROGRESS — THE  BOYAL 
PBOOBSSION — THB  FIRST  DAY  OF  THB  CUSTOMS — THB  VICTIM-SHED  AND  ITS  INMATES— THE 
BOTAL  PAVaiON — PBELIMINABT  CEBBMONIALS — THB  SECOND  DAY  OF  THE  CUSTOMS — TUR 
"  ABLB-TO-DO-ANYTHINO  "  CLOTH — THB  THIRD  DAY — SCRAMBLING  FOB  COWRIES,  AND  FROCKS- 
8ION  OF  HUNCHBACKS — FETISHES— CONVERSATION  WITH  THE  VICTIMS — THE  FOURTH  DAY  AND 
ITS  EVIL  NIOHT — ESTIMATED  NUMBER  OF  THB  VICTIMS,  AND  MODB  OF  THEIB  EXECUTION- 
OBJECT  AND  MBAMINQ  OF  THB  CURTOMS — LBTTBB  TO  THB  DEAD,  AND  TUB  POBXOBIPT — EXECU- 
TION AT  AQBOllB— THE  BLOOD-DBINKBB. 


Befobb  proceeding  to  the  dread  "  customs  "  of  Daliome,  we  must  give  a  brief  notice  of 
a  remarkable  point  in  the  Dahoman  statecraft.  Like  Japan,  Dahome  has  two  kings,  but, 
instead  of  being  temporal  and  spiritual  as  in  Japan,  they  are  City  king  and  Bush  king, 
each  having  his  throne,  his  state,  his  court,  his  army,  his  officers,  and  his  customs.  When 
Captain  Burton  visited  Dahome,  the  City  king  was  Gelele,  son  of  Gezo,  and  the  Bush 
king  was  Addo-kpore. 

The  Bosh  king  is  set  over  all  the  farmers,  and  regiilates  tillage  and  commerce ;  while 
the  City  king  rules  the  cities,  makes  war,  and  manages  the  slave  trade.  Consequently, 
the  latter  is  so  much  broiight  into  contact  with  the  traders  that  the  former  is  scarcely  ever 
seen  except  by  those  who  visit  the  country  for  the  express  purpose.  He  has  a  palace 
at  a  place  about  six  miles  from  the  capital,  but  the  building  was  only  made  of  poles  and 
matting  when  Captain  Burton  visited  it,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  made  of  stronger  materials, 
as  it  was  not  to  be  built  of  "  swish  "  until  Abeokuta  was  taken. 

"We  will  now  proceed  to  describe,  as  briefly  as  is  consistent  with  truth,  the  customs  of 
both  kings,  our  authorities  being  restricted  to  two,  Mr.  Duncan  and  Captain  Burton,  the 
latter  having  made  many  important  corrections  in  the  statements  of  the  former  and  of 
other  travellers.    The  pr^ent  tense  will  therefore  be  used  throughout  the  description. 

Gelele  is  a  fine-looking  man,  with  a  right  royal  aspect.  He  is  more  than  six  feet  in 
height,  thin,  broad-shouldered,  active,  and  powerful.  His  hair  is  nearly  all  shaven  except 
two  cockade-like  tufts,  which  are  used  as  attachments  lor  beads  and  other  trinkets  of 
brass  and  silver.  Contrary  to  the  usual  form,  he  has  a  firm  and  well-pronounced  chin, 
and  a  tolerably  good  forehead,  and,  in  spite  of  his  cruel  and  bloodthirsty  nature,  has  a 
very  agreeable  smile.  He  wears  his  nails  very  long,  and  is  said,  though  the  statement  is 
very  doubtful,  that  he  keeps  under  his  talon-like  nails  a  powerful  poison,  which  he  slily 
infuses  in  the  drink  of  any  of  his  Caboceers  who  happen  to  offend  him.  His  face  is 
much  pitted  with  the  small-pox,  and  he  wears  the  mark  of  his  race,  namely  three  perpen- 
dicular scars  on  the  forehead  just  above  the  nose.  This  is  the  last  remnant  of  a  very 
painful  mode  of  tatooing,  whereby  the  cheeks  were  literally  carved,  and  the  flaps  of  flesb 
turned  up  and  forced  to  heal  iii  that  position. 


COURT  ETIQUETTE. 


643 


He  is  not  nearly  so  black  a;*  his  father,  his  skin  approaching  the  copper  colour,  and  it 
is  likely  that  his  uiutlter  was  either  a  slave-girl  from  the  noilhem  Makhi,  or  a  mulatto 
girl  from  Whydah. 

On  ordinary  occasions  he  dresses  very  simply,  his  body-cloth  being  of  white  stuff 
edged  with  green,  and  his  short  drawers  of  purple  silk.  He  wears  but  few  ornaments,  the 
live  or  six  irou  bracelets  which  encircle  his  arms  being  Used  more  as  defensive  armour 
than  as  jewellery. 

Still,  although  dressed  in  a  far  simpler  style  than  any  of  his  Caboceers,  he  is  very 
punctilious  with  regard  to  etiquette,  and  preserves  the  smallest  tn  ditions  with  a  minute 
rigidity  worthy  of  the  court  of  Louis  XI V.  Although  he  may  be  sitting  on  a  mere  earthen 
bench,  and  smoking  a  clumsy  and  very  plain  pipe,  all  his  court  wait  upon  him  with  a 
reverence  that  seems  to  regard  him  as  a  demi-god  rather  than  a  man.  Should  the  heat, 
from  which  he  is  sheltered  as  much  as  possible  by  the  royal  umbrella,  produce  a  few 
drops  on  his  brow,  they  are  delicately  wiped  off  by  one  of  his  wives  with  a  fine  cloth ;  if 
the  tobacco  prove  rather  too  potent,  a  brass  or  even  a  gold  spittoon  is  placed  before  the 
royal  lips.  If  he  sneezes,  the  whole  assembled  company  burst  into  a  shout  of  benedictions. 
The  chief  ceremony  takes  place  when  he  drinks.  As  soon  as  he  raises  a  cup  to  his  lips, 
tvo  of  his  wives  spread  a  white  cloth  in  front  of  him,  while  others  hold  a  number  of 
gaudy  umbrellas  so  as  to  shield  him  from  view.  Every  one  who  has  a  gun  fires  it,  those 
vho  have  bells  beat  them,  rattles  are  shaken,  and  all  the  courtiers  bend  to  the  ground, 
clapping  their  hands.  As  to  the  commoners,  they  turn  their  backs  if  sitting,  if  standing 
they  dance  like  bears,  paddling  witli  their  hands  as  if  they  were  paws,  bawling 
"  Poo-oo-oo"  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 

If  a  message  is  sent  from  him,  it  is  done  in  a  most  circuitous  manner.  He  firet  delivers 
the  message  to  the  Dakro,  a  woman  attached  to  the  coui-t.  She  takes  it  to  the  Meu,  and 
the  Meu  passes  it  on  to  the  Mingan,  and  the  Mingan  delivers  it  to  the  intended  recipient. 
When  the  message  is  sent  to  the  king,  the  order  is  reversed,  and,  as  each  officer  has  to 
speak  to  a  superior,  a  salutation  is  used  neatly  |>raduated  according  to  rank.  'When  the 
message  at  last  reaches  the  Dakro,  she  goes  down  on  all-fours,  and  whispers  the  message 
into  the  royal  ears.  So  tenacious  of  trifies  is  the  native  memoiy,  that  the  message  will 
travel  through  this  circuitous  route  without  the  loss  or  transposition  of  a  word. 

When  any  one,  no  matter  what  may  be  his  rank,  presents  himself  before  the  king,  he 
goes  through  a  ceremony  called  "  Itte  d'ai,"  or  lying  on  the  ground.  He  prostrates  himself 
flat  on  his  face,  and  with  his  hands  shovels  the  dust  all  over  his  person.  He  also  kisses 
the  ground,  and  takes  care  when  he  rises  to  have  as  much  dust  as  possible  on  his  huge 
lips.  Face,  hands,  limbs,  and  clothes;  are  equally  covered  with  dust,  the  amount  of 
reverence  being  measured  by  the  amount  of  dust  No  one  approaches  the  king  erect : 
he  must  crawl  on  all-fours,  shutHe  on  his  knees,  or  wriggle  along  like  a  snake. 

Wherever  Gelele  holds  his  court,  there  are  placed  before  him  three  large  calabashes, 
each  containing  the  skull  of  a  powerful  chief  whom  he  had  slain.  The  exhibition  of  these 
skulls  is  considered  as  mark  of  honour  to  their  late  owners,  and  not,  as  has  been  supposed, 
a  sign  of  mockery  or  disgrace.  One  is  bleached  and  polished  like  ivory,  and  is  mounted 
on  a  small  ship  made  of  brass.  The  reason  for  this  curious  arrangement  is,  that  when  Gezo 
died,  the  chief  sent  a  mocking  message  to  Gelele,  saying  that  the  sea  had  dried  up,  and 
men  had  seen  the  end  of  Dahome.  Gelele  retaliated  by  invading  his  territory,  killing 
him,  and  mounting  his  skull  on  a  ship,  as  a  token  that  there  was  plenty  of  water  left  to 
float,  the  vessel. 

The  second  skull  is  mounted  with  brass  so  as  to  form  a  drinking-cup.  This  was  done 
because  the  owner  had  behaved  treacherously  to  Gelele  instead  of  assisting  him.  In 
token,  therefore,  thai  he  ought  to  have  "  given  water  to  a  friend  in  affliction  " — the  meta- 
phorical mode  of  expressing  sympathy — Gelele  and  his  courtiers  now  drink  water  out  of 
his  skull.  The  third  was  the  skull  of  a  chief  who  had  partaken  of  this  treachery,  and 
his  skull  was  accordingly  mounted  with  brass  fittings  which  represented  the  common 
country  trap,  in  order  to  show  that  he  had  set  a  trap,  and  fallen  into  it  himself  All  these 
skulls  were  without  the  lower  jaw,  that  being  the  most  coveted  ornament  for  umbrellas 
aad  sword-handles.    Sad  to  say,  with  the  usual  negro  disregard  of  inflicting  pain,  the 

TT  2 


tisia 


-I 


I 


614 


DAHOME 


a  i 


captor  tears  the  jaw  away  while  the  victim  is  still  alive,  cutting  through  both  cheeks 
with  one  hand  and  tearing  away  the  jaw  with  the  othor. 

Tiie  same  minute  and  grotesque  etiquette  accompanies  the  king  as  he  profi  eds  to 
Aqhome,  the  real  capital,  to  celebrate  the  So-Sin  Custom,  and  it  is  impossible  to  it  ad  the 
aucouuts  of  the  whole  proceeding  without  being  struck  v  th  the  ingenuity  bv  wliich  the 

negro  hus  pn-sHed  into  the 
service  of  barbarism  everything 
European  tliat  he  can  lay  his 
hands  upon,  while  he  has  in- 
variably itianogod  thereby  to 
make  the  rites  ludicrous  instead 
of  imposing. 

First  came  a  long  line  of 
chiefs,  distinguished  by  their 
flags  and  umbrellas,  and  after 
marching  once  round  the  lai^e 
space  or  square,  they  crossed  over 
and  formed  a  line  of  umbrellas 
opposite  the  gateway.  Then 
came  the  royal  procession  itself, 
headed  by  skirmishers  and  led 
by  a  man  carrying  one  of  the 
skull-topped  banners.  After 
these  came  some  five  himdred 
muHk(!tcers,  and  behind  them 
marched  two  men  carrying  large 
leutliorn  shicldn  painted  white, 
and  (iccorated  with  a  pottera  in 
black.  These  are  highly  valued, 
08  remnants  of  the  old  times 
when  shields  were  used  in  var- 
fnre,  and  were  accompanied  by  a 
guard  of  tall  negroes,  wearing 
brass  helmets  and  black  horse- 
tails. 

Next  cnme  the  Kafo,  or 

.  emblem  of  royalty,  namely  an 

iron  fetish-stick  enclosed  in  a 

white  linen  case,  topped  with 

a  white  plume;  and  after  the 

kafo  came    the    king,  riding 

under  the  shade  of  four  white 

imbrellas,  and  further  sheltei-ed  from  the  sun  by  three  parasols,  yellow,  purple,  and 

biueish-red.     These  were  waved  over  him  so  as  to  act  as  fans. 

After  the  king  was  borne  the  great  fetiah-axe,  followed  by  the  "  band,"  a  noisy 
assemblage  of  performers  on  drums,  rattles,  trumpets,  cymbals,  and  similar  instruments. 
Lastly  came  a  crowd  of  slaves  laden  with  chairs,  baskets  of  cowries,  bottles,  and  similar 
articles,  the  rear  being  brought  up  by  a  pair  of  white  and  blue  umbrellas  and  a  tattered  flag. 
Six  times  the  king  was  carried  round  the  space,  during  two  of  the  circuits  boing 
dmwn  in  a  nondescript  wheeled  vehicle,  and  on  the  third  circuit  being  carried,  carriage  ujd 
all,  on  the  shoulders  of  his  attendants.  The  fourth  and  fifth  circuits  were  made  in  a 
Bath  chair,  and  the  i^ixth  in  the  same  vehicle  carried  as  before.  The  king  then  withdrew 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  space,  and  the  Amazons  made  their  appearance,  dashing  into 
the  space  in  three  companies,  followed  by  the  Fanti  companies  already  described. 
These  young  women  showed  their  agility  in  dancing,  and  were  followed  by  a  calabash 
adorned  with  skulls  and  a  number  of  fiags,  escorted  by  twelve  Razor-women. 


IVORY  XnUMPKTfl 

(From  Colonel  Lane  Fiix'a  i  ullection.) 
rlglit  hand  trumpet  has  a  cnicitled  figure  on  it 


THE  FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  CUSTOMS. 


64» 


through  both  cheeks 


■  barbariBin  everything 

I  that  he  can  luy  his 
3on,  while  he  has  in< 

ihanoRod  thereby  to 
rites  ludicrous  instead 
ing. 

came  a  Ions  line  of 
istinguislied  by  their 
i  umbrellas,  and  after 
[  once  round  the  large 
quare,  they  crossed  over 
ed  a  line  of  umbrellas 
the  gateway.  Then 
royal  procession  itself, 
ly  skirmishers  and  led 

II  carrying  one  of  the 
>ped  banners.  After 
me  some  five  himdred 
f:rs,  and  behind  them 
two  men  carrying  large 
shields  painted  white, 
rated  with  a  pattern  in 
hese  are  highly  valued, 
ants  of  the  old  times 
elds  were  used  in  war- 
were  accompanied  by  a 

tall  negroes,  wearing 
mcts  and  black  horse- 
come  the  Kafo,  or 
of  royalty,  namely  an 
ih-stick  enclosed  in  a 
len  case,  topped  with 
plume ;  and  after  the 
no  the  king,  riding 
e  shado  of  four  white 
yellow,  purple,  and 

the  "  band,"  a  noisy 
d  similar  instruments. 
IS,  bottles,  and  similar 
lias  and  a  tattered  flag. 
of  the  circuits  boing 
ig  carried,  carriage  u.id 
3uits  were  made  in  a 
16  king  then  withdrew 
)earance,  dashing  into 
es  already  described. 
lUowed  by  a  calabash 
jr-women. 


By  this  time  the  king  had  transferred  himself  to  a  hammock  of  yellow  silk,  susp^'nded 
{torn  a  black  pole  ornamented  with  silver  sharks — this  fish  being  a  royal  emblem—  and 
tipped  with  bruss  at  each  end.  Twelve  women  carried  the  hammock,  and  others  shaded 
ina  fanned  him  as  before.  These  preliminaries  being  completed,  all  leiired  to  rest  until 
the  following  day,  which  was  to  be  the  first  of  the  So-Sin  or  Horse-tie  Customs. 


:•! 


TU£  KING'S  DANUfi. 


The  first  object  that  strikes  the  eye  of  the  observer  is  a  large  shed  about  one  hundred 
feet  long,  forty  wide,  and  sixty  high,  having  at  one  end  a  double-storeyed  turret,  and  the 
whole  being  covered  with  a  red  cloth.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are  treating  there  sat 
in  the  shed  twenty  of  the  victims  to  be  sacrificed.  They  were  all  seated  on  stools,  and 
bound  tightly  to  the  posts  by  numerous  cords.  No  unnecessary  pain  was  inflicted :  they 
were  fed  four  times  in  the  day,  were  loosened  at  night  for  sleeping,  and  were  furnished 
with  attendants  who  kept  off  the  flies.  They  were  dressed  in  a  sort  of  San  Benito 
costume,  namely  a,  white  calico  shirt,  bound  with  red  ribbon,  and  having  a  crimson  patch 
on  the  left  breasi  On  the  head  was  a  tall  pointed  white  cap,  with  blue  ribbon  wound 
spirally  round  it.  In  spite  of  their  impending  fate,  the  victims  did  not  seem  to  be 
unhappy,  and  looked  upon  the  scene  with  manifest  curiosity. 

Next  came  the  rite  from  which  the  ceremony  takes  its  name.  The  chief  of  the  horse 
came  up  with  a  number  of  followers,  and  took  away  all  horses  from  their  owners,  and 
tied  them  to  the  shed,  whence  they  could  only  be  released  by  the  payment  of  cowries. 

Another  shed  was  built  especially  for  the  king,  and  contained  about  the  same  number 
of  victims.  Presently  Gelele  came,  and  proceeded  to  his  own  shed,  where  he  took  his 
scat,  close  to  the  spot  on  which  was  pitched  a  little  tent  containing  the  relics  of  the  oli* 


^^^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


IM 


■a  lU  12.2 

■J  m  ■■ 

£  m   12.0 


us  I 


IL25  in  1.4 


^^   >; 


^^k'^ 


7 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STMIsT 

WnSTM.N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  t72-4S03 


^ 


<v 


\ 


646 


BAHOM^ 


.A'  , 
If-' 


king,  and  supposed  to  be  temporarily  inhabited  by  his  ghost.  After  some  unimportant 
ceremonies,  Gelele  made  an  address,  stating  that  his  ancestors  had  only  bnilt  rough  and 
rude  So-Sin  sheds,  but  that  Gezo  had  improved  upon  them  when  "  making  customs"  for 
his  predecessor.  But  he,  Gelele,  meant  to  follow  his  father^s  example,  and  to  do  for  his 
father  what  he  hoped  his  son  would  do  for  him.  This  discourse  was  accompanied  by 
himself  on  the  drum,  and  after  it  was  over,  he  displayed  his  activity  in  dancing,  assisted 
by  his  favourite  wives  and  a  professional  jester.  Leaning  on  a  staff  decorated  with  a 
human  skull,  he  then  turned  towards  the  little  tent,  and  adored  in  impressive  silence 
his  father's  ghost. 

The  next  business  was  to  distribute  decorations  and  confer  rank,  the  most  prominent 
example  being  a  man  who  was  raised  from  a  simple  captain  to  be  a  Caboceer,  uie  newly- 
created  noble  floundering  on  the  ground,  and  covering  himself  and  all  his  new  clothes 
with  dust  as  a  mark  of  gratitude.  More  dancijg  and  drumming  then  went  on  until  the 
night  closed  in,  and  the  first  day  was  ended. 

The  second  day  exhibited  nothing  very  worthy  of  notice  except  the  rite  which  gives 
it  the  name  of  Cloth-changing  Day.  The  king  has  a  piece  of  patchwork,  about  six 
hundred  yards  long  by  ten  wide,  which  is  called  the  "  Nun-ce-pace-to,"  i.e.  the  Able-to-do- 
anything  cloth.  This  is  to  be  worn  by  the  king  as  a  robe  as  soon  as  he  has  taken 
Abeokuta,  and,  to  all  appearances,  he  will  have  to  wait  a  very  long  time  before  he  wears 
it.  It  is  unrolled,  and  held  up  before  the  king,  who  walked  along  its  whole  length  on 
both  sides,  amid  the  acclamations  of  his  people,  and  then  passed  to  his  shed,  where  he  was 
to  go  through  the  cloth-changing.  This  rite  consisted  in  changing  his  dress  several  times 
before  the  people,  and  dancing  in  each  new  dress,  finishing  with  a  fetish  war-dress,  ie.  a 
short  under-robe,  and  a  dark  blue  cloth  studded  with  charms  and  amulets,  stained  with 
blood,  and  edged  with  cowries. 

The  third  day  of  the  customs  exhibited  but  little  of  interest,  being  merely  the  usual 
processions  and  speeches,  repeated  over  and  over  again  to  a  wearisome  length.  The  most 
notable  feature  is  the  cowrie-scrambling.  The  king  throws  strings  of  cowries  among  the 
people,  who  fight  for  them  on  perfectly  equal  terms,  the  lowest  peasant  and  the  highest 
noble  thinking  themselves  equally  bound  to  join  in  the  scramble. 

Weapons  are  not  used,  but  it  is  considered  quite  legitimate  to  gouge  out  eyes  or  bite 
out  pieces  of  limbs,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  scramble  that  does  not  end  in  maiming  for  life, 
while  on  some  occasions  one  or  two  luckless  individuals  are  left  dead  on  the  ground. 
No  notice  is  taken  of  them,  as  they  are,  by  a  pleasant  fiction  of  law,  supposed  to  have 
died  an  honourable  death  in  defence  of  their  king. 

Lastly  there  came  a  procession  of  hunchba^s,  who,  as  Captain  Burton  tells  us,  are 
common  in  Western  Africa,  and  are  assembled  in  troops  of  both  sexes  at  the  palac&  The 
chief  of  them  wielded  a  fonnidable  whip,  and,  having  arms  of  great  length  and  muscular 
power,  easily  cut  a  way  for  his  followers  through  the  dense  crowd.  Seven  potent  fetishes 
were  carried  on  the  heads  of  the  principal  hunchbacks.  They  were  very  strong  fetishes 
indeed,  being  in  the  habit  of  walking  about  after  nightfall. 

They  are  described  as  follows : — "  The  first  was  a  blue  dwarf,  in  a  grey  paque,  with  hat 
on  head.  The  second,  a  blue  woman  with  protuberant  breast  The  third,  a  red  dwarf  with 
white  eyes,  clad  eap-d-pie  in  red  and  browa  The  fourth  was  a  small  black  mother  and 
child  in  a  blue  loin-cloth,  with  a  basket  or  calabash  on  the  former's  head.  The  fifth,  ditto, 
but  lesser.  The  sixth  was  a  pigmy  baboon-like  thing,  with  a  red  face  under  a  black  skull- 
cap, a  war-club  in  the  right  hand  and  a  gun  in  the  left ;  and  the  seventh  much  resembled 
the  latter,  but  was  lamp-black,  with  a  white  apron  behind.  They  were  carved  much  as 
the  face  cut  on  the  top  of  a  stick  by  the  country  bumpkins  in  England." 

The  king  next  paid  a  visit  to  the  victims,  and  entered  into  conversation  with  some  of 
them,  and  presented  twenty  "  heads  "  of  cowries  to  them.  At  Captain  Burton's  request 
that  he  would  show  mercy,  he  had  nearly  half  of  them  untied,  placed  on  their  hands  and 
knees  in  front  of  him,  and  then  dismissed  them. 

The  fourth  day  of  the  customs  is  traditionally  called  the  Horse-losing  Day,  from  a 
ceremony  which  has  now  been  abolished,  although  the  name  is  retained.  More  dances, 
more  processions,  and  more  boastings  that  Abeokuta  should  be  destroyed,  and  that  the 


THE  EVIL  NIGHT. 


W 


grave  of  Oelele's  father  should  be  well  furnished  with  Eaba  skulls.  The  lune  little 
fetishes  already  mentioned  were  again  produced,  and  were  followed  by  a  ouricus  ptuhde-BnU 
performed  by  a  "  So."  The  So  is  an  imitation  demon,  "  a  bull-faoe  mask  of  natural  size^ 
painted  black,  with  glaring  eyes  and  peep-holes.  The  horns  were  hung  with  red  and 
vbite  rag-strira,  And  beneath  was  a  dress  of  bamboo  fibre  covering  the  net,  and  fringed 
at  the  ends.  It  danced  with  head  on  one  side,  and  swayed  itwuf  about  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  people." 

The  whole  of  the  proceedings  were  terminated  by  a  long  procession  of  slaves,  bearing 
in  their  hands  baskets  of  cownes.  "  It  was  the  usual  ADrican  inoOniiequence— 100,000 
to  carry  20/." 

The  evening  of  the  fourth  day  is  the  dreaded  Evil  Night,  on  ^hich  the  king  walks  in 
solemn  procession  to  the  market-place,  where  the  chief  executioner  with  his  own  hand 
puts  to  death  those  victims  who  have  been  reserved.  The  precise  nature  of  the  pro- 
ceedings is  not  known,  as  none  are  allowed  to  leave  their  houses  except  the  king  and  hili 
retinue ;  and  any  one  who  is  foolish  enough  to  break  this  law  is  canried  off  at  once  to 
swell  the  list  of  victims.  It  is  said  that  the  king  speaks  to  the  men,  chai^ging  them  with 
messages  to  his  dead  father,  telling  him  that  his  memory  is  revered,  and  that  a  number  of 
new  attendants  have  been  sent  to  him,  and  with  his  own  band  striking  the  first  blow,  the 
others  being  slain  by  the  regular  executioner. 

The  bodies  of  the  executed  were  now  set  upon  a  pole,  or  hung  up  by  their  heels,  and 
exhibited  to  the  populace,  much  as  used  to  be  done  in  EngUuaC  when  a  thief  was  first 
executed,  and  then  hung  in  chains. 

The  number  of  these  victims  has  been  much  exaggerated.  In  the  annual  customs,  the 
number  appears  to  be  between  sixty  and  eighty.  Some  thirty  of  these  victims  are  men, 
and  suffer  by  the  hand  of  the  chief  executioner  or  his  assistants ;  but  it  is  well  known 
that  many  women  are  also  put  to  death  within  the  palace  wallS;  the  bloodthirsty  Amazons 
being  the  executionera 

The  mode  of  execution  is  rather  remarkable.  Ailer  the  king  has  spoken  to  the  victims, 
and  dictated  his  messages,  the  executioners  fall  upon  them  and  beat  them  to  death  with 
their  official  maces.  These  instruments  are  merely  wooden  clubs,  armed  on  one  side  of 
the  head  with  iron  knobs.  Some,  however,  say  that  the  victims  are  beheaded ;  and  it  ia 
very  likely  that  both  modes  are  employed. 

As  to  the  stories  that  have  been  so  frequently  told  of  the  many  thousand  human 
victims  that  are  annually  slain,  and  of  the  canoe  which  is  paddled  by  the  king  in  a 
trench  filled  with  human  blood,  they  are  nothing  more  than  exaagerations  invented  by 
traders  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  Englishmen  out  of  the  country.  Even  in 
the  Grand  Customs  which  follow  the  decease  of  a  king  the  number  of  victims  is  haxeiy 
five  hundred. 

We  may  naturally  ask  ourselves  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  customs,  or  So-Sin. 
This  ceremony  is  the  accepted  mode  of  doing  honour  to  the  late  king,  by  sending  to  him 
a  number  of  attendants  befitting  his  rank.  Immediately  after  his  burial,  at  the  Grand 
Customs,  some  five  hundred  attendants,  both  male  and  female,  are  despatched  to  the 
dead  king,  and  ever  afterwards  his  train  is  swelled  by  those  who  are  slain  at  the  regular 
annual  customs. 

Besides  the  customs  there  is  scarcely  a  day  when  executions  of  a  similar  character 
do  not  take  place.  Whatever  the  king  does  must  be  reported  to  his  father  bv  a  man, 
who  is  first  charged  with  the  message  and  then  killed,  No  mattw  how  trivial  the 
occasion  may  be — if  a  white  man  visits  him,  if  he  has  a  new  drum  made,  or  even  if  he 
moves  from  one  house  to  another — a  messenger  is  sent  to  tell  his  father,  .^d  if  after  the 
execution  the  king  should  find  that  he  has  forgotten  something,  away  goes  another 
messenger,  like  the  postscript  of  a  letter. 

All  this  terrible  destruction  of  human  life,  which  is  estimated  by  Burton  as  averaging 
five  hundred  per  annum  in  ordinary  years,  and  a  thousand  in  the  Grand  Customs  year,  is 
bad  enough,  but  not  so  bad  as  it  has  been  painted.  The  victims  are  not  simple  subjects 
of  the  king  selected  for  the  sacrifice  of  bloodthirsty  caprice,  as  has  been  generally 
supposed.    They  are  either  criminals  or  prisoners  of  war,  and,  instead  of  being  executed 


fV; 


w 


BAHOMR 


on  tiie  spot,  are  reserved  for  the  castoms,  and  are  treated  as  well  as  is  consistent  with 
fheir  safe  custody. 

Indeed,  considering  the  object  for  which  th^  are  reserved,  it  would  be  bad  policy 
for  the  Dahoman  king  to  behave  cruelly  towards  his  victims.  They  are  intended  as 
messengers  to  his  father,  about  whom  they  are  ever  afterwards  supuosed  to  wait,  and  it 
would  be  extremely  impolitic  in  the  present  king  to  send  to  his  father  a  messenger  who 
was  ill-disposed  towards  himself,  and  who  mighl^  therefore,  garble  his  message,  or  deliver 
an  evil  roport  to  the  dead  sovereign. 

As  a  rule,  the  victims  in  question  are  quite  cheerful  and  contented,  and  about  as 
unlike  oxa  ideas  of  doomed  men  as  can  weU  be  imaged. 

In  the  first  place,  they  are  constitutionally  indifferent  to  human  life,  their  own  lives 
with  those  of  others  being  equally  undervalued ;  and  as  they  know  that  their  lives  are 
forfeit^  they  accept  the  position  without  useless  murmurs.  Not  is  the  mode  of  death 
so  painful  as  seems  at  first  sight  to  be  the  case,  for  the  king,  actuated  by  that  feeling  of 
pity  which  caused  the  Romans  to  stupefy  with  a  soporific  draught  the  senses  of  those 
who  were  condenmed  to  the  cross,  mostly  administers  to  the  victims  a  botUe  or  so  of 
rum  about  an  hour  before  the  execution,  so  that  they  are  for  the  most  part  insensible 
when  killed. 

This  humane  alleviation  of  their  sufferings  is,  however,  restncted  to  those  who  die  at 
the  customs,  and  is  not  extended  to  those  who  perish  by  the  hands  of  the  executioner  as 
messengers  to  the  deceased  king. 

How  these  executions  are  conducted  may  be  seen  by  the  following  account  of  a  scene 
at  Dahome  by  Mr.  Duncan : — 

"The  ceremonies  of  this  day  were  nearly  a  repetition  of  those  of  yesterday,  till  the 
time  arrived  (an  hour  before  sunset)  when  the  four  traitors  were  brought  into  the  square 
for  execution.  They  marched  through  the  mob  assembled  round  apparently  as  little 
concerned  as  the  spectators,  who  seemed  more  cheerful  than  before  the  prisoners  made 
their  appearance,  as  if  they  were  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  a  change  of  performance. 
The  prisoners  were  marched  close  past  me  in  slow  time ;  consequently  I  had  a  good 
opportunity  of  minutely  observing  them,  particularly  as  every  person  remained  on  his 
knees,  with  the  exception  of  mysdf  and  the  guard  who  accompanied  the  prisoners. 

"  They  were  all  young  men,  of  the  middle  size,  and  appeared  to  be  of  one  family,  or 
at  least  of  the  same  tribe  of  Makees,  who  are  much  better-looking  than  the  people  of 
the  coast  Each  man  was  gagged  with  a  short  piece  of  wood,  with  a  small  strip  of  white 
cotton  tied  round  each  end  of  the  stick,  and  passed  round  the  pole.  This  was  to  pi-event 
them  from  speaking.    They  were  arranged  in  line,  kneeling  berore  the  king. 

"  The  head  gang-gang  man  then  gave  four  beats  on  the  gong,  as  one — two,  and  one— two ; 
the  upper  part  of  the  gang-gang  being  smaller  than  the  lower,  and  thus  rendering  the 
sounds  different,  similar  to  our  public  clocks  in  England  when  striking  the  quarters. 

"  After  the  four  beats  the  gang-man  addressed  the  culprits  upon  the  enormity  of  their 
crime  and  the  justice  of  their  sentence.  During  this  lengthened  harangue  the  gang-gang 
was  struck  at  short  intervals,  which  gave  a  sort  of  avrful  solemnity  to  the  scene.  After 
this,  the  men  were  suddenly  marched  sottie  distance  back  from  his  majesty,  who  on  this 
occasion  refused  to  witness  the  execution.  The  men  were  then  ordered  to  kneel  in  line 
about  nine  feet  apart,  their  hands  being  tied  in  ^^nt  of  the  body,  and  the  elbows  held 
behind  by  two  men,  the  body  of  the  culprit  be*-'        forward. 

"  Poor  old  Mayho,  who  is  an  excellent  man,  t  the  proper  executioner.  He  held  the 
knife  or  bill-hook  to  me,  but  I  again  declined  the  honour;  when  the  old  man,  at  one 
blow  on  the  back  of  the  neck,  divided  the  head  fh)m  the  body  of  the  firat  culprit,  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  portion  of  the  skin,  which  was  separated  by  passing  the  knife 
nndemeath.  Unfortunately  the  second  man  was  dreafully  mangled,  for  the  poor  fellow 
at  the  moment  the  blow  was  struck  having  raised  his  head,  the  luiife  struck  in  a  slanting 
direction,  and  only  made  a  large  wound ;  the  next  blow  caught  him  on  the  back  of  the 
head,  when  the  brain  protruded.  The  poor  fellow  struggled  violenUy.  The  third  stroke 
caught  him  across  the  shoulders,  inflicting  a  dreadful  gash.  The  next  caught  him  on 
the  neck,  which  was  twice  repeated.    The  officer  steadying  the  criming  now  lost  his  hold 


ount  of  a  scene 


THE  BLOOD-DRINKER 


649 


on  account  oi  the  blood  which  rushed  from  the  blood-vessels  on  all  who  were  near.  Poor 
old  Mayho,  now  ^uite  palsied,  took  hold  of  the  head,  and  after  twisting  it  several  times 
iound»  separated  it  from  the  still  convulsed  and  struggling  trunk.  During  the  latter  part 
of  this  disgusting  execution  the  head  presented  an  awful  spectacle,  the  distortion  of  the 
features,  and  the  eyeballs  completely  upturned,  giving  it  a  horrid  appearance. 

"The  next  man,  poor  fellow,  with  his  eyes  partially  shut  and  head  drooping  forward 
near  to  the  ground,  remained  all  this  time  in  suspense ;  casting  a  partial  glance  on  the  head 
which  was  now  close  to  him,  and  the  trunk  dragged  close  past  him,  the  blood  still  rush- 
ing from  it  like  a  fountain.  Mayho  refused  to  make  another  attempt,  and  another  man 
acted  in  his  stead,  and  with  one  blow  separated  the  spinal  bones,  but  did  not  entirely 
separate  the  head  from  the  body.  This  was  finished  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first. . 
However,  the  fourth  culprit  was  not  so  fortunate,  his  head  not  being  separated  till  after 
three  strokes.  The  body  afterwards  rolled  over  several  times,  when  the  blood  spurted 
over  my  face  and  clothes. 

"  The  most  disgusting  part  of  this  abominable  and  disgusting  execution  was  that  of  an 
ill-looking  wretch,  who,  uke  the  numerous  vultures,  stood  with  a  small  calabash  in  his 
hand,  ready  to  catch  the  blood  ftom  each  individual,  which  he  greedily  devoured  before  it 
had  escaped  one  minute  from  the  veins.  The  old  wretch  had  the  impudence  to  put  snme 
ram  in  the  blood  and  ask  me  to  drink :  at  that  moment  I  could  with  good  heart  have  sent 
a  bullet  through  his  head. 

"Before  execution  the  victim  is  furnished  with  a  clean  white  cloth  to  tie  round  the 
loins.  After  decapitation  the  body  is  immediately  dragged  off  by  the  heels  to  a  large  pit 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  town,  and  thrown  therein,  and  is  immediately  devoured 
by  wolves  and  vultures,  which  are  here  so  ravenous  that  they  will  almost  take  your 
victuals  from  you." 

Oaptain  Burton  says  that  he  never  saw  this  repulsive  part  of  the  sacrificial  ceremony, 
and  states  that  there  is  only  one  approach  to  cannibalism  in  Dahome.  This  is  in 
connexion  with  the  worship  of  the  thunder-god,  and  is  described  on  page  655. 


8TB1N0  OF  C0WRIE& 


Vm 


',.''V 


i  ./': 


m 


■m 


OHAPTEE  LVIL 


DAKOME-Concluded. 


OKAMD  omnroia  or  dahokb — cslvbbatkd  omos  in  a  ltfxtiir — "m  jom  nxntanr** — thi 

BASKKT  aAOBmcn — OBI.BLK'8  TOWRB— TUK  FIBB  TBLEQBAPH  and  m  DBTAILB — LAST  DAT  OF 
THB  OTOTOm — THB  TIBBD  OBATOB8 — A  UBNBBAI.  SMASH— CONOLUBIOIT  OF  THB  OBBBMOmr — 
DAHOMAir  XABBIAOB8 — THB  BELIOION  OF  0AHOUB— POLTTHBUM,  AND  DIFFBBBNT  BANKS  OF 
THB  DBITIBS — ^WOBSHIP  OF  THB  TUUNDBB-OOD — CBBEHONY  OF  HBAD-VOBSHIP — THB  FBIXBTS 
OB  FBTI8HBB8 — THB  FBMAI.B  FBTI8HRB8 — IDBA8  OF  THE  SPIRITVAL  VOBtD — INQVK8T  AFTEB 
DBATH— BUBIAL — ^THB  DEATH  OF  ▲  KINO — THB  WATBB-SPBIMKLIMa  CUSTOM^— CAPTAIN  BUBTON'B 
SUMMABT  OF  THB  DAHOMAN  CHAAACTBB. 


We  now  pass  to  the  Grand  Customs  of  Bahome,  which  only  take  place  once  in  jetmonarch's 
lifetime.  This  fearful  ceremony,  or  rather  series  of  ceremonies,  is  performed  in  honour  of 
a  deceased  king,  and  the  duty  of  carrying  it  out  devolves  upon  his  successor.  Each  king 
tries  to  outvie  his  predecessor  by  sacrificing  a  greater  number  of  victims,  or  by  inventing 
some  new  mode  of  performing  the  sacrifice.  In  consequence  of  this  habit  the  mode  of 
conducting  the  Grand  Custom  is  so  exceedingly  variable  that  a  full  description  would 
entail  a  narmtion  of  the  custom  as  performed  by  each  successive  king. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  victims  are  carefully  saved  for  the  purpose,  Custom 
Day  being  the  only  general  execution-time  in  the  year ;  and  in  consequence,  if  a  new  king 
finds  that  he  has  not  a  sufficient  number  of  victims  to  do  honour  to  his  father's  memory, 
and  at  least  to  equal  those  whom  his  tiEither  sacrificed'when  he  came  to  the  throne,  he 
must  wait  until  the  required  number  can  be  made  u^. 

The  usual  method  of  doing  so  is  to  go  to  war  with  some  tribe  with  whom  there  is  a 
fend ;  and  tor  this  reason,  among  others,  both  Gezo  and  Gelele  made  a  series  of  attacks, 
Abeokuta  winning  at  first,  but  ^ing  afterwards  beaten  back,  as  has  been  narrated.  It  is 
chiefly  for  this  reason  that  the  Amazons  are  taught  to  rush  so  fiercely  over  the  formidable 
thorn-walls  by  which  the  towns  are  fortified,  and  the  prisoners  whom  they  take  are  mostly 
handed  over  to  the  king  to  be  kept  in  readiness  for  the  next  custom. 

On  the  great  day  of  the  Grand  Custom  the  king  appears  on  a  platform,  decorated, 
according  to  Dahoman  ideas  in  a  most  gorgeous  manner,  with  cloths  on  which  are  rudely 
painted  the  figures  of  various  animals.  Around  him  are  his  favourite  wives  and  his 
principal  officers,  each  of  the  latter  being  distinguished  by  his  great  umbrella  Below  is 
a  vast  and  surging  crowd  of  negroes  of  both  sexes,  wild  with  excit«ment  and  rum,  and 
rending  the  air  with  their  yells  of  welcome  to  their  sovereign.  In  recognition  of  their 
loyalty,  he  flings  among  them  "  heads "  of  cowries,  strings  of  beads,  rolls  of  cloth,  and 
similar  valuables,  for  which  they  fight  and  scramble  and  tear  each  other  like  so  many  wild 
beasts — and  indeed,  for  the  time,  they  are  as  fierce  and  as  ruthless  as  the  most  savage 
beasts  that  the  earth  holds. 

After  these  specimens  of  the  royal  favour  are  distributed,  the  cries  and  yells'  begin  to 
take  shape,  and  gradually  resolve  themselves  into  praises  of  the  king  and  appeals  to 


THE  BASKET  SACRIFICE. 


991 


bis  bounty.  *  We  aie  hnng^,  0  King,"  they  o«y.  "  Ffeed  ns,  0  King,  for  we  are  hnngiy  I  * 
and  this  ominous  demanais  repeatM  with  increasing  fdiy,  until  the  vast  crowd  have 
lashed  themselves  to  a  pitch  of  savage  fury,  which  nothing  but  blood  can  appease.  And 
blood  they  have  in  plenty.  The  victims  are  now  brought  forward,  each  being  gagged  in 
order  to  prevent  hmi  from  crying  out  to  the  king  for  mercy,  in  which  case  he  must  be 
immediately  released,  and  they  are  firmly  secured  by  being  lashed  inside  baskets,  so  that 
they  can  move  neither  head,  hand,  nor  foot  At  the  sight  of  the  victims  the  yells  of  the 
crowd  below  redouble,  and  the  air  is  rent  with  the  oiy, "  We  are  hungnr  1  Feed  us, 
0  King." 

Presently  the  deafening  yells  are  hushed  into  a  death-like  silence,  as  the  king  xises^ 
and  with  his  own  hand  or  foot  pushes  one  of  the  victims  off  the  platform  into  the  midst 
of  the  crowd  below.  The  helpless  wretch  falls  into  the  outstretohed  arms  of  the  eager 
crowd,  the  basket  is  rent  to  atoms  by  a  hundred  hands ;  and  in  a  shorter  time  than  it 
has  taken  to  write  this  sentence  the  man  has  been  torn  limb  from  limb,  while  around 
each  portion  of  the  still  quivering  body  a  mass  of  infuriat$d  negroes  are  fighting  like  so 
many  starved  dogs  over  a  bone 

Gelele,  following  the  habits  of  his  ancestors,  introduced  an  improvement  on  this 
practice,  and,  instead  of  merely  pushing  the  victims  off  the  platform,  built  a  circular 
tower  some  thirty  feet  in  length,  decorated  after  the  same  grotesque  manner  as  the 
platform,  and  ordered  that  the  victims  should  be  flung  from  the  top  Of  this  tower. 
Should  the  kingdom  of  Dahome  last  long  enough  for  Oelele  to  have  a  successor,  some 
new  variation  will  probably  be  introduced  into  the  Grand  Gustoma 

After  Gelele  had  finished  his  gift-throwing,  a  strange  procession  wound  its  way  to  the 
tower — ^the  procession  of  blood.  First  came  a  number  of  men,  eaoh  carrying  a  pole,  to 
the  end  of  which  was  tied  a  living  cock ;  and  after  them  marched  another  string  of  men, 
each  bearing  on  his  head  a  living  goat  tied  up  in  a  flexible  basket,  so  that  the  poor 
animals  could  not  move  a  limb.  Next  came  a  bull,  borne  by  a  number  of  negroes;  and 
lastly  came  the  human  victims,  each  tied  in  a  basket>  and  carried,  like  the  goats, 
horizontally  on  a  man's  head 

Three  men  now  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  received  the  victims  in  succes- 
sion, as  they  were  handed  up  to  them.  Just  below  the  tower  an  open  space  was  left,  in 
which  was  a  block  of  wood,  on  the  edge  of  a  hole,  attended  by  the  executioners.  The  fowls 
were  first  flung  from  the  top  of  the  tower,  still  attached  to  the  poles ;  aiid  it  seemed  to  be 
requisite  that  every  creature  which  was  then  sacrificed  should  be  tielUm  some  extra- 
ordinary manner.  As  ttoon  as  they  touched  the  ground,  they  were  seiised,  dragged  to  the 
block,  and  their  heads  chopped  off,  so  that  the  blood  might  be  poured  into  the  hola  The 
goats  were  thrown  down  after  the  fowls,  the  bull  after  the  goats,>and,  lastly,  the  unfor- 
tunate men  shared  the  same  fate.  The  mingled  blood  of  these  victims  was  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  hole,  whidh  was  left  uncovered  all  night,  the  blood-stained  block  standing 
beside  it. 

The  illustration  on  the  following  page  depicts  the  last  feature  of  this  terrible  scene.  On 
the  right  hand  is  the  king,  seated  under  his  royal  umbrella,  surmounted  with  a  leopai-d,  the 
emblem  of  royalty,  and  around  him  are  his  wives  and  great  men.  In  the  centre  rises 
the  cloth-covered  tower,  from  which  a  human  victim  has  just  been  buried,  while  another 
is  being  carried  to  his  fate.  Below  is  one  of  the  executioners  standing  by  the  block,  and 
clustering  in  front  of  the  tower  is  the  mob  of  infuriated  savages. 

Just  below  the  king  is  seen  the  band,  the  most  prominent  instrument  of  which  is  the 
great  drum  carried  on  a  man's  head,  and  beaten  by  the  drummer  who  stands  behind  him, 
and  one  of  the  king's  banners  is  displayed  behind  the  band,  and  guarded  by  a  body  of 
armed  Amazons.  In  front  are  sevend  of  the  fetish-men,  their  heads  adorned  with  the 
conical  cap,  their  bodies  fantastically  painted,  and  the  inevitable  skull  in  their  hands. 
The  house  which  is  supposed  to  contain  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  king  is  seen  on 
the  left. 

The  last  day  of  the  customs  is  celebrated  after  a  rather  peculiar  manner. 

A  Une  of  soldiers  armed  with  guns  is  stationed  all  the  way  fh)m  Agbome  to  Whydah. 
These  soldiers  are  placed  at  some  little  distance  from  each  other,  and  their  duty  is  to 


!     IS 


632 


DAHOME 


tnuismil  k  rolling  Are  all  the  way  from  the  capital  to  the  port  and  back  again.    Thia  is  a 
later  invention,  the  former  plan  being  to  transmit  a  small  present  from  hand  to  hand, 


m  BA8KIT  SACBinca 


starting  from  Whydah  and  having  its  destination  in  the  palace.    Another  line  of 
musketeers  extended  from  the  Eomasi  house  to  a  suburb  about  a  mile  distant. 


A  ROYAL  "PALACE.- 


158 


The  method  of  arranging  them  is  very  oarions.  At  interval*  of  three  hundred  yards 
or  80  are  built  little  huts  of  grass,  each  being  the  lodgins-plaoe  of  two  soldiers.  Though 
slightly  built,  there  is  some  attempt  at  ornament  about  them,  as  each  hut  has  a  pent  roof, 
g  verandah  supported  by  light  poles,  and  the  side  walls  decorated  with  a  diamond  pattern 
of  bamboo  and  a  fetish  shrub,  which  is  supposed  to  repel  lightning.  A  tuft  of  grass 
ornaments  each  end  of  the  gables,  and  those  nuts  that  axe  situated  neareat  the  palace  are 
always  the  most  decorated. 

In  front  of  each  hut  the  muskets  belonging  to  the  soldiers  are  fixed  horizontally  on 
forked  sticks.  They  are  ready  loaded,  and  the  two  are  empl'jyed  lest  one  of  them  should 
miss  fire.  There  are  nearly  nine  hundred  of  these  huts  upon  the  line  to  Whydah,  and  it 
is  calculated  that  the  time  occupied  in  the  fire  ought  to  be  about  half  an  hour. 

When  Captain  Burton  attended  this  ceremony  in  1863,  Oelele  had  not  been  ponfirmed 
at  Allada,  and  in  consequence  was  not,  by  royal  etiquette,  allowed  to  live  in  a  house  built 
of  anything  better  than  stakes  and  matting.  Consequently,  bis  officers  were  obliged  to 
follow  his  example,  as  it  would  have  been  equivalent  to  treason  had  a  subject  presumed 
to  live  in  a  "  swish  "  house  when  his  monarcn  only  dwelt  in  matting. 

However,  on  this  occasion  at  all  events  the  king  tried  to  atone  by  barbaroui  finery 
for  the  wretched  material  of  his  "  palace."  "  The  ^w%jai  gate  led  into  an  oblong  court 
of  matting,  sprinkled  with  thick-leaved  little  fig-trees  of  vivid  green,  and  divided  into 
two  by  the  usual  line  of  bamboos.  At  the  bottom  of  the  southern  half  was  the  royal 
pavilion,  somewhat  like  a  Shakmiyana  in  Bengal,  with  an  open  wing  on  each  side. 

"  The  sloping  roof  of  the  central  part,  intended  for  the  king,  was  of  gold  and  lake 
damask,  under  two  broad  strips  of  red  and  green  satin ;  the  wmgs,  all  siUc  and  velvet, 
were  horizontally  banded  with  red,  white-edged  green,  purple  and  yellow,  red  and  green 
ih  succession,  from  the  top,  and,  where  the  tongue-shaped  lappets  started,  with  chrome 
fellow.  The  hangings,  playing  loosely  in  the  wind,  were  remarkable  chiefly  for  grotesque 
figures  of  men  and  beasts  cut  out  of  coloured  cloth  and  sewn  to  the  lining." 

Several  little  tables  were  placed  near  the  inner  entrances,  each  being  sheltered  by  a 
huge  umbrella,  three  decorated  with  figures  and  four  white.  THeae  were  for  the  women, 
who  were  dressed  in  their  gayest  apparel,  ma^[nificent  in  mantles  of  red,  pink,  and 
flowered  silks  and  satins.  Opposite  to  the  king  were  five  ragged  white  umbrellas, 
sheltering  eleven  small  tables,  and  behind  the  tables  was  a  small  crowd  of  officials  and 
captains,  dressed  in  costumes  spmewhat  similar  to  those  of  the  women. 

On  the  ri^ht  of  the  throne  was  the  court-fool,  a  very  important  man  indeed,  his  eyes 
suirounded  with  rings  of  white  chalk,  and  his  shouldera  covered  with  an  old  red  velvet 
mantle.  Although  not  of  sufficient  rank  to  be  permitted  the  use  of  an  umbrella,  he  was 
sheltered  from  the  sun  by  a  piece  of  matting  raised  on  poles.  A  model  of  a  canoe  was 
placed  near  him. 

Just  at  the  entrances  eight  mifskets  were  tied  horizontally,  eacl*  '/apported  on  two 
forked  sticks,  as  has  already  been  described,  and  behind  each  musket  .jtood  the  Amazon 
to  whom  it  belonged. 

After  making  his  guests  wait  for  at  least  two  houra, — such  a  delav  being  agreeable  to 
royal  etiquette, — ^the  king  condescended  to  appear.  This  time  he  had  arrayed  himself 
after  a  very  gorgeous  and  rather  heterogeneous  fashion.  He  wore  a  yellow  silk  tunic, 
covered  with  little  scarlet  flowers,  a  great  black  felt  Spanish  hat,  or  sombrero,  richly 
embroidered  with  gold  braid,  and  a  broad  belt  of  gold  and  pearls  (probably  imitation) 
passed  over  his  left  shoulder  to  his  right  side.  Suspended  to  his  neck  was  a  large 
cracifix,  and  in  his  left  hand  he  carried  an  hour-glass.  An  old  rickety  table  with  metal 
legs,  and  covered  with  red  velvet,  was  placed  before  him,  and  upon  it  were  laid  a  silver 
mag,  a  rosary,  sundry  pieces  of  plate,  and  some  silver  annlets.  On  taking  his  seat,  he 
put  the  silver  mug  to  its  proper  use,  by  drinking  with  all  his  guec^s,  his  own  face  being, 
according  to  custom,  hidden  by  a  linen  cloth  while  he  drank. 

After  the  usual  complimentary  addresses  had  been  made,  a  woman  rose  at  1  P.M.  and 
gave  the  word  of  command — "  A-de-o."  This  is  a  corruption  of  Adios,  or  farewell  At 
this  word  two  of  the  musketa  in  front  of  the  king  were  discharged,  and  the  flring  was 
taken  up  by  the  Jegbe  line.    In  three  minutes  the  firing  ran  round  Jegbe  and  returned 


m 


I 


II 

'1 

i 

y 

'f\ 

M 

n 

Wit 


DAHOME. 


to  the  pakoe.  At  2  p.m.  another  "  Arde-o"  itorted  the  line  of  firing  to  Whydah,  the  time  of 
its  return  having  been  exactly  oaloulated  and  marked  bv  a  rude  device  of  laying  cowries 
on  the  ground,  and  weaving  a  cloth  in  a  loom,  the  number  of  threads  that  are  laid  being 
•uppoaed  to  indl.oate  a  certain  duration  of  time. 

As  soon  as  the  firing  began,  two  officials  marched  up  to  the  kins  and  began  an  oration, 
which  they  were  bounato  maintain  until  the  firing  had  returned.  Amid  the  horrible 
noise  of  five  heralds  proclaiming  the  royal  titles  and  a  jester  springing  his  rattle,  they 
began  their  sneech,  but  were  sadly  discomfited  by  a  wrong  calculation  or  a  mismanage^ 
ment  of  the  firing.  Instead  of  occupying  only  half  an  hour,  it  was  not  finished  for  an 
hour  and  a  half,  and  the  poor  orators  were  so  pvercome  with  heat  and  the  fine  dust 
which  hovered  about,  that  towards  the  end  of  the  time  they  were  nearly  choked,  and 
could  hudly  get  out  short  sentences,  at  long  intervals,  from  their  parched  throats. 
"There  will  be  stick  for  this,"  remarks  Captain  Burton. 

Stick,  indeed,  is  administered  very  neely,  and  the  highest  with  the  lowest  are 
equally  liable  to  it  On  one  occasion  some  of  the  chief  oflBcers  of  the  court  did  not  make 
their  appearance  exactly  at  the  proper  time.  The  king  considered  that  this  conduct  uras 
an  usurpation  of  the  royal  prerogative  of  making  every  one  else  wait,  whereas  they  Imd 
absolutely  made  him  wait  for  them.  So,  as  soon  as  they  appeared,  he  ordered  the 
Anuusons  to  take  their  bamboos  and  beat  them  out  of  the  court,  a  command  which  they 
executed  with  dispatch  and  vigour.  The  beaten  ministers  did  not,  however,  seem  to 
resent  their  treatment,  but  sat  cowering  at  the  gate  in  abject  submission. 

After  occupying  several  days  in  this  feasting  and  speech-making  and  boasting,  the 
king  at  last  proccMled  to  the  last  act  of  the  customs.  Having  resumed  his  place  at  the 
velvet-covered  table,  he  filled  his  glass  with  rum,  and  drank  with  his  visitors  to  the 
health  of  his  father's  ghost,  who,  by  the  way,  had  been  seen  bathing  in  the  sea,  and  had 
received  two  slaves,  sacrificed  in  order  to  tell  him  that  his  son  was  pleased  at  his  visit. 
After  a  few  unimportant  ceremonies,  he  poured  a  little  rum  on  the  ground,  and,  dashing 
his  glass  to  pieces  on  the  table,  rose  and  left  the  tent  His  attendants  followed  his 
example,  and  smashed  everythinff  to  pieces,  even  including  the  tables ;  this  act  probably 
accounting  for  the  very  mean  and  rickety  condition  of  the  royal  furniture. 

With  this  generu  smash  the  customs  terminated,  much  to  the  relief  of  the 
visitors. 

Marriages  among  the  Dahomans  are  an  odd  compound  of  simplicity  and  complexity. 
The  bridegroom  commences  his  suit  by  sending  a  couple  of  friends  to  the  father  of  the 
intended  bride,  and  furnishes  them  with  a  doubly  potent  argument  in  the  shape  of  two 
bottles  of  rum.  Should  the  father  approve  of  the  proposition,  he  graciously  drinks  the  rum, 
and  sends  back  the  empty  bottles — a  token  that  he  accepts  the  proposal,  and  as  a  delicate 
hint  that  he  would  like  some  more  rum.  The  happy  man  takes  the  hint,  fills  the  bottles, 
sends  them  to  the  father,  together  with  a  present  for  the  young  lady ;  and  then  nothing 
more  is  required  except  to  name  the  amount  of  payment  which  is  demanded  for  the  girl 
Cloth  is  the  chief  article  of  barter,  and  a  man  is  sometimes  occupied  for  two  or  three 
years  in  procuring  a  sufficient  quantity. 

At  last  the  day— always  a  Sunday — is  ^lettled,  and  more  bottles  of  rum  are  sent  by 
the  bridegroom's  messengers,  who  bring  tho  bride  in  triumph  to  her  future  home,  followed 
\ty  all  her  family  and  mends.  Then  comes  a  general  feast,  at  which  it  is  a  point  of 
honour  to  consume  as  much  as  possible,  a^nd  it  is  not  until  after  midnight  that  the  bride 
is  definitely  handed  over  to  her  husband  The  feast  being  over,  the  bridegroom  retires 
into  his  house  and  seats  himself.  Seveial  fetish-women  lead  in  the  bride  by  her  wrists, 
and  present  her  in  solemn  form,  telling  them  both  to  behave  well  to  each  other,  but 
recommending  him  to  flog  her  well  if  »Ke  displeases  him.  Another  two  or  three  hours 
of  drinking  then  follows,  and  about  3  or  4  A.M.  the  fetish-womeu  retire,  and  the  actual 
marriage  is  supposed  to  be  completed. 

Next  morning  the  husband  sends  more  rum  and  some  heads  of  cowries  to  the  girl's 
parents  as  a  token  that  he  is  satisfied,  and  after  a  week  the  bride  returns  to  her  father's 
house,  where  she  remains  for  a  day  or  two,  cooking,  however,  her  husband's  food  and 
sending  it  to  him.    On  the  day  wheu  she  returns  home  another  feast  is  held,  and  then  she 


THE  FETISH  NOVICIATE. 


ess 


relief  of  the 


laUides  into  the  semi-Bcrvile  state  wb'^h  it  the  normal  condition  of  a  wife  thronghont 
the  greater  part  of  savage  Africa. 

We  now  come  to  the  religion  of  Dahome,  which,  as  may  be  imagined  from  the 

Erevious  narrative,  is  of  a  very  low  character,  and  has  been  curtlv  summarised  by  Captain 
arton  in  the  following  sentence : — "  Africans,  as  a  rule,  worsnip  everythina  except  the 
Creator."  As  the  contact  of  the  Dahomans  with  the  white  men  and  with  the  Moslems 
has  probably  engrafted  foreign  ideas  in  the  native  mind,  it  is  not  very  easy  to  find  out  the 
exact  nature  of  their  religion,  but  the  following  account  is  a  short  abstract  of  the  result 
of  Captain  Burton's  investigations. 

He  states  that  the  reason  why  the  natives  do  not  worship  the  Creator  is  that, 
although  they  acknowledge  the  fiust  of  a  supreme  Deity,  they  think  that  He  is  too  great 
and  high  to  trouble  Himself  about  the  affairs  of  mankind,  and  in  consequence  they  do  not 
trouble  themselves  by  paying  a  worship  which  they  think  would  be  fruitless.  Their 
devotion,  such  as  it  is,  expends  itself  therefore  upon  a  host  of  minor  deities,  th  connected 
with  some  material  object 

First  we  have  the  principal  deities,  who  are  ranked  in  distinct  classes.    The  most 
important  is  the  Snake4[od,  who  has  a  thousand  snake  wives,  and  is  represented  by  the  ' 
Danhgbwe,  which  has  already  been  mentioned.    Next  in  order  come  tka  Tree-gods,  of 
which  the  silk-cotton  {BomJiHUi)  is  the  most  powerful,  and  has  the  same  number  of  wives 
as  the  Danhgbwe.    It  has,  however,  a  rival  in  the  Oideal,  or  poison-tree. 

The  last  of  these  groups  is  the  sea  This  deity  is  rej^resented  at  Whydah  by  a  very 
great  priest,  who  ranu  as  a  king,  and  has  five  hundred  wives  in  virtue  of  his  representa- 
tive office.  At  stated  times  he  visits  the  shore  to  pay  his  respects,  and  to  throw  into  the 
waves  his  offerings  of  be^  cowries*  cloth,  and  other  valuables.  Now  and  then  the 
king  sends  a  human  sacrifice  ttom.  the  capital  He  creates  the  victim  a  Caboceer,  gives 
him  the  state  uniform  and  umbrella  of  his  short-lived  rank,  puts  him  in  a  goi^geous 
hammock,  and  sends  him  in  great  pomp  and  state  to  Whydah.  As  soon  as  he  arrives 
there,  the  priest  takes  him  out  of  his  hammock  and  transfers  him  to  a  canoe,  takes 
him  out  to  sea,  and  flings  him  into  the  water,  where  he  is  instantly  devoured  by  the 
expectant  sharks. 

Lately  a  fourth  group  of  superior  deities  has  been  added,  under  the  name  of  the  Thunder- 
gods.  In  connexion  with  the  worship  of  this  deity  is  found  the  only  approach  to 
cannibalism  which  is  known  to  exist  in  Dahome.  When  a  man  has  been  kUled  by 
lightning,  burial  is  not  lawful,  and  the  body  is  therefore  laid  on  a  platform  and  cut  up  by 
the  women,  who  hold  the  pieces  of  flesh  in  their  mouths,  and  pretend  to  eat  them,  calling 
out  to  the  passengers,  "  We  sell  you  meat,  fine  meat ;  come  and  buy !" 

After  these  groups  of  superior  deities  come  a  host  of  inferior  gods,  too  numerous  to 
meution.  One,  however,  is  too  curious  to  be  omitted.  It  is  a  man's  own  head,  which  is 
considered  a  very  powerful  fetish  in  Dahome,  and  is  worshipped  as  follow : — 

"The  head-worshipper,  after  providing  a  fowl,  kola-nuts,  mm,  and  water,  bathes, 
dresses  in  pure  white  baft*  and  seats  himself  on  a  clean  mat.  An  old  woman,  with  her 
nediua  finger  dipped  in  water,  touches  successively  his  forehead,  poll,  nape,  and  mid- 
breast,  sometimes  all  his  joints.  She  then  breaks  a  kola  into  its  natural  divisions,  throws 
them  down  like  dice,  chooses  a  lucky  piece,  which  she  causes  a  bystander  to  chew,  and 
with  his  saliva  retouches  the  parts  before  alluded  to. 

"  The  fowl  is  then  killed  by  pulling  its  body,  the  neck  being  held  between  the  big  and 
first  toe ;  the  same  attouchements  are  performed  with  its  head,  and  finally  with  the  boiled 
and  shredded  flesh  before  it  is  eaten.  Meanwhile  rum  and  water  are  drunk  by  those 
present"  ' 

The.  fetishers,  or  priests,  are  chosen  by  reason  of  a  sort  of  ecstatic  fit  which  comes 
apon  them,  and  which  causes  them  at  last  to  fall  to  the  ground  insensible.  One  of  the 
older  priests  awaits  the  return  of  the  senses,  and  then  telk  the  neophyte  what  particular 
fetish  has  come  to  him.  He  is  then  taken  away  to  the  college,  or  fetish  part  of  the  town, 
where  he  learns  the  mysteries  of  his  calling,  and  is  instructed  for  several  years  in  the 
esoteric  language  of  the  priests,  a  language  which  none  but  themselves  can  understand. 
If  at  the  end  of  the  noviciate  he  should  return  to  his  former  home,  he  speaks  nothing  but 


656 


DAHOMK 


this  saored  language,  and  makes  it  a  point  of  honour  never  to  utter  a  sentence  that  any 
member  of  the  household  can  understand. 

When  a  man  is  once  admitted  into  the  ranks  of  the  fetishes,  his  subsistence  is 

Erovided  for,  whether  he  be  one  of  the  "  regulars/'  who  have  no  other  caUiiig,  and  who 
ve  entuvly  upon  the  presents  which  they  obtain  from  those  who  consult  them,  or 
whether  he  retams  sdme  secular  trade,  and  only  acts  the  fetisher  when  the  fit  happens  to 
come  on  him.    They  distinguish  themselves  by  various  modes  of  dress,  such  as  shaving 


'-^S^^-'T. 


HEAD-WORSHIP. 


Iff  ' 


half  the  beard,  carrying  a  cow-tail  flapper,  or  wearing  the  favourite  mark  of  a  fetisher, 
namely  a  belt  of  cowries  strung  bock  to  back,  each  pair  being  separated  by  a  siugle 
black  seed. 

The  fetiah-women  greatly  oiitnumber  the  men,  nearly  one-fourth  belonging  to  this 
order.  They  are  often  destined  to  this  career  before  their  birth,  and  are  married  to  the 
fetish  before  they  see  the  light  of  day.  They  also  take  human  spouses,  but,  from  all 
accounts,  the  life  of  the  husband  is  not  the  most  agreeable  in  the  world,  The  women 
spend  their  mornings  in  going  about  begging  for  cowries.  In  the  afternoon  she  goes  with 
her  sisters  into  the  fetish-house,  and  puts  on  her  ofBcial  dress.  The  whole  party  then 
sally  out  to  the  squares,  where  they  drum  and  sing  and  dance  and  lash  themselves  into 
fits  of  raving  ecstasy.  This  lasts  for  a  few  hours,  when  the  women  assume  their  ordinary 
costumes  and  go  home. 

It  is  illegu  for  any  fetisher  to  oe  assaulted  while  the  fetish  is  on  them,  and  so  the 
women  always  manage  to  shield  themselves  from  their  husband's  wrath  by  a  fetish  fit 
whenever  he  becomes  angry,  and  threatens  the  stick. 

As  to  the  position  of  the  human  soul  in  the  next  world,  they  believe  that  a  man 
takes  among  the  spirits  the  same  rank  which  he  held  among  men ;  so  that  a  man  who  dies 
as  a  king  is  a  king  to  all  eternity,  while  he  who  is  a  slave  when  he  dies  can  never  be  a 
free  man,  but  must  be  the  property  of  some  wealthy  ghost  or  other. 

Visiting  the  world  of  spirits  is  one  of  the  chief  employments  of  the  fetish-men,  who 
are  always  ready  to  make  the  journey  when  paid  for  their  trouble.  They  are  often  called 
upon  to  do  so,  for  a  Dahoman  who  feels  unwell  or  out  of  spirits  always  fancies  that  his 
deceased  relatives  are  calling  for  him  to  join  them,  a  request  which  he  feels  most  unwilling 


/  ' 


WATER-SPRINKLING  CUSTOM. 


657 


sentence  that  any 

is  subsistence  is 
'  calling,  and  who 
consult  them,  or 
the  fit  happens  to 
;  such  as  snaving 


ark  of  a  fetisher, 
ited  by  a  single 

elonging  to  this 
e  married  to  the 
js,  but,  from  all 
Id.  The  women 
)n  she  goes  with 
(fhole  party  then 
themselves  into 
le  their  ordinary 

lem,  and  so  the 
I  by  a  fetish  fit 

3ve  that  a  man 
a  man  who  dies 
can  never  be  a 

fetish-men,  who 
are  often  called 
fancies  that  his 
I  most  unwilling 


to  grant  So  he  goes  to  his  favourite  fetisher,  and  gives  him  a  dollar  to  descend  inio  the 
spirit  world  and  present  his  excuses  to  his  friends.  The  fetisher  oovera  himself  with  his 
cloth,  lies  down,  and  falls  into  a  trance,  and,  when  he  recovers,  he  gives  a  detailed  account 
of  the  conversation  which  has  taken  place  between  himself  and  the  friends  of  his  client 

Sometimes  he  brings  back  a  rare  bead  or  some  other  obiect,  as  proof  that  he  has  really 
delivered  the  message  and  received  the  answer.  The  whole  proceeding  is  strangely  like 
the  ceremonies  performed  by  the  medicine-men  or  Angekoks  among  the  Esquimaux. 

It  is  a  strange  thing  that,  in  a  country  where  human  life  is  sacrificed  so  freely,  a  sort 
of  inquest  takes  place  after  every  death.  The  reason  for  this  custom  is  rather  curious. 
The  king  reserves  to  himself  the  right  of  life  and  death  over  his  subjects,  and  any  one 
who  kills  another  is  supposed  to  have  usurped  the  royal  privilege. 

As  soon  as  death  takes  place,  notice  is  sent  to  the  proper  officers,  called  Oevi,  who 
come  and  inspect  the  body,  receiving  as  a  fee  a  head  and  a  half  of  cowries.  When  thev 
have  certified  that  the  death  was  natural,  the  relatives  begin  their  mourning,  during  which 
they  may  not  eat  nor  wash,  but  may  sing  as  much  as  they  please,  and  drink  as  much  rum 
as  they  can  get.  A  coflln  is  prepared,  its  size  varying  according  to  the  rank  of  the 
deceased  person ;  the  corpse  is  clothed  in  its  best  attire,  decorated  with  ornaments,  and  a 
change  of  raiment  is  laid  in  the  coffin,  to  be  worn  when  the  deceased  fairly  reaches  the 
land  of  spirits.  The  very  poor  are  unable  to  obtain  a  coffin,  and  a  wrapper  of  matting 
is  deemea  sufficient  in  such  cases. 

The  grave  is  dug  in  rather  a  peculiar  manner,  a  cavern  being  excavated  on  one  side, 
the  coffin  being  first  lowered  and  then  pushed  sideways  into  the  cave,  so  that  the  earth 
immediately  above  is  undisturbed.  After  the  grave  is  filled  in,  the  earth  is  smoothed  / 
with  water.  Over  the  grave  of  a  man  in  good  circumstances  is  placed  a  vessel-shaped 
iron,  into  which  is  poured  water  or  blood  by  way  of  drink  for  the  deceased,  ^'ui-merly  a 
rich  man  used-  to  have  slaves  buried  with  him,  but  of  late  years  only  the  two  chiefs  of 
the  king  are  allowed  to  sacrifice  one  slave  at  death,  they  being  supposed  not  to  need  as 
many  attendants  in  the  next  world  as  if  they  had  been  kings  of  Dahome  in  this. 

As  soon  as  the  king  dies,  his  wives  and  all  the  women  of  the  palace  begin  to  smash 
everything  that  comes  in  their  way,  exactly  as  has  been  related  of  the  concluding  scene  of 
the  customs  ;  and,  when  they  have  broken  all  the  furniture  of  the  palace,  they  begin  to 
turn  their  destructive  fury  upon  each  other,  so  that  at  the  death  of  Agagoro  it  was  calcu« 
lated  that  several  hundred  women  lost  their  lives  within  the  palace  walls  merely  in  this 
fight,  those  sacrificed  at  the  succeeding  customa  being  additional  victims.  This  blood- 
thirsty rage  soon  extends  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  palace,  and  Captain  Burton,  who  has 
done  so  much  in  contradicting  the  exaggerated  tales  of  Dahoman  bloodshed  that  have 
been  so  widely  circulated,  acknowledges  that,  however  well  a  white  stranger  may  be 
received  at  Agbome,  his  life  would  be  in  very  great  danger  were  he  to  remain  in  the 
capital  when  the  king  died. 

Even  with  the  termination  of  the  customs  the  scenes  of  blood  do  not  end.  Next 
comes  the  "  water-sprinkling,"  i.e.  the  graves  of  the  kings  must  be  sprinkled  with  "water," 
the  Dahoman  euphemism  for  blood.  Of  late  years  the  number  of  human  victims  sacrificed 
at  each  grave  has  been  reduced  to  two,  the  requisite  amount  of  "  water  "  being  supplied 
by  various  animals. 

Before  each  tomb  the  king  kneels  on  all  fours,  accompanied  by  his  chiefs  and  captains, 
while  a  female  priest,  who  must  be  of  royal  descent,  makes  a  long  oration  to  the  spirit  of 
the  deceased  ruler,  asking  him  to  aid  his  descendant  and  to  give  success  and  prosperity  to 
his  kingdom.  Libations  of  rum  and  pure  water  are  then  poured  upon  each  grave,  followed 
by  the  sacrificial "  water,"  which  flows  from  the  throats  of  the  men,  oxen,  goats,  pigeonsi 
and  other  victims.    Kola  nuts  and  other  kinds  of  food  are  also  brought  as  offerings. 

The  flesh  of  the  animals  is  then  cooked,  together  with  the  vegetables,  and  a  feast  is 
held,  the  stool  of  the  deceased  ruler  being  placed  on  the  table  as  an  emblem  of  his 
presence.  All  the  Dahoman  kings  are  buried  within  the  walls  of  the  palace,  a  house  being 
erected  over  each  grave.  During  the  water-sprinkling,  or  "  Sin-quain,"  custom,  the  king 
goes  to  each  house  separately,  and  sleeps  in  it  for  five  or  six  nights,  so  as  to  putihimseir 
in  communion  with  the  spirits  of  his  predecessors. 

VOL.L  UU 


1 

^Bi' 

if 
1 

1 

<•'  A 


€58 


DAHOME. 


1  r  t 
1.  i' 


The  reader  will  remember  that  the  kings  who  formerly  ruled  Dahome  are  still  supposed 
to  hold  ro>al  rank  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  the  prevalence  of  the  customs  shows  that 
this  belief  in  the  dead  is  strong  enough  to  exercise  a  powerful  influence  over  the  living. 

We  have  now  very  briefly  glanced  at  the  Dahoman  in  peace,  in  war,  in  religion,  in 
death,  and  in  burial    He  is  not  a  pleasant  subject,  and,4hough  the  space  which  has  been 

given  to  him  is  much  too  small  to  afford  more  than  an  outline  of  his  history,  it  would 
ave  been  more  restricted  but  for  the  fact  that  the  Dahoman  is  an  excellent  type  of  the 
tnie  negro  of  Western  Africa,  and  that  a  somewhat  detailed  description  of  him  will  enable 
us  to  dismiss  many  other  negro  tribes  with  but  a  passing  notica 

Moreover,  as  the  kingdom  of  Dahome  is  fast  failing,  and  all  the  strange  manners  and 
customs  which  have  been  mentioned  will  soon  be  only  matters  of  history,  it  was  necessary 
to  allot  rather  more  space  to  them  than  would  otherwise  have  been  the  case.  The  general 
character  of  the  Dahoman  has  been  so  tersely  summed  up  by  Captain  Burton,  that  our 
history  of  Dahome  cannot  have  a  better  termination  than  the  words  of  so  competent  an 
authority. 

"The  modem  Dahomans  are  a  nongrel  breed  and  a  bad.  They  are  Cretan  liars, 
er^tina  at  learning,  cowardly,  and  therefore  cruel  and  bloodthirsty ;  gamblers,  and  conse- 
quently cheaters;  brutal,  noisy,  boisterous,  unvenerative,  and  disobedient ;  'dipsas-bitten' 
things,  who  deem  it  duty  to  the  gods  to  be  drunk ;  a  flatulent,  self-conceited  herd  of 
barbarians,  who  endeavour  to  humiliate  all  those  with  whom  they  deal ;  in  fact,  a  slave- 
race, — vermin  with  a  soul  apieca 

"They  pride  themselves  in  not  being,  like  the  Popos,  addicted  to  the  '  dark  and  dirty 
crime  of  poison,'  the  fact  being  that  they  have  been  enabled  hitherto  to  carry  everything 
with  a  high  and  violent  hand.  They  are  dark  in  skin,  the  browns  being  of  xanthous  tem- 
perament, middle-sized,  slight,  and  very  lightly  made.  My  Krumen  looked  like  English- 
men among  them.  In  all  wrestling  bouts  my  Kiatmen  threw  the  hammock-bearers  on 
their  heads,  and  on  one  occasion,  during  a  kind  of  party  fight,  six  of  them,  with  fists  and 
sticks,  held  their  own  against  twenty  Dahomans. 

"  They  are  agile,  good  walkers,  and  hard  dancers,  but  carry  little  weight.  Their  drei?s  is 
a  godo,  or  T  bandage,  a  nun-pwe  (under-cloth)  or  a  Tfon  chokoto  (pair  of  short  drawers), 
and  an  owu-chyon,  or  body-cloth,  twelve  feet  long  by  four  to  six  broad,  worn  like  the 
Boman  toga,  from  which  it  may  possibly  be  derived 

"  The  women  are  of  the  Hastini,  or  elephant  order,  dark,  plain,  masculine,  and  com- 
paratively speaking  of  lai^ge,  strong,  and  square  build.  They  are  the  reapers  as  v  ell  as 
the  sowers  of  the  field,  and  can  claim  the  merit  of  laboriousness,  if  of  no  other  quality. 

"  They  tattoo  the  skin,  especially  the  stomach,  with  alto-relievo  patterns ;  their  dress  is 
a  zone  of  beads,  supporting  a  bandage  beneath  the  do-oo,  or  scanty  Inin-cloth,  which  suffices 
for  the  poor  and  young  girls.  The  upper  classes  add  an  aga-oo,  or  over-cloth,  two  fathoms 
long,  passed  under  the  arms,  and  covering  all  from  the  bosom  to  the  ancles.  Neither  sex 
wear  either  shirt,  shoes,  or  stockings." 


rf 


SAGaaa-wssx  ahuoa. 


St 


ae  are  still  supposed 
justoms  shows  that 
56  over  the  living 
war,  in  religion,  ia 
ace  which  has  been 
lis  history,  it  would 
ccellent  type  of  the 
1  of  him  will  enable 

range  manners  and 
ly,  it  was  necessary 
_  case.  The  general 
in  Burton,  that  our 
f  so  competent  an 

y  are  Cretan  liars, 
mblers,  and  conse- 
nt; 'dipsas-bitten' 
-conceited  herd  of 
1 ;  in  fact,  a  slave- 

le  '  dark  and  dirty 
o  carry  everything 
g  of  xanthous  teni- 
oked  like  English- 
mmock-bearers  on 
lem,  with  fists  and 

?ht.  Their  dreps  is 
of  short  drawers), 
)ad,  worn  like  the 

isculine,  and  com- 
reapers  as  well  as 
no  other  quality, 
ms  ;  their  dress  is 
oth,  which  suffices 
iloth,  two  fathoms 
iles.    Keither  sex 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 


THE  EGBAS. 


TBB  EOBA  TSIBR — ^A  BLACK  BISHOP — OXmSBAL  APPBABAIfCB  OF  THB  BOBAS — ^TBEIB  TBIBAI.  MABK 
— TATTOO    OF    THB     BBBECHBK,    OB     OBNTLEHBN — SIONIFICATION    OF     0BNAHENT8 — MODS     OF 

8ALT7TATION — BOBA    ABCHrTBCTlTRE BtTBDIVISION    OF    LABOUR — ABEOKUTA    AND    ITS    FOBTIFICA- 

TI0N8 — ^FBUD   BETWEEN    THB     EGBAS   AMD    DAHOMANS VARI0TT8    8KIRMI8HEB   AIO}   BATTLES,  AMD 

THEIB    BESULT8 THB     6BAND    ATTACK     ON    ABEOKUTA BEPUL8E     OF    THB     DAHOMAN    ABHT 

BBLIOION  OF  THB  EGBAS — THR  SYSTEM  OF  OGBONI — UI8CELLANE0US  8UPEBSTITI0N8  AMD 
8UPPLEHENTABY  DBmSS — BGAGUN  AMD  HIS  BOOIAL  DUTIES — THB  ALAXfi,  0&  KING  OF  THB 
EGBAS — ^A  BBCBFnON  AT   COUBT — APPEABANCB   OF  THB  ATTENDANTS. 

We  are  naturally  led  from  Dahome  to  its  powerful  and  now  victorious  enemy,  the  Egba 
tribe,  which  has  perhaps  earned  the  right  to  be  considered  as  a  nation,  and  which  certainly 
has  as  much  right  to  that  title  as  Dahome. 

The  Egbas  have  a  peculiar  claim  on  our  notice.  Some  years  ago  an  Egba  boy  named 
Ajai  {i.e.  "struggling  for  life")  embraced  Christianity,  and,  after  many  years  of  trial,  was 
ordained  deacon  and  priest  in  the  Church  of  England.  Owing  to  his  constitution  he  wsa 
able  to  work  where  a  white  man  would  have  been  prostrated  by  disease ;  and,  owing  to 
his  origin,  he  was  enabled  to  understand  the  peculiar  temperament  of  his  fellow  negroes 
better  than  any  white  man  could  hope  to  do.  His  influence  gradually  extended,  and  ho 
was  held  in  the  highest  estedtn  throughout  the  whole  of  Western  Africa  His  widely  felt 
influence  was  at  last  so  thoroughly  recognised,  that  he  was  consecrated  to  the  episcopal 
office,  and  now  the  negro  boy  Ajai  is  known  as  the  Eight  Rev.  Samuel  Crowther,  D.D., 
Lord  Bishop  of  the  Niger. 

As  far  as  their  persons  go,  the  Egbas  are  a  fine  race  of  men,  varying  much  in  colour 
according  to  the  particular  locality  which  they  inhabit.  The  skin,  for  example,  of  the 
Egba-do,  or  lower  Egba,  is  of  a  coppery  black,  and  that  of  the  chiefs  is,  as  a  rule,  fairer 
than  that  of  the  common  people.  Even  the  hair  of  the  chiefs  is  lighter  than  that  of  the 
common  folk,  and  sometimes  assumes  a  decidedly  sandy  hue. 

The  men,  while  in  the  prime  of  life,  are  remarkable  for  the  extreme  beauty  of  their 
forms  and  the  extreme  ugliness  of  their  features ;  and,  as  is  mostly  the  case  in  uncivilized 
Africa,  the  woman  is  in  symmetry  of  form  far  inferior  to  the  man,  and  where  one  well- 
developed  female  form  is  seen,  twenty  can  be  found  of  the  opposite  sex. 

"Whatever  may  be  the  exact  colour  of  the  Egba's  skin,  it  exhales  that  peculiar  and 
indescribable  odour  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  negro  races ;  and,  although  the  slight 
clothing,  the  open-air  life,  and  the  use  of  a  rude  palm-oil  soap  prevent  that  odour  from 
attaining  its  full  power,  it  is  still  perceptible.  The  lips  are  of  course  large  and  sausage- 
shaped,  the  lower  part  of  the  face  protrudes,  and  the  chin  recedes  to  an  almost 
incredible  extent,  so  as  nearly  to  deprive  the  countenance  of  its  human  character.  The 
hair  is  short,  crisp,  and  often  grows  in  the  little  peppercorn  tufts  that  have  been  already 
mentioned  in  connexion  with  the  Bosjesraan  nice  of  Southern  Africa.    The  men  dress  this 

U  U  2 


660 


THE  E6BAS. 


scanty  crop  of  hair  in  a  thousand  ways,  shaving  it  into  patterns,  and  thus  producing  an 
effect  which,  to  the  eye  of  a  European,  is  irresistibly  ludicrous.  The  women  contrive  to  i 
tease  it  out  to  its  full  length,  and  to  divide  it  into  ridges  running  over  the  crown  from  the 
forehead  to  the  nape  of  the  neck,  preserving  a  clean  parting  between  each  ridge,  and  so 
making  the  head  look  as  if  it  were  covered  with  the  half  of  a  black  melon.  The  skin 
of  the  common  people  is  hard  and  coarse, — so  coarse  indeed  that  Captain  Burton  compares 
it  to  shagreen,  and  says  that  the  hand  of  a  slave  looks  very  like  the  foot  of  a  fowl. 

As  to  the  dress  of  the  Egbas,  when  uncontaminated  by  pseudo-civilization,  it  is  as 
easily  described  as  procured.  A  poor  man  has  nothing  but  a  piece  of  cloth  round  his 
waist,  while  a  man  in  rather  better  circumstances  adds  a  pair  of  short  linen  drawers  or 
trousers,  called  "  shogo,"  and  a  wealthy  man  wears  both  the  loin-cloth  and  the  drawers, 
and  adds  to  them  a  large  cloth  wrapped  gracefully  round  the  waist,  and  another  draped 
over  the  shoulders  like  a  Scotch  plaid.  The  cloths  are  dyed  by  the  makers,  blue  being  the 
usual  colour,  and  the  patterns  being  mostly  stripes  of  lesser  or  greater  width. 

Women  have  generally  a  short  and  scanty  petticoat,  above  which  is  a  large  cloth  that 
extends  from  the  waist  downwards,  and  a  third  which  is  wrapped  shawl-wise  over  the 
shoulders.  The  men  and  women  who  care  much  about  dress  dye  their  hands  and  feet 
with  red  wood.  Formerly,  this  warlike  race  used  to  arm  themselves  with  bows  and  arrows, 
which  have  now  been  almost  wholly  superseded  by  the  "  trade  gun."  Even  now  every 
man  carries  in  his  hand  the  universal  club  or  knob-kerry,  which,  among  the  Egbas,  has 
been  modified  into  a  simple  hooked  stick  bound  with  iron  wire  in  order  to  increase  the 
strength  and  weight,  and  studded  with  heavy  nails  along  the  convex  side.  Weapons  of  a 
similar  nature  are  used  at  Daliome  for  clubbing  criminals  to  death. 

According  to  savage  ideas  of  beauty,  these  people  tattoo  themselves  profusely,  covering 
their  bodies  with  marks  which  must  at  some  time  have  been  produced  by  very  painful 
operations,  and  which,  from  their  diversity,  serve  to  perplex  observers  who  have  not  had 
time  to  examine  them  minutely,  and  to  classity  their  wearer. 

According  to  Captain  Burton,  "the  skin-patterns  were  of  every  variety,  from  the 
diminutive  prick  to  the  great  gash  and  the  large  boil-like  lumps.  They  affected  various 
figures — tortoises,  alligators,  and  the  favourite  lizard ;  stars,  concentric  circles,  lozenges, 
right  lines,  welts,  gouts  of  gore,  marble  or  button-like  knobs  of  flesh,  and  elevated  scars, 
resembling  scalds,  which  are  opened  for  the  introduction  of  fetish  medicines,  and  to  expel 
evil  infiuen^ces. 

"  In  this  country  every  tribe,  sub-tribe,  and  even  familv,  has  its  blazon,  whose  infinite 
diversifications  may  be  compared  with  the  lines  and  ordinaries  of  European  heraldry, — a 
volume  would  not  suffice  to  explain  all  the  marks  in  detail.  Ogubonna's  family,  for 
instance,  have  three  small  squares  of  blue  tattoo  on  each  cheek,  combined  with  the  three 
Egba  cuts. 

"  The  chief  are  as  follows : — ^The  distinguishing  mark  of  the  Egbas  is  a  gridiron  of 
three  cuts,  or  a  multiplication  of  three,  on  each  cheek.  Free-born  women  have  one,  two, 
or  three  raised  lines,  thread-like  scars,  from  the  wrist  up  the  back  of  the  arm,  and  down 
the  dorsal  region,  like  long  necklaces.      They  call  these  '  Entice  my  husband.* 

"  The  Yorubas  draw  perpendicular  marks  from  the  temples  to  the  level  of  the  chin, 
with  slight  lateral  incisions,  hardly  perceptible,  because  allowed  soon  to  heal.  The  Efons 
of  Rakanda  wear  a  blue  patch,  sometimes  highly  developed,  from  the  cheek-bones  to  the 
ear.  The  Takpas  of  NupS  make  one  long  cut  from  the  upper  part  of  the  nostril,  sweeping 
towards  the  ear.  At  Ijasha,  a  country  lying  east  of  Yoruba  proper,  the  tattoo  is  a  long 
parallelogram  of  seven  perpendicular  and  five  transverse  lines." 

The  most  curious  tattoo  is  that  of  the  Breechee  {i.e.  gentleman),  or  eldest  son  and  heir. 
He  is  not  allowed  to  perform  any  menial  office,  and  inherits  at  his  father's  death  all  the 
slaves,  wives,  and  children.  Before  the  Breechee  attains  full  age,  a  slit  is  made  across  his 
forehead,  and  the  skin  is  drawn  down  and  laid  across  the  brow,  so  as  to  form  a  ridge  of 
hard,  knotty  flesh  f5rom  one  temple  to  the  other.  The  severity  of  the  operation  is  so  great 
that  even  the  negro  often  dies  from  its  effects ;  but  when  he  survives  he  is  greatly  admired, 
the  unsightly  ridge  being  looked  upon  as  a  proof  of  his  future  wealth  and  his  actual 
strength  of  constitution. 


ai 
tl 


SOCIAL  ETIQUETTE. 


661 


18  producing  an 
imen  contrive  to  i 

crown  from  the 
ih  ridge,  and  so 
elon.  The  skin 
Burton  compares 
of  a  fowl 
lization,  it  is  as 
cloth  round  his 
inen  drawers  or 
ad  the  drawers, 

another  draped 
s,  blue  being  the 
Ith.  ^ 

large  cloth  that 
1-wiee  over  the 
hands  and  feet 
ows  and  arrows, 
Cven  now  every 
J  the  Egbas,  has 

to  increase  the 

Weapons  of  a 

fusely,  covering 
by  veiy  painful 
10  have  not  had 

riety,  from  the 
affected  various 
ircles,  lozenges, 
elevated  sears, 
3S,  and  to  expel 

,  whose  infinite 

m  heraldry, — a 

la's  family,  for 

with  the  three 

i  a  gridiron  of 
have  one,  two, 
inn,  and  down 
d.' 

el  of  the  chin, 
il.  The  Efons 
k-bones  to  the 
stril,  sweeping 
ittoo  is  a  long 

b  son  and  heir. 
}  death  all  the 
ade  across  his 
9nn  a  ridge  of 
ion  is  so  great 
eatly  admired, 
nd  his  actual 


So  minutely  does  the  African  mind  descend  to  detail,  that  even  the  ornaments  which 
are  worn  have  some  signification  well  understood  by  those  who  wee  them.  Bings  of  metal 
are  worn  on  the  legs,  ankles,  arms,  wrists,  fingers,  and  toei ;  and  round  the  neck  and  on 
the  body  are  hung  strings  of  beads  and  other  ornamentR.  Each  of  these  ornaments  signifies 
the  particular  deity  whoi^  the  wearer  thinks  fit  to  worship ;  and  altliouah  the  number  of 
these  deities  is  very  great,  the  invention  of  the  negro  has  been  found  equal  to  repre- 
senting them  by  the  various  ornaments  which  he  wears. 

The  same  minuteness  is  found  in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life ;  and,  even  in  the  regular 
mode  of  uttering  a  salutation,  the  natives  have  invented  a  vast  number  of  minutiee.  For 
example,  it  would  be  the  depth  of  bad  manners  to  salute  a  man  who  was  sitting  as  if  he 
were  standing,  or  the  latter  a^  if  he  were  walking,  or  a  third  as  if  he  were  returning  from 
walking.    Should  he  be  at  work,  another  form  of  address  is  needed,  and  another  if  he 


SALUTATION. 


should  be  tired.  No  less  than  fifteen  forms  of  personal  salutation  are  mentioned  by 
Captain  Burton,  so  that  the  reader  may  easily  imagine  how  troublesome  the  language  is 
to  a  stranger. 

Then  the  forms  of  salutation  differ  as  much  as  the  words,  If  an  inferior  meet  a 
superior,  a  son  meet  his  mother,  a  younger  brother  meet  his  elder,  and  so  on,  an  elaborate 
ceremony  is  performed.  Any  burden  that  may  be  carried  is  placed  on  the  ground,  and 
the  bearer  proceeds  first  to  kneel  on  all  fours,  then  to  prostrate  himself  fiat  in  the  dust, 
rubbing  the  earth  with  the  forehead  and  each  cheek  alternately.  The  next  process  is  to 
kiss  the  ground,  r.nd  this  ceremony  is  followed  by  passing  each  hand  down  the  opposite 
ann.    The  dust  is  again  kissed,  an    not  until  then  does  the  saluter  resume  his  feet. 

This  salutation  is  only  performed  once  daily  to  the  same  person ;  but  as  almost  every 
one  knows  every  one  whom  he  meets,  and  as  one  of  thera  must  of  necessity  be  inferior  to 
the  other,  a  vast  amount  of  salutation  has  to  be  got  through  in  the  course  of  a  day. 
Putting  together  the  time  occupied  in  the  various  salutations,  it  is  calculated  that  at  least 
an  hour  is  consumed  by  every  Egba  in  rendering  or  receiving  homage.  Sometimes  two 
men  meet  who  are  nearly  equal,  and  in  such  a  case  both  squat  on  the  ground,  and  snap 
their  fingers  according  to  the  etiquette  of  Western  Africa. 


.^        r 


1  p: 


1 1 


662 


THE  EOBAS. 


The  architecture  of  the  Egba  tribe  is  mostly  confined  to  "  swish"  walls  and  thatched 
roofs.  A  vast  number  of  workers — or  rather  idlers — are  engaged  on  a  single  house,  and 
the  subdivision  of  labour  is  carried  out  to  an  extreme  extent.  Indeed,  as  Captain  Burton 
quaintly  remarks,  the  Egbas  divide  the  labour  so  much  that  the  remainder  is  imper- 
ceptible. 

Some  of  them  dig  the  clay,  forming  thereby  deep  pits,  which  they  never  trouble  them- 
selves to  fill  up  again,  and  which  become  the  receptacles  of  all  sorts  of  filth  and  offtH 
Water,  in  this  wet  country,  soon  pours  into  them,  and  sometimes  the  corpse  of  a  slave  or 
child  is  flung  into  the  nearest  pit,  to  save  the  trouble  of  burial  It  may  easily  be  imaguied 
that  such  pits  contribute  their  part  to  the  fever-breeding  atmosphere  of  the  country. 

Another  ganp;  is  employed  in  kneading  clay  and  rolling  it  into  balls ;  and  a  third 
,  carries  it.  one  ball  at  a  time,  to  the  builders.  Another  gang  puts  the  clay  balls  into  the 
squared  shape  needful  for  architectural  purposes ;  and  a  fifth  hands  the  shaped  clay  to  the 
sixth,  who  are  the  actual  architects.  Yet  a  seventh  gang  occupies  itself  in  preparing 
palm-leaves  and  thatch;  and  those  who  fasten  them  on  the  roof  form  an  eighth  gang. 
Besides  these,  there  is  the  chief  architect,'  who  by  his  plumb-line  and  level  rectifies 
and  smooths  the  walls  with  a  broad  wooden  shovel,  and  sees  that  they  are  perfectly 
upri<;ht. 

Three  successive  layers  of  clay  or  "  swish  "  are  needed,  each  layer  being  allowed  to 
dry  for  a  few  days  before  the  next  is  added.  The  builders  always  manage,  if  possible,  to 
complete  their  walls  by  November,  so  that  the  dry  harmattan  of  December  may  conso- 
lidate the  soft  clay,  and  render  it  as  hard  as  concrete.  This,  indeed,  is  the  only  reason 
why  the  Egbas  approve  of  the  harmattan,  its  cold,  dusty  breath  being  exceedingly 
imurious  to  native  constitutions. 

One  might  have  thought  that  this  elaborate  subdivision  of  labour  would  have  the 
effect  of  multiplying  the  working  power,  as  is  the  case  in  Europe.  So  it  would,  if  the 
negro  worked  like  the  European,  but  tliat  he  never  did,  and  never  will  do,  unless 
absolutely  compelled  by  a  master  of  European  extraction.  He  only  subdivides  labour  in 
order  to  spare  himself,  and  not  with  the  least  idea  of  increasing  the  amount  of  work  that 
he  can  do  in  &  given  time. 

The  capital  of  the  Egbas  and  their  kindred  sub-tribes  is  called  Abeokuta,  a  name 
that  has  already  become  somewhat  familiar  to  English  ears  on  account  of  the  attempts 
which  have  been  made  to  introduce  Christianity,  civilization,  and  manufactures  among  a 
pagan,  savage,  and  idle  race  of  negroes. 

The  nauie  of  Abeokuta  may  be  literally  translated  as  Understone,  and  the  title  has 
been  given  to  the  place  in  allusion  to  the  rock  or  stone  around  which  it  is  built.  The 
best  description  that  has  yet  been  given  of  Abeokuta  is  by  Captain  Burton,  from  whose 
writings  the  following  particulars  are  gathered. 

The  city  itself  is  surrounded  with  concentric  lines  of  fortification,  the  outermost 
being  some  twenty  miles  in  circumference.  These  walls  are  made  of  hardened  mud,  are 
about  five  or  six  feet  in  height,  and  have  uo  embrasures  for  guns,  an  omibsiou  of  very  little 
importance  seeing  that  there  are  scarcely  any  guns  to  place  in  them,  and  that,  ii'  they 
were  fired,  the  defenders  would  be  in  much  greater  danger  than  the  attacking  forc& 

Utterly  ignorant  of  the  first  principles  of  fortification,  the  Egbas  have  not  troubled 
themselves  to  throw  out  bastions,  or  to  take  any  means  of  securing  a  fianking  fire,  and 
they  have  made  so  liberal  a  use  of  matting,  poles,  and  dry  leaves  within  the  foitification, 
that  a  carcass  or  a  rocket  would  set  the  whole  place  in  a  blaze ;  and,  if  the  attacking  force 
were  to  take  advantage  of  the  direction  of  the  wind,  they  might  easily  drive  out  the 
defenders  merely  by  the  smoke  and  flames  of  their  own  burning  houses.  Moreover  the 
wall  is  of  such  frail  material,  and  so  thinly  built,  that  a  single  bag  of  powder  hung 
against  it,  and  fired,  would  make  a  breach  that  would  admit  a  column  of  soldiers  together 
with  their  field-guns.  Around  the  inner  and  principal  wall  runs  a  moat  some  five 
feet  in  breadth,  partly  wet  and  partly  dry,  and  of  so  insignificant  a  depth  that  it  could 
be  filled  up  with  a  few  fascines,  or  even  with  a  dozen  or  so  of  dead  bodies. 

These  defences,  ludicrously  iiieflicient  as  they  would  be  if  attacked  by  European 
soldiers,  are  very  formidable  obstacles  to  the  Dahoman  and  Ibadau,  against  whose 


1^      «-f.,^_ 


DESCRIPTION  OF  ABEOKUTA. 


668 


walls  and  thatched 

I  siijgle  house,  and 

as  Captain  Burton 

imainder  is  inaper- 

lever  trouble  them- 

of  filth  and  ollaL 

wpse  of  a  slave  or 

easily  be  imagined 

the  country. 

balls;  and  a  third 

clay  balls  into  the 

shaped  clay  to  the 

tself  in  preparing 

a  an  eighth  gang. 

and  level  rectifies 

hey  are  perfectly 

being  allowed  to 
ige,  if  possible,  to 
•niber  may  conso- 
8  the  only  reason 
«iiig  exceedingly 

would  have  the 

0  it  Mould,  if  the 
r  will  do,  unless 
Wivides labour  in 
»unt  of  work  that 

beokuta,  a  name 

of  the  attempts 

factures  among  a 

nd  the  title  has 
it  is  built.  The 
rton,  from  whose 

,  the  outermost 
rdened  mud,  are 
lion  of  very  little 
id  that,  if  they 
ing  forca 
ve  not  troubled 
anking  fire,  and 
;he  fortification, 
attacking  force 
r  drive  out  the 
Moreover  the 
'  powder  hung 
)ldiers  togetlier 
loat  some  five 

1  that  it  could 

by  European 
igainst  whose 


inroads  they  are  chiefly  built  As  a  rule,  the  negro  has  a  great  horror  of  attacking  a 
wall,  and,  as  has  been  proved  by  actual  conflict,  the  Dahomans  could  make  no  iDupressior 
whatever  upon  these  rude  fortifications. 

The  real  strength  of  the  city,  however,  lies  in  the  interior,  and  belongs  to  the  rock 
or  "  stone"  which  gives  the  name  to  Abeokuta.  Within  the  walls,  the  place  is  broken 
up  into  granite  eminences,  caverns,  and  forest  clumps,  which  form  natural  fortifications, 
infinitely  superior  to  those  formed  by  the  unskilful  hands  of  the  native  engineer.  Indeed, 
the  selection  of  the  spot  seems  to  have  been  the  only  point  in  which  the  Egbas  have 
exhibited  the  least  appreciation  of  the  art  of  warfare.  The  mode  of  fighting  will  presently 
be  described. 

The  city  itself  measures  some  four  mfles  in  length  by  two  in  breadth,  and  is  entered 
by  five  large  gates,  at  each  of  which  is  pliaced  a  warder,  who  watches  those  who  pass 
his  gate,  and  exacts  a  toll  from  each  passenger.  The  streets  of  Abeokuta  are  narrow, 
winding,  and  intricate,  a  mode  of  building  which  would  aid  materially  in  checking  the 
advance  of  an  enemy  who  had  managed  to  pass  the  outer  walls.  There  are  several 
small  market-places  here  and  there,  and  one  of  them  is  larger  than  the  rest,  and  called 
"  Shek-pon,"  i.e.  "Do  the  bachelors  good,"  because  on  every  fi  ili  day,  when  the  markets 
are  held,  there  is  a  great  concourse  of  people,  and  the  single  men  can  find  plenty  of 
^leraons  who  will  fill  their  pipes,  bring  them  drink,  and  cook  their  food. 

"  These,  then,  are  my  first  impressions  of  Abeokuta.  The  streets  are  as  narrow  and 
irregular  as  those  of  Lagos,  intersecting  each  other  at  every  parallel  angle,  and,  when 
broad  and  shady,  we  may  be  sure  that  they  have  been,  or  that  they  will  be  markets, 
which  are  found  even  under  the  eaves  of  the  '  palaca'  The  sun,  the  vulture,  and  the 
pig  are  the  only  scavengers. 

"  The  houses  are  of  tempered  mud^the  sun-dried  brick  of  Tuta  and  Niip^  is  here 
unknown — covered  with  little  flying  roofs  of  thatch,  which  bum  with  exemplary  speed. 
At  each  angle  there  is  a '  Kobbi ' — a  high,  sharp  gable  of  an  elevation — ^to  throw  ofl"  the 
heavy  raia  The  form  of  the  building  is  the  gloomy  hollow  square,  totally  unlike  the 
circular  huts  of  the  Krumen  and  the  Kafirs.  It  resembles  the  Utum  of  the  Arabs, 
which  extending  to  Usaraga  and  Unyavyembe  in  Central  Inteitropical  Africa,  produces 
the  '  Tembe,'  aud  which,  through  the  '  Patio '  of  Spain,  found  its  way  into  remote 
Galway. 

"  There  are  courts  within  courts  for  the  various  subdivisions  of  the  polygamous  family, 
and  here  also  sheep  and  goats  are  staked  down.  The  sexes  eat  alone ;  every  wife  is  a 
'  free-dealer,'  consequently  there  is  little  more  unity  than  in  a  nunnery.  In  each  patio 
there  is  usually  some  central  erection  intended  as  a  store-house.  Into  these  centi-al  courts 
the  various  doors,  about  four  feet  wide,  open  through  a  verandah  or  piazza,  where,  chimneys 
being  uilknown,  the  fire  is  built,  and  where  the  inmates  sleep  on  mats  spread  under  the 
piazza,  or  in  the  rooms,  as  the  fancy  takes  them.  Cooking  also  is  performed  in  the  open 
air,  as  the  coarse  earthen  pots  scattered  over  the  surface  prove. 

"The  rooms,  which  number  from  ten  to  twenty  in  a  house,  are  windowless,  and 
purposely  kept  dark,  to  keep  out  the  sun's  glare ;  they  vary  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in 
length,  and  from  seven  to  eight  in  breadth.  The  furniture  is  simple — rude  cots  and 
settles,  earthen  pots  and  coarse  plates,  grass  bags  for  cloth  and  cowries,  and  almost 
mvariably  weapons,  especially  an  old  musket  and  its  leathern  case  for  ammunition. 

"  The  number  of  inhabitants  may  vary  from  ten  to  five  hundred,  and  often  more  in  the 
largest.  There  is  generally  but  one  single  large  outer  door,  with  charms  suspended 
over  it. 

The  militaiy  strength  of  Abeokuta  has  been  tested  by  actual  warfare,  and  has  been 
found  to  be  quite  adequate  to  repel  native  troops.  Generally,  an  African  fight  consists 
of  a  vast  amount  of  noise  attended  by  a  very  small  amount  of  slaughter,  but  in  the 
various  attacks  of  Dahome  on  Abeokuta  the  feelings  of  both  parties  appear  to  have 
been  so  completely  excited  that  the  slaughter  on  both  sides  was  really  considerable. 

The  fact  was,  that  each  party  had  a  long-standing  grudge  against  the  other,  and  meant 
to  gratify  it.  Gezo,  the  father  of  King  Gelele,  had  been  defeated  ignominiously  near 
Abeokuta,  and  had  even  lost  his  stool,  the  emblem  of  sovereignty.    Burning  to  avenge 


■1'  's 


664 


THE  EGBAS. 


themselves,  the  Dahomans  made  friends  with  the  inhabitants  of  Ishogga,  a  small  town 
some  fifteen  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Abeokuta,  who  advised  their  giiests  as  to  the 
particular  gate  which  it  was  best  to  attack,  the  time  of  day  when  an  assault  would  be 
most  likely  to  succeed,  and  a  ford  by  which  they  could  pass  the  river. 

Trusting  to  these  counsellors,  they  crossed  the  river  at  the  ford,  which  proved  to  be 
so  bad  that  they  wetted  all  their  ammunition.  They  made  the  attack  at  mid-day,  when 
they  were  told  that  eveiy  one  would  be  asleep  or  at  work  in  the  gardens,  which  are 
situated  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  city.  And  when  they  came  to  the  walls  of 
the  city  they  found  the  defender  all  on  the  alert,  and  ready  to  give  them  a  warm  recep- 
tion. Lastly,  they  attacked  a  gate  which  had  been  lately  fortified,  whereas  another,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  town,  was  very  weak,  and  might  have  been  taken  easily. 
>  Consequently,  they  bad  to  return  to  their  own  country,  vowing  vengeance  against  their 
treacherous  allies. 

After  Gezo's  death,  Gelele  took  up  the  feud,  and,  after  allaying  suspicion  by  continually 

Eroclaiming  war  against  the  Egbas,  and  as  invariably  staying  at  home,  in  the  tenth  year 
e  followed  up  his  threat  with  a  rapid  attack  upon  Ishogga,  carried  off  a  great  number  of 
prisoners,  and  killed  those  whom  he  could  not  conveniently  take  away. 

Flushed  by  success,  he  determined  to  assemble  a  large  force  and  attack  the  capital 
itself.  In  March  1851,  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  thousand  Dahoman  soldiers  marched 
against  Abeokuta,  and  a  fierce  fight  ensued,  the  result  being  that  the  Dahomans  had  to 
retreat,  leaving  behind  them  some  two  thousand  killed,  and  wounded,  and  prisoners.  As 
might  be  supposed,  the  Amazons,  being  the  fiercest  fighters,  suffered  most,  while  the  loss 
on  the  Egban  side  was  comparatively  trifling.  Ten  years  afterwards,  another  expedition 
marched  against  Abeokuta,  but  never  reached  it,  small-pox  having  broken  out  in  the 
ranks,  and  frightened  the  soldiers  home  agaia 

The  last  r.ttack  was  fatal  to  Dahoman  ambition.  The  Egbas,  expecting  their  foe,  had 
arranged  for  their  reception,  and  had  driven  tunnels  through  their  walls,  so  that  they 
could  make  unexpected  sallies  on  the  enemy.  When  the  Dahoman  army  appeared,  all 
the  Egban  soldiers  were  at  their  posts,  the  women  being  told  off  to  carry  food  and  drink 
to  the  soldiers,  while  some  of  them  seized  swords,  and  insisted  on  doing  duty  at 
the  walls. 

As  soon  as  the  invaders  approached,  a  strong  sally  was  made,  but,  as  the  Dahomans 
marched  on  without  returning  the  fire,  the  Egbas  dashed  back  again  and  joined  their 
comrades  on  the  wall& 

Presently,  a  Dahoman  cannon  was  fired,  dismounting  itself  by  the  force  of  its  recoil, 
so  as  to  be  of  no  further  use,  and  its  report  was  followed  by  an  impetuous  rush  at  the 
walls.  Had  the  Dahomans  only  thought  of  making  a  breach,  or  even  of  filling  up  the 
tiny  moat,  they  might  have  had  a  chance  of  success,  but  as  it  was  they  had  none.  The 
soldiers,  especially  the  Amazons,  struggled  gallantly  for  some  time ;  and  if  individual 
valour  could  have  taken  the  town,  they  would  have  done  so.  But  they  were  badly  com- 
manded, the  officers  lost  heart,  and  even  though  the  soldiers  were  scaling  the  walls, 
creeping  through  the  tunnels,  and  fighting  bravely  at  the  very  muzzles  of  the  enemy's 
guns,  they  gave  the  order  for  retreat 

Just  at  that  time,  a  large  body  of  Egbas,  which  had  made  unseen  a  wide  circuit,  fell 
upon  them  in  the  rear,  and  completed  the  rout.  All  fled  without  order,  except  the 
division  which  Gelele  himself  was  commanding,  and  which  retired  with  some  show  of 
discipline,  turning  and  firing  on  their  adversaries,  when  pressed  too  closely,  and  indeed 
showing  what  they  could  have  done  if  their  officers  had  known  their  business. 

The  Dahomans  lost  everything  that  they  had  taken  with  them,  their  brass  guns, 
a  great  number  of  new  muskets,  and  other  weapons  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
Besides  these,  the  king  himself  was  obliged  to  abandon  a  number  of  his  wives  and 
daughters,  his  horse,  his  precious  sandals  with  their  golden  crosses,  his  wardrobe,  his 
carriages  of  which  he  was  so  proud,  his  provisions,  and  his  treasures  of  coral  arid  velvet. 
It  was  calculated  that  some  four  or  five  thousand  Dahomans  were  killed  in  this  dis- 
astrous battle,  while  some  fifteen  hundred  prisoners  were  captured ;  the  Egbas  only 
losing  forty  killed,  and  about  one  hundred  wounded.    True  to  their  savage  nature, 


li 


ogga,  a  small  town 
ir  giiests  as  to  the 
a.  assault  would  be 

i«^Iuch  proved  to  be 
at  mid-day,  when 
gardens,  which  are 
ime  to  the  walls  of 
em  a  warm  recep- 
tiereas  another,  on 
een  taken  easily, 
ance  against  their 

ion  by  continually 
in  the  tenth  year 
a  great  number  of 

ittack  the  capital 
soldiers  marched 
!)ahomans  had  to 
ad  prisoners.  As 
>st,  while  the  loss 
nother  expedition 
roken  out  in  the 

ing  their  foe,  had 
ills,  so  that  they 
rmy  appeared,  all 
f  food  and  drink 
duty  at 


/ 


doing 


is  the  Dahomans 
and  joined  their 

arce  of  its  recoil, 
lous  rush  at  the 
Jf  iilling  up  the 
had  none.  The 
nd  if  individual 
were  badly  com- 
aling  the  walls, 
of  the  enemy's 

wide  circuit,  fell 
•der,  except  the 
h  some  show  of 
sely,  and  indeed 
ness. 

leir  brass  guns, 
i  of  the  enemy, 
his  wives  and 
3  wardrobe,  his 
oral  arid  velvet, 
led  in  this  dis- 
he  Egbas  only 
savage  nature, 


THE  OGBONI. 


665 


the  Egbas  cnt  the  coTpses  of  the  dead  to  pieces,  and  even  the  women  who  passed  by  the 
body  of  a  Dahoman  soldier  slashed  it  with  a  knife,  or  pelted  it  with  stones 

It  has  been  thought  that  the  Abeokutas  are  comparatively  guiltless  in  blood-shedding, 
but  it  is  now  known  that  in  this  respect  there  is  really  very  little  ditference  between  the 
three  great  nations  of  Western  Africa>  except  that  the  destruction  of  human  life  is  less  at 
Abeokuta  than  at  Agbome,  and  perhaps  that  the  Egbas  are  more  reticent  on  the  subject  than 
the  Ashantis  orDahomans.  Even  in  Abeokuta  itself,  which  has  been  supposed  to  be  under 
the  influence  of  Christianity,  an  annual  human  saciifice  takes  place,  and  the  same 


THE  ATTACK  ON  ABEOKUTA. 


ceremony  is  performed  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom.  As  in  Agbome,  when  a  hu  linu 
sacritice  is  offered,  it  is  with  the  intention  of  offering  to  the  dead  that  which  is  most 
valuable  to  the  living.  The  victim  is  enriched  with  cowries,  and  plied  with  rum  until 
he  is  quite  intoxicated,  and  then,  after  being  charged  with  all  sorts  of  messages  to  the 
spirits  of  the  dead,  he  is  solemnly  decapitated.  Victims  are  sacrificed  when  great  men 
die,  and  are  supposed  to  be  sent  to  the  dead  man  as  his  attendants  in  the  spirit 
world. 

As  to  the  religion  and  superstitions  of  the  Egbas,  they  are  so  exactly  like  those  of 
other  Western  Africans  that  there  is  little  need  to  mention  them.  It  only  remains 
to  describe  the  remarkable  system  called  "Ogboni."  The  Ogboni  are  a  society  of 
enormous  power,  which  has  been  compared,  but  erroneously,  to  freemasonry.  Any  our 
who  is  acquainted  with  the  leading  principles  of  freemasonry,  and  has  studied  the  mental 
condition  of  the  Egbas,  or  indeed  any  other  West  African  tribe,  must  see  that  such  a  < 


t 


K  i 


i 


■i'-i 


666 


THE  EGBAS. 


'J 


i1 


parallel  is  ludiorously  wrong.  In  freemasonry  there  are  two  leading  principles,  the 
one  being  the  unity  of  the  Creator,  and  the  second  the  fellowship  of  man.  Now,  as 
the  Egbas  believe  in  numberless  gods,  and  have  the  strongest  interest  in  slavery,  it  is 
evident  that  they  cannot  have  inventied  a  system  which  is  diametrically  opposed  to  both 
these  tenets. 

The  system  of  Ogboni  is  partly  political  and  partly  religious.  It  may  be  entered  by 
a  naked  boy  of  ten  years  old,  provided  that  he  be  a  free-born  Egba  and  of  good  repute. 
The  fraternity  extends  itself  throughout  the  whole  of  the  country  occupied  by  the  Egbas, 
and  in  everv  village  there  is  a  hut  or  lodge  devoted  expressly  to  the  use  of  the  society. 
The  form  of  this  lodge  varies  slightly,  but  the  general  features  are  the  same  in  all.  "  It  is 
a  long  low  building,  only  to  be  distinguished  by  the  absence  of  loungers,  fronted  by  a 
deep  and  shady  verandah,  with  stumpy  polygonal  clay  pillars,  and  a  single  door,  care- 
fully closed.  The  panels  are  adorned  with  iron  alto-relievos  of  ultra-Egyptian  form; 
snakes,  hawk-headed  figures,  and  armed  horsemen  in  full  front,  riding  what  are  intended 
to  be  hoi'ses  in  profile ;  the  whole  coloured  Ted,  black,  and  yellow.  The  temples  of 
Obatala  are  similarly  decorated. 

"  The  doors  have  distinct  panels,  upon  which  are  seen  a  leopard,  a  fish,  a  serpent,  and 
a  land  tortoise.  Mr.  Beaven  remarks  that  one  of  the  carvings  was  a  female  figure,  with 
one  hand  and  one  foot,  probably  a  half  Obatala,  or  the  female  principle  of  Nature,  and 
the  monster  was  remarkable  for  having  a  queue  of  very  long  hair,  with  a  ball  or  globe 
at  the  end. 

"  A  gentleman  who  had  an  opportunity  of  overlooking  the  Ogboni  lodge  fram  the  Ake 
church  steeple  described  it  as  a  hollow  building  with  three  courts,  of  which  the  inner- 
most, provided  with  a  single  door,  was  that  reserved  for  the  elders,  the  holy  of  holies,  like 
the  Kadasta  Kadastan  of  the  Abyssinians.  He  considers  that  the  courts  are  intended  ibr 
the  different  degrees. 

"  The  stranger  must,  however,  be  careful  what  he  believes  concerning  these  mynteries. 
The  Bev.  W.  Beaven  asserts  that  the  initiated  are  compelled  to  kneel  down  and  drink 
a  mixture  of  blood  and  water  from  a  hole  in  the  earth.  The  Egbas  deny  this.  Moreover 
they  charge  Mr.  Beaven  with  endeavouring  to  worm  out  their  secrets  for  the  pur2)0£e  uf 
publicatioiL  As  all  ara  pledged  to  the  deepest  reticence,  and  as  it  would  be  fatal  to  n  veal 
any  mystery,  if  any  there  be,  we  are  hardly  likely  to  be  troubled  with  over-inlbrmation." 

The  miscellaneous  superstitions  of  the  Egbas  are  very  miscellaneous  indeed.  Like  the 
Dahomans,  they  divide  their  deities  into  different  classes,  like  the  major  and  minor  gods 
of  the  ancient^  and,  like  them,  they  occasionally  deify  a  dead  ruler,  and  class  him  with 
the  minor  gods.  The  native  word  for  the  greater  god  is  Ovisha,  a  title  which  is  prefixed 
to  the  special  names  of  those  deities.  Thus,  Ovisha  Kl^  or  the  great  Ovisha,  is  the  chief 
of  theuL  His  sacred  emblem  or  symbol  is  a  ship,  and  it  was  he  who  created  the 
first  man. 

The  next  in  order  is  Shango,  who  is  evidently  an  example  of  an  apotheosis,  as  he  has 
the  attributes  of  Vulcan,  Hercules,  Tubal  Cain,  and  Jupiter  Tonans,  and  is  said  to  have 
*  a  palace  of  brass,  and  ten  thousand  horses.  He  presides  over  lightning  and  fire,  and  if 
thunder  strikes  a  house,  his  priest  rushes  into  the  hut  to  find  the  weapon  that  Shango 
has  cast,  and  is  followed  by  a  tumultuous  mob,  who  plunder  the  dwelling  effectually. 
Captain  Burton  saw  one  of  the  so-called  Shango-stones,  which  was  nothing  but  a  lump 
of  white  q'lartz,  of  course  placed  in  the  hut  by  the  priest. 

His  symbol  is  a  small  wooden  bat,  and  his  worshippers  carry  a  leathern  bag,  because 
Shango  was  fond  of  predatory  wars.  If  war  impends,  his  priest  takes  sixteen  cowries, 
and  flings  them  in  the  air,  and  those  which  fall  with  the  opening  downward  are  thought  to 
portend  war,  while  those  which  have  the  opening  upwards  signify  peace.  The  last  of  the 
great  three  is  Ipa,  apparently  an  abstractive  rather  than  an  objective  deity.  He  is 
worshipped  by  a  select  society  called  the  "Fathera  of  Secrets,"  into  which  none  but  males 
can  be  initiated.  His  chief  priest  lives  on  a  mountain  at  several  days'  distance  from 
Abeokuta,  and  close  by  his  dwelling  is  the  sacred  palm-tree  with  sixteen  boughs  produced 
by  the  nuts  planted  by  the  sixteen  founders  of  the  empire.  A  second  priest  at  Abeokuta 
is  called  the  King  of  the  Groove. 


froi 
cov 


ling  principles,  the 

of  maa    Now,  as 

»t  in  slaveiy,  it  is 

Uy  opposed  to  both 

tnav  be  entered  by 
■ina  of  good  repute, 
ipied  by  the  Egbas, 
use  of  the  society, 
same  in  all.  "  It  is 
ngers,  fronted  by  a 
I  single  door,  care- 
:ra-Egyptian  form; 
what  are  intended 
'.    The  temples  of 

fisb,  a  serpent,  and 
female  figure,  with 
pie  of  Nature,  and 
rith  a  ball  or  globe 

lodge  from  the  Ake 
F  "which  the  inner- 
holy  of  holies,  like 
ts  are  intended  ibr 

ng  these  mysteries, 
d  down  and  drink 
ly  this.  Moi-eover 
lor  the  purpose  of 
i  be  fatal  to  reveal 
aver-inlbnnation." 

indeed.  Like  the 
r  and  minor  gods 
id  class  him  witli 

"which  is  prefixed 
)visha,  is  the  chief 

who  created  the 

theosis,  as  he  has 
is  said  to  have 
ig  and  lire,  and  if 
ipon  that  Shango 
elling  effectually, 
thing  but  a  lump 

lem  bag,  because 
sixteen  cowries, 
ird  are  thought  to 

The  last  of  the 
e  deity.      He  is 

none  but  males 
^s'  distance  from 
boughs  produced 
iest  at  Abeokuta 


EGUGUN  AND  ORO. 


667 


The  eipV^^m  of  Ipa  is  a  palm-nut  with  four  holes,  and  those  nuts  are  used  in  divi- 
nation, the  ;;-^  aciple  being  something  like  the  mode  of  casting  lots  with  cowries.  Captain 
Burton's  account  of  the  proceeding  is  interesting.  "  He  counted  sixteen  nuts,  fteed  them 
from  dust,  and  placed  them  in  a  bowl  on  the  ground,  full  of  yams  bolf-boiled,  crushed,  and 
covered  with  some  acid  vegetable  infusion. 

"  His  acolyte,  a  small  boy,  was  then  called,  and  made  to  squat  near  the  bowl,  resting 
his  body  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  feet,  which  were  turned  inwards,  and  to  take  from  the 
fritish-man  two  or  three  bones,  seeds,  and  shells,  some  of  which  are  of  goo<l,  others  of  bad 
omen.  Elevating  them,  he  rested  his  hands  on  his  knees.  The  adept  cast  the  opts  from 
one  hand  to  the  other,  retaining  some  in  the  left,  and,  while  manipulating,  dropped  others 
into  the  bowL  He  tlien  stooped  down,  drew  with  the  index  ana  medius  fingers  on  the 
yams,  inspected  the  nuts,  and  occasionally  referred  to  the  articles  in  the  boy's  hand." 

The  priests  of  Ipa  are  known  by  necklaces  made  of  strings  of  beads  twisted  together, 
and  having  ten  large  white  and  green  beads  at  some  distance  apart. 

Then  there  is  the  Ovisha  of  children,  one  of  which  is  carried  about  by  women  who 
have  borne  twins  when  one  of  them  dies  or  is  killed.  It  is  a  wooden  little  image,  about 
seven  or  eight  inches  in  height,  carved  into  the  rude  semblance  of  humanitv.  The  images 
are  nearly  all  made  by  seme  men  at  Lagos,  who  charge  about  three  shillings  for  each. 
Beside  all  these  deities,  which  may  be  ranked  among  the  beneficent  class,  there  are  evil 
deities,  who  are  worshipped  by  way  of  propitiation.  ; 

Next  come  some  semi-human  deities,  who  serve  as  the  correctors  of  public  morals. 
The  two  chief  of  these  deitiCvS  are  Egugun  and  Oro.  The  former  is  supposed  to  be  a  sort 
of  a  vampire,  being  a  dead  body  risen  temporarily  from  the  grave,  and  acts  the  same  rdle 
as  Mumbo  Jumbo  in  another  part  of  Western  Africa.  Egugun  makes  his  appearance 
in  the  villages,  and  very  much  frightens  the  women,  who  either  actually  believe  him 
to  be  a  veritable  resuscitated  corpse,  or  who  assert  that  they  believe  it,  in  fear  of  public 
opinion.  The  adult  males,  and  even  the  free-born  boys,  know  all  about  £gugun,  as  is 
likely,  when  the  deity  in  question  is  personated  by  any  one  who  can-borrow  the  requisite 
dress  from  the  fetish-man.  Captain  Burton  once  met  Egugun  in  the  street.  The  demon's 
face  was  hidden  by  a  plaited  network,  worn  like  a  mask,  and  on  his  head  was  a  hood, 
covered  with  streamers  of  crimson  and  dirty  white,  which  huna  down  to  his  waist  and 
mingled  with  similar  streamei-s  attached  to  his  dress.  He  wore  on  his  breast  a  very  powerful 
fetish,  i.e.  a  penny  mirror;  and  his  feet  were  covered  with  great  shoes,  because  ?  ;;Ujun  is 
supposed  to  be  a  footless  deity. 

The  other  deity,  Oro,  has  a  wider  range  of  duties,  his  business  being  to  attend  i  public 
morality.  He  mostly  remains  in  the  woods,  and  but  seldom  makes  his  appearance  in 
public.  Oro  has  a  very  strong  voice,  arising,  in  point  of  fact,  from  a  thin  slip  of  wood, 
about  a  foot  in  length,  which  is  tied  firmly  to  a  stick,  and  which  produces  a  kind  of 
roaring  sound  when  properly  handled. 

He  is  supposed  to  be  unknown  to  the  women,  who  are  not  allowed  to  be  out  of  their 
houses  whenever  the  voice  of  Oro  is  heard.  Consequently,  about  seven  oi  eight  in  the 
evening,  when  the  well-known  booming  cry  of  Oro  is  heard,  the  women  scuille  off  to  their 
houses,  and  the  adult  males  go  out  into  the  streets,  and  there  is  at  once  a  scene  of  much  ^ 
excitement.  Dances  and  tumbling,  processions  and  speech-making,  go  on  with  vast 
vigour,  while  the  Ogboni  lodges  are  filled  with  devotees,  all  anxious  to  be  talking  at  once, 
and  every  one  giving  his  own  opinion,  no  matter  how  absurd  it  may  be. 
,  Those  who  have  been  guilty  of  moral  offences  are  then  proclaimed  and  punished ;  and 
on  some  occasions  there  is  so  much  business  to  be  done  that  the  town  is  given  up  to  Oro 
for  an  entire  day.  On  these  occasions  the  women  pass  a  very  unpleasant  time,  their 
hours  of  imprisonment  being  usually  spent  in  quarrelling  with  each  v/ther.  In  order  to 
make  the  voice  of  Oro  more  awful,  the  part  of  the  demon  is  played  by  several  of  the 
initiated,  who  go  into  the  woods  in  various  directions,  and  by  sounding  their  wooden  calls 
at  the  same  time  carry  the  idea  that  Oro  is  omnipresent. 

Oro  does  really  act  as  a  censor  of  public  morals,  and  it  is  very  clear  that  he  is  attended 
bv  armed  followers,  who  carry  out  a  sort  of  rude  and  extemporised  justice,  like  that  which 
was  exercised  by  the  "  Regulators  "  of  America,  some  fifty  or  f -j^ty  years  ago.    The  bodies 


i/'-'l' 


668 


THE  EOBAa 


«V'"' 


of  deliiqnents  have  been  found  in  the  bush,  their  throats  out  and  their  legs  broken  by 
the  spirit  in  question. 

The  chief,  or  king,  of  the  Egbas  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Alak6,  which  is  a 
transmissible  title,  like  Pharaoh  or  Caesar,  and  the  whole  system  of  government  is  a  kind 
of  feudal  monarchy,  not  unlike  that  of  England  in  the  days  of  John.  The  Alak^  dues  not 
reign  supreme,  like  the  King  of  Dahome  or  Ashanti,  before  whom  the  highest  in  the  realm 
prostrate  themselves  and  roll  humbly  in  the  dust  He  is  trammelled  with  a  number  of 
councillors  and  officers,  and  with  a  sort  of  parliament  called  the  Bale,  which  is  composed 
of  the  head  men  or  chiefs  of  the  various  towns.  The  reader  may  remember  that  the  King 
of  Ashanti  found  that  he  was  in  danger  of  suffering  from  a  similar  combination,  and  lie 
took  the  prudent  measure  of  limiting  their  number  while  he  had  the  power.  The  AhVi 
has  never  dc  a  so,  and  in  consequence  those  who  are  nominally  and  individually  bia 
servants  are  practically  and  collectivelv  his  masters. 

The  Ogboni  lodges  have  also  to  be  consulted  in  any  important  point,  so  that  the 
private  life  of  the  Alak^  of  the  Egbas  is  far  from  being  so  agreeable  as  that  of  the  King 
of  Dahome. 

Okekunu,  the  Alak^  at  the  time  when  Captain  Burton  lived  in  Abeokuta,  was  an 
ill-favoured,  petulant,  and  cunning  old  ruler.  In  his  way,  he  was  fond  of  state,  and 
delighted  to  exhibit  his  so-called  power  in  a  manner  truly  African,  displaying  an  equal 
amount  of  pageantry  and  trashiness. 

If  he  goes  to  pay  a  visit,  he  must  needs  do  so  under  a  huge  pink  silk  umbrella,  at  the 
end  of  a  motley  procession.  At  the  head  is  carried  the  sacred  emblem  of  royalty,  a  wooden 
stool  covered  with  coarse  red  sorge,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  number  of  chiefs,  who  pay 
the  greatest  attention  to  it.  A  long  train  of  ragged  swordsmen  followed ;  and  last  came 
the  Alak^,  clothed  in  a  "  Ouinea-fowl "  shirt— a  spotted  article  of  some  value — and  a  great 
red  velvet  robe  under  which  he  tottered  along  with  much  difficulty.  He  wears  trousers  of 
good  purple  velvet  with  a  stripe  of  gold  tinsel,  and  on  his  feet  are  huge  slippers,  edged 
with  monkey  skin. 

Ou  his  head  he  wears  a  sort  of  fez  cap  of  crimson  velvet,  the  effect  of  which  is  ruined 
by  a  number  of  blue  beads  hung  fringe-wise  round  the  top.  The  string  of  red  coral  beads 
hangs  round  the  neck,  and  a  double  bracelet  of  the  same  material  is  wound  upon 
each  wrist. 

When  he  receives  a  visitor,  he  displays  his  grandetir  by  making  his  visitors  wait  for 
a  time  proportionate  to  their  rank,  but  iu  case  they  should  be  of  great  consequence,  he 
alleviates  the  tediousnoss  of  the  time  by  sending  them  rum  and  gin,  both  of  the  very 
worst  quality ;  and  if  they  be  of  exceptionally  high  rank,  he  will  send  a  bottle  of  liqueurs, 
i.e.  spirits  of  wine  and  water,  well  sweetened,  and  flavoured  with  a  few  drops  of  essen- 
tial oiL 

To  a  stranger,  the  palace  presents  a  mean  and  ugly  appearance,  and,  as  Captain 
Burton  remarks,  is  m  unworthy  of  Abeokuta  as  St.  James's  is  of  London.  It  is  a 
tumble-down  "  swish  "  house,  long  and  rambling,  and  has  seveitJ  courts.  Along  one  side 
of  the  inner  court  runs  a  verandan,  the  edge  of  which  comes  within  some  four  feet  of  the 
ground,  and  is  supported  by  huge  clay  pillars.  Five  hexagonal  columns  divide  the 
verandah  into  compartments,  the  centre  of  which  is  the  Alak^'s  private  room,  and  is  kept 
veiled  by  a  curtain.  The  verandah,  or  antechamber,  k  filled  with  the  great  men  of 
Abeokuta,  and,  according  to  Burton's  account,  they  are  the  most  villanous-looking  set 
of  men  that  can  well  be  conceived ;  and  although  he  has  seen  as  great  a  variety  of  faces 
as  any  one,  he  says  that  he  never  saw  such  hideous  heads  and  faces  elsewhere. 

"  Their  skulls  were  depressed  in  front,  and  projecting  cocoa-nut-like  behind ;  the  absence 
of  beards,  the  hideous  linos  and  wrinkles  that  seared  and  furrowed  the  external  parchment, 
and  the  cold,  unrelenting  cruelty  of  their  physiognomy  in  repose,  suggested  the  idea  of 
the  eunuch  torturers  erst  so  common  in  Asia.  One  was  sure  that  for  pity  or  mercy 
it  would  be  as  well  to  address  a  wounded  mandril.  The  atrocities  which  these  ancients 
have  witnessed,  and  the  passion  which  they  have  acquired  for  horrors,  must  have  set  the 
mark  of  the  beast  upon  their  brows." 

Though  the  assciublago  consisted  of  the  richest  men  of  the  Egbas,  not  a  vestige  of 


M_ 


•Ii 


THE  ALAKR 


669 


^heir  legs  broken  h  Isplendoiir  or  wealth  appeared  about  any  of  them,  the  entire  clothing  of  the  motit  powerfhl 
Emong  them  being  under  sixpence  in  value.  In  &ct,  they  dare  not  exhibit  wealth,  knowing 
i  AIak6,  which  is  a  m^^'  '^  ^^'^X  ^'^  ^°'  ^^  ^ould  be  confiscated. 

ovemrnent  in  a  kind  I  "  ^^  ^^^  ^''^  Alak^  himself,  his  appearance  was  not  much  more  prepossessing  than  that 
The  Ahik<^  does  not  W^  ^^  subjects.  Okekunu  was  a  large,  brawny,  and  clumsy-looking  man,  neany  seventy 
highest  in  the  realm  I  yean  of  age,  and  his  partially  shaven  head  did  not  add  to  his  beauty.  Besides,  he  had 
3d  with  a  number  of  |lost  all  his  upper  teeth  except  the  canines,  so  that  his  upper  lip  sank  into  an  unpleasant 
which  is  composed 
imber  that  the  King 
sombination,  and  lie 
power.  TheAlaW 
id  individually  his 

point,  so  that  the 
w  that  of  the  King 

Abeokuta,  was  an 
fond  of  state,  and 
lisplaying  an  equal 

:1k  umbrella,  at  the 
f  royalty,  a  wooden 
of  chiefs,  who  pay 
ed ;  and  last  came 
value— and  a  great 
e  wears  trousers  of 
Jge  slippers,  edged 

of  which  is  ruined 
of  red  coral  beads 
1  is  wound  upon 

s  visitors  wait  for 
t  consequence,  he 
both  of  the  very 
bottle  of  liqueurs, 
iv  drops  of  essen- 

,  and,  as  Captain 
^ndon.  It  is  a 
Along  one  side 
e  four  feet  of  the 
umns  divide  the 
room,  and  is  kept 
he  great  men  of 
nous-looking  set 
I  variety  of  faces 
chere. 

lind ;  the  absence 
emal  parchment, 
ited  the  idea  of 
p  pity  or  mercy 
I  these  ancients 
ist  have  set  the 

lot  a  vestige  of 


TUB  ALAKi^'S  COORT. 


^  ision.  His  lower  teeth  were  rapidly  decaying  from  his  habit  of  taking  snufif  negro 
fashion,  by  placing  it  between  the  lower  Up  and  the  teeth,  and,  in  consequence  of  the  gap, 
the  tip  of  his  tongue  protruded  in  a  very  disagreeable  manner.  He  had  lost  one  eye  by 
a  blow  from  a  stone,  and  as  he  assumed  a  semi-comatose  expression,  was  not  a  pleasant 
person  to  look  at,  and  certainly  not  very  regal  in  aspect." 

The  king  must  be  selected  from  one  of  four  tribes,  and  both  the  present  king  and  his 
predecessor  belonged  to  the  Ake  tribe. 


f^ 


xirvia 


.!! 


ii 


I't 

1' ' ' 


OHAFTEB  LTX. 


BONNY. 


TBI  nmOVAL  TBADB  09  BOmtT — XIHO  FBPnCI.  AND  BIS  HIBTOBT — THB  BBnurDBB  BMIOBAMT*-. 
MB.  BBADB'a  OmBTIBW  WITH  PKPPBL — ABCBITBOTtTBB  OF  BOmiT — THB  JT7-JU  HOCBBt,  PRIVATK 
ABB  PUBUC — CAimiBAUaM  AT  BOKNT — THB  tV-JV  BXRCCTION — WHT  THK  BXBCUTIONXB  DID 
HOT  BAT  THB  HBAD— DAILY  UPB  OF  A  BONNY  ORMTLBMAN — DBBH  OF  HKN  AND  VOMKN— 
BUPBBSnnOBS— MVHBO-JUHBO  AND  HIS  OFFIOB — LAST  HBSOCBCB  OF  A  BBN-PXCBRD  HUSBAND 
— A  TBBBIBU  CIBBOBBB  ABD  ITS  BBSVLT — THB  OBBOBBB  HBN  OB  MA0I0UM8— WOBMIODS  MOOB 

OF  muYoro  thbib  spblls — asoAra  of  ax  impostob.  ^ 


li 
w 


Hi-' 


Passing  a  little  sonthwards  along  the  west  coast,  we  come  to  tlie  well-known  Bonny  Biver, 
formerly  the  great  slave  depdt  of  Western  Africa,  and  now  the  centre  of  the  palm-oil 
trade,  unfortunately  there  is  as  ranch  cheating  in  the  palm-oil  trade  as  in  gold  and  ivory ; 
the  two  latter  being  plugged,  and  the  former  mixed  with  sand,  so  that  it  has  to  be  boiled 
down  before  it  can  be  sent  from  the  coast 

Bonny  is  familiar  to  English  ears  on  account  of  the  yellow-black  chief  who  was 
pleased  to  call  himself  king,  and  who  was  well  known  in  England  as  Pepper,  King  of 
£onny.  His  name  is  varied  as  Pepper,  Pim«nto,  or  Peppel.  He  is  descended  from  Obullo 
an  Ibo  (or  Eboe)  chieC  who  settled  with  his  slaves  on  the  Bonny  Biver,  and  who  was 
succeeded  W  his  son  and  gfindson,  each  of  whom  took  the  name  of  Pepper. 

Being  of  a  quarrelsome  disposition,  the  present  kins  shot  a  wife  because  she  displeased 
him,  murdered  a  chief  called  Manilla  Peppel  because  he  was  jetdous,  and  was  ruining  the 
trade  of  the  river  by  his  perpetual  wars  with  the  Calabars.  So,  at  the  request  of  all  the 
native  chiefs  and  traders,  he  was  deposed,  and  his  nephew  Daphe  placed  in  his  stead. 
Daphe,  however,  died  soon  afterwards, — poisoned,  it  is  believed,  at  Peppel's  instigation ;  and 
then  the  government  was  handed  over  to  four  regents,  while  Pimento  was  transported  to 
Ascension,  a  place  which  he  was  afterwards  fond  of  calling  his  St  Helena.  However,  he 
proved  himself  to  be  a  clever  savage,  and,  by  dint  of  importunity,  contrived  to  be  taken  to 
England,  where  he  arrived  in  1857. 

Possessing  to  the  full  the  imitative  capacity  of  the  negro,  he  adopted  English  customs 
with  wonderful  facility,  abandoning,  according  to  Captain  Burton,  his  favourite  dish  of 
a  boy's  palms,  and  drinking  champagne  and  sherry  instead  of  trade  rum.  Soon  he 
became  religious,  was  baptiz^,  and  turned  teetotaller,  gaining  thereby  the  good-will  of  a 
large  class  of  people.  He  asked  for  twenty  thousand  pounds  to  establish  a  missionaiy 
station,  and  actuuly  induced  a  number  of  English  who  knew  nothing  of  Africa,  or  the 
natural  mendacity  of  the  African  savage,  to  accompany  him  as  his  suite,  promising  them 
splendid  salaries  and  high  rank  at  court 

No  one  who  knows  the  negro  character  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  when  the  king 
and  his  suite  arrived  at  Bonny  the  latter  found  themsdves  cheated  and  ruined.  They  dis- 
covered that  the  "palace"  was  a  collection  of  hovels  inside  a  mud  wall ;  that  Bonny  itself 


THE  JU^U  HOUSES. 


671 


JV-JV  ROrSXS,  PRtVATR 

ratK   xxBcimoNxa  did 

OF  MKN  AND  WOHXN— 
HXW-PKCKRP  BrSBAND 
lAm— -noXMOM  MOOB 

1 

■known  Bonny  River, 
ntre  of  the  palm-oil 
18  in  gold  and  ivory ; 
It  it  has  to  be  boiled 

ack  chief  who  was 
as  Pepper,  King  of 
tended  from  Obullo 
Siver,  and  who  was 
Rpper. 

jause  she  displeased 
ind  was  ruining  the 
!  request  of  all  the 
laced  in  his  stead. 
jI's  instigation;  and 
was  transported  to 
lena.  However,  he 
ived  to  be  taken  to 

d  English  customs 
favourite  dish  of 
le  rum.  Soon  he 
the  good-will  of  a 
>Iish  a  missionary 
of  Africa,  or  the 
e,  promising  them 

at  when  the  king 
ruined.  Theydis- 
that  Bonny  itself 


wa.1  nothing  more  than  a  qnantity  of  huts  in  a  mud  flat ;  and  that  the  best  street  was 
infinitely  more  filthy  than  the  worst  street  in  the  wont  part  of  London.  As  to  the  private 
life  of  the  king,  the  less  said  about  i^  the  better. 

Their  health  rapidly  failed  under  the  privatinns  which  they  suffered,  and  the  horrible 
odours  of  the  Bonny  River,  which  are  so  sickening  that  even  the  hardened  traveller 
Captain  Burton  had  to  stop  his  experienced  nofltrils  with  camphorated  cotton,  as  he  was 
rowed  up  the  river  at  low  water.  As  to  the  myal  snUries  and  apartments  in  the  palace, 
they  were  found  to  be  as  imaginary  as  the  pal  nee  itself  and  the  rank  at  court,  the  king 

i)re8enting  each  of  the  officials  wit.'  a  couple  of  yams  as  an  equivalent  for  pay  and 
edging. 

How  genuine  was  the  civilization  and  Christianity  and  teetotAlism  of  Peppel  may  be 
imagined  from  an  interview  which  Mr.  W.  Reade  had  with  him  after  his  return : — "  I 
went  ashore  with  the  doctor  on  a  visit  to  Peppel,  the  famous  king  of  Bonny.  ...  In  one 
of  the  hovels  was  seated  the  monarch,  and  the  scene  was  well  adapted  to  the  muse  of  his 
poet  laureate.  The  Africans  have  a  taste  for  crockery  ware,  much  resembling  that  of  the 
last  generation  for  old  china,  and  a  predilection  for  dog-flesh,  which  is  bred  expressly  for 
the  table,  and  exposed  for  sale  in  the  public  market. 

"  And  there  sat  Peppel,  who  had  lived  so  long  in  England ;  behind  him  a  pile  of 
willow-pattern  crockery,  before  him  a  cjilabash  of  dog-stew  and  palaver  suuce.  It  is 
always  thus  with  these  sav^es.  The  instincts  inherited  from  their  forefathers  will  ever 
triumph  over  a  sprinkling  of  foreign  reason.  Their  intellects  have  a  rcte  mueomm  as  well 
as  their  skins.  As  soon  as  they  return  to  their  own  country,  they  take  off  all  their 
civilization  and  their  clothes,  and  let  body  and  mind  go  naked. 

"  Like  most  negroes  of  rank,  Peppel  has  a  yellow  complexion,  as  light  as  that  of  a 
mulatto.  His  features  express  intelligence,  but  of  a  low  and  cunning  kind.  In  every 
word  and  look  he  exhibits  that  habit  of  suspicion  which  one  finds  in  half-civilized 
natures." 

Peppel,  although  restored  to  Bonny,  has  scarcely  any  real  power,  even  in  his  own 
limited  domtnions,  from  which  he  dares  not  stir  Yet,  with  the  cool  impudence  of  a 
thorough  savage>  he  actually  proposed  to  establish  a  consul  in  London  at  a  salary  of  500/., 
stating  as  his  reason  that  tie  had  always  allowed  the  English  consuls  to  visit  his 
dominions  in  the  Bight  of  Benin. 

The  architecture  of  the  Bonny  counfay  is  not  very  elaborate,  being  composed  of  swish 
and  wattle,  supported  by  posts.  The  fliors  and  walls  are  of  mud,  which  can  be  obtained 
in  any  amount,  and  the  general  look  of  the  houses  has  been  well  compared  to  Africanized 
Swiss,  the  roofs  being  very  high,  and  the  gables  very  sharp.  Ordinary  houses  have  three 
rooms,  a  kitchen,  a  living  room,  and  a  Ju-ju  room  or  chapel ;  but  those  of  the  wealthy 
men  have  abundance  of  chambers  and  passages.  There  are  no  chimneys,  and  as  the  door 
muHt  therefore  be  kept  open  if  a  fire  is  lighted,  the  threshold  74  at  least  eighteen  inches 
high,  in  order  to  prevent  the  intrusion  of  strange  beasts.  It  is  >t  thought  to  be  etiquette 
to  step  over  the  threshold  when  the  master  of  the  house  is  sitting  within,  or  he  will  be 
afflicted  with  sickness,  thinking  himself  bewitched. 

The  Ju-ju  room  or  chapel  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  every  Bonny  house,  and  within  it 
is  the  fetish,  or  ju-ju,  which  is  the  guardian  of  the  house,  and  corresponds  with  the  Lares 
and  Penates  of  the  anqients.  The  negro  contrives  to  utilize  the  ju-ju  room,  making  it  a 
store-house  for  his  most  valued  property,  such  as  cowries  or  rum,  knowing  that  no  one 
will  touch  it  in  so  sacred  a  place.  As  to  the  ju-ju  itself,  anything  answers  the  purpose, 
and  an  Englishman  is  sometimes  troubled  to  preserve  his  gravity  when  he  sees  a  page  of 
Punch,  a  oribbage  peg,  a  pill-box,  or  a  pair  of  braces,  doing  duty  as  the  household  god  of 
the  establishment. 

The  great  Ju-ju  house  of  the  place  is  a  most  ghastly-looking  edifice,  and  is  well 
described  by  Captain  Burton.  It  is  built  of  swish,  and  is  an  oblong  roofless  house,  of 
forty  or  fifty  feet  in  length.  A  sort  of  altar  is  placed  a.  the  end,  sheltered  from  the  rain 
by  a  small  roof  of  its  own.  Under  the  roof  are  nailed  rows  of  human  skulls  mostly- 
painted  in  different  colours,  and  one  of  them  is  conspicuous  by  a  large  black  beard,  which 
is  doubtless  a  rude  copy  of  the  beard  worn  by  the  man  to  whom  it  originally  belonged. 


m 


f^i 


^ 

jmaeiLiiMs 

j     '    . 

^■■H 

l||||||P\l^^| 

- 

T     •'****i 

1   ■ 

\\              \ 

U^ 

L i 

672 


BONNY. 


Between  them  are  rows  of  goat-skulls  streaked  with  red  and  white,  while  other  skuUg 
are  strewn  about  the  floor,  and  others  again  are  impaled  on  the  tops  of  sticks.  Under 
the  altar  is  a  round  hole  with  a  raised  clay  rim,  in  which  is  received  the  blood  of  the 
yictims  together  with  the  sacred  libations.  Within  this  Ju-ju  house  are  buried  the  bodies 
of  the  kiu<;s. 

This  house  well  illustrates  the  character  of  the  people — a  race  which  take  a  positive 
pleasure  in  the  sight  of  blood,  and  in  inflicting  and  witnR8.sing  pain.  All  over  the  country 
the  traveller  comes  upon  scenes  of  blood,  pain,  and  sufifering.  There  is  hardly  a  village 
where  he  does  not  come  upon  animals  tied  in  some  agonizlNg  position  and  left  to  die 
there.  Goats  and  fowls  are  mostly  fastened  to  posts  with  their  heads  downwards,  and 
blood  is  the  favourite  colour  for  painting  the  faces  of  men.  Even  the  children  of  prisoners 
taken  in  war — ^the  war  in  question  being  mostly  an  unsuspected  attack  on  an  unprej)ared 
village — are  hung  by  the  middle  from  the  masts  of  the  canoes,  while  the  parents  aie 
reserved  to  be  sacrificed  and  eaten. 

About  this  last  statement  there  has  been  much  incredulity,  and  of  course,  when 
questioned,  the  Bonny  negroes  flatly  deny  the  accusation.  There  is,  however,  no  doubt  of 
the  fact,  inasmuch  as  Europeans  have  witnessed  the  act  of  cannibalism.  For  example, 
old  King  Peppel,  the  father  of  the  Pimento  whose  life  has  been  briefly  sketched,  gave  a 
great  banquet  in  honour  of  a  victory  which  he  had  gained  over  Calabar,  and  in  which 
Amakree,  the  king  of  that  district,  was  taken  prisoner.  The  European  traders  were 
invited  to  the  banquet,  and  were  most  hospitably  entertained.  They  were,  however, 
horrified  to  see  the  principal  dish  which  w».^  placed  before  Peppel.  It  was  the  bleeding 
heart  of  Amakree,  warm  and  palpitating  as  it  was  torn  from  the  body.  Peppel  devoured 
the  heart  with  the  greatest  eagerness,  exclaiming  at  the  same  time,  "  This  is  the  way  I 
serve  my  enemies." 

More  recently.  Dr.  £[ntchiQ8on  witnessed  a  scene  of  cannibalism.  He  had  heard  that 
something  of  the  kind  was  contemplated,  although  it  was  kept  very  quiet  On  the 
appointed  morning  he  had  himself  rowed  to  the  shore  at  some  distance  from  the  Ju-ju 
house,  near  which  he  concealed  himself,  and  waited  for  the  result  Th&  rest  of  the 
adventure  must  be  told  in  his  own  words. 

"  I  know  not  of  what  kind  are  the  sensations  felt  by  those  around  Newgate,  waiting; 
for  an  execution  in  the  very  heart  of  London's  great  city  ;  but  I  know  that  on  the  banks 
of  an  African  river,  in  the  grey  dawn  of  morning,  when  the  stillness  was  of  that 
oppressive  nature  which  is  ^culated  to  prodiftse  the  most  gloomy  impressions,  with 
dense  vapours  and  foul  smells  arisiug  from  decomposing  mangroves  and  other  causes  of 
malaria  floating  about  vrith  a  heaviness  of  atmosphere  that  depressed  the  spirits,  amidst 
a  community  of  cannibals,  I  do  know  that,  although  under  the  protection  of  a  man-of- 
war,  I  felt  on  this  occasion  a  combined  sensation  of  suspense,  anxiety,  horror,  and 
indefinable  dread  of  I  cannot  tell  what,  that  I  pray  God  it  may  never  be  my  fate  to 
endure  again. 

"  Day  broke,  and,  nearly  simultaneous  with  its  breaking,  the  sun  shone  out  As  I 
looked  through  the  slit  in  the  wall  on  the  space  between  my  place  of  concealment  and 
the  Ju-ju  house,  I  observed  no  change  from  its  appearance  the  evening  before.  No 
gibbet  nor  axe,  nor  gallows,  nor  rope — no  kind  of  preparation,  nothing  significant  of 
death,  save  the  skulls  on  the  pillars  of  the  Ju-ju  house,  that  seemed  leering  at  me  with 
an  expression  at  once  strange  and  vacant  It  would  have  been  a  relief  in  the  awful 
stillness  of  the  place  to  have  heard  something  of  what  I  had  read  of  the  preparations  for 
an  execution  in  Liverpool  or  London — of  the  hammering  suggestive  of  driving  nails  into 
scaffold,  drop,  or  coffin,  of  a  crowd  gathering  round  the  place  before  early  dawn,  and  of 
the  solemn  tolling  of  the  bell  that  chimed  another  soul  into  eternity.  Everything  seemed 
as  if  nothing  beyond  the  routine  of  daily  life  were  to  take  place. 

"  Could  it  be  that  I  had  been  misinformed ;  that  the  ceremony  was  adjourned  to 
another  time,  or  was  to  be  carried  out  elsewhere  ? 

"  No,  a  distant  murmur  of  gabbling  voices  was  heard  approaching  nearer  and  nearer, 
till,  passing  the  corner  house  on  my  left,  I  saw  a  group  of  negroes — an  indLscriminate 
crowd  of  fdl  ages  and  both  sexes— so  huddled  together  that  no  person  whom  I  could 


Pi 
a 


fo 
til 


■M.^ 


THE  JtJ-JU  EXECUTION. 


673 


I,  while  other  skulls 
»8  of  sticks.  Undw 
id  the  blood  of  the 
re  buried  the  bodies 

lich  take  a  positive 
ill  over  the  country 
is  hardly  a  village 
ition  and  left  to  die 
ids  downwards,  and 
ihildren  of  prisoners 
k  on  an  unpreftaied 
ile  the  parents  aie 

d  of  course,  when 
)wever,  no  doubt  of 
sm.  For  example, 
y  sketched,  gave  a 
abar,  and  in  which 
>pean  traders  were 
ley  were,  however, 
t  was  the  bleeding 
Peppel  devoured 
This  is  the  way  I 

He  had  heard  that 

ty  quiet.    On  the 

20  from  the  Ju-ju 

ITift  rest  of  the 

Newgate,  waiting 
that  on  the  banks 
ness  .was  of  that 
impressions,  with 
ad  other  causes  of 
the  spirits,  amidst 
ttion  of  a  man-of- 
:iety,  horror,  and 
er  be  my  fate  to 

shone  out  As  I 
concealment  and 
aing  before.  No 
ing  significant  of 
sering  at  me  with 
lief  in  the  awful 
!  preparations  for 
Iriving  nails  into 
irly  dawn,  and  of 
^erything  seemed 

as  adjourned  to 

arer  and  nearer, 
1  indiscriminate 
n  whom  I  could 


particularly  distinguisli  as  either  an  executioner  or  culprit  was  visible  among  them.    But 
above  their  clattering  talk  came  the  sound  of  a  clanking  chain  that  made  one  shudder. 

"  They  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  square  opposite  the  Ju-ju  house,  and  ceased  talking. 

"  One  commanding  voice  uttered  a  single  word,  and  down  they  sat  upon  the  grass, 
forming  a  circle  round  two  figures,  standing  upright  in  the  centre — the  executioner  and 
the  man  about  to  be  killed.  The  former  was  remarkable  only  by  the  black  skull-cap 
which  he  had  on  him,  and  by  a  common  cutlass  which  he  held  in  his  hand.  The  latter 
had  chains  round  his  P'^ck,  his  wrists,  and  his  ankles.  There  was  no  sign  of  fear  or 
cowardice  about  him-  "o  seeming  consciousness  of  the  dreadful  fate  before  him — no 
evidence  even  upon  his  tace  of  that  dogged  stubbornness  whif'h  is  said  to  be  exhibited  by 
some  persons  about  to  undergo  an  ignominious  death. 

"  Save  that  Le  stood  upright  one  would  scarcely  have  known  that  he  was  alive. 
Amongst  the  spectators,  too,  there  was  a  silent  impassiveness  which  was  appalling.  Not 
a  woid,  nor  gesture,  nor  glance 
of  sympathy,  that  could  make  me 
believe  I  looked  at  beings  who 
had  a  vestige  of  humanity  among 
them. 

"  As  the  Ju-ju  butcher  stepped 
back  and  measured  his  distance  to 
make  an  effectual  swoop  at  his 
victim's  neck,  the  man  moved  not 
a  muscle,  but  stood  as  if  he  were 
unconscious — ^till 

"  Chop  !  The  first  blow  felled 
him  to  the  ground.  The  noise  of 
a  chopper  falling  on  meat  is 
familiar  to  most  peopla  No  other 
sound  was  here — none  from  the 
man;  not  a  whisper  nor  a  murmur 
from  those  who  were  seated  about ! 
I  was  nearly  crying  out  in  mental 
agony,  and  the  sound  of  that  first 
stroke  will  haunt  my  ears  to  my 
dying  day.  How  I  wished  some 
one  to  talk  or  scream,  to  destroy 
the  impression  of  that  fearful  hough,  and  the  still  more  awful  silence  that  followed  it ! 

"  Again  the  weapon  was  raised  to  continue  the  decapitation — another  blow  as  the 
man  lay  prostrate,  and  then  a  sound  broke  the  silence  1  But,  0  Father  of  mercy !  of 
what  a  kind  was  that  noise — a  gurgle  and  a  gasp,  accompanying  the  dying  spasm  of  the 
struck-down  man  1 

"  Once  more  the  weapon  was  lifted — I  saw  the  blood  flow  in  gory  horror  down  the 
blade  to  the  butcher's  hand,  and  there  it  was  visible,  in  God's  bright  sunshine,  to  the 
whole  host  of  heaven.  Not  a  word  had  yet  been  uttered  by  the  crowd.  More  chopping 
and  cleaving,  and  the  head,  severed  from  the  body,  was  put  by  the  Ju-ju  executioner 
into  a  calabash,  which  was  carried  off  by  one  of  bis  women  to  be  cooked.  He  then 
repeated  another  cabalistic  word,  or  perhaps  the  same  as  at  first,  and  directly  all  who 
were  seated  rose  up,  whilst  he  walked  away. 

"  A  yell,  such  as  reminded  me  of  a  company  of  tigers,  arose  from  the  multitude — 
cutlasses'  were  flourished  as  they  crowded  round  the  body  of  the  dead  man— sounds  of 
cutting  and  chopping  arose  amidst  the  clamour  of  the  voices,  and  I  began  to  question 
myself  whether,  if  I  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  Styx,  I  should  see  what  I  was 
looking  at  here  through  the  little  slit  in  the  wall  of  my  hiding-place :  a  crowd  of 
human  vultures  gloating  over  the  headless  corpse  of  a  murdered  brother  negro — boys  and 
girls  walking  away  from  the  crowd,  holding  pieces  of  bleeding  flesh  in  their  hands,  while 
the  dripping  life-fluid  marked  their  road  as  they  went  along ;  and  one  woman  snapping 
VOL.1.  3tx 


THE  JU-JU  EXECUTION. 


JP, 


f 


674 


BONNY. 


|.        T 


from  the  hands  of  another — ^both  of  them  raising  their  voices  in  clamonr — a  part  of  the 
body  of  that  poor  man,  in  vrhom  the  breath  of  life  was  vigorous  not  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  ago. 

"  The  whole  of  the  body  was  at  length  divided,  and  nothing  left  behind  but  the  blood. 
The  intestines  were  taken  away  to  be  given  to  an  iguana — the  Bonny-man's  tutelary 
guardian.  But  the  blood  was  still  there,  in  glistening  pools,  though  no  more  notice  was 
taken  of  it  by  the  gradually  dispersing  crowd  than  if  it  were  a  thing  as  common  in  that 
town  as  heaven's  bright  dew  is  elsewhere.  A  few  dogs  were  on  the  spot,  who  devoured 
the  fragments.  Two  men  arrived  to  spread  sand  over  the  place,  and  there  was  no  inter- 
ruption to  the  familiar  sound  of  coopers'  hammering  just  beginning  in  the  cask-houses, 
or  to  the  daily  work  of  hoisting  palm-oil  puncheons  on  board  the  ships." 

On  passing  the  Ju-ju  house  afterwards.  Dr.  Hutchinson  saw  the  relics  of  this  sacrifice. 
They  consisted  of  the  larger  bones  of  the  body  and  limbs,  which  had  evidently  been 
cooked,  and  every  particle  of  flesh  eaten  from  them.  The  head  is  the  perquisite  of  the 
executioner,  as  has  already  been  mentioned.  Some  months  afterwards.  Dr.  Hutchinson 
met  the  same  executioner,  who  was  said  to  have  exercised  his  office  again  a  few  days 
previously,  and  to  have  eaten  the  head  of  his  victim.  Being  upbraided  with  having 
committed  so  horrible  an  act,  he  replied  that  he  had  not  eaten  the  head — ^his  cook  having 
spoiled  it  by  not  having  put  enough  pepper  to  it. 

The  whole  life  of  the  Bonny-man,  and  indeed  of  all  the  many  tribes  that  inhabit  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Niger  and  live  along  it,  is  in  accordance  with  the  traits  which  have 
been  mentioned.  Of  course,  the  women  do  all  the  real  work,  the  man's  working-day  being 
usually  employed  in  coming  on  board  some  trading-ship  early  in  the  morning,  chaffering 
with  the  agent,  and  making  bargains  as  well  as  he  can.  He  asks  for  everything  he  sees, 
on  the  principle  that,  even  if  it  be  refused,  he  is  no  worse  after  than  before ;  contrives  to 
breakfast  as  many  times  as  possible  at  the  ship's  expense,  and  about  mid-day  goes  home 
to  repose  after  the  fatigues  of  the  day. 

As  to  his  dress,  it  consists  of  a  cloth,  in  the  choice  of  which  he  is  very  fastidious.  A 
handkerchief  is  folded  diagonally  and  passed  through  the  loop  of  his  knife-belt,  so  as  to 
attach  it  to  his  right  side,  and  this,  with  a  few  strings  of  beads  and  rings,  completes  his 
costume.  His  woolly  hair  is  combed  out  with  the  coarsest  imaginable  comb,  made  of  a 
few  wooden  skewers  lashed  side  by  side,  and  diverging  from  each  other  towards  the 
points,  and  his  skin  is  polished  up  with  palm-oil. 

The  women's  working-day  is  a  real  fact,  being  begun  by  washing  clothes  in  the 
creek,  and  consisting  of  making  nets,  hats,  lines,  and  mats,  and  going  to  market.  These 
are  the  favourites,  and  their  life  is  a  comparatively  easy  one ;  while  the  others,  on  whom 
their  despotic  master  does  not  deign  to  cast  an  eye  of  affection,  are  simply  his  slaves, 
and  are  subjected  to  water-drawing,  wood-cutting,  catching  and  curing  fish. 

The  dress  of  the  women  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  opposite  sex,  the  chief  distinction 
being  that  their  fashionable  paint  is  blue  instead  of  red.  The  colouring  is  put  on  by  a 
friend,  usually  one  who  regularly  practises  the  art  of  painting  the  human  body  in 

{)atterns.  Chequers,  like  those  that  wei*e  once  so  common  on  the  door-posts  of  public- 
louses,  are  very  much  in  favour,  and  so  are  wavy  stripes,  beginning  with  lines  scarcely 
thicker  than  hairs,  and  swelling  out  to  half  an  inch  or  more  in  breadth.  Arabesque 
patterns,  curves,  and  scrolls  are  also  largely  used. 

Throughout  a  considerable  portion  of  that  part  of  Western  Africa  which  is  inhabited 
by  the  negroes  there  is  found  a  semi-human  demon,  who  is  universally  respected,  at  least 
by  the  feminine  half  of  the  community.  His  name  is  Mumbo  Jumbo,  and  his  sway  is 
upheld  by  the  men,  while  the  women  have  no  alternative  but  to  submit  to  it. 

On  the  branch  of  a  tree  near  the  entrance  of  each  town  hangs  a  dress,  made  of  slips 
of  bark  sewn  rudely  together.  It  is  the  simplest  possible  dress,  being  little  more  than  a 
bark  sack,  with  a  hole  at  the  top  for  the  head  and  another  at  each  side  for  the  hands. 
Close  by  it  hangs  an  equally  simple  mask,  made  of  an  empty  gourd,  with  two  round  lioles 
for  the  eyes  of  the  wearer,  and  decorated  with  a  tuft  of  feathers.  In  order  to  make  it 
more  fantastically  hideous,  the  mask  is  painted  with  scarlet,  so  that  it  looks  very  much 
like  the  face  of  a  clown  in  a  pantomime. 


MUMBO  JUMBO. 


675 


our—a  part  of  the 
lot  a  quarter  of  an 

hind  but  the  blood, 
iny-man's  tutelary 
o  more  notice  was 
as  common  in  that 
}pot,  who  devoured 
there  was  no  inter- 
in  the  cask-houses 

ics  of  this  sacrifice. 
ad  evidently  been 
!  perquisite  of  the 
s,  Dr.  Hutchinson 
again  a  few  days 
lided  with  having 
— ^his  cook  haviiiff 

8  that  inhabit  the 
traits  which  have 
vorking-day  being 
loming,  chaffering 
verything  he  sees, 
fore ;  contrives  to 
lid-day  goes  home 

?ry  fastidious.  A 
nife-belt,  so  as  to 
»gs,  completes  his 
corpb,  made  of  a 
ther  towards  the 

Jg  clothes  in  the 
0  market.  These 
others,  on  whom 
jimply  his  slaves, 
sh. 

chief  distinction 
ng  is  put  on  by  a 
human  body  in 
-posts  of  public- 
th  lines  scarcely 
dth.    Arabesque 

hich  is  inhabited 
espected,  at  least 
and  his  sway  is 
oit. 

IS,  made  of  slips 
tie  more  than  a 
B  for  the  hands, 
two  round  holes 
order  to  make  it 
ooks  very  much 


At  night  the  people  assemble  as  usual  to  sing  and  danoe,  when  suddenly  faint  distant 
bowlings  are  heard  in  the  woods.  This  is  the  cry  of  Munibo  Jumbo,  and  all  the  women 
feel  horribly  frightened,  though  they  are  obliged  to  pretend  to  be  delighted.  The  cries 
are  heard  nearer  and  nearer,  and  at  last  Mumbo  Jumbo  himself,  followed  by  a  number  of 
attendants  armed  with  sticks,  and  clothed  in  the  dress  which  is  kept  for  his  use,  appears 
in  the  noisy  circle,  carrying  a  rod  in  his  hand.  He  is  loudly  welcomed,  %nd  the  song  and 
dance  goes  on  around  him  with  delight.  Suddenly,  Mumbo  Jumbo  walks  up  to  one  nf 
the  women  and  touches  her  with  his  rod.  His  attendants  instantly  seize  on  the  unfoitu- 
nate  woman,  tear  o£f  all  her  clothes,  di-ag  her  to  a  post  whidi  is  always  kept  for  such 
occasions,  tie  her  to  it,  and  inflict  a  ternfic  beating  ou  her.    Ho  one  dares  to  pity  hat. 


MUMBO  JUMJSa 


The  men  are  net  likely  to  do  so,  and  the  women  all  laugh  and  joer  at  their  suffering  com- 
panion, pointing  at  her  and  mocking  her  cries:  partly  because  they  fear  that  it  they 
did  not  do  so  they  might  be  selected  for  the  next  victims,  and  partly  because — ^like  the 
savages  that  they  are  at  heart — they  feel  an  exultation  at  seeing  some  one  sufieriug  a 
penalty  which  they  have  escaped. 

The  offence  for  which  the  woman  has  suffered  is  perfectly  well  known  by  all  tho 
spectators,  and  by  none  better  than  by  the  sufferer  herself.  The  fact  is,  she  has  been  bad- 
tempered  at  home,  quarrelling,  in  all  probability,  with  her  fellow  wives,  and  has  not 
yielded  to  the  admonitions  of  her  husband.  Consoquontlv,  at  the  next  favourable 
opportunity,  either  the  husband  himself,  or  a  man  whom  he  nas  instructed,  indues  the 
dress  of  Mumbo  Jumbo,  and  inflicts  a  punishment  which  serves  equally  as  a  corrective  to 
the  disobedient  wife  and  a  warning  to  others  that  they  bad  better  not  follow  her  example. 

xx2 


);:,fj 


K.* 


676 


BONNY. 


>w 


m  I 


Mumbo  Jumbo  does  not  always  make  his  appearance  bn  these  nocturnal  festivities, 
as  the  men  know  that  he  inspires  more  awe  if  he  is  reserved  for  those  instances  in 
which  the  husband  has  tried  all  the  means  in  his  power  to  keep  the  peace  at  home,  but 
finds  that  his  unsupported  authority  is  no  more  respected.  The  reader  will  remember 
that  a  demon  of  a  similar  character  is  to  be  found  in  Dahome. 

It  is  to  be  wished  that  all  the  superstitions  of  the  land  were  as  harmless  as  that  of 
Mumbo  Jumbo,  which  nobody  believes,  though  every  one  pretends  to  do  so,  and  which 
at  all  events,  has  some  influence  on  the  domestic  peace.  Some  of  them,  however,  art 
very  terrible,  and  involve  an  amount  of  human  suffering  which  would  deter  any  but  a 
Ravage  from  performing  them  It  is  very  difficult  to  learn  the  nature  of  these  supersti- 
tions, as  the  negroes  always  try  to  conceal  them  from  Europeans,  especially  when  they 
involve  the  shedding  of  blood.  One  astounding  instance  has,  however,  been  related.  A 
town  was  in  danger  of  attack  from  a  powerful  tribe  that  inhabited  the  neighbourhood,  and 
the  king  was  so  much  alarmed  that  he  sent  for  the  magicians,  and  consmted  with  them 
as  to  the  best  method  of  repelling  the  enemy. 

Accordingly,  the  people  were  summoned  together  in  front  of  the  principal  gate,  when 
two  holes  were  dug  in  the  ground  close  to  each  other.  Songs  and  dances  began  as  usual, 
until  suddenly  the  chief  magician  pointed  to  a  girl  who  was  standing  among  the  specta- 
tors. She  was  instantly  seized,  and  a  leg  thrust  into  each  hole,  which  was  then  filled  up 
with  earth  so  that  she  could  not  move.  By  command  of  the  mi^cians,  a  number  of  men 
brought  lumps  of  wet  day,  which  they  built  around  her  body  in  a  pillar-like  form,  knead- 
ing them  closely  as  they  proceeded,  and  gradually  covering  her  with  clay.  At  last  even 
her  head  was  covered  with  the  day,  and  the  poor  victim  of  superstition  soon  ceased  to 
breathe. 

This  clay  pillar  with  the  body  of  the  girl  within  it  stood  for  years  in  front  of  the  gate, 
and  so  terrified  were  the  hostile  tribes  at  so  powerful  a  fetish,  or  gregree,  that  they  dared 
not  carry  out  their  plan  of  attack. 

The  natives  erect  these  gregrees  on  every  imaginable  occasion,  and  so  ward  off  every 
possible  calamity;  and,  as  they  will  pay  freely  for  such  safeguards,  the  fetish-men  are 
naturally  unwilling  to  refuse  a  request,  and  so  to  break  up  a  profitable  trade.  They  are,  of 
course,  aware  that  their  clients  will  in  many  cases  suffer  from  the  very  calamity  which 
they  sought  to  avoid,  and  that  they  will  coqae  to  make  bitter  complaints.  They  therefore 
take  care  to  impose  on  the  recipient  some  condition  by  way  of  a  loop-hole,  through  which 
they  may  escape.  On  one  such  instance  the  man  bought  a  fetish  against  fever,  which, 
however,  seized  him  and  nearly  killed  him.  The  condition  which  had  been  imposed  on 
him  was  aminence  from  goats  flesh,  and  this  condition  he  knew  that  he  had  fulfilled. 
But  the  fetisn-man  was  not  to  be  baffled  by  such  a  complaint,  and  ntterly  discomfited  his 
angry  client  by  asserting  that,  when  his  patient  was  dining  at  another  town,,  a  personal 
enemy,  who  knew  the  conditions  on  which  the  gregree  was  given,  dropped  a  little  goat's- 
flesh  broth  into  his  bowl,  and  so  broke  the  spelT 

Absolute  faith  in  the  gregree  is  another  invariable  conditioa    On  one  stormy  day  a 
party  of  natives  had  to  cross  the  river,  and  applied  for  a  gregree  against  accidents.    The}! 
crossed  safely  enough,  but  on  re-crossing  the  boat  was  upset,  and  some  of  the  party  wen 
drowned.    The  survivors  went  in  a  body  to  the  gregree-maker,  and  upbraided  him  witl 
the  accident    He  heard  them  very  patiently,  and  then  informed  the  complainants  tha 
the  misfortune  was  entirely  caused  by  the  incredulity  of  the  steersman,  who  tried  t' 
sound  the  river  with  his  paddle  in  order  to  discover  whether  they  were  in  shallow  watei 
This  action  indicated  mistrust,  and  so  the  power  of  the  spell  was  broken.    The  cnnnin; 
fellow  had  seen  the  accident,  and,  having  ascertained  that  the  steersman  had  been  drowne( 
made  the  assertion  boldly,  knowing  that  the  men  bad  been  too  frightened  to  observe  dosel} 
and  that  the  accused  covdd  not  contradict  the  statement. 


i^ 


)ctupnal  festivities, 
hose  instances  in 
)eace  at  home,  but 
ler  will  remember 

annless  as  that  of 
do  so,  and  which 
lem,  however,  are 
i  deter  any  but  a 
of  these  supersti- 
ecially  when  they 
,  been  related.  A 
eighbourhood,  and 
isulted  with  them 

incipal  gate,  when 
Bs  began  as  usual, 
unong  the  specta- 
yaa  then  filled  up 
a  number  of  men 
^like  form,  knead- 
ly.  At  last  even 
m  soon  ceased  to 

front  of  the  gate, 
3,  that  they  dared 

?o  ward  off  every 
le  fetish-men  are 
rade.  They  are,  of 
y  calamity  which 
I  They  therefore 
|e,  through  which 
inst  fever,  which, 
been  imposed  on 
he  had  fulfilled. 
Y  discomfited  his 
town,,  a  personal 
3d  a  little  goat's- 

ne  stormy  day  a 
iccidents.    Thejf 
f  the  party  were 
i-aided  him  wit! 
mplainants  tha 
n,  who  tried  l 
I  shallow  watei 
.    The  cunnin; 
d  been  drownec 
observe  closelj 


CHAPTEB  LX. 


THE  MANDINGO£S. 


LANOUAOK  AND  APPKABANOB  OV  tHX  HANDnrOOBS — ^THBIS  BBUOION— -BBUBF  m  AimBTS— A  MAN- 
DINQO  SONG — M ABBtAOB  AND  CONDmON  Or  THB  WOMXN— NATIVB  COOKBBY— A  MANDINOO  UNO 
— INVLUBNCB  0¥  XAHOXBTANUIL 


Before  proceeding  across  the  continent  towards  Abyssinia,  we  must  briefly  notice  the 
Mandingo  nation,  who  inhabit  a  very  luge  tract  of  the  country  through  which  the 
Senegal  and  Gambia  flow. 

They  are  deserving  of  notice,  if  it  were  only  on  the  ground  that  their  language  is  more 
widely  spread  than  any  that  is  spoken  in  that  part  of  Africa,  and  that  any  traveller  who 
desires  to  dispense  as  far  as  possible  with  the  native  interpreters,  who  cannot  translate 
literally  if  they  would,  and  would  not  if  they  could,  is  forced  to  acquire  the  language 
before  proceeding  through  the  country.  Fortunately  it  is  a  peculiarly  melodious  lan- 
guage, almost  as  soft  as  the  Italian,  nearly  all  the  words  ending  in  a  voweL 

In  appearance  the  Mandingoes  are  tall  and  well  made,  and  have  the  woolly  hair, 
though  not  the  jetty  skin  and  enormous  lips,  of  the  true  negro.  "  The  structure  of  the 
language,"  says  Mr.  M'Brair,  who  has  made  it  his  special  study,  "  is  thoroughly  Eastern. 
In  some  of  its  grammatical  forms  it  resembles  the  Hebrew  and  Syriac ;  its  most  peculiar 
sound  is  of  the  Malay  family ;  its  method  of  interrogation  is  similar  to  that  of  the 
Chinese,  and  in  the  composition  of  some  verbs  it  is  like  the  Persian.  A  few  religious 
terms  have  been  borrowed  from  the  Arabic,  and  some  articles  of  foreign  mann£acture  are 
called  after  their  European  names." 

As  a  rule,  the  religion  of  the  Mandingoes  is  Mahometanism,  modified  to  suit  the 
people,  but  they  still  retoin  enough  of  the  original  negro  character  to  have  an  intense  faith 
in  gregrees,  which  are  made  for  them  by  the  marabouts,  or  holy  men,  and  almost  inva- 
riably consist  of  sentences  of  the  Koran,  sewn  up  in  little  leathern  cases  beautifully 
tanned  and  stamped  in  patterns.  Mahometanism  has  put  an  end  to  the  noisy  songs  and 
dances  which  make  night  hideous ;  but  the  Mandingoes  contrive,  nevertheless,  to  indulge 
their  taste  for  religious  noise  at  night.  Instead  of  singing  profane  songs  they  sing  or 
intone  the  Koran,  bawling  the  sacred  sentences  at  the  fim  stretch  of  their  voices,  and 
murdering  sleep  as  effectually  as  if  they  had  been  still  benighted  idolaters  singing  praises 
in  honour  of  the  moon.  Some  ceremonies  in  honour  of  the  moon  still  remain,  but  are 
quite  harmless.  When  it  appears,  they  salute  it  by  spitting  in  their  hands  and  waving 
them  round  their  heads.  For  eclipses  they  account  by  saying  that  there  is  a  large  cat 
living  somewhere  in  the  sky,  who  puts  her  paw  between  the  moon  and  the  earth. 

iniey  are  very  strict  Mahometans  indeed,  the  marabouts  always  calling  them  to 
prayers  one  hour  before  sunrise ;  that,  according  to  theological  astronomy,  being  the  time 
at  which  the  sun  rises  at  Mecca.  Mahometanism  has  done  much  tor  the  Mandingoes. 
It  has  substituted  monotheism  for  idolatry,  and  totally  abolished  human  sacrifices.    It 


678 


THE  MANDINGOEa 


SU.'  ■■'■-■- 


R,l^ 


It 


I:? 


has  not  extirpated  the  innate  negro  character  of  the  Mandingoes ;  but  it  has  raised  them 
greatly  in  the  scale  of  humanity.  It  has  not  cured  them  of  lying  and  stealing — neither  of 
which  vices,  by  the  way,  are  confined  to  idolaters ;  but  it  has  brought  them  to  abhor  the 
system  of  child-selling,  which  is  so  ingrained  in  the  ordinar}r  negro,  and  a  Mandingo 
Mahometan  will  not  even  sell  a  slave  unless  there  is  just  cause  of  complaint 
against  him. 

The  Rhamadan,  or  Mahometan  fast,  is  rigidly  observed  by  the  Mandingoes,  and  it  is 
no  small  proof  of  the  power  of  their  religious  system  that  it  has  made  a  negro  abstain 
from  anything  which  he  likes. 

The  principal  rite  of  Mahometanism  is  of  course  practised  by  the  Mandingoes,  who 
have  contrived  to  engraft  upon  it  one  of  their  own  superstitions,  namely,  that  if  a  lad 
remains  uncirc'imcised,  he  is  swallowed  by  a  peripatetic  demon,  who  carries  him  for 
nine  days  in  his  belly.  This  legend  is  religiously  believed,  and  no  one  has  yet  been 
Jarins;  enough  to  put  it  to  the  test 

Fourteen  years  is  the  usual  age  for  performing  this  ceremony,  whole  companies  of 
lads  partaking  of  it  at  the  same  time,  and  proceeding  to  the  appointed  spot,  accompanied 
by  their  friends  and  relatives,  who  dance  and  sing  songs  by  the  way,  neither  of  them 
being  peculiarly  delicate.  Here  the  old  negro  nature  shows  itself  again,  proving  the 
truth  of  the  axiom  that  nature  expelled  with  a  pitchfork  always  comes  back  again. 
After  the  ceremony  they  pass  a  month  in  an  intermediate  state  of  existence.  They  have 
taken  leave  of  their  boyhood,  and  are  not  yet  men.  So  until  the  expiration  of  the 
month  they  are  allowed  unlimited  licence,  but  after  that  time  they  become  men,  and  are 
ranked  with  their  fathers.  Even  the  girls  undergo  a  ceremony  of  a  somewhat  similar 
character,  the  officiants  being  the  wives  of  the  marabouts. 

As  a  natural  consequence  of  this  i-eligion,  which  is  a  mixture  of  Mahometanism 
engrafted  upon  fetishism,  the  marabouts  hold  much  the  same  exalted  position  as  the  fetish- 
men  of  the  idolaters,  and  are  the  most  important  men  of  the  community.  They  do  not 
dress  differently  from  the  laity,  but  are  distinguished  by  the  colours  of  their  caps,  which 
are  of  some  brilliant  hue,  such  as  red,  blue,  or  yellow.  The  whole  of  education  is  in 
their  hands,  some  being  itinerant  teachers,  and  othera  establishing  regular  schools 
Others,  again,  mingle  the  characters  of  musicians  and  merchants,  and  all  make  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  their  living  by  the  sale  of  amulets,  wuich  are  nothing  more  than  Mahome- 
tanized  gregrees.  So  great  is  the  demand  for  these  amulets,  that  a  wealthy  man  is  some- 
times absolutely  inclosed  in  a  leathern  cuirass  composed  of  nothing  but  amulets  sewn  up 
in  their  neat  leathern  cases. 

One  of  tht  Mandingo  songs,  translated  by  Mr.  W.  Beade,  shows  clearly  the  opinion  in 
which  these  men  are  held.  "  If  you  know  how  to  write  Marabout  (t.e.  Arabic,  and  not 
Mandingo),  you  will  become  one  of  the  disciples  of  God.  If  you  know  Marabout,  you 
are  the  greatest  of  your  family.  You  maintain  them.  If  they  commit  a  fault,  it  is  you 
who  will  protect  them." 

Another  of  these  proverbial  sayings  expresses  the  uselessness  of  gregrees.  "Tlie 
Tubabs  went  against  Galam.  The  King  of  Maiel  said  to  a  woman,  'Take  your  child,  put 
it  in  a  mortar,  and  pound  it  to  dust  From  its  dust  I  will  make  a  man  rise  who  will  save 
our  town.' 

"  The  woman  pounded  her  child  to  dust  From  the  dust  came  a  man ;  but  the  Tubals 
took  Maiel."  The  "Tubabs"  are  the  French,  and  the  saying  evidently  refers  to  the 
manufacture  of  a  gregree  similar  in  character  to  that  which  has  been  mentioned  on 
page  676. 

Still,  their  innate  belief  in  the  power  of  gregrees  is  too  strong  to  b**  en*'  ely  eradi- 
cated :  and  if  one  of  their  chief  men  dies,  they  keep  his  death  secret,  and  buiy  his  body  in 
a  private  spot,  thinking  that  if  an  enemy  could  get  possession  of  his  blade-bone  he  would 
make  a  gregree  with  it,  by  means  of  which  he  could  usurp  the  kingdom  for  himself. 

Marriages  are  solemnized  by  the  marabout  in  the  mosque,  with  an  odd  mixture  of 
ti.  ive  and  borrowed  ceremonies..  Next  to  the  marabout  the  bridegroom's  sister  plays  the 
moot  important  part  at  the  ceremony  and  in  the  future  household ;  gives  the  article  of 
clothing  which  takes  the  place  of  our  wedding-ring,  and  which  in  this  country  would  be 


A  NATIVE  BILL  OF  FARE. 


679 


t  it  has  raised  them 
stealing— neither  of 
them  to  abhor  the 
',  and  a  Mandingo 
ause  of  compldat 

ndingoes,  and  it  is 
ie  a  negro  abstain 

Mandingoes,  who 

mely,  that  if  a  lad 

10  carries  him  for 

one  has  yet  been 

hole  companies  of 
spot,  accompanied 
Y,  neither  of  them 
again,  proving  the 
jomes  back  again, 
tence.  They  have 
expiration  of  the 
ome  men,  and  are 
somewhat  similar 

•f  Mahometanism 
iition  as  the  fetish- 
ity.  They  do  not 
their  caps,  which 
)f  education  is  in 
f  regular  schools 
II  make  the  prin- 
re  than  Mahonie- 
Ithy  man  is  some- 
amulets  sewn  up 

rly  the  opinion  in 
.  Arabic,  and  not 
w  Marabout,  you 
a  fault,  it  is  you 

gregrees.  "Tlie 
e  your  child,  put 
rise  who  will  save 

1 ;  hut  the  Tubals 
tly  refers  to  the 
in  mentioned  on 

)f^  en?'  ely  eradi- 
buiy  his  body  in 
B-bone  he  would 
or  himself, 
odd  mixture  of 
sister  plays  the 
5S  the  article  of 
•uutry  would  be 


thought  rather  ominona,— namely,  a  paw  of  trouserB  and, 
if  a  child  be  bom  of  the  marriaffe,  has  the  privilege  of 
naming  it.  Polygamy  is,  of  course,  the  rule,  and  each  woman 
has  her  own  house.  So,  when  a  girl  is  married,  she  stays 
with  her  parents  until  her  own  house  is  built,  when  she  is 
conducted  to  it  in  great  state  bv  her  young  friends,  who  sing 
a  mournful  song  deploring  the  loss  of  their  companion. 

The  women  have  every  reason  to  be  C'Onteuted  with  their 
lot.  They  are  not  degraded  slaves,  like  the  married  women 
in  so  many  parts  of  Africa,  and,  if  anything,  have  the  upper 
hand  of  their  husbands.  "They  are  the  most  tyrannical 
wives  in  Africa,"  writes  Mr.  Reade.  "Thgy  know  how  to 
make  their  husbands  kneel  before  their  charms,  and  how  to 
place  their  little  feet  upon  thent  When  they  are  threatened 
with  divorce,  they  shed  tears,  and  if  a  man  repudiates  his  wife, 
they  attack  him  en  masse — ^they  hate,  but  protect,  each  other. 

"  They  go  to  this  unfortunate  husband,  who  has  never  felt 
or  enjoyed  a  quiet  moment  in  his  own  house,  and  say, '  Why 
do  you  ill-treat  your  wife?  A  woman  is  helpless;  a  man 
has  all  things.  Go,  recall  her,  and,  to  appease  her  just  anger, 
make  her  a  kind  present'  The  husband  prays  for  forgive- 
ness, and,  when  his  entreaties  take  the  form  of  a  bullouk  or 
a  slave,  she  consents  to  return."  / 

The  food  of  the  Mandingoes  is  chiefly  rice  and  milk,  but 
when  they  are  wealthy  they  indulge  in  many  luxuries.  The 
same  author  who  has  just  been  quoted  gives  the  details  of 
an  entertainment  cooked  by  half-bi'ed  Mandingoes.  First 
they  had  oysters  plucked  from  the  branches  of  trees,  to  which 
they  attached  themselves  at  high  water,  and  are  left  sus- 
pended when  the  floods  recede.  Then  there  were  soles,  carp, 
and  mullet,  all  very  bad,  but  very  well  cx)oked.  "Then 
followed  gazelle  cutlets  d  la  papillote ;  two  small  monkeys 
<3erved  cross-legged  and  with  liver  sauce,  on  toast;  stewed 
iguana,  which  was  much  admired ;  a  dish  of  roasted  cro- 
codiles' eggs;  some  slices  of  smokod  elephant  (from  the 
interior),  which  none  of  us  could  touch ;  a  few  agreeable 
plates  of  fried  locusts,  land-crabs  (previously  fattened),  and 
other  crustaceae ;  the  breasts  of  a  mernmid,  or  manatee,  the 
grand  honne-ioiicJie  of  the  repast;  some  boiled  alligator, 
which  had  a  taste  between  pork  and  eod,  with  the  addition 
of  a  musky  flavour;  and  some  hippopotamus'  steaks— ai^ 
pommes  de  terre. 

"We  might  have  obtained  a  better  dessert  at  Covent 
Garden,  where  we  can  see  the  bright  side  of  the  tropics 
without  the  trouble  or  expense  of  travelling.  But  we  had 
pine-apples,  oranges,  roasted  plantains,  silver  bananas,  papaus 
(which,  when  made  into  a  tart  with  cloves,  might  be  taken 
for  apples),  and  a  variety  of  fruits  which  had  long  native 
names,  curious  shapes,  and  all  of  them  very  nasty  tastes. 
The  celebrated  *  cabbage,'  or  topmost  bud  of  the  palm-tree, 
also  formed  part  of  the  repast,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  finest 
vegetable  in  the  world.  When  stewed  en  sauce  blanche,  it  is 
not  to  be  compared  with  any  vegetable  of  mortal  growth. 
It  must  have  been  the  ambrosia  of  the  gods." 

The  Mandingoes  who  have  not  embraced  Mahometanism  are  much  inferior  to  their 
compatriots  who  have  renounced  their  fetishism.    Mr.  Beade  tells  a  ludicrous  story  of  a 


•r  5; 


1\ 


>  ti 


I 

IV 


QUIVRR  AXD  ARR0W& 

(from  my  coI{<cl<oit.) 


'm 


680 


THE  MANBINOOES. 


>rT^ 


native  "  king,"  who  was  even  dirtier  than  any  of  his  subjects,  and  if  possible  was  vglier,  his 
face  being  devoid  of  intelligence  and  utterly  brntish;  he  made  long  speeches  in  Mandingo, 
which,  as  usual  with  such  speeches,  were  simply  demands  for  everything  he  saw,  and  acted 
in  a  manner  so  consonant  witK  his  appearance,  that  he  excited  universal  disgust,  and 
remarks  were  madfi^  very  freely  on  the  disadvantages  of  being  entirely  in  a  savage  state, 
and  never  having  mixed  with  superior  beings. 

At  last  the  tedious  interpreting  business  was  at  an  end,  and  nothing  remained  except 
the  number  of  kola*nuts  to  be  given  as  the  present  of  friendship— a  customary  ceremony 
in  this  country.  Six  had  been  given,  and  the  king  made  a  long  speech,  which  turned  out 
to  be  a  request  for  more.  "  Well,  we  can't  very  well  refuse  the  dirty  rufi&an,"  said  the 
visitor ;  "give  him  four  more,  that  will  make  ten." 

"  Make  it  twenty''  cried  the  king  eagerly^  foigetting  that  his  r6le  was  to  appear  ignorant 
of  English.  He  had  lived  for  some  years  at  Sierra  Lrone,  and  could  speak  English  as  well 
as  any  one  when  he  chose,  and  had  heard  all  the  remarks  upon  his  peculiar  appearance 
without  giving  the  least  indication  that  he  understood  a  word  that  was  said. 

One  of  the  old  superstitions  which  still  holds  its  own  against  the  advance  of  Mahomet- 
anism  is  one  which  belongs  to  an  island  on  the  Upper  Biver.  On  this  island  there  is  a 
mountain,  and  on  the  mountain  lives  a  spirit  who  has  the  unpleasant  power  of  afflicting 
human  beings  so  severely  that  they  can  never  sit  down  for  the  rest  of  tneir  lives.  There* 
fore,  on  passing  the  hill,  it  is  necessary  to  unclothe  the  body  from  the  waist  downward,  to 
turn  the  back  to  the  mountain,  and  pray  the  spirit  to  have  compassion  on  his  votaries, 
and  continue  to  them  the  privilege  of  sitting. 

Every  one  is  forced  to  underao  this  ceremony,  but  fortunately  the  spirit  is  content  if 
it  be  performed  by  deputy,  and  all  travellers  therefore,  whether  men  or  women,  pay  natives 
of  their  own  sex  to  perform  this  interesting  rite  for  them  However,  like  the  well-known 
etiquette  of  cit)ssing  the  line,  this  ceremony  need  only  be  performed  on  the  first  time  of 
passiiig  the  hill,  the  spirit  being  satisfied  with  the  tribute  to  his  power. 

The  universal  superstition  respecting  the  power  of  human  beings  to  change  themselves 
into  bestial  shapes  still  reigns  among  the  Mandingoes,  and  it  is  rather  doubtful' whether 
even  the  followers  of  Mohammed  have  shaken  themselves  quite  free  from  the  old  belief. 
The  crocodile  is  the  animal  whose  form  is  most  usually  taken  among  the  Mandingoes,  and 
on  one  occasion  a  man  who  had  been  bitten  by  a  crocodile,  and  narrowly  escaped  with  his 
life,  not  only  said  that  the  reptile  was  a  metamorphosed  man,  but  even  named  the  individual 
whom  he  knew  himself  to  have  offended  a  few  days  before  the  accident. 


t 
1 
( 


-I  - 


t 


uible  was  uglier,  his 
»eches  in  Mandiogo, 
ig  he  saw,  and  acted 
iversal  disgust,  and 
ly  in  a  savage  state, 

ig  remained  except 
istomary  ceremony 
1,  which  turned  out 
y  ruffian,"  said  the 

s  to  appear  ignorant 
>eak  English  as  well 
•eculiar,  appearance 
said. 

vance  of  Mahomet- 
)  island  there  is  a 
power  of  afflicting 
iheir  livea  There- 
n^aist  downward,  to 
on  on  his  votaries, 

spirit  is  content  if 
iromen,  pay  natives 
ke  the  well-known 
1  the  first  time  of 

change  themselves 
doubtful'whether 
)m  the  old  belief. 
I  Mandingoes,  and 
r  escaped  with  his 
ned  the  individual 


CHAPTER  LXI. 


THE  BUSES  AND  0ONO0E8B. 


nH  NAMB  or  TRR  BUBS8 — THKIB  LTlimD  BAHOII — APPSAMAWOI  AMD  MimniBS  OF  TBI  MBW— 
TOLA  PABTa — ^BBASONt  VOB  NUDITY — BOB*  ABCaiTBOTCBB  — OBMRBAb  OHABAOTBB  OV  TRB 
BVBftS — A  WBDOnrO  AT  FBBITANOO  PO^ONQO— TTS  OBOOBAPRXCAL  P0UTI0N--<I0BI0VS  TAZA« 
TION — BKLIOION  OF  OONOO — THR  CHrrOMft  AND  HIS  POWBBS^HIS  DBATH,  AND  LAW  OF 
BUCCBSSION — THB  NOHOMBO  AND  HIS  MODB  OF  WALKINO— THB  OBDBAL— ORBKMONV  OF  CBOWN- 
JNO  A  KINO — ^THB  BOTAL  BOBBS — THB  WOHBN  OF  OONQO— BABbX  HISTOBV  OF  THB  OOONTBT 
— ^THB  FBKALB  MONABOK — THB  FATB  OF  TBXBAMDUMBA. 

The  Bub^  tnbe  (which  unfortunately  is  pronounced  Boobv)  is  a  really  interesting  one,  and, 
but  for  the  rapidly  decreasing  space,  would  be  described  in  detail  The  real  name  of  the 
tribe  is  Adizah,  but  as  they  are  in  the  habit  of  addressing  others  as  Bvihi,  i.e.  Man,  the 
term  has  clung  to  them. 

The  Bub4s  inhabit  Fernando  Po,  and,  although  some  of  them  believe  themselves  to  be 
aborigines  of  the  island,  have  evidently  come  nom  the  mainlwd.  They  have,  however, 
no  particular  pride  in  their  autocthonic  origin,  and,  if  questioned,  are  peneotly  content  to 
say  that  they  came  from  their  parents. 

The  Bubes  inhabit  only  one  zone  in  Fernando  Po.  The  sea  air  is  too  soft  and  wann 
for  them,  and,  besides,  there  is  danger  of  being  carried  oif  by  the  slavers.  More  than  three 
thov<iand  feet  above  the  sea  they  cannot  exist,  no€  because  the  climate  is  too  cold,  but 
because  the  palms  and  plantains  on  which  they  live  will  not  flourish  there.  With  the 
exception  of  those  individuals  who  have  come  under  the  sway  of  the  missionaries,  the 
Bubes  wear  no  clothes  except  closely-fitting  coats  of  palm-oil,  or,  on  crand  occasions,  of  tola 
paste,  ie.  palm  oil  bruised  and  mixed  with  the  leaves  of  the  tola  herb.  This  paste  has 
a  powerful  and  very  peculiar  odour,  and  the  first  intimation  of  the  vicinity  of  a  Bub4 
village  is  usually  the  scent  of  the  tola  paste  borne  on  the  breeze. 

The  men  wear  large  flat  hats  made  of  wicker-work  covered  with  monkev-skin,  and 
used  chiefly  to  guard  themselves  from  the  tree-suake.  The  women  are  dressea  in  exactly 
the  same  fashion,  but  without  the  hat,  their  husbands  perhaps  thinking  that  women  cannot 
be  hurt  by  snakes.  The  hat  is  fastened  to  the  head  by  skewers  made  of  the  bone  of  the 
monkey's  leg,  and  the  hair  itself  is  plentifully  greased  and  adorned  with  yellow  ochre,  and 
manipulated  so  that  it  looks  as  if  it  were  covered  with  little  gilded  peas.  Bound  the 
upper  arm  is  tied  a  piece  of  string,  which  holds  a  knife  for  the  man  and  a  pipe  for  the 
woman.  Clothing  is  to  them  a  positive  infliction,  and  Captain  Burton  remarks  that,  even 
at  an  elevation  of  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  he  offered  the  Bub^s  blankets,  but  they 
would  not  have  them;  though  they  found  the  warmth  of  the  fire  acceptable  to  them. 

They  have  a  legend  which  explains  their  nudity.  Manv  years  ago  a  M'pongwe  magician 
made  fetish  upon  his  great  war  spear,  and  killed  numbers  of  tnem,  so  that  they  fled. 
They  then  made  a  law  that  the  Bub4  should  wear  no  clothing  until  they  had  conquered 
the  M'pongwe,  aud  that  law  they  have  kept  to  the  present  day. 


i^Ma 


•\i,i 


I 


682 


THE  fiUB£& 


Jfp'r 


i'  t 


ir   ^' 


Taken  a«  a  savage,  the  Bub^  is  a  wonderfully  good  specimen.  He  is  very  industriom, 
laying  out  yam  fields  and  farms  at  some  distance  from  his  house,  in  order  to  prevent  ku 
domestic  animals  from  straying  into  it,  and  he  is  the  best  palm- wine  maker  m  Western 
Africa.  He  neither  will  be  a  slave  himself,  nor  keep  slaves,  preferring  to  work  for  him. 
self;  and,  after  working  hard  at  his  farm,  he  will  start  off  into  the  woods  to  shoot  monkevs 
or  squirrels.  He  is  a  good  athlete,  and  handles  his  great  staif  with  such  address  that  he 
is  a  very  formidable  antagonist  He  is  an  admirable  linguist,  picking  up  languages  with 
astonishing  roodincss,  and  he  is  absolutely  honest.  "  You  may  safely  deposit  rum  and 
tobacco  in  his  street,  and  he  will  pay  his  debt  as  surely  as  the  Bank  of  England."  Thii 
testimony  is  given  by  Captain  Burton,  who  certainly  cannot  be  accused  of  painting  the 
native  African  in  too  brignt  colours. 

Yet  he  never  trusts  any  one.  He  will  deal  with  you  most  honourably,  but  he  will  never 
tell  you  his  name.  If  you  present  gifts  to  him,  he  takes  them,  but  with  suspicion : 
"  Timet  Danaos  et  dona  ferentes."  If  you  enter  his  village  unexpectedly,  he  turns  out 
armed,  and, "  if  you  are  fond  of  collecting  vocabularies,  may  the  god  of  speech  direct  you." 
The  fact  is,  he  has  been  so  cheated  and  plundered  that  he  now  suspects  all  men  alike,  and 
will  not  trust  even  his  fellow-countrymen  of  the  next  village. 

He  treats  his  wife  pretty  well,  but  has  an  odd  ascending  series  of  punishments.  Should 
he  detect  her  in  an  infidelity,  he  boils  a  pot  of  oil,  cuts  off  the  offender's  left  hand,  and 
plunges  the  stump  into  the  oil  to  heal  the  bleeding.  For  the  second  oiTence  she  loses 
the  right  hand,  and  for  the  third  the  head,  on  which  occasion  the  boiling  oil  is  not 
required.  Partly  on  account  of  this  law,  and  partly  on  account  of  their  >i^lines3,  which 
is  said  to  be  portentous,  the  women  display  better  morals  than  the  gecei  dity  of  their 
African  sisters. 

Dr.  Hutchinson,  who  resided  in  Fernando  Po  for  some  time,  has  not  a  very  favourable 
opinion  of  the  Bubds,  thinking  that  the  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  of  tlieir  tribe  form  the 
greatest  obstacle  to  civilization.  He  states,  moreover,  that,  although  the  Baptist  mis- 
sionaries have  been  hard  at  work  among  them  for  seventeen  years,  they  had  not  succeeded 
iu  Christianizing  or  civilizing,  or  even  humanizing,  a  single  Bub^. 

They  are  not  an  intellectual  race,  and  do  not  appear  to  know  or  care  much  about  tlio 
division  of  time,  the  new  moon  and  the  beginning  of  the  dry  i-pason  marking  their  monthly 
and  annual  epochs.  The  latter  begins  in  November,  and  for  iwo  months  the  Bub^s  hold 
a  festival  called  Lobo,  in  which  marriages  are  generally  celebrated.  Dr.  Hutchinson  was 
able  to  witness  a  Bubd  marriage,  and  has  given  a  very  amusing  account  of  it.  The  bride 
was  a  daughter  of  the  king.  "  On  getting  inside  of  the  town  our  first  object  of  attraction 
was  the  cooking  going  on  in  his  Majesty's  kitchen.  Here  a  nnmber  of  dead  '  ipa '  (porcu- 
pines) and  'litcha'  (gazelles)  were  in  readiness  to  be  mingled  up  with  palm-oil,  and 
several  grubs  writhing  on  skewers,  probably  to  add  piquancy  to  the  dishes.  These  are 
called  '  inchaee,'  being  obtained  from  palm-trees,  and  look  at  first  sight  like  Brobdignagian 
maggots.  Instead  of  waiting  to  see  the  art  of  the  Feniandian  Soyer  on  these  components, 
I  congratulated  myself  on  my  ham  sandwiches  and  brandy-and-water  bottle  safely  stowed 
in  my  portmanteau,  which  one  of  the  Krumen  carried  on  his  back,  and  sat  on  my  camp- 
stool  beneath  the  grateful  shade  of  a  palm-tree  to  rest  a  while. 

"  Outside  a  small  hut  belonging  to  the  mother  of  the  bride-expectant,  I  soon 
recognised  the  happy  bridegroom,  undergoing  his  toilet  from  the  hands  of  his  futyie 
wife's  sister.  A  profusion  of  tshibbu  strings  (i.e.  small  pieces  of  Achateclona  shell, 
which  represent  the  currency  in  Fernando  Po)  being  fastened  round  his  body,  as  well  asj 
his  legs  and  arms,  the  anointing  lady  (having  a  short  black  pipe  in  her  mouth)  proceeded' 
to  putty  him  over  with  tola  paste.  He  seemed  not  altogether  joyous  at  the  anticipation 
of  his  approaching  happiness,  but  turned  a  sulky  gaze  now  and  then  to  a  kidney-shaped 
piece  of  brown-painted  yam,  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  which  had  a  parrot's  red 
feather  fixed  on  its  convex  side.  This  I  was  informed  was  called  'ntsheba,'  and  ia 
regarded  as  a  protection  against  evil  influence  during  the  important  day. 

"  Two  skewer-looking  hair-pins,  with  heads  of  red  and  white  glass  beads,  fastened  his 
hat  (which  was  nothing  more  than  a  disk  of  bamboo  plaiting)  to  the  hair  of  his  head ; 
and  bis  toilet  being  complete,  he  and  one  of  the  bridesmen,  as  elaborately  dressed  as 


I 


He  is  very  industrioin 
a  order  to  prevent  his 
'ine  maker  in  Western 
ring  to  work  for  liim. 
oods  to  shoot  monkeyi 
h  such  address  that  he 
cing  up  languages  with 
ifely  deposit  rum  and 
k  of  England."  Thij 
cused  of  painting 

ably,  but  he  will  never 
,  but  with  suspicion: 
>ectedly,  he  turns  out 
of  speech  direct  you." 
!cts  all  men  alike,  and 

punishments.  Should 
snder's  left  hand,  and 
cond  offence  she  loses 
ihe  boiling  oil  is  not 
their  'ighness,  which 
»e  gecex  tlity  of  their 

not  a  very  favourable 
r  tlieir  tribe  form  the 
gh  the  Baptist  mis- 
ey  had  not  succeeded 

sare  much  about  tlio 
arking  their  monthly 
nths  the  Bub^s  hold 
Dr.  Hutchinson  was 
mt  of  it.  The  bride 
it  object  of  attraction 
)f  dead  'ipa'  (porcu- 
"with  palm-oil,  and 
>  dishea.  These  are 
b  like  Brobdignagian 
n  these  components, 
bottle  safely  stowed 
id  sat  on  my  camp- 

i-expectant,  I  soon 
lands  of  his  futyie 
-Achatectona  shell, 
lis  body,  as  well  asj 
T  mouth)  proceeded' 
I  at  the  anticipation 
to  a  kidney-shaped 
had  a  parrot's  red 
I  'ntsheba,'  and  is 

y- 

beads,  fastened  his 

hair  of  his  head ; 

borately  dressed  as 


THE  WEDDINQ  DRESS. 


683 


himself,  attacked  a  mess  of  stewed  flesh  and  palm-oil  placed  beftW^  '^m,  as  ea^  <ly  as 
if  they  had  not  taisted  food  for  a  fortnight  In  discussing  this  meu.  iMy  folio-  1  the 
mmi^ve  usage  of  'fingers  before  forks,'  only  resting  now  and  then  to  take  a  vuip  of 
)alm-wine  out  of  a  calabash  which  was  hard  by,  or  to  wipe  their  hands  on  napkins  of  cocoa- 
eaf,  a  process  which,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  added  nothing  to  their  washerwoman's  bill  at 
the  end  of  the  week. 

"  But  the  bride !  Here  she  comes !  Led  forth  by  her  own  and  her  husband- 
expectant's  mother,  each  holding  her  by  a  hand,  followed  by  two  '  nepees '  (professional 
singers)  and  half-a-dozen  bridesmaids.    Nothing  short  of  a  correct  photograph  could 


■  - 

■  i' 

>!!' 

, 

V 
V  I 

41 

h  ; 

iSi 

•   '4  . 

t 
.  f 

t 

■>[i 

1 

,1  t^^\a.^  •-  ■■  '.IT?  r  \  n  H 


convey  an  idea  of  her  appearance.  Borne  down  by  the  weight  of  rings,  wreaths,  and 
girdles  of  '  tshibbu,'  the  tola  pomatum  gave  her  the  appearance  '  r  ah  exhumed  mummy, 
save  her  face,  which  was  all  white — not  from  excess  of  modesty  (and  here  I  may  add, 
the  negro  race  are  expected  always  to  blush  blue),  but  from  being  smeared  over  with  a 
white  paste,  symbolical  of  purity.  j  j     •  v      j    i. 

"  As  soon  as  she  was  outside  the  paling,  her  bridal  attire  was  proceeded  with,  and  the 
whole  body  was  plastered  over  with  white  stuff.     A  veil  of  strings  of  tshibbu  shellB, 


684 


THEBUB£a 


Ell  ktL. 


IK 


I' 


completely  covering  her  fitce,  and  extending  from  the  crown  of  her  head  to  the  chin,  as 
well  u  on  each  side  Atom  ear  to  ear,  was  then  thrown  over  her ;  over  this  was  placed  an 
enormous  helmet  made  of  cowhide ;  and  any  one  with  a  spark  of  compassion  in  nim  nould 
not  help  pitying  that  poor  creature,  standing  for  more  than  an  hour  under  the  broiling 
iuu,  with  such  a  load  on  her,  whilst  the  uepees  were  celebrating  her  praises  in  an 
extempore  epithalamium,  and  the  bridegroom  was  completing  his  finerv  elsewhere. 

"  Next  came  a  long  chant — ^musical  people  would  call  it  a  howl — by  the  diief  nepee. 
It  was  about  as  Ions  as  '  Chevy  Chase,'  and  celebrated  the  beauties  and  many  virtues  of 
the  bride,  among  which  was  rather  oddly  mentioned  the  delicious  smell  which  proceeded 
firom  her.  At  every  pause  in  the  chant  the  audience  struck  in  with  a  chorus  of  '  Hee  I 
hee  1  jee  I  eh  1'  and  when  it  was  over  the  ceremony  proceeded. 

"  The  candidates  for  marriajn  havb^  taken  their  positions  side  by  side  in  the  open 
air,  fronting  the  little  house  from  which  the  bride-elect  had  been  led  out  by  the  two 
mothers,  and  where  I  was  informed  she  had  been  closely  immured  for  fifteen  months 
previous,  the  ceremony  commenced.  The  mothers  were  the  officiating  priests — an  insti- 
ttttion  of  natural  simplicity,  whose  homely  origin  no  one  will  dare  to  impugn.  On  these 
occasions  the  mother-bishopa  are  prophetically  entitled  'boowanas,'  the  Femandian  for 
grandmother. 

"  Five  bridesmaids  marshalled  themselves  alongside  the  bride-postulant,  each,  in 
rotation,  some  inches  lower  than  the  other,  the  outside  one  being  a  mere  infant  in  stature, 
and  all  having  bunches  of  parrots'  feathers  on  their  heads,  as  well  as  holding  a  wand  iu 
their  right  hands.  The  mother  stood  behind  the  'happy  pair,'  and  folded  an  arm  of  each 
round  the  body  of  the  other— nepees  chanting  all  the  while,  so  that  it  was  barely 
possible  for  my  interpreter  to  catch  the  words  by  which  they  were  formally  solderud. 
A  string  of  tshibbu  was  fastened  round  both  arms  by  the  bridesroom's  mother ;  she, 
at  the  same  time,  whispering  to  him  advice  to  take  care  of  this  tender  lamb,  even  though 
he  had  half-a-dozen  wives  Mfore.  The  string  was  then  unloosed.  It  was  again  fastened 
on  by  the  bride's  mother,  who  whispered  into  her  daughter's  ear  her  dutv  to  attend  to 
her  husband's  farm,  tilling  his  yams  and  cassava,  and  the  necessity  of  her  being  faithliil 
to  him.  The  ratification  m  their  promise  to  fulfil  these  conditions  was  efiected  by  passing 
a  goblet  of  palm-wine  from  mother  to  son  (the  bridegroom),  from  him  to  his  bride,  from 
her  to  her  mother,  each  taking  a  sip  as  it  went  round. 

"  Then  an  indiscriminate  dance  and  chant  commenced ;  and  the  whole  scene— the 
tola  paste  laid  on  some  faces  so  thickly  that  one  might  imagine  it  was  intended  to  affix 
something  to  them  by  means  of  it — the  danulin^  musk-cat  and  monkey  tails— the  disk 
hats  and  parrots'  feathers — the  branches  of  wild  fern  and  strings  of  tshibbu  shells, 
fastened  perhaps  as  nosegays  to  the  ladies'  persons — the  white  and  red  and  yellow  spots 
painted  under  the  eyes,  and  on  the  shoulders,  and  in  any  place  wliere  they  could  form 
objects  of  attraction— the  tout  ensemble,  contrasted  with  the  lofty  Bombax,  beautiful  palm, 
cocoa-nut,  and  other  magnificent  tropical  trees  around,  presented  a  picture  rarely 
witnessed  by  a  European,  and  one  calculated  to  excite  varied  reflections." 

Lastly,  the  whole  party — the  tola  paste  now  cracking  from  their  bodies — proceeded 
to  the  house  of  the  bridegroom,  the  old  wives  walking  before  the  bride  until  they  reached 
the  door,  and  then  allowing  her  to  precede  them.  The  newly-married  pair  then  stood  at 
their  door  facing  the  spectators,  embracing  each  other  as  before.  One  of  his  children 
then  presented  the  bride  with  a  huge  yam  painted  brown,  others  fixed  tshibbu  epaulets 
on  her  shoulders,  the  husband  placed  four  rings  on  her  fingers,  and  the  ceremony  was 
concluded  by  a  second  lecture  from  the  bridegroom's  mother,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
Dr.  Hutuhinson,  as  he  rather  quaintly  says,  "  left  ihin  La^py  pair  to  the  enjoyment  of  their 
tola-moon." 


i  i.  ' 


■ 


CTTBIOUSTAX 


C85 


n  head  to  the  ohin,  aa 
ver  thiB  wu  placed  an 
>mpa8sion  in  nim  nould 
our  under  the  brouing 
iog  her  pnuaes  in  an 
finery  elsewhere. 
vl — by  the  chief  nepee. 
B8  And  many  virtue*  of 
smell  which  proceeded 
with  a  chorus  of  'Heel 

ie  by  side  in  the  open 
en  led  out  by  the  two 
red  for  fifteen  months 
kting  priests— an  inati- 
>  to  impugn.  On  these 
\B,'  the  Femandiau  for 

ide-postulant,  each,  in 

mere  infant  in  stature, 

as  holding  a  wand  in 

folded  an  arm  of  each 

so  that  it  was  barely 

ven  formally  soldered. 

egroom's  mother;  she, 

ider  lamb,  even  though 

It  was  again  fastened 

r  her  duty  to  attend  to 

y  of  her  being  faithful 

was  efiected  by  passing 

him  to  his  bride,  from 

the  whole  scene— the 
t  was  intended  to  affix 
nonkey  tails— the  disk 
igs  of  tshibbu  shells. 
I  red  and  yellow  spots 
vhere  they  could  form 
•omlax,  beautiful  palm, 
ited  a  picture  rarely 
itions." 

leir  bodies — proceeded 
•ids  until  they  reached 
ied  pair  then  stood  at 

One  of  his  children 
ixed  tshibbu  epaulets 
md  the  ceremony  was 
e  expiration  of  which 
the  eigoyment  of  their 


i 


CONGO. 

Pabsino  southward  down  the  West  Coast,  we  come  to  the  celebrated  kingdom  of 

CONOO. 

In  these  days  it  has  l)een  so  traversed  by  merchants  of  different  countries  and  mission- 
aries of  different  sects,  ihat  it  no  longer  presents  the  uniform  aspect  of  its  earlier  monar- 
chical days,  of  which  we  will  take  a  brief  survey.  The  reader  must  understand  that  the 
sources  from  which  the  information  is  taken 
are  not  wholly  reliable,  but,  as  we  have  none 
other,  we  must  make  the  best  of  our  informa- 
tion, and  use  our  own  discretion  as  to  those 
parts  which  are  best  worthy  of  belief  The 
following  account  is  mostly  taken  from  Mr. 
Reade's  condensation. 

The  ancient  constitution  of  the  Congo 
kingdom  much  resembled  that  of  Ashanti  or 
Dahome ;  namely,  a  despotic  monarchy  con- 
trolled by  councillors,  the  king  and  the  council 
being  mutually  jealous,  and  each  trying  to 
overreach  the  other.  When  the  kingdom  of 
Congo  was  first  established,  the  royal  revenues 
were  much  in  the  same  conditiou  as  the  civil 
list  of  a  late  Emperor  of  Russia — all  belonged 
to  the  king,  and  he  took  as  much  as  he  wanted. 
In  later  days,  however,  the  revenues  were 
controlled  by  the  council,  who  aided,  not  only 
in  their  disposal,  but  in  the  mode  of  their  col- 
lection. The  greater  part  of  the  income  de- 
pended on  the  annual  tributes  of  the  inferior 
chiefs,  but,  as  in  times  of  pressure,  especially 
during  a  protracted  war,  this  tribute  is  in- 
adequate to  meet  the  expenses,  the  king  and 
council  devise  various  objects  of  taxation. 

The  most  productive  is  perhaps  the  tax  on 
beds,  which  are  assessed  according  to  their 
width,  every  span  costing  an  annual  payment 
of  a  slave.  Now,  as  an  ordinary  man  cannot 
sleep  comfortably  on  a  bed  less  than  four  spans 
in  width,  it  is  very  evident  that  the  tax  must 
be  a  very  productive  one,  if  indeed  it  were  not 
so  oppressive  as  to  cause  a  rebellion.  The 
natives  seem,  however,  to  have  quietly  ac- 
quiesced in  it,  and  a  wealthy  negro  therefore 
takes  a  pride  in  having  a  very  broad  bed  as  a 
tangible  proof  of  his  importance.  « 

As  in  more  civilized  nations,  war  is  the  great  parent  of  taxation,  the  king  being 
obliged  to  maintain  a  large  standing  army,  and  to  keep  it  in  good  humour  by  constant 
largesses,  for  a  large  standing  army  is  much  like  fire, — a  useful  servant,  but  a  terrible 
master.  The  army  is  divided  into  regiments,  each  acting  under  the  immediate  command 
of  the  chief  in  whose  district  they  live,  and  they  are  armed,  in  a  most  miscellaneous 
fashion,  with  any  weapons  they  can  procure.    In  these  times  the  trade  guns  are  the  most 


■  »*' 


%    :.     lb 


BOW  AND  ARROW& 


f,^  Tafi' 


686 


THE  CONGOESE 


}  i  . 


valued  weapons,  but  the  native  swords,  bows  and  arrows,  spears,  and  knives,  still  form  the 
staple  of  their  equipment.  As  to  uniform,  they  have  no  idea  of  it,  and  do  not  even 
distinguish  the  men  of  the  different  regiments,  as  do  the  Kaffirs  of  Southern  Africa. 

The  ancient  religion  of  the  Congo  negro  is  simply  polytheism,  which  they  have  suffered 
to  degenerate  into  fetishism.  There  is  one  monotheistic  sect,  but  they  have  gained  very 
little  oy  their  religion,  which  is  in  fact  merely  a  negation  of  many  deities,  without  the 
least  understanding  of  the  one  whom  they  profess  to  worship — a  deity  to  whom  they 
attribute  the  worst  vices  that  can  degrade  human  nature. 

The  fetish-men  or  priests  are  as  important  here  as  the  marabouts  among  the  Mandin- 
goes,  and  the  chief  of  them,  who  goes  by  the  name  of  Chitomi,  is  scarcely  less  honoured 
than  the  king,  who  finds  himself  obliged  to  seek  the  favour  of  this  spiritual  potentate, 
while  the  common  people  look  on  him  as  scarcely  less  than  a  god.  He  is  maintained  by 
a  sort  of  tithe,  consisting  of  the  firstfruits  of  the  harvest,  which  are  brought  to  him  with 
great  ceremony,  and  are  offered  with  solemn  chants.  The  Congo-men  fully  believe  that 
if  they  were  to  omit  the  firstfruits  of  one  year's  harvest,  the  next  year  would  be  an 
unproductive  one. 

A  sacred  fire  bums  continually  in  his  house,  and  the  embers,  which  are  supposed  to 
be  possessed  of  great  medicinal  virtues,  are  sold  by  him  at  a  high  price,  so  that  even  his 
fire  is  a  constant  source  of  income  to  him.  He  has  the  entire  regulation  of  the  minor 
priests,  and  every  now  and  then  makes  a  progress  among  them  to  settle  the  disputes  which 
continually  spring  up.  As  soon  as  he  leaves  his  house,  the  husbands  and  wives  throughout 
the  kingdom  are  obliged  to  separate  under  pain  of  death.  In  case  of  disobedience,  the 
man  only  is  punished,  and  cases  have  been  known  where  wives  who  disliked  their 
huslunds  have  accused  them  of  breaking  this  strange  law,  and  have  thereby  gained  a 
double  advantage,  freed  themselves  from  a  man  whom  they  did  not  like,  and  establishcu 
a  religious  reputation  on  easy  terms. 

In  fact,  the  Chitomi  has  things  entirely  his  own  way,  with  one  exception.  He  is  so 
holy  that  he  cannot  die  a  natural  death,  for  if  ho  did  so  tlie  universe  would  immediately 
be  dissolved.  Consequently,  as  soon  as  he  is  seized  with  a  danf^eroua  illness,  the  Chitotiie- 
elect  calls  at  his  house,  and  saves  the  universe  by  knocking  out  his  brains  with  a  club,  or 
strangling  him  with  a  cord  if  he  should  prefer  it  That  his  own  death  must  be  of  a 
similar  character  has  no  effect  upon  the  new  Chitom^,  who,  true  to  the  ne^ro  character, 
thinks  only  of  the  present  time,  and,  so  far  as  being  anxious  about  the  evils  that  will 
happen  at  some  future  time,  does  not  trouble  himself  even  about  the  next  day. 

Next  to  the  Chitom^  comes  the  Nghombo,  a  priest  who  is  distinguished  by  his 
peculiar  gait.  His  dignity  would  be  impaired  by  walking  like  ordinary  mortals,  or  even 
like  the  inferior  priests,  and  so  he  always  walks  on  his  hands  with  his  feet  in  the  air, 
thereby  striking  awe  into  the  laity.  Some  of  the  priests  ai-e  rain-makers,  who  perform 
the  duties  of  their  office  by  building  little  mounds  of  eai-th  and  making  fetish  over 
them.  From  tho  centre  of  each  charmed  mound  rises  a  strange  insect,  which  mounts 
into  the  sky,  and  brings  as  much  rain  as  the  people  have  paid  for.  These  priests  are 
regularly  instituted,  but  there  are  some  who  are  born  to  the  office,  such  as  dwarves,  hunch- 
backs, and  albinoes,  all  of  whom  are  highly  honoured  as  specially  favoured  individuals, 
consecrated  to  the  priesthood  by  Nature  herself 

The  priests  have,  as  usual,  a  system  of  ordeal,  the  commonest  mode  being  the  drinking 
of  the  poison  cup,  and  the  rarest  the  test  of  the  red-hot  iron,  which  is  applied  to  the 
skin  of  the  accused,  and  burns  him  if  he  be  guilty.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
magicians  are  acquainted  with  some  preparation  which  renders  the  skin  proof  against  a 
brief  ajmlication  of  hot  iron,  and  that  they  previously  apply  it  to  an  accused  person 
vho  will  pay  for  ii. 

The  Chitom^  has  the  privilege  of  conducting  the  coronation  of  a  king.  The  new  rules 
proco«u8  lo  tho  house  of  the  Chitom^,  attended  by  a  host  of  his  future  subjects,  who  utter 
piercing  yells  as  he  goes.  Having  reached  the  saci'ed  house,  he  kneels  before  the  door, 
and  asks  the  Chitomi  to  be  gracious  to  him.  The  Chitom^  growls  out  a  flat  refusal  from 
within.  The  king  renews  his  supplications,  in  spite  of  repeated  rebuffs,  enumerating  all 
the  presents  which  he  has  brought  to  the  Chitom&— which  presents,  by  the  way,  are  easily 


THE  CHIT0M£1 


687 


knives,  still  fonn  the 
It,  and  do  not  even 
)uthern  Africa. 

ih  they  have  sufferod 
By  have  gained  very 
deities,  without  the 
leity  to  whom  they 

»niong  the  Mandin- 

ircely  less  honoured 

spiritual  potentate, 

le  is  maintained  by 

rought  to  him  with 

In  fully  believe  that 

year  would  be  an 

ch  are  supposed  to 
ce,  so  that  even  his 
ation  of  the  uiinor 
the  disputes  which 
id  wives  throughout 
if  disobedience,  the 
vho  disliked  their 
B  thereby  gained  a 
ke,  and  establisheu 

weption.  He  is  so 
vould  immediately 
Iness,  the  Chitoiue- 
lins  with  a  club,  or 
leath  must  be  of  a 
le  nejjro  character, 
the  evils  that  will 
ext  day. 

tinguished  by  his 
py  mortals,  or  even 
m  feet  in  the  air, 
kers,  who  perform 
laking  fetish  over 
ect,  which  mounts 
These  priests  are 
IS  dwarves,  hunch- 
oured  individuals, 

►eing  the  drinking 
is  applied  to  the 
>  doubt  that  the 
1  proof  against  a 
I  accused  person 

The  new  rule* 
bjects,  who  utter 

before  the  door, 
flat  refusal  from 

enumerating  all 
e  way,  are  easily 


made,  as  he  will  extort  an  equal  amount  from  his  subjects  as  soon  as  he  is  fairly 
iosialled. 

At  last,  the  door  of  the  hut  opens,  and  out  comes  the  Chitom&  m  his  white  robe  of 
office,  his  head  covered  with  feathers,  and  a  shining  mirror  on  his  breast.  The  king  lies 
prostrate  before  the  house,  while  the  Chitom^  pours  water  on  him,  scatters  dust  over  him. 
And  sets  his  feet  on  him.  He  then  lies  flat  on  the  prostrate  monarch,  and  in  that  position 
receives  ftt>m  him  a  promise  to  respect  his  authority  ever  afterwards.  The  king  is  liien 
proclaimed,  and  retires  to  wash  and  change  his  clothes. 

Presently  he  comes  out  of  the  palace,  attended  by  his  priests  and  nobles,  and  gorgeous 
in  all  the  bravery  of  his  new  rank,  his'  whole  person  covered  with  glittering  ornaments  of 
metal,  glass,  and  stone,  so  that  the  eye  can  scarcely  bear  the  rays  that  ilBsh  on  every  side 


▲  OONQO  COBONAnoa. 


as  he  moves  in  the  sunbeams.  He  then  seats  himself,  and  makes  a  speech  to  the  people. 
When  it  is  finished,  he  rises,  while  all  the  people  crouch  to  the  ground,  stretches  his 
hands  over  them,  and  makes  certain  prescribed  gestures,  which  are  considered  as  the  royal 
benediction.    A  long  series  of  banquets  and  revelry  ends  the  proceedings. 

At  the  present  day,  the  Congo  king  and  great  men  disfigure  themselves  with  European 
clothing,  such  as  silk  jackets,  velvet  shoes,  damask  coats,  and  broad-brimmed  hat^  But, 
in  the  former  times,  thev  dressed  becomingly  in  native  attire.  A  simple  tunic  made  of 
very  fine  grass-cloth,  ana  leaving  the  right  arm  bare,  covered  the  upper  part  of  the  body, 
while  a  sort  of  petticoat,  made  of  similar  material,  but  dyed  black,  was  tied  round  the 
waist,  and  an  apron,  or  "  sporran,"  of  leopard  skin  was  fastened  to  the  girdle  and  hung 
in  front.    On  their  heads  they  wore  a  sort  of  hood,  and  sometimes  preferred  a  square  red 


M" 


1 

,       4 

\'[  ■  Ji 

t  n 


^1 

'  m 


X 


688 


THE  CONGOESE. 


and  yellow  cap.  Sandals  made  of  the  palm-tree  were  the  peculiar  privile^  of  the  king 
and  nobles,  the  common  people  being  obliged  to  go  barefooted. 

The  wives  in  Congo  are  tolerably  well  off,  except  that  they  are  severely  beaten  with 
the  heavy  hippopotamus-hide  whip.  The  women  do  not  resent  this  treatment,  and  in- 
deed, unless  a  womau  is  soundly  flogged  occasionally,  she  thinks  that  her  husband  is 
neglecting  her,  and  feels  offended  accordingly.  The  kins  has  the  power  of  taking  any 
woman  for  his  wife,  whether  married  or  not,  and,  when  she  goes  to  the  royal  harem,  her 
husband  is  judiciously  executed. 

The  people  of  Congo  are — probably  on  account  of  the  enervating  climate-^a  very 
indolent  and  lethargic  race,  the  women  being  made  to  do  all  the  work,  while  the  men  lie 
in  the  shade  and  smoke  their  pipes  and  drink  their  palm-wine,  which  they  make  re- 
markably well,  though  not  so  well  as  the  Bub4  tribe  of  Fernando  Po.  Their  houses  are 
merely  huts  of  the  simplest  description;  a  few  posts  with  a  roof  over  them,  and  twigs 
woven  between  them  m  wickerwork  fashion  by  way  of  walls,  are  all  that  a  Congo-man 
cares  for  in  a  house.  His  clothing  is  as  simple  as  his  lodging,  a  piece  of  native  cloth 
tied  round  his  middle  lieing  all  that  he  cares  for ;  so  that  the  ample  clothes  and  hand- 
some furs  worn  by  iho  kug  most  have  had  a  very  strong  effect  on  the  almost  naked 
populace. 

According  to  traditional  history,  Congo  wa»  in  old  times  one  of  the  great  African 
kingdoma  Twice  it  rose  to  this  eminence,  and  both  times  by  the  energy  of  a  woman, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  low  opinion  in  which  women  are  held,  contrived  to  ascend  the 
throne. 

Somewhere  about  1620 — it  is  impossible  in  such  history  to  obtain  precision  of  dates 
— a  great  chief,  named  Zimbo,  swept  over  a  verv  laige  part  of  Africa,  taking  every  country 
to  which  he  came,  and  establishing  nis  own  dominion  in  it  Among  other  kingdoms, 
Congo  was  taken  by  him,  and  rendered  tributary,  and  so  powerful  did  he  at  last  Mcome, 
that  his  army  outgrew  his  territory,  and  he  had  the  audacity  to  send  a  division  to  ravage 
Abyssinia  and  Mozambique.  The  division  reached  the  eastern  sea  in  safety,  but  tlie 
army  then  met  the  Portuguese,  who  routed  them  with  ^preat  loss.  Messengers  conveyed 
the  tidings  to  Zimbo,  who  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  remaining  troops,  went  against 
the  Portuguese,  beat  them,  killed  their  general,  and  carried  off  a  great  nuinber  of  prisoners, 
with  whose  skulls  he  paved  the  ground  in  Axtnt  of  his  house. 

In  process  of  time  he  died,  and  the  kingdom  separated,  after  African  fashion,  into  a 
number  of  independent  provinces,  each  governed  by  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  now  useless 
army.  One  of  those  leaders  had  a  daughter  named  Tembandumba,  who,  together  with 
her  mother,  ruled  the  province  when  her  father  d^ecl.  These  women  always  accompanied 
the  troops  in  war,  and  so  fierce  and  bloodthirsty  was  Tembandumba,  even  as  a  girl,  that 
her  mother  gave  her  the  command  of  half  the  troo))s,  the  natural  consf  qnence  of  which 
was  that  she  took  the  command  of  the  whole,  deposed  her  mother,  aud  made  herself 
queen. 

Her  great  ambition  was  to  found  a  nation  of  Amnzons.  Licentiousness  she  permitted 
to  the  fullest  extent,  but  marriage  was  utterly  prohibited ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  women 
found  themselves  tired  of  their  male  companions,  the  latter  were  killed  and  eaten,  their 
places  being  supplied  by  prisoners  of  war.  All  male  children  were  killed,  and  she  had 
nearly  succeedea  in  the  object  of  her  ambition,  when  she  M'as  poisoned  by  a  young  man 
with  whom  she  fell  violenUy  in  love,  and  from  whom  she  imprudently  accepted  a  bowl 
of  wine  at  a  banquet 

It  is  very  remarkable  that,  about  a  hundred  years  after  the  death  of  Tembandumba, 
another  female  warrior  took  the  kingdom.  Her  name  was  Shinga,  and  she  obtained  a 
power  scarcely  less  than  that  of  hex  pi«decessor.  She,  however,  was  wise  in  her  generatinn, 
and,  after  she  had  fought  the  Portuguese,  and  been  beaten  by  them,  she  concluded  an 
humble  peace,  and  retamed  her  kingdom  in  safety. 


X 


mvUege  of  the  king 

severely  beaten  with 
8  treatment,  and  in. 
ihat  her  husband  is 
K)wer  of  taking  any 
the  royal  harem,  her 

ing  climate-^a  very 
k,  while  the  men  lie 
hich  they  make  re- 
).  Their  houses  are 
i^er  them,  and  twigs 
I  that  a  Congo-mau 
iece  of  native  cloth 
i  clothes  and  hand- 
a  the  almost  naked 

►f  the  great  African 
energy  of  a  woman, 
ived  to  ascend  the 

n  precision  of  dates 
ftkmg  every  cou^itry 
nc  other  kingdoms, 
Ine  at  last  become, 
a  division  to  ravage 
in  safety,  but  the 
essengers  conveyed 
troops,  went  against 
tomoer  of  prisoners, 

ican  fashion,  into  a 
I  of  the  now  useless 
who,  tpgetlier  with 
Iways  accompanied 
iven  as  a  girl,  that 
isfqiience  of  which 
and  made  herself 

tiess  she  permitted 
ton  as  the  women 
d  and  eaten,  their 
cilled,  and  she  had 
i  by  a  young  man 
y  accepted  a  bowl 

of  Tembandumba, 
id  she  obtained  a 
in  her  generation, 
she  concluded  an 


\ 


CHAFTEE  LXII. 


BOBNU. 


POSITION  OF  THB  KUTODOlf  OF  BOBNV — APFBABANOB  OF  TBI  FROnB— MODI  OF  DMSBHrO  THB 
HAIB— A  RBCEPTION  BT  THB  BCLTAN — COUBT  DBXM— THH  IHRIKH  OF  BOBMO — HIB  PALACB 
AND  ATTENDANTS— HIS  NOBLB  AND  BNBBGBTIO  OHABAOTBB— nMOIVTION  BV  TUB  OUABDS — 
THBI&  WBAP0N8  AND  DI8CIPUNE— ISB  XANXMBOO  JNFANTBV— JVITIOK  OF  TUB  SUBIXH — HIS 
FOLICT  AND  TACT — BBPUTBD  FOWBB  OF  OHABU'WRITINO  —  HIS  IMAIi  FOB  BBUOION — ^A 
TBBBIBI.B  PVMISHHRNT — BOBNU  ABCHITBCTVB^CUMOVS  MODVS  Off  FIMMtMO  AND  HVNTINO— 
HABTTS  AND  OUBTOMS  OF  THB  XANBMBOOS. 

Ok  the  western  side  of  Lake  Tchad,  between  10"  and  16*  "N.  and  12*  and  18*  E.,  is  situated 
the  large  kingdom  of  Bornu,  which  embraces  a  considerable  number  of  tribes,  and  is  of 
sufficient  importance  to  demand  a  notice.  There  are  about  twelve  or  thirteen  great  cities 
in  Bomu,  and  at  least  ten  different  dialects  are  spoken  in  the  country,  some  having  been 
due  to  the  presence  of  the  Shooas,  who  themselves  speak  nearly  pure  Arabia 

The  pureBornu  people,  or  Kanowry,  as  th^  call  uieniHclves,  are  not  handsome,  having 
large,  flat,  and  rather  unmear'.ng  faces,  with  flattish  noses,  and  large  mouths.  The  lips, 
however,  are  not  those  of  the  negro,  and  the  forehead  is  high,  betokening  a  greater  amount 
of  intellect  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  real  negro. 

As  a  rule,  the  Bomuese  are  not  a  wealthy  people,  and  they  are  but  indiflerently  clad, 
wearing  a  kind  of  shirt  stained  of  an  indigo  blue  by  themselves,  and,  if  they  are  tolerably 
well  off,  wearing  two  or  even  three  such  garments,  according  to  their  means.  The  head 
is  kept  closely  shaven,  and  the  better  class  wear  a  cap  of  dark  blue,  the  scarlet  caps 
being  appropriated  to  the  sultan  and  his  court.  When  they  walk  they  always  carry  a 
heavy  stick  with  an  enormous  knob  at  the  top,  like  a  drum'XQigor's  baton,  and  march 
much  after  the  manner  of  that  important  functionarv, 

The  women  are  remarkable  for  the  mode  in  which  the^  dress  their  hair.  It  is  divided 
into  three  longitudinal  rolls,  thick  in  the  middle  and  diminisliing  towards  the  ends.  One 
of  these  rolls  passes  over  the  top  of  the  head,  and  the  others  lie  over  the  ears,  the  three 
points  uniting  on  the  forehead,  and  being  held  finuly  in  their  places  by  a  thick  plastering 
of  beeswax  and  indigo.  The  other  ends  of  the  rolls  are  plaited  very  finely,  and  then  turned 
up  like  the  curled  feathers  of  a  drake's  tail. 

Sometimes  a  slight  variation  is  made  in  the  hair,  five  rolls  being  used  instead  of 
three.  The  women  are  so  fond  of  indigo  that  they  dye  their  eyebrows,  nands,  arms,  feet, 
and  legs  with  it,  using  the  ruddy  henna  for  the  palms  of  the  hands  and  the  nails  of  the  toes 
and  fingers,  and  black  antimony  for  the  eyelashes.  Beads,  bracelets,  and  other  ornaments 
are  profusely  worn,  mostly  of  horn  or  brass.  Silver  and  ivory  mark  the  woman  of  rank. 
The  dress  is  primarily  composed  of  a  sort  of  blue,  white,  or  striped  sheet  called  toorkadee, 
which  is  wrapped  round  the  body  \mder  the  arms,  and  falls  as  low  as  the  knees.  This  is 
the  usual  costume,  but  if  a  woman  be  well  off,  she  oddl  a  leoond  toorkadee,  which  she 
wears  like  a  mantilla,  over  hex  bead  and  shouldeni. 
.  VOL.  i;  Y  Y 


vf  mm 


690 


BOKNU. 


'I 


mm 


'■1  ! 


Hi 


5f  I  'i 
M   ■ 


1^ 


like  other  African  tribes,  though  they  belong  to  the  Mahometan  religion,  they  use 
the  tattoo  profusely.  Twenty  cuts  are  made  on  each  side  of  the  face,  converging  in  the 
corners  of  the  mouth,  from  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw  and  the  cheek-bones,  while  a  single 
cut  runs  down  the  centre  of  the  forehead.  Six  cuts  are  made  on  each  arm,  six  more  on 
the  thighs,  and  the  same  number  on  the  legs,  while  four  are  on  each  breast,  and  nine  on 
each  side  just  above  the  hip-bone.  These  are  made  while  they  are  infants,  and  the  poor 
little  things  undergo  frightful  torments,  not  only  from  the  pain  of  the  wounds,  but  from 
the  countless  flies  which  settle  on  the  hundred  and  three  cuts  with  which  their  bodies  ars 
marked. 

The  Bornuese  are  governed,  at  least  nominally,  by  a  head  chief  or  sultan,  who  holds 
his  court  with  most  quaint  ceremony.  When  the  travellers  Denham  and  Clapperton 
went  to  pay  their  respects  to  him,  they  were  visited  on  the  previous  evening  by  one  of 
the  royal  chamberlains,  who  displayed  the  enormous  staff,  like  a  drum-major's  bS,ton,  wore 
eight  or  ten  shirts  in  order  to  exhibit  his  wealth,  and  had  on  his  head  a  turban  of  huge 
dimensions.  By  his  orders  a  tent  was  pitched  for  the  white  visitors,  and  around  it  was 
drawn  a  linen  screen,  which  had  the  double  effect  of  keeping  out  the  sun  and  the  people, 
and  of  admitting  the  air.  A  royal  banquet,  consisting  of  seventy  or  eighty  dishes,  was 
sent  for  their  refection,  each  dish  large  enough  to  suffice  for  six  persons,  and,  lest  the 
white  men  should  not  like  the  native  cookery,  the  sultan,  with  much  thoughtfulness,  sent 
also  a  number  of  live  fowls,  which  they  might  cook  for  themselves, 

Next  morning,  soon  after  daylight,  they  were  summoned  to  attend  the  sultan,  who 
was  sitting  in  a  sort  of  cage,  as  if  he  had  been  a  wild  beast.  No  one  was  allowed  to 
come  within  a  considerable  distance,  and  the  etiquette  of  the  court  was,  that  each  person 
rode  on  horseback  past  the  cage,  and  then  dismounted  and  prostrated  himself  before 
the  sultan.  The  oddest  part  of  the  ceremony  is,  that  as  soon  as  the  courtier  has  made 
his  obeisance,  he  seats  himself  on  the  ground  with  his  hack  towards  his  monarch.  Nearly 
three  hundred  of  the  courtiers  thus  take  their  places,  and  nothing  could  be  more  ludicrous 
than  the  appearance  which  they  presented,  their  bodies  being  puffed  out  by  successive 
robes,  their  heads  swathed  in  turbans  of  the  most  preposterous  size,  and  their  thin  legs, 
appearing  under  the  voluminous  garments,  showing  that  the  size  of  the  head  and  body 
was  merely  artificial 

In  fact,  the  whole  business  is  a  sham,  the  sultan  being  the  chief  sham,  and  the  others 
matching  their  sovereign.  The  sultan  has  no  real  authority,  the  true  power  being  lodged 
in  the  hands  of  the  sheikh,  who  commands  the  army.  Those  who  serve  the  court  of 
Bomu  are,  by  ancient  etiquette,  obliged  to  have  very  large  heads  and  stomachs,  and,  as 
such  gifts  of  nature  are'not  very  common,  an  artificial  enlargement  of  both  regions  is 
held  to  be  a  sufficient  compliance  with  custom. 

Consequently,  the  courtiers  pad  themselves  with  wadding  to  such  an  extent  that  as 
they  sit  on  horseback  their  abdomens  seem  to  protrude  ovei  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
while  the  eight  or  ten  shirts  which  tnv  /  wear,  one  over  the  other,  aid  in  exaggerating  the 
outline,  and  reducing  the  human  body  to  a  shapeless  lump. 

Their  heads  are  treated  in  a  similar  fashion,  being  enveloped  in  great  folds  of  linen  or 
muslin  of  different  colours,  white,  however,  predominating ;  and  those  who  are  most 
careful  in  their  dress  fold  their  huge  turbans  so  as  to  make  their  heads  appear  to  be  one- 
sided, and  as  unlike  their  original  shape  as  possible.  Besides  all  these  robes  and  shirts 
and  padding,  they  wear  a  vast  number  of  charms,  made  up  in  red  leather  parcels,  and 
hung  all  over  the  body.  The  sultan  is  always  accompanied  by  his  trumpeters,  who  blow 
hideous  blasts  on  long  wooden  trumpets  called  frum-frums,  and  also  by  his  dwarves,  and 
other  grotesque  favourites. 

In  war,  as  in  peace,  the  sultan  is  nominally  the  commander,  and  in  reality  a  mere 
nonentity.  He  accompanies  the  sheik.^,  but  never  gives  orders,  nor  even  carries  arms, 
active  fighting  being  supposed  to  be  below  his  dignity.  One  of  the  sultans  lost  his  life 
in  consequence  of  this  rule.  According  to  custom  he  had  accompanied  the  sheikh  in  a 
war  against  the  great  enemy  of  Bornu,  the  Sultan  of  Begharmi,  and,  contrary  to  the  usual 
result  of  these  battles,  the  engagement  had  gone  against  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  take 
refuge  in  flight    Unfortunately  for  him,  he  was  qua^fied  by  nature  for  royalty,  being 


THE  RECEPTION. 


691 


Q  reli^on,  they  use 
3,  converging  in  tlie 
tones,  while  a  single 
5h  arm,  six  more  on 
breast,  and  nine  on 
ifants,  and  the  poor 
e  wounds,  but  from 
lich  their  bodies  ara 

p  sultan,  who  holds 
am  and  Clapperton 
I  evening  by  one  of 
•major's  b&ton,wore 
id  a  turban  of  huge 
,  and  around  it  was 
sun  and  the  people, 
eighty  dishes,  was 
jrsons,  and,  lest  the 
houghtfulness,  sent 

ttd  the  sultan,  who 
one  was  allowed  to 
IS,  that  each  person 
ted  himself  before 
I  courtier  has  made 
I  monarch.  Nearly 
be  more  ludicrous 
.  out  by  successive 
and  their  thin  legs, 
;he  head  and  body 

am,  and  the  others 
)ower  being  lodged 
serve  the  court  of 
[  stomachs,  and,  as 
of  both  regions  is 

an  extent  that  as 
mel  of  the  saddle, 
n  exaggerating  the 

it  folds  of  linen  or 
)se  who  are  most 
I  appear  to  be  one- 
5  robes  and  shirts 
ather  parcels,  and 
opeters,  who  blow 
rhis  dwarves,  and 

in  reality  a  mere 
2ven  carries  arms, 
ultans  lost  his  life 
d  the  sheikh  in  a 
trary  to  the  usual 
as  obliged  to  take 
for  royalty,  being 


lorge-bodied  and  of  enormous  weight,  so  that  his  horse  could  not  carry  him  fast  enough. 
He  fled  to  Angala,  one  of  his  chief  towns,  and  if  he  could  have  entered  it  would  have 
been  safe.  Unfortunately,  his  enormous  weight  had  distressed  his  horse  so  much  that 
the  animal  suddenly  stopped  close  to  the  gate,  and  could  not  be  induced  to  stir. 

The  siiltan,  true  to  the  principle  of  noblesse  oblige,  accepted  the  position  at  once.  He 
dismounted  from  his  horse,  wrapped  his  face  in  the  shawl  which  covered  his  head,  seated 
himself  under  a  tree,  and  died  as  became  his  rank.  Twelve  of  his  atteu  lauts  refused  to 
leave  their  master,  and  nobly  shared  his  death. 

Around  the  sultan  are  his  inevitable  musicians,  continually  blowing  their  frum-frums 
or  trumpets,  which  are  sometimes  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  length,  and  in  front  goes  his 
ensign,  bearing  his  standard,  which  is  a  long  pole  hung  round  at  the  top  with  strips  of 
coloured  leather  and  silk.  At  either  side  are  two  officers,  carrying  enormous  spears,  with 
which  they  are  supposed  to  defend  their  monarcL  This,  however,  is  as  much  a  sham  as 
the  rest  of  the  proceedings ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  the  spearmen  are  so  fat  and  their 
weapons  so  unwieldy  that  they  could  not  do  the  least  execution,  and,  as  if  to  render 
the  spears  still  more  harmless,  they  are  covered  with  charms  from  the  head  to  the  butt. 

It  has  been  mentioned  that  the  real  power  of  Bomu  rests,  not  with  the  sultan,  but 
with  the  sheikh.  This  potentate  was  found  to  be  of  simple  personal  habits,  yet 
surrounded  with  state  equal  to  that  of  the  sultan,  though  differing  in  degree.  Dressed  in 
a  plain  blue  robe  and  a  shawl  turban,  he  preferred  to  sit  quietly  in  a  small  and  dark 
room,  attended  by  two  of  his  favourite  negroes  armed  with  pistols,  and  having  a  brace  of 
pistols  lying  on  a  carpet  in  front  of  him. 

But  the  approaches  to  this  chamber  were  rigorously  guarded.  Sentinels  stood  at  the 
gate,  and  intercepted  those  who  wished  to  enter,  and  would  not  allow  them  to  mount  the 
staircase  which  led  to  the  sheikh's  apartment  until  they  were  satisfied.  At  the  top  of  the 
staircase  were  negro  guards  armed  with  spears,  which  they  crossed  in  front  of  the  visitor, 
and  again  questioned  him.  Then  the  passage^  leading  to  the  sheikh's  chamber  were  lined 
with  rows  of  squatting  attendants,  who  snatched  off  the  slippers  of  the  visitors,  and 
continually  impeded  their  progress  by  seizing  their  ankles,  lest  they  should  infringe 
etiquette  by  walking  too  fast.  Indeed,  had  not  the  passages  been  densely  crowded,  the 
guests  would  have  been  several  times  flung  on  their  faces  by  the  zeal  of  these  courtiers. 

At  last  they  gained  admission,  and  found  this  dread  potentate  a  singularly  quiet  and 
unassuming  man,  well-disposed  towards  the  travellers,  and  very  grateful  to  them  for  the 
double-barrelled  gun  and  pistols  which  they  presented  to  him.  In  return,  he  fed  them 
liberally,  sending  them  fish  by  the  camel-load,  and  other  provisions  in  like  quantity. 

According  to  his  warlike  disposition,  his  conversation  chiefly  turned  on  military  affairs, 
and  especially  on  the  best  mode  of  attacking  walled  towns.  The  account  of  breaching 
batteries  had  a  great  effect  upon  him,  and  the  exhibition  of  a  couple  of  rockets  confirmed 
him  in  his  respect  for  the  wisdom  of  the  English.  Being  a  thoughtful  man,  he  asked  to 
see  some  rockets  fired,  because  there  wero  in  the  town  a  number  of  the  hostile  Shooas. 
The  rockets  were  fired  accordingly,  and  had  the  desired  effect,  frightening  not  only  the 
Shooas,  but  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  out  of  their  senses,  and  even  the  steady  nerves 
of  the  sheikh  himself  were  much  shaken. 

The  sheikh  was  a  great  disciplinarian,  fmd  managed  his  wild  cavalry  with  singular 
skill,  as  is  shown  by  the  account  of  Major  P^pham.  "  Our  accounts  had  been  so  contra- 
dictory of  the  state  of  the  country  that  no  opinion  could  be  formed  as  to  the  real 
condition  and  the  nu^lber  of  its  inhabitants.  We  had  been  told  that  the  sheikh's 
soldiers  were  a  fe\y  raggp4  n^grqes  armed  with  spears,  who  lived  upon  the  plunder  of  the 
black  Kafnr  countries  by  which  he  was  surrounded,  and  which  he  was  able  to  subdue  by 
the  assistance  qf  a  few  Arabs  who  were  in  his  service ;  and,  acain,  we  had  been  assured 
that  his  forces  were  not  only  numerous,  but  to  a  degree  regularly  trained.  The  degree  of 
credit  whigh  iuight  be  attached  to  these  reports  was  nearly  balanced  in  the  scales  of 
probability,  and  we  advanced  towards  the  town  of  Kouka  in  a  most  interesting  state  of 
unce^t£^i^ty  whether  we  should  find  its  chief  at  the  head  of  thousands,  or  be  received  by 
him  under  a  tree,  surrounded  by  a  few  naked  slaves. 

^' These  doubts,  however,  were  quickly  removed.    I  had  ridden  on  a  short  distance  in 

yy2 


fj ' 


(     ' 


•ft  t, 


If 


1 


:fr 


692 


BOENU. 


front  of  "Boo-KhalooTn,  with  his  train  of  Arabs  all  mounted  and  dressed  ont  in  theii 
best  apparel ;  and,  from  the  thickness  of  the  trees,  now  lost  siglit  of  thera.  Fancying  that 
the  road  could  not  bo  mistaken  I  rode  still  onwards,  and,  appi  oaching  a  spot  less  thickly 
planted,  was  surprised  to  see  in  front  of  me  a  body  of  several  thousand  cavalry  drawn  up 
in  line,  and  extending  right  and  left  as  far  as  I  could  see,  and  checking  my  horse  I  awaited 
the  arrival  of  my  party  under  the  shado  of  a  wide-spreading  acacia.  The  Bornu  troops 
remained  quite  steady,  without  noise  or  confusion ;  and  a  few  horsemen,  who  were  moving 
about  in  Iront,  giving  directions,  were  the  only  persons  out  of  the  ranks. 


BODY  GUARD  OF  THE  SHEIKH  OF  BOBN'U. 


"  On  the  Arabs  appearing  in  sight,  a  shout  or  yell  was  given  by  the  sheikh's  people, 
wl  ich  rent  the  air ;  a  blast  was  blown  from  their  nide  instruments  of  music  equallly  loud, 
and  they  moved  on  to  meet  Boo-Khaloom  and  his  Arabs.  There  was  an  appearance  of 
tact  and  management  in  their  movements  wliich  astonished  me.  Three  separate  bodies 
from  the  centre  of  each  flank  kept  charging  rapidly  towards  us,  within  a  few  feet  of  our 
liorses'  heads,  without  checking  the  speed  of  their  own  until  the  moment  of  their  halt, 
while  the  whole  body  moved  onwards. 

"These  parties  were  mounted  on  small  but  very  perfect  horses,  who  stopped  and 
wheeled  from  their  utmost  speed  with  the  greatest  precision  and  expertness,  shaking  their 
spears  over  their  heads,  and  exclaiming, '  Blessing !  blessing !  Sons  of  your  country !  Sons 
of  your  country !'  and  returning  quickly  to  the  tt-ont  of  the  body  in  order  to  repeat  the 
charge.  While  all  this  was  going  on,  they  closed  in  their  right  and  left  flanks,  and 
surrounded  the  little  body  of  Arabs  so  completely  as  to  give  the  compliment  of  welcoming 
them  very  much  the  appearance  of  a  declaration  of  their  contempt  for  their  weakness. 


i   . 


THE  WELCOME. 


698 


•essed  ont  in  their 
Fancying  that 
a  spot  less  thickly 
J  cavalry  drawn  up 
my  horse  I  awaited 
The  Bornu  troops 
who  were  moving 


3. 


le  sheikh's  people, 
lusic  equa;lly  loud, 
an  appearance  of 
ee  separate  bodies 
1  a  few  feet  of  our 
ent  of  their  halt, 

who  stopped  and 
ess,  shaking  their 
ur  country !  Sons 
der  to  repeat  the 
I  left  flanks,  and 
lent  of  welcoming 
beir  weakness. 


'  "  I  was  quite  sure  this  was  premeditated ;  we  were  all  so  closely  pressed  as  to  be  nearly 
smothered,  and  in  some  danger  from  the  crowding  of  the  horses  and  clashing  of  the  spears. 
Moving  on  was  impossible,  and  we  therefore  came  to  a  full  stop.  Our  chief  was 
much  enraged,  but  it  was  all  to  no  purpose :  he  was  only  answered  by  shrieks  of 
'  Welcome !'  and  spears  most  unpleasantly  rattled  over  our  heads  expressive  of 
the  same  feeling. 

"This  annoyance  was  not,  however,  of  long  duration.  Barca  Gana,  the 
sheikh's  first  general,  a  negro  of  noble  aspect,  clothed  in  a  figured  silk  robe, 
and  mounted  upon  a  beautiful  Mandara  horse,  made  his  appearance,  and  after  a 
little  delay  the  rear  was  cleared  of  those  who  had  pressed  in  upon  us,  and  we 
moved  forward,  although  but  very  slowly,  from  the  frequent  impediments  thrown 
in  our  way  by  these  wild  warriora 

"The  sheikh's  negroes,  as  they  were  called,  meaning  the  black  chiefs  and 
generals,  all  raised  to  that  rank  by  some  deed  of  bravery,  were  habited  in  coats 
of  mail  composed  of  iron  chain,  which  covered  them  from  the  throat  to  the  knees, 
dividing  behind,  and  coming  on  each  side  of  the  horse.  Some  of  them  had 
helmets,  or  rather  skull-caps,  of  the  same  metal,  with  chin-pieces  all  sufficiently 
strong  to  ward  off  the  shock  of  a  spear.  Their  horses'  heads  were  also  defended 
by  plates  of  iron,  brass,  and  silver,  just  leaving  sufBcient  i^oom  for  the  eyes  of 
the  animaL" 

In  the  illustration  on  page  G92  are  seen  some  of  this  picturesque  force.  In 
my  collection  there  is  one  of  the  remarkable  spears  carried  by  these  horsemen. 
In  total  length  it  is  nearly  six  feet  long,  of  which  the  long,  slenaer,  leaf-like  blade 
occupies  twenty  inches.  The  shaft  is  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the 
thickest  part,  but  diminishes  towards  the  head  and  butt.  The  material  of  the 
shaft  is  some  hard,  dark  wood,  which  takes  a  high  polish,  and  is  of  a  rich  brown 
colour.  The  head  is  secured  to  tho  shaft  by  means  of  a  rather  long  socket,  and 
at  the  butt  there  is  a  sort  of  iron  spud,  also  furnished  with  a  socket,  so  that  the 
length  of  the  wooden  portion  of  the  spear  is  only  thirty-two  inches.  It  is  a  lifiht, 
well-balanced,  and  apparently  serviceable  weapon.  The  shaft,  as  represented  in 
the  illustration,  is  too  thick,  and  the  head  is  scarcely  long  enough. 

Beside  these  weapons,  there  are  several  others,  offensive  and  defensive.  The 
chiefs  wear  a  really  well-formed  cuirass  made  of  iron  plates,  and  having  an 
ingenious  addition  of  a  kind  of  steel  upright  collar  attached  to  the  back-piece  of 
the  cuirass,  and  protecting  the  nape  of  the  neck.  The  cuirass  is  made  of  five  plates 
of  steel,  laid  horizontally  and  riveted  to  each  other,  and  of  as  many  similar  plates 
attached  to  them  perpendicularly,  and  forming  the  back-piece  and  shoulder-straps. 
It  is  made  to  open  at  one  side  to  admit  of  being  put  on  and  off,  and  the  two 
halves  are  kept  together  by  loops  and  links,  whidi  take  the  place  of  straps  and 
buckles. 

The  chief's  horses  are  also  distinguished  by  the  quantity  of  armour  with 
which  they  are  protected,  an  iron  chamfron  covering  the  whole  of  the  forehead, 
and  extending  as  far  as  the  nostrils. 

By  the  saddle-bow  hangs  a  battle-axe,  shaped  exactly  like  those  axes  with 
which  we  have  been  so  familiar  in  Southern  and  Central  Africa,  but  being  dis- 
tinguished irom  them  by  the  fact  that  an  iron  chain  is  piassed  through  a  hole  in 
that  part  of  the  head  which  passes  through  the  knob  at  the  end  of  the  handle, 
the  other  end  of  the  chain  being  attached  to  a  ring  that  slides  freely  up  and  down 
the  handle.  This  arrangement  enables  the  warrior  to  secure  and  replace  the  head 
of  the  axe  if  it  should  be  struck  out  of  the  handle  in  the  heat  of  battle.  A  long 
double-edged  dagger,  shaped  almost  exactly  like  the  spear-head,  is  fastened  to  the 
left  arm  by  a  strap,  and  is  carried  with  the  hilt  downwards. 

The  infanti7  carry,  together  with  other  weapons,  an  iron  axe,  shaped  like  a 
sickle,  and  closely  resembling  the  weapon  which  has  been  mentioned  as  used  by 
the  Neam-Nam  and  Fan  tribes.  This  is  called  the  "  hunga-munga,"  aud  is  used 
ibr  throwing  at  a  retreating  enemy.  8?eab 


I 


\.i-'-,Jk\ 


ri) 


!^;1 


I 


694 


BORNU. 


The  infantry,  of  which  mention  has  just  been  made,  are  mostly  Kanemboo  negroes. 
They  are  a  tall,  muscular  race,  and,  being  also  courageous,  have  well  desei-ved  the 
estimation  in  which  they  are  held  by  their  master. 

Unhke  the  horsemen,  they  are  almost  completely  naked,  their  only  clothing  being  a 
rather  fantastical  belt,  or  "  sporran,"  of  goat-skin,  with  the  hair  still  remaining  on  the 
skin,  and  a  few  strips  of  cloth,  called  "gubkas,"  tied  round  their  heads,  and  brought 

under  the  nose.  These  gubkas  are 
the  currency  of  the  country,  so 
that  a  soldier  carries  his  wealth  on 
his  head. 

Their  principal  weapons  are 
the  spear  and  shield.  The  former 
is  a  very  horrible  weapon,  seven 
feet  or  so  in  length,  and  armed 
just  below  the  head  with  a  mmi- 
ber  of  hook-shaped  barbs,  almost 
exactly  like  those  attached  to  the 
Bwow  No,  6  on  page  494.  The 
shield  is  made  from  the  wood  of 
the  fogo,  a  tree  which  gi-ows  in 
the  shallow  waters  of  Lake  Tchad, 
and  which  is  so  light  that,  although 
the  shield  is  large  enough  to  pro- 
tect the  whole  bodv  and  upper  part 
of  the  legs,  it  only  weighs  a  few 
pounds.  The  pieces  of  wood  of 
which  it  is  made  are  bound  to- 
gether by  strips  of  raw  bullock's 
hide,  on  which  the  hair  is  suffered 
to  remain  as  an  ornament,  and 
which,  after  doing  their  duty,  are 
carried  along  the  outer  edge  of  the 
shield  in  a  vandyked  pattern.  The 
•'■  shield  is  slightly  convex.  Beside 
the  spear  and  snield,  the  Kanem- 
boo soldipr  mostly  carries  on  his 
left  arm  a  dagger  like  that  which 
has  already  been  described,  but 
not  so  neatly  made.  The  Kanem- 
boos  will  bo  presently  described. 

At  least  nine  thousand  of  these 
black  soldiers  are  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  sheikh,and  are  divided 
into  regiments  of  a  thousand  or  so 
strong.    It  may  be  imagined  that 
they  are  really  formidable  troops, 
especially  under  the  command  of 
such  a  leader,  who,  as  will  be  seen  by  Major  Denham's  description  of  a  review,  had  intro- 
duced strict  discipline  and  a  rough-and-ready  sort  of  tactics.    The  sheikh  had  ordered  out 
the  Kanemboo  soldiers,  and  galloped  towards  them  on  his  favourite  horse,  accompanied  by 
four  sultans  who  were  under  his  command.     His  staff  wete  gaily  adorned  with  scarlet 
bernouaes  decorated  with  gold  lace,  while  he  himself  preserved  his  usual  simplicity  of 
dress,  his  robes  being  white,  and  a  Cashmere  shawl  fbrming  his  tUrban. 

As  soon  as  he  gave  the  signal,  the  Kanemboos  talsed  a  deafening  shout,  and  began  their 
manoeuvres,  their  officers  being  distinguished  by  wearing  a  dark  blue  robe  and  turban. 
"  On  nearing  the  spot  where  the  sheikh  had  placed  himself,  they  quickened  their  pace, 


i^J^97^^ 


KANEMBOO  If  AM  AND  WOMAN. 


A  BORNU  EEVIEW. 


695 


Kanemboo  negroes 
weU  desei-ved  the 

y  clothing  being  a 

remaining  on  the 

leads,  and  brought 

These  gubkas  are 

I  the  countnr,  so 

irries  his  wealth  on 

iipal  weapons  are 
iield.    The  former 
)le  weapon,  seven 
Jngth,  and  armed 
lead  with  a  num- 
ped  barbs,  almost 
•se  attached  to  the 
»  page  494.    The 
from  the  wood  of 
which  gi-ows  in 
Jrs  of  Lake  Tchad 
ight  that,  although 
;e  enough  to  pro- 

dy  and  upper  part 
nly  weighs  a  few 
leces  of  wood  of 
le  are  bound  to- 
of  raw  bullock's 
le  hair  is  suffered 
a  ornament,  and 
g  their  duty,  are 
outer  edge  of  the 
ked  pattern.  The 
convex.    Beside 
eld,  the  Kanem- 
ly  carries  on  his 
like  that  which 
I  described,  but 
e.    TheKanem- 
ntly  described, 
^ousand  of  these 
under  the  com- 
,and  are  divided 
thousand  or  so 
5  imagined  that 
nidable  troops, 
le  command  of 
iew,  had  intro- 
ad  ordered  out 
;companied  by 
!d  with  scarlet 
1  simplicity  of 

id  began  their 
ad  turban, 
led  their  pace, 


and  after  striking  their  spears  against  their  shields  for  some  minutes,  which  had  an 
extremely  grand  and  stunnmg  effect,  they  filed  off  to  the  outside  of  the  circle,  where  they 
again  formed  and  awaited  their  companions,  who  succeeded  them  in  the  same  order.  There 
appeared  to  be  a  great  deal  of  affection  between  these  troops  and  the  sheikh.  He  spurred 
his  horse  onwards  into  the  midst  of  some  of  the  tribes  as  they  came  up,  and  spoke  to 
them,  while  the  men  crowded  round  him,  kissing  his  feet  and  the  stirrups  of  his  saddle. 
It  was  a  must  pleasing  sight.  He  seemed  to  feel  how  much  his  present  elevation  was 
owing  to  their  exertions,  while  they  <^^  layed  a  devotion  and  attocnment  deserving  and 
denoting  the  greatest  confidence. 

"  I  confess  I  was  considerably  disappointed  at  not  seeing  these  troops  engage,  although 
more  than  compensated  by  tlie  reflection  of  the  slaughter  that  had  been  prevented  by 
that  disappointment." 

It  seems  rather  curious  that  this  leader,  so  military  in  all  his  thoughts,  should  take 
women  with  him  into  the  field,  especially  when  he  had  to  fight  against  the  terrible  Munga 
archers,  whose  poisoned  arrows  are  certain  death  to  all  who  are  wounded  by  them.  Yet, 
whenever  he  takes  the  field,  he  is  accompanied  by  three  of  his  favourite  wives,  who  are 
mounted  on  trained  horses,  each  being  led  by  a  boy,  and  their  whole  figures  and  faces  so 
wrapped  in  their  wide  robes  that  the  human  form  is  scarcely  distinguishable.  The  sultan, 
as  becomes  his  superior  rank,  takes  with  him  an  unlimited  number  of  wives,  accompanied 
by  a  small  court  of  palace  officers.  Nine,  however,  is  the  usual  number  allotted  lo  the 
sultan,  and  there  are  nearly  a  hundred  non-combatants  to  wait  upon  them. 

The  army,  well  ordered  as  it  is,  shows  little  signs  of  its  discipline  until  it  is  near  the 
enemy,  the  troops  marching  much  as  they  like,  and  beguiling  the  Journey  with  songs  and 
tales.  As  soon,  however,  as  they  come  within  dangerous  ground,  the  sheikh  gives  the 
word,  and  they  all  fall  into  their  places,  and  become  steady  and  well-disciplined  troops. 

The  sheikh's  place  is  one  of  no  ordinary  peril,  for,  beside  havins  the  responsibility  of 
command,  and  the  practical  care  of  the  sultan's  unwieldy  person,  he  Is  the  object  at  which 
the  enemy  all  aim,  knowing  well  that,  if  they  can  only  kill  the  sheikh, .their  victory  is 
assured.  This  particular  sheikh  entirely  disregarded  all  notion  of  personal  danger,  and 
was  the  most  conspicuous  personage  in  the  army.  He  marches  in  front  of  his  soldiers, 
and  before  him  are  borne  five  flags — two  green,  two  striped,  and  one  red — upon  which  are 
written  in  letters  of  gold  extracts  from  the  Koran.  Behind  him  rides  his  favourite  atten- 
dant, bearing  his  master's  shield,  mail  coat,  and  helmet,  and  beside  him  is  the  bearer  of 
his  drum,  which  is  considered  as  almost  equivalent  to  himself  in  value.  The  Begharmis 
say  of  this  sheikh,  that  it  is  useless  to  attack  him,  because  he  has  the  power  of  rendering 
himself  invisible ;  and  that  on  one  occasion,  when  they  routed  his  army,  and  pursued  the 
sheikh  himself,  they  could  not  see  either  him  or  his  drum,  though  the  instrument  was 
continually  sounding. 

Before  passing  to  another  branch  of  this  subject,  we  will  finish  our  account  of  this 
sheikh.  His  name  was  Alameen  Ben  Mohammed  el  Kanemy,  and,  according  to  Major 
Denham's  portrait,  he  was  a  man  of  mark,  his  boldly-cut  features  expressing  his  energetic 
character  even  under  the  folds  of  the  turban  and  tobe  in  which  he  habitually  enveloped 
himself  Being  the  virtual  i*uler  of  the  kingdom,  he  administered  justice  as  well  as  waged 
war,  and  did  so  with  stem  impartiality. 

On  one  occasion,  when  a  slave  had  offended  against  the  law,  ana  was  condemned  to 
death,  his  master  petitioned  the  sheikh  against  the  capital  punishment,  saying  that,  as  the 
slave  was  his  property,  the  real  punishment  fell  upon  him,  who  was  not  even  cognizant  of 
his  slave's  offence.  The  sheikh  admitted  the  validity  of  the  plea,  but  said  that  public 
justice  could  not  be  expected  to  yield  to  private  interests.  So  ne  ordered  the  delinquent 
for  execution,  but  paid  his  price  to  the  owner  out  of  his  own  purse. 

He  was  equally  judicious  in  enforcing  his  own  authority.  His  favourite  officer  was 
Barca  Gana,  who  has  already  been  mentioned.  El  Kanemy  had  an  especial  liking  for 
this  man,  and  had  committed  to  his  care  the  government  of  six  districts,  besides  enriching 
him  with  numbers  of  slaves,  horses,  and  other  valuable  property.  It  happened  that  on 
one  occasion  El  Kanemy  had  sent  him  a  horse  which  he  had  inadvertently  promised  to 
another  person,  and  which^  accordingly,  Barca  Goua  had  to  give  up.    Being  enraged  by 


Hn'v 


,i-     'rl-'lh 


i 


6M 


BORNU. 


this  proceedins,  he  sent  bftcic  to  the  sheikh  all  the  horses  which  he  had  presented,  saying 
that  in  future  he  would  ride  his  own  animals. 

£1  Kanemy  was  not  a  man  to  suffer  such  an  insolent  message  to  be  given  witli 
impunity.  He  sent  for  Barca  Oana,  stripped  him  on  the  spot  o{  all  his  gorgeous  clothing, 
substituted  the  slave's  leathern  girdle  for  his  robes,  and  ordered  him  to  be  sold  as  a  slave 
to  the  Tibboos. 

Humbled  to  the  dust,  the  dis^<iced  general  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the  sentence, 
and  only  begged  that  his  maste;  s  displeasure  might  not  fall  on  his  wives  and  childrea 
Kext  day,  as  Barca  Gana  was  about  to  be  led  away  to  the  Tibboos,  the  negro  body-guards, 
who  seem  to  have  respected  their  general  for  his  courage  in  spite  of  his  haughty  and 
somewhat  overbearing  manner,  came  before  the  sheikh,  and  begged  him  to  pardon  their 
commander.  Just  at  tha*:  moment  the  disgraced  chief  came  before  his  offended  master,  to 
take  leave  before  going  off  with  the  Tibboos  to  whom  he  had  been  sold. 

El  Kanemy  was  quite  overcome  by  the  sight,  flung  himself  back  on  his  carpet,  wept 
like  a  child,  allowed  Barcu  Gana  to  embrace  his  knees,  and  gave  his  free  pai'don.  "  In 
the  evening  there  was  great  and  general  rejoicing.  The  timbrels  beat,  the  Kanemboos 
yelled  and  struck  their  shields ;  everything  bespoke  joy,  and  Barca  Gana,  in  new  robes 
and  a  rich  bernouse,  rode  round  the  camp,  followed  by  all  the  chiefs  of  the  army." 

Even  in  war.  El  Kanemy  permitted  policy  aqd  tact  to  overcome  the  national  feeling 
of  revenge.  For  example,  the  formidable  Munga  tribe,  of  whom  we  shall  presently  treat, 
had  proved  themselves  exceedingly  troublesome,  and  the  sheikh  threatened  to  exterminate 
them — a  threat  which  he  could  certainly  have  carried  out,  though  with  much  loss  of  life. 
He  did  not,  however,  intend  to  fulfil  the  threat,  but  tried,  by  working  on  their  fears  and 
their  interests,  to  conciliate  them,  and  to  make  them  his  allies  rather  than  his  foes.  He 
did  not  only  frighten  them  by  his  splendidly-appointed  troops,  but  awed  them  by  his 
accomplishments  as  a  writer,  copying  out  a  vast  number  of  charmed  sentences  for  three 
successive  nights.  The  illiterate  Mungas  thought  that  such  a  proceeding  was  a  proof  of 
supernatural  power,  and  yielded  to  his  wisdom  what  they  would  not  have  yielded  to  his 
veritable  power.  They  said  it  was  useless  to  fight  against  a  man  who  had  such  terrible 
powers.  Night  after  night,  as  he  wrote  the  potent  words,  their  arrows  were  blunted  in 
their  quivers.  Their  spears  snapped  asunder,  and  their  weapons  were  removed  out  of  their 
huts,  so  that  some  of  tne  chiefs  absolutely  became  ill  with  terror,  and  all  agreed  that  they 
had  better  conclude  peace  at  once.  The  performance  of  Major  Denham's  rockets  had  also 
reached  their  ears,  and  hnd  added  much  to  the  general  consternation. 

He  carried  his  zual  for  religion  to  the  extreme  of  fanaticism,  constituting  himself  the 
guardian  of  public  morals,  and  visiting  offences  with  the  severest  penalties.  He  was 
^especially  hard  on  the  women,  over  whom  he  kept  a  vigilant  watch  by  means  of  bis  spies. 
On  one  occasion,  two  young  girls  of  seventeen  were  found  guilty,  and  condemned  to  be 
hanged.  Great  remonstrances  were  made.  The  lover  of  one  of  the  girls,  who  had  pre- 
viously offered  to  marry  her,  threatened  to  kill  any  one  who  placed  a  rope  round  her  neck, 
and  a  general  excitement  pervaded  the  place.  For  a  long  time  the  sheikh  remained 
inexorable,  but  at  last  compounded  the  affair  by  having  their  heads  shaved  publicly  in  the 
market-place— a  disgrace  scarcely  less  endurable  than  death. 

On  another  occasion  the  delinquents  had  exaggerated  their  offence  by  committing  it 
during  the  fast  of  the  Bhamadan,  The  man  was  sentenced  to  four  hundred  stripes,  and 
the  woman  to  half  that  number.  The  punishment  was  immediate.  The  woman  was 
stripped  of  her  ornaments  and  all  her  garments,  except  a  cloth  round  the  middle,  and  her 
head  shaved.    She  was  then  suspended  by  the  cloth,  and  the  punishment  inflicted. 

Her  partner  was  treated  far  worse.  The  whip  was  a  terrible  weapon,  made  of  the  skin 
of  the  hippopotamus,  and  having  a  metal  knob  on  the  end.  Each  blow  was  struck  on  the 
back,  so  that  the  lash  curled  round  the  body,  and  the  heavy  knob  came  with  terrible 
violence  on  the  breast  and  stomach.  Before  half  the  lashes  were  inflicted,  blood  flowed 
profusely  from  his  mouth,  and,  a  short  time  after  the  culprit  was  taken  down,  he  was  dead. 
Strange  to  say,  he  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the  sentence,  kissed  the  weapon,  joined  in  the 
profession  of  faith  which  was  said  before  the  punishment  began,  and  never  uttered  a  ciy. 

Fierce  in  war,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  a  savage  fanatic  in  religion,  the  sheikh  was  no 


SOCIAL  POUTY. 


697 


3  presented,  Baying 

to  be  given  with 
gorgeous  clothing, 
be  sold  as  a  slave 

ce  of  the  sentence, 
ives  and  children, 
legro  body-guards, 
his  haughty  and 
n  to  pardon  their 
ifended  master,  to 

0  his  carpet,  wept 
free  pardon.    "  In 
',  the  Kailemboos 
ma,  in  new  robes 
be  army." 
B  national  feeling 
11  presently  trea^ 
ed  to  exterminate 
much  loss  of  life. 
m  their  fears  and 
lan  his  foes.    He 
ved  them  by  his 
ntences  ft,r  three 
ig  was  a  proof  of 
ve  yielded  to  his 
fiad  such  terrible 
were  blunted  in 
oved  out  of  their 
agreed  that  they 
rockets  had  also 

ting  himself  the 
lalties.  He  was 
Jans  of  his  spies. 
!ondemned  to  be 
3,  who  had  pie- 
round  her  neck, 
heikh  remained 
publicly  in  the 

y  commitfc'ng  it 
red  stripes,  and 
he  woman  was 
middle,  and  her 
inflicted, 
lade  of  the  skin 
s  struck  on  the 
e  with  terrible 
i,  blood  flowed 
n,  he  was  dead, 
n,  joined  in  the 
uttered  a  ciy. 
sheikh  was  no 


stranger  to  the  softer  emotions.  Mi^orDenham  showed  him  a  ourious  musical  snuff-box, 
the  sweetness  of  which  entranced  him.  He  sat  with  his  head  in  his  hands,  as  if  in  a 
dream ;  and  when  one  of  his  courtiers  spoke,  he  struck  the  man  a  violent  blow  for  inter- 
rupting the  sweet  sounds. 

His  punishment  for  theft  was  usually  a  severe  flogging  and  a  heavy  fine.  But,  in  cases 
of  a  flrsi  ofTence  of  a  young  delinquent,  the  offender  was  buried  in  the  ground  up  to  bis 
shoulders,  and  his  head  and  neck  smeared  with  honey.  The  swarms  of  flies  that  settled 
on  the  poor  wretch's  head  made  his  existence  miserable  during  the  time  that  he  was  thus 
buried,  and  no  one  who  had  undergone  such  a  punishment  once  would  be  likely  to  run 
the  risk  of  suflering  it  again,  even  though  it  aid  no  permanent  iivjury,  like  the  whip. 
Beheading  is  also  a  punishment  reserved  for  Mahometans,  while  "Kafirs"  are  either 
impaled  or  crucified,  sometimes  living  for  several  days  in  torments. 

The  slaves  of  the  Bornuese  are  treated  with  great  kindness,  and  are  almost  considered 
as  belonging  to  their  master's  family,  their  condition  being  very  like  that  of  the  slaves  or 
servants,  as  they  are  called,  of  the  patriarchal  ages.  Much  of  the  marketing  is  done  by 
female  slaves,  who  take  to  market  whole  strings  of  oxen  laden  with  goods  or  cowries,  and 
conduct  the  transaction  with  perfect  honesty.  The  market,  by  the  way,  in  which  these 
women  buy  and  sell,  is  really  a  remarkable  place.  It  is  regulated  in  the  strictest  manner, 
and  is  divided  into  districts,  in  each  of  which  difPerent  articles  are  sold.  It  is  governed 
by  a  sheikh,  who  regulates  all  the  prices,  and  gets  his  living  by  a  small  commission  of 
about  a  half  per  cent,  on  every  purchase  that  exceeds  four  dollars.  He  is  aided  by 
dylalas,  or  brokers,  who  write  their  private  mark  inside  every  parcel. 

The  whole  place  is  filled  with  rows  of  stalls,  in  which  are  to  be  found  everything 
that  a  Bornuese  can  want,  and  one  great  convenience  bf  the  place  is,  that  a  parcel  need 
never  be  examined  in  order  to  discover  whether  any  fraud  has  been  perpetrated.  Should 
a  parcel,  when  opened  at  home,  be  defective,  the  buyer  sends  it  back  to  the  dylala,  who 
is  bound  to  find  out  the  seller,  and  to  force  him  to  take  back  the  parcel  and  refund  the 
money.  As  an  example  of  the  strange  things  which  are  sold  in  this  market.  Major 
Denham  mentions  that  a  young  lion  was  offered  to  him.  It  was  perfectly  tame,  and  was 
led  about  by  a  cord  round  his  neck,  walking  among  the  people  without  displaying  any 
ferdcity.  Tame  lions  seem  to  be  fashionable  in  Bornu,  as  the  sheikh  afterwards  sent 
Major  Denhara  another  lion  equally  tame. 

The  architecture  of  the  Bornuese  is  superior  to  that  of  Dahome.  "  The  towns,"  writes 
Major  Denham,  "  are  generally  large,  and  well  built :  they  have  walls  thirty-five  and 
forty  feet  in  height,  and  nearly  twenty  feet  in  thickness.  They  have  four  entrances,  with 
three  gates  to  each,  made  of  solid  planks  eight  or  ten  inches  thick,  and  fastened  together 
with  heavy  clamps  of  iron.  The  houses  consist  of  several  coartyards  between  four^ 
walls,  with  apartments  leading  out  of  them  for  slaves,  then  a  passage  and  an  inner  court 
leading  into  habitations  of  the  different  wives,  which  have  each  a  square  space  to 
themselves,  enclosed  by  walls,  and  a  handsome  thatched  hut.  From  thence  also  you 
ascend  a  wide  staircase  of  five  or  six  steps,  leading  to  the  apartments  of  the  owner,  which 
consist  of  two  buildings  like  towers  or  turrets,  with  a  terrace  of  communication  between 
them,  looking  into  the  street,  with  a  castellated  window.  The  walls  are  mudo  of  reddish 
clay,  as  smooth  as  stones,  and  the  roofs  are  most  tastefully  arched  on  the  inside  with 
branches,  and  thatched  on  the  outside  with  a  grass  known  in  Bombay  by  the  name 
of  lidther. 

"  The  horns  of  the  gazelle  and  antelope  serve  as  a  substitute  for  nails  or  pegs.  These 
are  fixed  in  different  parts  of  the  walls,  and  on  them  hang  the  quivers,  bows,  spears,  and 
shields  of  the  chief  A  man  of  consequence  will  sometimes  have  four  of  these  terraces 
and  eight  turrets,  forming  the  faces  of  his  mansion  or  domain,  with  all  the  apartments  of 
his  women  within  the  space  below.  Horees  and  other  animals  are  usually  allowed  an 
enclosure  near  one  of  the  'courtyards  forming  the  entrance." 

Such  houses  as  these  belong  only  to  the  wealthy,  and  those  of  the  poor  are  of  a 
much  simpler  description,  being  built  of  straw,  reeds,  or  mats,  the  latter  being  the 
favourite  material. 
,     As  is  mostly  the  case  in  polygamous  Africa,  each  wife  has  her  own  special  house,  or 


hhi  '■?' 


Wi-m 


698 


THE  KANEMBOOS. 


ralher  hut,  which  is  usually  \tf  the  kind  called  "coosie."  ie.  one  that  is  built  entirely  of 
sticks  and  straw.  The  wives  nvo  obliged  to  bo  very  humble  in  presence  of  their  husbands, 
whom  they  always  approach  on  their  knees,  and  Uiey  are  not  allowed  to  speak  to  any  of 
the  male  sex  except  kneeling,  and  with  their  heads  and  faces  covered.  Marriage  is  later 
in  Bomu  than  in  many  parts  of  AMca,  the  girls  scarcely  ever  marrying  until  they  are 
full  fifteen,  and  mostly  being  a  year  or  two  older. 

Weddings  are  conducted  in  a  ceremonious  and  noisy  manner.  The  bride  is  perched 
on  the  back  of  an  ox,  and  rides  to  the  bridegroom's  house  attended  by  her  mother  and 
friends,  and  followed  by  other  oxen  carrymg  her  dowry,  which  mostly  consists  of 
toorkadeea  and  other  raiment  All  her  male  friends  are  mounted,  and  dash  up  to  her 
at  full  gallop,  this  being  the  recognised  salute  on  such  occasions.  The  bridegroom  is  in 
the  meantime  parading  the  streets  with  a  shouting  mob  after  him,  or  sitting  in  his  house 
with  the  same  shouting  mob  in  front  of  him,  yelling  out  vociferous  congratulations, 
blowing  horns,  beating  drums,  and,  in  fact,  letting  their  African  nature  have  its 
full  sway. 

In  this  country,  the  people  have  a  very  ingenious  method  of  counteracting  the  effects 
of  the  rain-storms,  which  come  on  suddenly,  discharge  the  water  as  if  it  were  poured 
from  buckets,  and  then  pass  on.  On  account  of  the  high  temperature,  the  rain  soon 
evaporates,  so  that  even  after  one  of  these  showers,  though  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
for  the  time  converted  into  a  marsh  intersected  with  rivulets  of  running  water,  the  sandy 
ground  is  quite  dry  at  the  depth  of  two  feet  or  so. 

As  soon  as  th..  Bornuese  perceive  one  of  these  storms  approaching,  they  take  off  all 
their  clothes,  dig  holes  in  the  ground,  bury  the  clothes,  and  cover  them  up  carefully.  The 
rain  falls,  and  is  simply  a  shower-bath  over  their  naked  bodies,  and,  as  soon  as  the  storm 
has  passed  over,  they  reopen  the  hole,  and  put  on  their  dry  clothes.  When  they  are 
preparing  a  resting-place  at  night,  they  take  a  similar  precaution,  digging  deep  boles  until 
they  come  to  the  ary  sand,  on  which  they  make  their  beds. 


THE  KANEMBOOS. 


If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  illustration  on  page  694,  he  will  see  that  by  the  side  of 
,  the  Kanemboo  warrior  is  his  wife.  The  women  are,  like  their  husbands,  dark  and  well- 
shaped.  They  are  lively  and  brisk  in  their  manners,  and  seem  always  ready  for  a  laugh. 
Their  clothing  is  nearly  as  limited  as  that  of  their  husbands,  but  they  take  great  pains  in 
plaiting  their  hair  into  numerous  little  strings,  which  reach  as  far  as  the  neck.  The  head 
is  generally  ornamented  with  a  flat  piece  of  tin  or  silver  hanging  from  the  hair.  This 
custom  is  prevalent  throughout  the  kingdom,  and,  indeed,  the  principal  mode  of  detecting 
the  particular  tribe  to  which  a  woman  belongs  is  to  note  the  coloui;  and  pattern  of  her 
scanty  dress.  Mof*;  of  the  Kanemboo  women  have  a  string  of  brass  beads  or  of  silver 
rings  hanging  upon  each  side  of  the  face.  In  the  latter  case  they  mostly  have  also  a  flat 
circular  piece  of  silver  on  their  foreheads.  . 

The  architecture  of  the  Kanemboos  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Kaffirs  of  Southern 
Africa,  the  huts  more  resembling  those  of  the  Bechuanas  than  the  Zulu,  Kosa,  or  Fonda 
tribes.  They  are  compared  to  haystacks  in  appearance,  and  are  made  of  reeds.  Each 
house  is  situated  in  a  neat  enclosure  made  of  the  same  reed,  within  which  a  goat  or  two, 
a  cow,  and  some  fowls  are  usually  kept.  The  hut  is  divided  into  two  portions,  one  being 
for  the  master  and  the  other  for  the  women.  His  bed  is  supported  on  a  wooden  frame- 
work and  covered  with  the  skins  of  wild  animals.  There  is  no  window,  and  the  place  of 
a  door  is  taken  by  a  mat. 

In  this  country,  they  subsist  generally  on  fish,  which  they  obtain  from  the  great  Lake 
Tchad  in  a  very  ingenious  manner.  The  fisherman  takes  two  large  gourds,  and  connects 
them  with  a  stout  bamboo,  just  long  enough  to  allow  his  body  to  pass  easily  between 


FISHING  SCENE. 


6Pd 


them.  He  then  taken  hii  nets,  to  the  upper  part  of  which  are  fastened  floats  m^de  of 
cane,  and  to  the  lower  cdue  are  attached  simple  weights  of  sand  tied  up  in  leathern  ba^s. 
Ho  launches  the  gourtls,  and,  na  ho  docs  so,  sits  astride  the  bambuo,  so  that  one  gourd 
is  in  front  of  him  and  the  other  behind.  Having  shot  his  nct<<,  he  makes  a  circuit  round 
them,  splashing  the  water  so  as  to  drive  the  fish  against  the  meshes.  When  he  thinks 
that  a  sufficiency  of  fiah  has  got  into  his  net,  ho  draws  it  up  gently  with  one  ..and,  while 
the  other  hand  holds  a  short  club,  with  which  he  kills  each  fish  as  its  head  is  lifted  above 
the  water.  The  dead  fish  is  then  disengaged  from  the  net,  and  flung  into  one  of  the 
gourds ;  and  when  they  are  ho  full  that  they  can  hold  no  more  without  running  the  risk 
of  admitting  water,  the  fisherman  paddles  to  shore,  lands  his  cargo,  and  goes  off  for 
anotliKr  haul.  He  lias  no  paddles  but  his  hands,  but  they  are  efiicient  instruments,  and 
propel  him  quite  as  fast  as  he  cares  to  go. 


1 


i 


%i 


I       m 


VISBINO  SCBM& 


The  women  have  a  very  ingenious  mode  of  catching  fish,  constituting  themselves  into 
a  sort  of  net.  Thirty  or  forty  at  a  time  go  into  the  water,  and  wade  up  to  their  breasts. 
They  then  form  in  single  file,  and  move  gradually  towards  the  muddy  shore,  which  slopes 
very  gradually,  stamping  and  beating  the  water  so  as  to  make  as  much  disturbance  as 
possible.  The  terrified  fishes  retire  before  this  formidable  line,  and  at  last  are  forced  into 
water  so  shallow,  that  they  can  be  scooped  out  by  the  hands  and  fiung  eshore. 

The  fish  are  cooked  in  a  very  simple  manner  A  fire  is  lighted ;  and  when  it  has 
burnt  up  properly,  each  fish  has  a  stick  thrust  down  its  throat.  The  other  end  of  the 
stick  is  fixed  into  the  ground  close  to  the  fire,  and  in  a  short  time  the  fire  is  surrounded 
with  a  circle  of  fish,  all  with  their  heads  downwards  and  their  tails  in  the  air  as  if  they 
were  diving.  They  can  be  easily  turned  on  the  sticks,  the  tail  affording  an  excellent 
leverage,  and  in  a  very  short  time  they  are  thoroughly  roasted. 

The  Kanemboos  catch  the  large  animals  in  pitfalls  called  "  blaquas."  These  blaquas 
are  laboriously  and  ingeniously  made,  and  are  often  used  to  protect  towns  against  the 
Tuaricks  and  other  invaders,  as  well  as  to  catch  wild  animals.  The  pits  are  very  deep, 
and  at  the  bottom  are  fixed  six  or  seven  perpendicular  stakes,  with  sharpened  points,  and 
hardened  by  being  partially  charred.  So  formidable  are  they,  tha.  a  Tuarick  horse  and 
his  rider  have  been  known  to  fall  into  one  of  them,  and  both  to  have  been  found  dead, 
pierced  through  the  body  with  the  stakes. 


f  *  m 


w 


m 

i:  ■  I 


I  i 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 


THE  SHOOAS,  TIBBOOS,  TUABICKS,  BEOHABMIS,  AND  MUSQUESE. 


11 


THE  BHOOA  TBIBB — ^THRIB  SKILL  JS  HOB8ra[AN8HIP — ▲  8H00A  BTTFFALO-HTTira — CHABB  OP  THE 
BLBPHANT — TBACBS  OF  THRIB  ABABIC  OBIOIN — 8H00A  BANOKS — ^APFRABANCB  AND  BBB8B  OF  THB 
WOMEN — ^THB  TIBBOO  TRIBE — THKIB  ACTIVITY — DBRSB  AND  APPBABANCB  OF  BOTH  8EXR8 — 
TURIB  SKILt,  WITH   THB   SPBAB — TIBBOO   DAN0B8 — THBIB   CITIR8   OF  BEFUOR — THB   TUABICKS — 

THKIB    THIBTI8H     CHARACTEB    AND    OBAVB    1IANNBB8 — TVABICK    8INOIKO TBB   BEGHARMI8 — 

LOCALITY  OF  THB  PEOPLE — THB  817LTAN  AND  HI8  BBTINUB — CITBIOUB  ABCHITRCTVBR — 
COSTCMB  AND  WEAPONS  OF  THE  LAN0EB8~-WBBSTLBB8,  B0ZEB8,  AND  DAMCBB8 — THB  MU80U 
TBIBE — APPEABANCR  OF  THB  WOMBK— 4HB  UP  OBIUIIKNT — X  UVMtV  CHIEF  AND  ATTENDANTS 
—A  DI8A8TB0US  BATTLB. 


One  of  the  most  important  of  tlm  many  tnbei  vhioh  surround  Lake  Tchad  is  the  Shooa 
tribe,  which,  like  the  Kanemboo,  has  been  absorbed  into  the  Bomuan  kingdom. 

Their  chief  value  is  their  soldierly  nature,  and,  as  they  are  splendid  horsemen,  they 
form  the  greater  part  of  the  cavalry.  Arabs  by  descent,  they  preserve  the  Arabic 
language,  and  speak  it  nearly  pure,  only  mixing  with  it  certain  words  and  phrases  of 
Bornuan  origin.  They  present  a  strong  contrast  to  the  pure  Bornuese,  who  ate 
peaceable,  quiet,  slow,  and  good-natured.  They  are  absurdly  timid,  and,  except  in 
pursuing  an  already  routed  enemy,  are  useless  in  the  field,  running  away  when  there  is 
the  least  sign  of  danger. 

The  Shooas,  on  the  contrary,  are  bold,  active,  energetic,  and  daring,  passing  a  con- 
siderable part  of  their  lives  on  horseback,  and  such  admirable  equestrians  that  man  and 
horse  look  like  one  animal  They  are  mighty  hunters,  not  being  contented  to  dig  pits 
and  catch  the  animals  that  fall  into  them,  but  boldly  chasing  the  fierce  and  dangerous 
buffaloes  and  killing  them  with  the  spear  alone. 

The  Shooa  hunter  rides  to  the  swampy  grounds  where  the  buffalo  loves  to  wallow, 
and  drives  the  animals  upon  the  firm  land.  He  then  makes  choice  of  one,  and  gives 
chase  to  it,  getting  on  its  off  side  and  pressing  it  closely.  His  horse  is  trained  to  run 
side  by  side  with  the  buffalo,  and  the  rider  then  stands  like  a  circus-rider  upon  the  two 
animals,  one  foot  on  his  horse's  bad.,  and  the  other  on  that  of  the  buffalo. 

He  then  drives  his  spear  through  the  shoulders  of  the  buffalo  towards  the  heart,  and,  if 
he  has  time,  will  fix  another  spear.  He  then  drops  on  his  horse,  which  leaps  away  from 
the  wounded  animal,  so  as  to  avoid  the  stroke  of  the  horn  which  the  buffalo  is  apt  to  give 
as  it  feels  the  pain  of  the  wound.  As  a  rule,  the  buffalo  can  run  but  a  very  short  distance 
when  thus  injured,  and,  as  soon  as  it  staggers,  the  bold  hunter  dismounts,  and  gives  the 
final  stroke.  Sometimes  a  badly-trained  horse  will  be  too  eager,  and  press  so  far  forward 
that  the  turn  of  the  buffalo's  head  will  wound  it  severely ;  but  an  old  and  experienced 
horse  knows  the  danger  as  well  as  its  rider,  and  just  keeps  itself  far  enough  back  to 
avoid  the  blow. 


BUTFALO-HUNTING. 


701 


The  Shooas  chase  the  elephant  in  a  similar  manner,  but,  as  the  animal  is  so  enormous, 
twenty  or  thirty  hunters  generally  unite  their  forces,  one  always  riding  in  front  so  as  to 
draw  the  angry  animal's  attention,  while  the  others  follow  it  up,  and  inflict  a  series  of 
wounds,  under  which  it  soon  sinks.  Sometimes,  when  the  elephant  is  very  active  and 
savage,  one  of  the  hunters  will  dismount,  and  try  to  hamstring  the  animal,  or  will  evea 
creep  under  it  and  drive  his  spears  into  its  belly. 


I    i*-  , 


/ 

T — CHASK  or  THB 
I  AND  DBK88  OF  THB 
OF  BOTH  8RXR8 — 
— THB  TDARICK8 — 
THB  BEGHARUIS — 
ABCHITRGTCBR — 
rCBBS — THB  MD80U 
!■  AND  ATTEMI>AMT8 


ig,  passing  a  con- 
is  that  man  and 
tented  to  dig  pits 
30  and  dangerous 

loves  to  wallow, 
af  one,  and  gives 
s  trained  to  run 
jr  upon  the  two 
>. 

the  heart,  and,  if 
leaps  away  from 
alo  is  apt  to  give 
ry  short  distance 
3,  and  gives  the 
js  so  far  forward 
and  experienced 
enough  back  to 


BUFFALO-BUNTIKO. 


It  may  be  easily  imagined  that  such  hunters  as  these  are  likely  to  make  good  soldiers, 
and  that  the  Bornuan  sheikh  was  fully  justified  informing  them  into  so  large  a  contingent 
of  his  army. 

Their  constant  practice  in  hunting  the  wild  buffalo  renders  them  oold  and  successful 
cattle-managers.  They  are  excellent  drivers,  and  contrive  to  make  whole  herds  of  half- 
wild  cattle  obey  them  implicitly.  In  nothing  is  their  skill  shown  so  much  as  in  forcing 
the  cattle  to  cross  the  rivers  in  spite  of  their  instinctive  dread  of  the  crocodiles  that  infest 
the  water.  One  driver,  or  rather  leader,  enters  the  water  first,  dragging  after  him  an  ox 
by  a  cord  tied  to  tiie  ring  through  his  nose.  As  soon  as  the  timid  cattle  see  that  one 
of  their  number  has  ventured  into  the  water,  they  are  easily  induced  to  follow  its  example, 
and  Whole  herds  of  oxen  and  flocks  of  sheep  are  thus  taken  across  in  safety,  the  noise 
and  splashing  which  they  make  frightening  the  crocodiles  away.  Even  the  women  assist 
in  cattle-driving,  and  not  unfrequently  the  part  of  leader  is  taken  by  a  woman. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  Shooas  possess  great  numbers  of  cattle,  and  Major 
Denham  calculated  that  this  single  tribe  owned  at  least  sixty  thousand  oxen,  sheep,  and 


I'j  i 


:..., 


If 


3Jj£li    \A 


i 


:>;  ■  r> 


i    ' 


702 


THE  SHOOAS. 


goats,  besides  mnltifcudes  of  horses.  The  Shooas,  indeed,  are  the  chief  horse-breeders  of 
the  Soudan. 

True  to  their  origin,  the  Shooas  have  retained  many  of  their  Arabic  characteristics. 
They  build  no  houses,  but  live  in  tents,  or  rather  moveable  huts,  composed  of  a  siniplu 
ihtmework  of  sticks,  covered  either  with  leather  or  rush  mats.  They  have,  however,  lost 
much  of  the  nomad  character  of  the  Arabs,  probablv  because  the  fertile  soil  permits  their 
flocks  to  remain  permanently  in  the  same  spot.  They  pitch  their  tents  in  a  circle,  each 
such  circle  representing  a  town,  and  having  two  openings  or  entrances  for  the  cattle. 

Even  the  governor  or  sultan  of  the  laigest  settlement  does  not  inhabit  a  house.  The 
establishment  of  one  of  these  potentates,  who  was  visited  by  Dr.  Oudney,  consisted  of  a 
great  quadrangular  enclosure  made  of  mats  suspended  on  poles,  within  which  were  a 
number  of  small  huts,  or  rather  tents,  with  walls  of  the  same  materials,  but  with  thatched 
roofs,  and  much  like  straw  beehives  in  shape.  The  doorway,  or  opening  of  each  tent,  is 
always  placed  westward,  because  rain  always  comes  ttom  the  cast.  The  furniture  of  tlio 
tents  is  as  simple  as  their  architecture,  and  consists  of  a  rude  bed,  some  mats,  and  a  few 
gourds  and  eurthen  jars.  The  dwelling  of  a  man  of  rank  is  diatinguished  by  an  ostrich 
egg-shell. 

Not  only  do  they  build  no  houses  of  their  own,  but  thqr  never  inhabit  those  which 

others  have  built,  and,  though  they  have  overcomiB  many  a  district,  they  have  never 

f  peopled  or  conquered  towns.    For  the  surrounding  negro  nations  they  have  the  supreinest 

I  contempt,  and  yet,  with  strange  inoonsistenqr,  they  are  always  tributary  to  one  of  the 

nations  which  they  despise. 

Probably  on  this  account,  unless  they  are  well  officered,  thev  do  not  care  to  light  even 
in  the  service  of  that  nation  which  they  serve ;  and  although  they  are  foremost  when 
plunder  seems  within  their  reach,  they  are  always  apt  to  retire  from  the  battle  when  it 
seems  likely  to  go  against  them. 

Their  amusements  consist  principally  of  dances,  (me  of  which  is  very  peculiar,  and  is 
performed  exclusively  by  women. 

They  advance  by  pairs  at  a  time,  and  throw  themselves  into  various  attitudes,  accom- 
panied by  the  wild  and  rude  music  of  the  band.  Suddenly  they  turn  their  backs  on  each 
other,  stoop,  and  butt  backwards  at  each  other,  the  object  being  to  upset  the  adversary. 
'SShe  who  keeps  her  equilibrium  and  destroys  that  of  her  opponent  is  greeted  with  clieers 
and  shouts,  and  is  led  out  of  the  ring  by  two  matrons,  covering  her  face  with  her  hands. 
They  sometimes  copie  together  with  such  violence  as  to  burst  the  belt  of  beads  which  all 
the  women  of  rank  wear  round  their  bodies  just  above  the  hips,  and  showers  of  beads 
would  fly  in  every  direction.  Some  of  these  belts  are  twelve  or  sixteen  inches  wide,  and 
cost  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars. 

"Address,  however,  is  often  attended  in  these  contests  with  better  success  than 
strength,  and  a  well-managed  feint  exercised  at  the  moment  of  the  expected  concussion, 

\even  when  the  weight  of  metal  would  be  very  unequal,  often  brings  the  more  weighty 
tumbling  to  the  ground,  while  the  other  is  seen  quietly  seated  on  the  spot  where  she  had 
with  great  art  and  agility  dropped  herself  The  Shooas  are  particularly  happy  in  these 
feints,  which  were  practised  in  different  ways,  either  by  suddenly  stepping  on  one  side,  or 
by  lying  down." 

The  young  girls  are  fond  of  skipping  with  a  long  rope,  just  as  is  practised  in  Europe. 
They  display  very  great  agility,  which  is  not  hindered  by  the  presence  of  any  garment 
Miyor  Denham  once  came  on  a  party  of  girls  amusing  themselves  in  this  manner,  and 
enjoying  the  sport  so'  thoroughly  that  nothing  but  the  fear  of  losing  dignity  prevented 
him  from  joining  them. 

The  manners  of  the  Shooas  are  pleasing  and  gentle.  They  are  a  hospitable  people,  and 
give  freely  of  the  milk  on  which  they  almost  entirely  live,  as  is  always  the  case  with  a 
pastond  tribe.  Major  Denham  seems  to  have  been  particularly  charmed  with  the  manners 
of  the  Shooas,  which  he  describes  as  peculiarly  interesting  and  expressive.  Even  when 
bringing  milk  to  their  guests,  tne  girls  do  so  in  a  sort  of  punctilious  way,  each  sitting 
down  by  the  side  of  the  bowl,  and  making  a  little  ceremonious  speech  with  her  head 
wrapped  in  a  mantle,  which  she  afterwards  removes  for  the  sake  of  freer  conversation. 


i-i^l 


DRESS  OF  SHOO  A  WOMEN. 


708 


lorse-breeders  of 

characteristics. 
Bed  of  a  simple 
ve,  however,  lost 
oil  permits  their 
in  a  circle,  each 
the  cattle, 
t  a  house.    The 
.  consisted  of  a 
n  which  were  a 
It  with  thatched 
of  each  tent,  is 
fumitui-e  of  the 
nats,  and  a  few 
id  by  an  ostrich 

bit  those  which 
hey  have  never 
a  the  supreinesfc 
Y  to  one  of  the 

re  to  fight  even 
foremost  when 
i  battle  when  it 

peculiar,  and  is 

ttitudes,  accom- 
r  backs  on  each 
the  adversary, 
ted  with  cheera 
ith  her  liniids. 
I)ead8  which  all 
ttwers  of  beads 
iches  wide,  and 


The  Shooa  women  are  remarkable  for  their  beauty.  Thoir  colour  is  a  light  ruddv 
copper,  and  they  have  fine  open  countenances,  with  amiilinu  notes  and  large  eyes — all 
very  remarkable  among  the  negro  tribes  that  surround  tnent.  The  women  are  especially 
good-looking,  and  remind  the  observer  of  the  gipsy  womun.  Their  dress  consists  of  two 
wrappers,  one  round  the  waist  and  the  other  thrown  over  tlio  shoulders.  The  latter  is 
worn  in  different  ways,  sometimes  like, a  shawl,  somHtimes  tied  under  the  arms  so  as  to 


8H00A  WOMEN, 


leave  both  shoulders  bare,  and  sometimes  thrown  over  one  shoulder  and  under  the  other. 
On  their  feet  they  wear  curious  shoes  without  heels,  but  coming  up  the  sides  of  the  foot 
above  the  ankles.  Their' hair  is  dressed  in  rather  a  curious  ntunner,  being  plaited  into 
innumerable  little  tresses,  which  are  first  pressed  tightly  to  the  head,  and  then  suddenly 
diverge. 

Handsome  as  are  the  Shooa  women,  their  beauty  is  held  in  great  contempt  by  the 
negro  tribes  among  which  they  live,  and  who  naturally  think  that  thick  lips,  flat  noses 
and  black  skins  constitute  the  only  real  beauty  in  man  or  woman. 


;  i' 


^'  -m 


■''■"  [ '  '  ■  .'I 


m 


I 

■M 
■m 

I 


{'.M 

H'*^ 


m 

ill 


^!i*^:?l'^| 


f 


m 


m 


m 


"lit! 

m 


v 


704 


THE  TIBBOOS. 


THE  TIBBOOS. 


■:S- 


Alued,  In  an  probability,  to  the  Shooas  are  the  Tibbcos. 

Th9y  are  a  small  and  active  race,  and  are  admirable  horsemen,  always  leaping  on  their 
horses  at  a  single  bound,  aiding  themselves  with  the  shaft  of  a  spear,  which  is  used  as  a 
leaping-pole.  Their  saddles  are  of  wood,  lashed  together  with  thongs  of  cowhide,  and  left 
open  along  the  middle,  so  as  to  avoid  galling  the  horse's  back.  They  are  well  stufied  with 
camels'  hair,  and  are  comfortable  enough  when  the  rider  is  used  to  them.  Both  the  girth 
and  the  stiiTup  leathers  are  of  plaited  leather,  and  the  stumps  themselves  are  so  small 
that  they  only  admit  of  four  toes.  In  fact,  the  Tibboo  saddle  is  almost  exactly  like  that 
of  the  Patagoniao.  One  of  these  saddles  is  in  my  collection,  and  will  be  drawn  in  its 
proper  place. 

The  men  are  very  ugly,  but  the  women  are  tolerably  good-looking,  and  those  who  live 
in  the  country  are  better  made  and  more  active  than  those  who  live  in  the  towns.  The 
colour  is  copper,  but  the  noses  ire  flat,  and  the  mouth  is  very  laige,  though  without  the 
thick  lips  of  the  negro. 

Their  dress  is  a  tolerablylacge  Soudan  wrapper;  folded  round  the  body  and  tied  on  the 
left  shoulder  so  as  to  leave  the  n^t  side  ba^.  It  is,  however,  disposed  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  be  a  perfectly  delicate  as  well  as  a  graceful  costume  A  smaller  wrapper  is  thrown 
over  the  head,  and  is  drawn  across  the  face  or  flnns  back  at  pleasure.  The  hair  is 
dressed  in  triangular  flaps,  which  Ml  oa  either  side  of  ute  face;  and  they  wear  necklaces 
of  amber,  which  they  prise  very  highly,  and  bits  of  red  coral  in  their  noses.  They 
invariably  carry  something  by  Mray  of  a  sim-soreen,  such  as  a  bunch  of  ostrich-feathers, 
a  tuft  of  long  grass,  or  even  a  leafy  bou<;h. 

Ugly  as  the  men  are,  they  are  exceedingly  vain  of  their  persoii  1  appearance ;  and  on 
one  occasion,  when  Major  Danham  had  lent  a  Tibboo  chief  a  small  looking-glass,  the  man 
spent  several  houi-s  in  contemplating  his  own  features,  bursting  every  now  and  then  into 
loud  ejaculations  of  joy  at  Tana  own  beauty,  and  sometimes  leaping  in  the  air  in  the 
extremity  of  his  delight 

They  corftrive  to  make  their  naturally  ugly  faces  still  less  attractive  by  their  inveterate 
habit  of  taking  snuff,  which  they  take  both  by  the  mouth  and  the  nostrils,  the  latter 
becoming  enormously  extended  by  their  habit  of  thrusting  the  snuff  into  their  heads  with 
their  fingers.  Their  mouths  are  also  distended  by  their  custom  of  placing  quantities  of 
snuff  between  the  lips  and  gums. 

The  dresa  of  the  Tibboos  is  gen  erally  a  single  tobe,  or  shirt.  Close  garments  would 
only  embarrass  them  by  affording  a  lodgment  for  the  sand,  which  has  the  effect  of 
irritating  the  skin  greatly,  and  making  altnost  intolerable  sores.  They  have,  however,  a 
mode  of  alleviating  the  pain  of  such  sores  by  shampooing  them  with  fat,  a  process  which 
is  always  conducted  by  the  women.  The  only  article  of  dress  about  which  they  seem  to 
trouble  themselves  is  the  turban,  which  is  worn  high  on  the  head,  and  the  ends  brought 
under  the  chin  and  across  the  face,  so  as  to  conceal  all  but  the  nose,  eyes,  and  part  of 
the  forehead.  The  turban  is  dyed  of  a  dark  indigo  blue,  and  is  mostly  decorated  with  a 
vast  number  of  charms,  sewn  in  little  leather  cases. 

Their  horses,  though  small,  are  very  handsome,  and  are  quite  strong  enough  to  carry 
the  light  and  active  men  who  ride  them.  They  are  kept  in  admirable  condition,  and  are 
fed  almost  entirely  on  camels'  milk,  which  they  take  both  fresh  and  when  clotted.  This 
diet  suits  them  admirably,  and  the  animals  are  in  excellent  condition. 

The  Tibboos  stand  in  great  dread  of  the  Arabs,  who  plunder  them  unmercifully  when 
they  have  the  chance.  They  are  better  riders  and  better  mounted  than  their  foes ;  but  they 
do  not  possess  fire-arms,  which  they  look  upon  with  absolute  terror.  Major  Denham  remarks 


CITIES  OF  SEFUGR 


m 


that "  five  or  six  of  them  will  go  round  and  round  a  tree  where  an  Arab  has  laid  down  his 
gun  for  a  minute,  stepping  on  tiptoe,  aa  if  afraid  of  disturbing  it ;  talking  to  each  other  in 
^^hispers,  as  if  the  gun  could  understand  their  exclamations ;  and,  I  dare  say,  praying 
to  it  not  to  do  them  any  injury  as  fervently  as  ever  Man  Friday  did  to  Bobinson  Crusoe's 
musket" 

Though  they  have  no  guns,  they  are  more  formidable  warriors  than  they  seem  to  know, 
hurlini;  ti^e  spear  with  deadlv  aim  and  wonderful  force.  In  throwing  it,  they  do  not  raise 
the  hand  higher  than  the  woulder ;  and,  as  it  leaves  the  hand,  they  give  it  a  twist  with 
the  fingers  that  makes  it  spin  like  a  nfle-l9Hllet.  The  shaft  is  elastic,  and,  when  the  blade 
strikes  the  ground,  tha  shaft  bends  nearly  double.  One  young  man  threw  his  spear  a 
good  eighty  yards ;  and,  as  each  man  carries  two  of  these  spears,  it  may  be  imagined  that 
even  the  Arabs,  with  all  their  fire-arms,  are  not  much  more  than  a  match  for  the  Tibboos. 
They  also  cany  the  strange  missile-sword  which  has  already  been  mentioned.  The  warriors 
carry  bOws  and  arrows,  as  well  as  two  daggers,  one  about  eighteen  inches  long,  stuck  in 
the  belt,  and  the  other  only  six  inches  in  length,  and  fastened  to  the  arm  by  a  ring.  The 
Tibboos  metaphorically  term  the  long  dagger  their  gun,  and  the  short  one  their  pistol. 

The  dances  of  the  Tibboo  women  are  not  in  the  least  like  those  of  the  Shooas.  Dancing 
is  among  them  one  of  the  modes  of  greeting  an  honoured  guest ;  and  when  a  man  of  rank 
approaches,  the  women  meet  him  with  dances  and  songs,  just  as  Jephthah's  daughter  met 
her  victorious  father,  and  the  women  of  Israel  met  David  after  he  had  killed  Goliath. 

19 or  are  these  dances  the  slow,  gliding  movements  with  which  we  generally  associate 
Oriental  dances.  The  women  display  very  great  activity,  and  fling  themselves  about  in  an 
astonishing  manner.  They  begin  by  swaying  their  heads,  arms,  and  bodies  from  side  to 
side,  but  gradually  work  themselves  up  to  a  great  pitch  of  excitement,  leaping  in  the  air, 
gnashing  their  teeth,  whirling  their  arms  about,  and  seeming  to  be  in  a  perfect  frenzy. 

Some  of  the  Tibboo  settlements,  or  villages,  are  ingeniously  placed  on  the  tops  of 
rocks  with  almost  perpendicular  sidea  The  situation  is  an  inconvenient  one,  but  it  is 
useful  in  warding  off  the  attacks  of  the  Tuaricks,  who  make  raids  upon  the  unfortunate 
Tibboos,  sweep  off  all  the  cattle  and  other  property  that  they  can  find,  and  carry  away  the 
inhabitants  to  be  sold  as  slaves,  sparing  neither  age  nor  sex.  Consequently,  as  soon  as 
the  Tibboos  have  warning  of  the  approach  of  their  enemies,  they  take  refuge  on  the  top 
of  the  rock,  carrying  with  them  all  their  portable  property,  draw  up  the  ladders  by  which 
they  ascend,  and  abandon  the  cattle  to  the  invadera 

Partly  on  this  account,  and  partly  from  natural  carelessness,  the  Tibboos  are  almost 
regardless  of  personal  appearance,  and  even  their  sultan,  when  he  went  to  meet  Mi^or 
Denham,  though  he  had  donned  in  honour  of  his  guests  a  new  scarlet  bemouse,  wore  it 
over  a  filthy  checked  shirt ;  and  his  cap  and  turban,  which  purported  to  be  white,  were 
nearly  as  black  as  the  hair  of  the  wearer. 

One  might  have  thought  that  the  continual  sufferings  which  they  undergo  at  the 
hands  of  the  Tuaricks  would  have  taught  the  Tibboos  kindness  to  their  fellow-creatures, 
whereas  there  are  no  people  more  reckless  of  inflicting  pain.  The  Tibboo  slave-dealers 
are  notorious  for  the  utter  indifference  to  the  sufferings  of  their  captives  whom  they  are 
conveying  to  the  market,  even  though  they  lose  many  of  them  by  their  callous  neglect. 
They  often  start  on  their  journey  with  barely  one  quarter  the  proper  amount  of  provisions 
or  water,  and  then  take  their  captives  over  wide  deserts,  where  they  fall  from  exhaustion, 
and  are  left  to  die.  The  skeletons  of  slaves  strew  the  whole  of  the  road.  As  the  tra- 
veller passes  along,  he  sometimes  hears  his  horse's  feet  crashing  among  the  dried  and 
brittle  bones  of  the  dead.  Even  round  the  wells  lie  hundreds  of  skeletons,  the  remains 
of  those  who  had  reached  the  water,  but  had  been  too  much  exhausted  to  be  revived  by 
it  In  that  hot  climate  the  skin  of  the  dead  person  dries  and  shrivels  under  the  sun  like 
so  much  horn,  and  in  many  cases  the  features  of  the  dead  are  preserved.  Careless  even 
of  the  pecuniary  loss  which  they  had  suffered,  the  men  who  accompanied  Major  Denham 
only  laughed  when  they  recognised  the  faces  of  the  shrivelled  skeletons,  and  knocked 
them  about  with  the  butts  of  their  weapons,  laughing  the  while,  and  making  jokes  upon 
their  present  value  in  the  market 

The  Tibboos  are,  from  their  slight  and  active  figures,  good  travellers,  and  are  employed 
VOL.  L  z  z  . 


■<!*.    ■'■''-■1 


iM 


t 


ni 


ir  1  f. 


c  1  • 


706 


THE  TUARICKS. 


as  couriers  to  take  messages  from  Bomu  to  Moorziik,  a  task  which  none  but  a  Tibboo 
will  undertake.  Two  are  sent  in  company,  and  so  dangerous  is  the  journey,  that  they  do 
not  expect  that  both  will  return  in  safety.  They  are  mounted  on  the  swiftest  dromedaries, 
and  are  furnished  with  parched  corn,  a  little  brass  basin,  a  wooden  bowl,  some  dried  meat, 
and  two  skins  of  water.  Not  only  do  they  have  to  undergo  the  ordinary  perils  of  travel, 
such  as  the  hot  winds,  the  sand-storms,  and  the  chance  of  perishing  by  thirst,  but  they 
also  run  great  risk  of  being  killed  by  Arab  robbers,  who  would  not  dare  to  attack  a  caravan, 
but  are  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  robbing  defenceless  travellers. 

Such  events  do  frequently  occur,  and  the  consequence  is  that  the  Tibboos  and  the 
Arabs  are  in  perpetual  feuds,  each  murdering  one  of  the  enemy  whenever  he  gets  a  chance, 
and  reckoning  each  man  killed  as  a  point  on  his  own  side. 


THE  TUAEICKS. 


We  ought,  before  leaving  the  Tibboos,  to  give  a  few  words  to  their  enemies  the 
Tuaricks. 

These  are  emphatically  a  nation  of  thieves,  never  working  themselves,  and  gaining 
the  whole  of  their  subsistence  by  robbing  those  who  do  labour.  They  do  not  even  plant 
or  sow,  and  their  whole  education  consists  in  the  art  of  robbery,  in  the  management  of  the 
dromedary,  and  the  handling  of  the  spear.  They  live  in  tents,  which  are  something  like 
those  of  the  ordinary  Bedouin  Arabs,  and  have,  like  our  gipsies,  a  supreme  contempt  for 
all  who  are  so  degraded  as  to  live  in  houses  and  congre<,'ate  in  cities. 

Like  the  gipsies,  they  have  their  own  language,  into  which  they  have  only  inserted 
occasional  words  of  Arabic,  and  they  have  their  own  written  alphabet,  in  which  several 
letters  are  exactly  the  same  as  some  of  the  Eoman  chamcters,  though  they  do  not  express 
the  same  sounds,  such  as  the  H,  the  S,  and  the  W.  There  are  also  the  Greek  O  and  A, 
and  the  Hebrew  D,  while  several  letters  are  composed  of  dots  grouped  in  various  ways. 
These  letters  are  either  written  from  right  to  left,  as  the  Arabic,  or  vice  versd,  as  European 
languages,  or  perpendicularly,  as  the  Chinese  ;  and  in  their  country  almost  every  large 
stone  is  engraved  with  Tuarick  characters.  Yet  they  have  no  literature,  and  assert  that 
no  book  exists  in  their  language.  In  sound  the  Tuarick  language  is  harsh,  but  it  is 
expressive,  and  seems  to  be  capable  of  strength. 

In  their  manners  the  Tuaricks  are  grave  and  sedate,  and  before  Denham  and  Clapperton 
visited  them  they  were  carefully  lectured  by  the  guide  on  their  proper  behaviour,  the 
demeanour  of  Captain  Clapperton  being  considered  too  cheerful  and  humorous  to  suit  the 
grave  Tuaricks. 

This  applies  only  to  the  men,  the  women  being  lively  and  amusing.  They  are  very 
fond  of  singing,  joining  in  little  bands  for  the  purpose,  and  continuing  their  songs  vntil 
midnight.  The  men,  however,  never  sing,  considering  the  song  to  be  essentially  a  feminine 
amusement,  and,  probably  for  the  same  reason,  they  are  never  heard  to  recite  poetry  like 
most  Orientals.  The  women  wear  the  usual  striped  blue  and  white  dress,  and  they  mostly 
carry  earrings  made  of  shells.  Wives  are  conventionally  valued  at  six  camels  each  ;  and 
whether  on  account  of  their  value,  or  whether  from  an  innate  courtesy,  the  men  treat 
their  wives  with  respect,  and  permit  them  a  freedom  of  manner  which  denotes  the 
admission  of  equality. 

The  depredations  of  the  Tuaricks  have  been  mentioned  when  treating  of  the  Tibboos, 
on  whom  the  chief  brunt  of  their  attacks  seems  to  fall.  That  they  caiTy  off  all  the 
cattle,  and  would  seize  even  the  Tibboos  themselves  for  slaves,  is  a  standing  and  reason- 
able grievance.  But  even  the  constant  fear  of  these  attacks  does  not  seem  to  anger  the 
Tibboos  so  much  as  the  raids  which  the  Tuaricks  make  on  thtiir  salt-market.    In  the 


THIEVISH  CHARACTER 


707 


»e  but  a  Tibboo 
sy,  that  thoy  do 
28t  dromedaries, 
)me  dried  meat, 
perils  of  travel, 
thirst,  but  they 
tack  a  caravan, 

'ibboos  and  the 
e  gets  a  chance, 


lir  enemies  the 

es,  and  gaining 
not  even  plant 

aagement  of  the 
something  like 

le  contempt  for 


and  Clapperton 
r  behaviour,  the 
trous  to  suit  the 


Tibboo  country  there  are  some  large  salt  marshes,  which  are  extremely  valuable  to  the 
owners,  salt  being  a  marketable  commodity,  fetching  a  high  price,  indeed  being  itself 
used  as  a  sort  of  currency ;  a  cylinder  of  coarse  brown  salt,  weighing  eleven  pounds,  being 
worth  four  or  five  dollars.  The  purified  salt,  which  they  olDtain  in  a  beautifully  clear  and 
white  state,  is  put  into  baskets,  and  brings  a  correspondingly  high  price. 

Not  choosing  to  take  the  trouble  of  procuring  salt  for  themselves,  the  Tuaricks  supply 
themselves  as  well  as  their  market  by  robbing  the  Tibboos,  and  in  one  season  these 


TUARICKS  AND  TIBBOOS. 


robbers  carried  off  twenty  thousand  biags  of  salt,  selling  the  greater  part  in  flie  Soudan 
market.  The  Tibboos  were  particularly  enraged  at  this  proceeding.  It  v/as  bad  enough 
to  have  their  property  stolen,  but  it  was  still  worse  to  take  their  remaining  salt  to  the 
market,  and  then  find  that  the  price  had  fallen  in  consequence  of  the  Tuaricks  having 
filled  the  market  with  the  twenty  thousand  bags  which  they  had  stolen,  and  which  they 
•could  therefore  afford  to  sell  at  a  very  low  price. 

Among  these  people  medicine  and  surgery  are  necessarily  at  a  very  low  ebb,  sham- 
pooing and  cauterizing  being  the  chief  remedies  for  almost  every  complaint.  One  man 
who  was  suffering  from  an  enlarged  spleen  was  advised  to  undergo  the  operation,  and 

zz2 


■i; 


708 


THE  BEGHARMIS. 


was  laid  on  his  back  and  firmly  held  down  by  five  or  six  assistanta  An  iron  was  heated 
in  the  fire,  and  three  spots  burned  on  his  side,  just  under  the  ribs.  Each  spot  was  about 
as  large  as  a  sixpence. 

The  iron  was  then  replaced  in  the  fire,  and,  while  it  was  being  heated,  the  assistants 
punched  him  in  the  side  with  their  thumbs,  asking  whether  the  pressure  hurt  him ;  and, 
as  their  hard  thumbs  bruised  his  flesh,  he  was  obliged  to  admit  that  it  did  hurt  him.  So 
four  more  scars  were  made,  close  to  the  others.  He  was  then  biimed  on  his  face,  and  three 
lai-ge  scars  burned  near  the  spine  ;  and,  by  way  of  making  the  cure  quite  complete,  a  large 
burn  was  made  on  his  neck,  just  above  the  collar-bone. 

The  poor  man  endured  the  torture  with  great  patience,  and,  when  the  operation  was 
over,  he  drank  a  draught  of  water,  and  went  on  as  usual  with  the  camels. 


THE  BEGHASJiia 


rt^ 


We  now  come  to  the  curious  Begharm)  kingdom,  between  which  and  Bomu  there 
rages  a  perpetual  warfare.  War  was  the  ancient  custom  in  1824,  when  Denham  and 
Clapperton  visited  the  country,  and  many  years  afterwards,  when  Dr.  Barth  travelled 
through  the  district,  it  was  going  on  as  fi^cely  as  ever.  Indeed,  if  they  could,  each 
kingdom  would  exterminate  the  other,  and,  even  as  it  is,  great  loss  of  life  takes  place  by 
the  continual  battles,  in  which  no  quartier  is  given,  except  to  those  prisoners  who  are  to 
be  qualified  for  the  harem.  Consequently,  the  wives  of  the  Bomuan  sultan  are  guarded 
by  Begharmi  eunuchs,  and  those  of  the  Begharmi  sultan  by  Bomuese. 

Even  the  Bornuan  sheikh  had  yielded  to  the  prevailing  custom,  and  maintained  thirty 
of  these  unfortunate  individuals.  Major  Denham  saw  about  adozen  of  them  shortly  after 
their  admission,  and  evidently  showed  pity  by  his  countenance.  The  chief,  seeing  this, 
exclaimed,  "Why,  Christian,  what  signifies  all  this?  They  are  only  Begharmis!  dogs! 
Kaffirs !  enemies !  They  ought  ta  have  been  cut  in  four  quarters  alive ;  and  now  they 
will  drink  coffee,  eat  sugar,  and  live  in  a  palace  all  their  lives." 

When  Br.  Barth  visited  Begharmi,  the  sultan  was  absent  on  one  of  his  warlike  ex- 
peditions, and  it  was  some  time  before  he  was  allowed  to  proceed  to  Massena,  the  capital. 
At  last  he  did  so,  and  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  sultan  return  after  his  expedition, 
in  which  he  had  been  victorious.  First  rode  the  heutenant-govemor,  surrounded  by  his 
horsemen,  and  next  came  another  officer,  behind  whom  was  borne  a  long  and  peculiarly- 
formed  spear,  connected  in  some  way  with  their  religion.  Aft^r  him  rode  the  coinmanderr 
in-chief,  and  then  the  sultan  himself,  riding  on  a  grey  horse,  wearing  a  yellow  bernouse, 
and  sheltered  from  the  sun  by  two  umbrellas,  one  green  and  one  yellow,  held  over  him  by 
slaves.  He  was  continually  cooled  by  six  slaves  wielding  long  ostrich-feather  fans,  and 
having  their  right  arms  clothed  in  iron  armour  ;  and  around  him  rode  a  few  of  the  prin- 
cipal chiefs. 

Then  came  the  war-camel,  bearing  the  battle-drums,  which  were  vigorously  belaboured 
by  the  drummer.  Next  came  a  long  line  of  the  sultan's  wives,  clothed  in  black ;  then 
the  baggage,  and  then  the  soldiers.  Prisoners  are  led  in  the  triumphal  procession,  and 
are  taken  to  the  harem,  where  they  are  insulted  by  the  inmates.  The  handsomest  among 
them  are  selected  for  the  service  of  the  harem,  and  the  remainder  are  prt  to  death. 

In  this  case  the  Begharmi  sultan  had  been  victorious  ;  but  in  one  1/attle  witnessed  by 
Major  Denham  the  Bornuese  won  the  day,  the  sheikh  having  arrange!  his  few  fire-arms 
with  such  skill  that  the  Begharmis,  nearly  five  thousand  strong,  fell  back  in  confusion, 
and  were  at  once  attacked  by  the  Bornuan  horse,  who  are  ready  enorgh  to  fight  when  the 
enemy  seems  to  be  running  away.  The  slaughter  was  enormous,  co;\sidering  the  number 
of  the  combatants.    Of  the  two  hundred  Begharmi  chiefs  who  camt  into  the  field,  only 


CURIOUS  ARCHITECTURP^ 


709 


one  was  said  to  have  escaped,  seven  sons  of  the  sultan  were  killed,  together  with  some 
seventeen  hundred  soldiers,  while  many  more  were  reported  to  have  buen  nmrdeied  after 
the  battle  was  over.  They  also  lost  nearly  five  hundred  horses,  and  n(«rly  two  hundred 
women,  who,  according  to  the  odd  custom  of  the  land,  followed  their  lords  to  trnttle. 

In  the  greater  part  of  the  country,  as  well  as  at  Loggun,  the  houses  are  bttilt  in  a  very 
curious  manner,  being  composed  of  cell  within  cell,  like  a  nest  of  pill-boxes.  This  curious 
architecture  is  intended  to  keep  out  the  flies,  which  at  some  seasons  of  the  year  swarm 
in  such  numbers  that  even  the  inhabitants  dare  not  move  out  of  their  houses  for  several 


■fi 


'tMH  l'. 


h<::    II 


'/•/•'• 

/fi 

-  ^- 

/(> 

<•'/'.' 

fy" 

4^    ■ 

ik»                Um 

»:-?.  •' 

^'    ^    ." 

1  •  •          1'.  t  • ' 

«      •■ .  '     ♦ 

f,    ^  •, 

^^^^ 

•» 

' 

'  r  », 

wHl    ( 

'■"//... 

'6 

4  , 

'  ^ "  ^  1  »■ 

'"'♦'" 

""; 

H, »  •  •  r »  ,  ,' 

/        :'.':':l 

r 
• 

1  ..'•■••-•  i» ' 
■•  k  I  •  •  f .  1 

..  It 

'<i     ■--'; 

*  r  ' 

.#♦    '.-.••,    . 

-,  • ' ' , , 

ll«  »  ' 

•  ■«( 

r  '  ^ 

^ 

■■.\-A-y^\'^ 

■ ...  'I-  ■ 
•', • 

>B»   . 

r  •  ^ 

*;-'--              i' 

■■—--. 

"r» 

^  ^ 

.  *     1 

* 

-t, 

>^^ 


BEOHARHI  LANCBR& 


i/i^ 


.r.f'-iC 


'^JH/^r/if^-Z^ 


hours  in  the  day.  Major  Denham  would  not  believe  the  story  until  it  was  corroborated 
by  the  appearance  of  one  of  his  men,  who  imprudently  ventured  into  the  open  air,  and 
came  back  with  his  eyes  and  head  swollen  up,  and  so  bitten  that  ho  was  laid  up  for 
three  days. 

The  Begharmis,  though  they  are  always  at  war  with  the  fiomuese,  resemble  them  in 
so  many  points  that  a  detailed  description  is  not  needed,  and  wo  will  only  glance  at  a 
few  of  their  peculiarities. 

As  we  have  mentioned  the  constant  warfare  in  which  thoy  nn*  engaged,  we  will  give 
a  few  words  to  the  remarkable  cavalry  Ibrce  which  forms  the  chief  strength  of  the 
Begharmi  anny.  These  men  present  a  most  remarkable  appearance,  as  may  bo  seen  by 
reference  to  the  above  illustration.  They  carry  a  most  curious  spear,  with  a  double  head, 
something  like  a  pitchfork  with  flattened  prongs. 

The  most  remarkable  point  is,  however,  the  armour  with  Which  the  Bcghnrmi  lancer 
is  defended.    It  is  made  of  quilted  cloth  or  cotton,  and  is  almost  exactly  identical  with. 


710 


THE  BEGHARMia 


: 


-  4 


the  quilted  armotir  worn  by  the  Chinese,  and  which  caused  the  miserable  deaths  of  so 
many  soldiers,  from  tlie  cotton  takina  tire  from  the  flasli  of  their  own  muskets.  Tiie 
whole  of  the  body  and  limbs  of  the  rider  are  covered  with  this  armour,  while  he  wears  on 
his  head  a  helmet  of  the  same  material ;  and  his  horse  is  defended  as  well  as  himself. 
Although  useless  against  flre-urms,  the  cotton  quilting  is  proof  against  arrows,  and  is 
therefore  use''"'  in  guarding  the  soldier  against  the  poisoned  weapons  of  his  foes. 

As  this  ^rmour,  though  light,  is  very  cumbrous,  it  is  seldom  worn  except  in  actual 
combat,  or  when  the  general  reviews  his  troops ;  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  it  is  not 
such  an  impediment,  both  to  horse  and  soldier,  that  the  troops  would  be  more  efhcient 
without  it  Perhaps  the  confldcnco  which  it  inspires  is  its  chief  use,  after  all.  These  men 
are  always  employed  as  heavy  horse,  to  protect  the  van  and  guard  the  rear  of  the  army, 
the  archers  being  stationed  just  behind  them,  and  shooting  whenever  they  find  a  chance. 
The  saddle  is  as  awkward  as  tlie  armour,  rising  both  in  front  and  behind  to  such  a  height 
that  the  soldier  could  hardly  fall  to  the  ground  even  if  he  were  killed.  In  front  it  forms 
a  sort  of  little  table,  on  which  the  soldier  can  rest  his  bridle-arm,  which  might  be  fatigued 
with  holding  the  reins  and  lifting  the  sleeve  of  the  quilted  coat. 

The  Begharmis  may  be  almost  reckoned  as  negroes,  their  skins  being  black,  and  their 
faces  having  much  of  the  flatness  and  thickness  of  the  negro.  They  are  powerful  and 
active  men,  and  the  sultans  of  other  countries  pride  themselves  on  their  trained  Begharmi 
wrestlers,  these  men  being  chosen  for  their  gigantic  stature  and  well-knit  muscles. 

When  two  athletes  contend,  it  is  no  child's  play,  the  vanquished  being  sometimes 
killed  on  the  spot,  and  frequently  maimed  for  lifa  Tlieir  masters  have  a  positive  mono- 
mania on  the  subject,  and  urge  on  the  wrestlers  by  loud  cries,  promising  great  rewards  to 
the  victor,  and  threatening  the  severest  punishment  to  the  vanquished.  The  great  object 
of  the  wrestlers  is  to  catch  the  opixment  by  the  hips,  and  so  to  lift  him  off  his  feet  and 
dash  him  to  the  ground.  The  master  cares  nothing  for  a  wsesUer  who  has  been  once 
conquered ;  and  a  man  for  whom  his  owner  would  refuse  a  couple  of  hundred  dollars  in 
the  morning  may  be  sold  for  a  fiftieth  of  the  sum  before  night 

Similar  to  these  combats  are  the  boxing-matches,  in  which  the  negroes  from  Haussa 
are  thought  to  be  the  best  that  can  be  obtained.  A  spirited  account  of  one  of  tbese 
matches  is  given  by  Major  Oenham  :— 

"  Having  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  boxers  of  Haussa,  I  was  anxious  to  witness  their 
performance  Accordingly  I  sent  one  of  my  servants  last  night  to  offer  2,000  wliydah  for 
a  pugilistic  exhibition  in  the  morning.  As  the  death  of  one  of  the  combatants  is  almost 
certam  before  a  battle  is  over,  I  expresslv  prohibited  all  fighting  in  earnest ;  for  it  would 
have  been  disgraceful,  both  to  myself  and  my  country,  to  hire  men  to  kill  one  another  for 
the  gratification  of  idle  curiosity. 

"  About  half  an  hour  after  the  '  massu-dubu '  were  gone,  the  boxers  arrived,  attended 
by  two  dmms  and  the  whole  body  of  butchers,  who  here  compose  '  the  fancy.'  A  ring  was 
soon  formed  by  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  throwing  dust  on  the  spectators  to  make 
them  stand  back.  The  drummers  entered  the  ring,  and  began  to  drum  lustily.  One  of 
the  boxers  folbwed,  quite  naked,  except  a  skin  round  the  middle.  He  placed  himself  in 
an  attitude  as  if  to  oppose  an  antagonist,  and  wrought  his  muscles  into  action,  seemingly 
to  find  out  that  every  sinew  was  in  full  power  for  the  approaching  combat ;  then,  coming 
from  time  to  time  to  the  side  of  the  ring,  and  presenting  his  right  arm  to  the  bystanders, 
he  said, '  I  am  a  hyojna ' — '  I  am  a  lion ' — '  I  am  able  to  kill  all  that  oppose  me.'  Tlie 
spectators  to  whom  he  presented  himself  laid  their  hands  on  his  shoulder,  repeating, '  The 
blessing  of  God  be  upon  thee ' — '  Thou  art  a  hyseaa ' — '  Thou  art  a  lion.'  He  then  aban- 
doned the  ring  to  another,  who  showed  off  in  the  same  nmnuer. 

"  The  right  arm  and  hand  of  the  pugilists  were  then  bound  with  narrow  country  cloth, 
beginning  with  a  fold  round  the  niiddlc  finger ;  when,  the  hand  being  first  clenched  with 
the  thumb  between  the  fore  and  mid  fingers,  the  cloth  was  passed  in  many  turns  roimd  the 
fist,  the  wrist,  and  the  forearm. 

"  After  about  twenty  had  separately  gone  through  their  attitudes  of  defiance  and 
appeals  to  the  bystanders,  tliey  were  next  brought  forward  by  pairs.  If  they  happened  to 
be  friends,  they  laid  their  left  breasts  together  twice,  and  exclaimed,  *  We  are  lions ' — '  We 


APPEARANCE  OF  THE  WOMEN. 


711 


deaths  of  so 
nuskets.  The 
le  he  wears  on 
ell  as  hininelf. 
arrows,  and  is 
foes. 

cept  in  actual 
lether  it  is  not 
more  efficient 
11.  These  men 
r  of  the  amiy, 
find  a  chance, 
such  a  height 
front  it  forms 
ht  be  fatigued 

ack,  and  their 
powerful  and 
ned  Begharmi 
uscles. 

ng  sometimes 
jositive  mono- 
sat  rewards  to 
le  great  object 
BT  his  feet  and 
las  been  once 
red  dollars  in 

I  from  Haussa 
one  of  these 

witness  their 

0  whydah  for 
ints  is  almost 
;  for  it  would 
le  another  for 

i^ed,  attended 
A  ring  was 
tors  to  make 
tily.  One  of 
d  himself  in 
in,  seemingly 
then,  coming 
5  bystanders, 
e  me.'  The 
►eating,  •  The 

1  then  aban- 

)untry  cloth, 
enched  with 
IS  round  the 

efiance  and 
lappened  to 
ions' — 'We 


are  friends.'  One  then  left  the  ring,  and  another  was  brought  forward.  If  the  two  did  not 
recognise  one  another  as  friends,  the  set-to  immediately  commenced. 

"  On  taking  their  stations,  the  two  pugilists  first  stood  at  some  distance,  parrying  with 
the  left  hand  open,  and,  whenever  opportunity  offered,  striking  with  the  right.  They 
generally  aimed  at  the  pit  of  the  stomu-rh  t>.:id  undtr  the  libs.  Whenever  they  closed,  one 
seized  the  other's  head  under  his  arm,  and  beat  it  with  his  fist,  at  the  same  time  striking 
with  his  knee  between  his  antagonist's  thighs.  In  this  position,  with  the  head  'in 
chancery,'  they  are  said  sometimes  to  attempt  to  gouge  or  scoop  out  one  of  the  eyes. 
When  they  break  loose,  they  never  fall  to  give  a  swingeing  blow  with  the  heel  under  the 
ribs,  or  sometimes  under  the  left  ear.     It  is  these  blows  that  are  so  often  fatal. 

"  The  combatants  were  repeatedly  separated  by  my  orders,  as  they  were  beginning  to 
lose  their  temper.  When  this  spectacle  was  heard  of,  girls  left  their  pitchers  at  the  wells, 
the  market-people  'threw  down  their  baskets,  and  all  ran  to  see  the  fight.  The  whole 
square  before  my  house  was  crowded  to  excesa  After  six  pairs  had  gone  through  several 
rounds,  I  ordered  them,  to  their  greav  batisfaction,  the  promised  rewai^,  and  the  multitude 
quietly  dispersed." 

The  Begharmi  women  are  good  dancers,  their  movements  being  gentle  and  graceful. 
They  make  much  use  of  their  hands,  sometimes  crossing  them  on  their  breasts,  sometimos 
clasping  them  together,  and  sometimes  just  pressing  the  tips  of  the  fingers  against  those  of 
the  opposite  hand.  As  thev  dance,  they  sing  in  low  and  plaintive  tones,  swinging  the 
body  backwards  and  forwards,  and  bending  the  head  from  side  to  side,  eudiiig  by  siiSung 
softly  on  the  ground,  and  covering  their  faces. 


MUSGT7. 

Nbarlt,  if  not  quite  equal  to  the  Begharmis  in  stature  and  strength  are  the  Mttsgtt 
tribe,  which  inhabit  a  district  of  Mandara.  In  consequence  of  their  fine  proportions, 
Musgu  slaves  are  greatly  valued  by  the  suirounding  nations,  and  are  employed  in  various 
ways.  The  sultans  and  great  chiefs  are  fond  of  having  their  male  Musgu  slaves  as 
wrestlers ;  and  next  in  interest  to  a  match  between  two  Begharmis  is  a  contest  between  a 
Begharmi  and  a  Musgu  wrestler. 

The  female  slaves  are  proportionately  strong,  but  they  are  never  purchased  by  the 
Fezzan  traders,  inasmuch  as  they  lack  beauty  of  feature  as  much  as  they  possess  strength 
of  muscle.  Their  faces  are  large  and  ugly,  and  they  have  a  custom  of  wearing  a  silver 
ornament  in  the  lower  lip.  This  ornament  is  about  as  large  as  a  shilliug,  and  is  worn 
exactly  after  the  fashion  of  the  "  pelele,"  which  has  already  been  described  and  figured. 
In  order  to  make  room  for  this  ugly  appendage,  the  women  knock  out  the  two  middle 
teeth  of  the  lower  jaw,  and,  in  process  of  time,  the  lip  is  dragged  down  by  the  inserted 
metal,  and  has  a  very  horrid  and  repulsive  appearance.  Their  hair  is  dressed  like  that  of 
the  Bomu  women,  i.e.  one  large  plait  or  roll  (rom  the  forehead  to  the  nape  of  the  neck, 
and  two  others  on  each  side. 

They  are  very  trustworthy,  and  are  set  to  laborious  tasks,  from  which  weaker  slaves 
would  shrink.  They  do  all  the  agricultural  work, — digging  the  ground,  planting  the  seed, 
and  carrying  home  the  crops.  They  also  perform  the  office  of  watchers,  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  year  passes  that  one  or  two  of  these  patient  creatures 
are  not  carried  ofiF  by  the  lions,  who  creep  up  to  them  under  shelter  of  the  com,  and  then 
spring  upon  them. 

The  men  are  equally  ugly.  Only  the  chiefs  wear  any  clothing,  and  even  they  are 
seldom  clad  in  anything  more  than  a  goatskin  or  leopard's  hide,  hung  over  the  shoulders 
60  as  to  bring  the  head  of  the  aoim^  on  the  wearer's  breast    Their  heads  are  covered 


IV 


7ia. 


THE  MUSOJESB, 


with  rather  stnnge-looking  caps,  nnd  their  hair,  as  it  straggles  ttom  under  the  caps,  is 
thick  and  bristly.  They  wear  on  tlieir  arras  large  rings  of  Iwne  or  ivory,  and  round  thoir 
necks  hung  trophies  of  their  valour,  lieing  nocklaoes  made  of  the  strung  teeth  of  slain 
enemies.  They  puint  their  bodies  with  red,  and  stain  their  teeth  of  the  same  colour,  so 
that  they  present  a  singulurly  wild  and  savage  appearance.  They  are  mounted  on  small 
but  strong  and  active  horses,  which  they  ride  without  saddles  and  almost  without  bridles, 
a  slight  piece  of  cord  being  tied  halter-wise  round  the  animal's  muzzle. 

Their  weapons  consist  mostly  of  the  spear  and  the  missile-knives,  similar  to  those 
which  have  been  already  described.    The  inferior  men,  thongh  they  ui^u  mounteil,  and 


MUSQU  CHIEF. 


I 


h*  1. 


carry  the  same  weapons  as  the  chief,  wear  no  clothing  except  a  leather  girdle  round  the 
waist,  and  the  same  light  attire  is  worn  by  the  women.  Though  so  liable  to  be  enslaved 
themselves,  they  are  great  slave-dealers;  and  when  they  pay  tribute  to  the  Sultan  of 
Mandara,  or  wish  to  make  a  peace-offering  the  greater  part  of  it  consists  of  slaves,  both 
male  and  female. 

In  the  above  illustration  is  seen  a  Musgu  chief  going  to  battle.  He  is  one  of  the 
very  great  chiefs,  as  is  shown  from  the  fact  that  he  wears  a  tobe  instead  of  a  skin.  In 
his  right  hand  is  his  spear,  and  in  his  left  a  couple  of  the  missile-knives.  Behind  him 
ride  his  soldiers,  naked  men  on  naked  horses.  In  the  background  is  seen  a  party  of 
women  engaged  in  the  water,  with  which  element  tliey  are  very  familiar,  and  are  not 
kept  out  of  it  by  any  fear  of  wetting  their  clothes.  Near  them  is  one  of  the  mound-like 
tombs  under  which  a  dead  chief  has  been  buried — the  Musguese  being  almost  the  only 
African  tribe  who  erect  such  a  monument. 


A  DISASTROUS  BATTLE. 


718 


The  huts  are  seen  a  little  farther  back,  and  near  them  are  two  of  the  remarkable 
({Tanories,  covered  with  projecting  ornaments,  and  mostly  kept  so  w«'ll  fllUsd  that 
maraiulbrs  are  nearly  as  anxious  to  sack  the  oranarics  as  to  steal  the  people.  On  the 
branches  of  the  trees  is  a  quantity  of  grass  which  has  been  hung  there  to  dry  in  the  sun, 
and  to  be  used  as  hay  for  tlie  horses. 

When  Mfijor  Denham  was  near  the  Musgu  territory,  he  was  told  that  these  strange 
and  wild-looking  people  were  Chiistians.  He  said  that  they  could  not  be  so,  because 
they  had  just  begged  uf  him  the  carcase  of  a  horse  which  had  died  during  the  night,  and 
were  at  that  time  busily  employed  in  eating  it.  The  man,  however,  adhered  to  his 
opinion,  saying  that,  although  he  certainly  never  had  heard  that  Christians  ate  horse-flesh 
they  did  cat  swine's-flesh,  and  that  was  infinitely  more  disgusting. 

These  people  were  unwittingly  the  cause  of  great  loss  to  the  Bomuese  and  Mandaras. 
The  Arabs  who  had  accompanied  Donham  and  Clapperton  fror>  Tripoli  were  very  anxious, 
before  returning  home,  to  make  a  raid  on  their  own  account,  and  bring  back  a  number  of 
Musgu  slaves.  The  sheikh  of  Bornu  thought  that  this  would  be  a  good  opportunity  of 
utilizing  the  fire-arms  of  the  Arabs  against  the  warlike  and  unyielding  ibellatahs,  and 
sent  them  off  together  with  three  thousand  of  his  own  troops. 

As  had  been  anticipated,  when  they  reached  Mandara,  the  sultan  would  iiot  allo^ 
them  to  attack  Musgu,  which  he  looked  upon  as  his  own  pai  'icular  slave-pres'  rve,  but 
added  some  of  his  own  troops  to  those  of  the  Bornuan  sheikh,  and  sent  therri  to  capture 
as  many  Fellatahs  as  they  liked,  doing  them  the  honour  of  accompanying  tin  expedition 
in  person.  It  is  also  evident  that  both  the  sultan  and  the  sheilcL  disl'xja  as  well  as 
feared  the  Arabs,  and  were  very  willing  to  turn  to  account  thr;  terriblo  weapons  which 
they  carried,  and  by  means  of  which  they  had  made  themselves  so  overbeari  <^  and 
disagreeable. 

When  they  reached  the  first  Fellatah  town  and  attacked  it,  they  found  it  to  b '  r>  rongly 
defended  with  chevaux  de  finae  of  sharpened  stakes  six  feet  in  height,  I .  ^ind  which  were 
stationed  their  archers,  who  poured  showers  of  poisoned  arrows  on  1  le  iivaders.  Tha 
Arabs,  after  a  struggle,  carried  the  fence  and  pursued  the  Fellatahs  up  the  hilL  Here 
they  were  received  with  more  arrows,  brought  to  the  archers  by  the  women,  and  with 
stones  rolled  down  the  hill.  Had  the  Bornu  and  Mandara  soldiers  pushed  forward,  the 
whole  town  must  have  been  taken,  instead  of  which  they  prudently  kept  out  of  range  of 
the  poisoned  arrows. 

The  Fellatahs,  seeing  their  cowardice,  then  assumed  the  offensiT?,  whereupon  the 
Bornu  and  Mandara  soldiers  at  once  ran  away,  headed  by  the  sultan,  who  would  have 
laid  claim  to  the  town  had  the  Arabs  taken  it.  The  whole  force  was  routed  with  great 
loss,  the  Bornu  leader — a  truly  brave  man — ^was  killed  with  a  poisoned  arrow,  and  Major 
Denham  was  severely  wounded,  stripped  of  all  his  clothes,  and  barely  escaped  with 
bis  life. 


. » .■■•  i-M-  ■  • .  /. 


r  '  1 


■  ;';'ri  l^^ 


.vt 


■-u  ■■:■   ..';'. 


■\- ; 


ii> 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 


i^TSSINIA. 


ABTSSnnA,  THB  lAin>    07  UT8TBBT — OBIOIN    07  THK    NIHS — ^THB    TtSQUOK  OF  FBBBTEIt  JOHK— 
TBB  THBKB   ABTSSINIAN  OISTBtOTS   OB   KIKODOH8 — OBNBBAI.  AFPBABANCB   OF   THE   ABYBSHOANB 

DBBSS   OF    THB   UBN — ^TH2    QUABBY    AND    THR    TB0U8RB8 GOINO    TO    BED — THB  DINO  AND 

ITS    FASHIONS — HEN'b    OBNAHBNTS — HOW  THB    JEWELLBB    IS    PAID — WEAPONS    OF     THB    ABYB- 

8INIANS THE  BWOBD   OB  BHOTEL,    AND   ITS    BINOrLAB   FOBH  AND   USES — THB    BPEAB  AND   MODB 

OF  KBBPma  IT  IN  OBDEB — THB  SHIELD  AND  ITS  OBNAHBNTS — AFPBABANOE  OF  A  UOUNTBD 
CHIEF — 8W0BDBM ANSHIP — THB  ABTBBINIAN  AS  A  BOLDIBB — DBBSS  AND  APPBABANCB  OF  THB 
WCXBN — THBm    OBNAHBNTS — TATTOOmO — ^HODBS    OF    DBBBBINa    THB    HAIB — THB    ABX68IN1A1I 

pnxow. 


'       $0  - 


Abtssinia.  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  nations  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  It  was  long 
a  land  of  mystery,  in  which  the  unicorn  and  the  lion  held  their  deadly  combats,  in  which 
dragons  flapped  their  scaly  wings  through  the  air,  in  which  the  mountains  were  of  gold 
and  the  river-beds  paved  with  diamonds,  and,  greatest  marvel  of  all,  in  which  Prester 
John,  the  priest  and  king,  held  his  court,  a  Christian  Solomon  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

In  this  last  tale  there  was  this  amount  of  truth,  that  a  Christian  Church  existed  in 
Abyssinia — a  Church  of  extreme  antiquity,  which  has  remained  to  the  present  day,  having 
accommodated  itself  in  a  most  remarkable  manner  to  the  race-characteristics  of  the  people. 
Setting  aside  the  interest  which  has  been  excited  in  Abyssinia  by  the  successful  march  of 
a  British  force  to  the  military  capital,  Abyssinia  deserves  description  in  this  volume.  At 
first  sight  it  would  appear  that  a  Christian  country  would  find  no  place  in  a  work  which 
has  nothing  to  do  with  civilization ;  but,  as  we  ^.oceed  with  the  account,  we  shall  find 
that  Christianity  in  Abyssinia  has  done  scarcely  anything  to  civilize  the  nation,  as  we 
understand  thd  word,  and,  instead  of  extirpating  the  savage  customs  of  the  people,  has  in 
a  strange  manner  existed  alongside  of  them,  if  such  a  term  may  be  used. 

It  is  my  purpose  in  the  following  pages  to  give  a  succinct  description  of  the  uncivilized 
manners  and  customs  of  the  Abyssinians,  together  with  a  brief  account  of  that  peculiar 
system  of  Christianity  which  could  survive  for  nearly  fifteen  hundred  years,  and  yet  leave 
the  people  in  a  scarcely  better  moral  state  than  if  they  had  never  heard  the  name  of  Christ. 

Like  many  other  large  communities,  the  great  Abyssinian  nation  is  composed  of  several 
elements,  differing  as  much  from  each  other  as  the  Scotch,  the  Irish,  the  Welsh,  and  the 
other  mixed  races  who  together  form  the  English  nation.  In  Abyssinia,  however,' these 
different  elenaents  have  not  fused  themselves  so  much  together  as  is  the  case  with  this 
kingdom,  and  each  principality  is  independent,  having  its  own  ruler  and  its  own  laws. 

That  such  a  state  of  things  is  injurious  to  the  interests  of  the  kingdom  is  evident  to  all 
students  of  history,  and  we  find  that  every  great  ruler  has  attempted  to  unite  them  under 
one  head.  The  peculiar  character  of  the  Africans  is,  however,  strong  in  these  people ;  and 
as  soon  as  the  strong  hand  that  held  them  together  is  removed,  they  fly  asunder,  and 


OBIGIN  OF  THE  NAME. 


V15 


PBBSTER  JOHW— 

THE   ABYBBnOAWS 

D — THB  Dmo  AND 

IS    OF     THE    ABY8- 

8PBAB  AND   MODS 

Of    A    MOUNTBD 

EABANCB    OF  THB 

-THE    ABY8SINIAM 


^-    It  was  long 
•mbats,  in  which 
ns  were  of  gold 
a  which  Prester 
Idle  Ages, 
lurch  existed  in 
sent  day,  having 
3s  of  the  people, 
iessful  march  of 
lis  volume.    At 
I  a  work  which 
t,  we  shall  find 
I  nation,  as  we 
5  people,  has  in 

the  uncivilized 
f  that  peculiar 
,  and  yet  leave 
une  of  Christ. 

osed  of  several 
iVelsh,  and  the 
however,'  these 
case  with  this 

own  laws, 
i  evident  to  all 
te  them  under 
e  people ;  and 

asunder,  and 


resume  their  individualiiy.   To  the  Abyssinian  kingdom  may  be  well  applied  the  familiar 
epigram  of  a  "  concurrence  of  antagonistic  atoms." 

Their  native  name, "  H&bash,"  of  which  our  word  Abyssinia  is  a  corruption,  signifies 
"  mixture,"  and  is  exceedingly  appropriate  to  them.  Among  the  many  mixtures  which 
compose  the  Abyssinian  nation,  the  natives  reckon  a  considerable  Jewish  element  They 
say  that  the  Sheba  of  Scripture  was  Abyssinia,  and  that  their  queen  went  to  visit  Solomon 
for  the  express  purpose  of  introducing  the  blood  of  so  eminent  a  sovereign  into  the  royal 
succession  of  Abyssinia.  She  waited  till  she  had  borne  a  son,  and  through  that  son  the 
successive  kings  of  Abyssinia  believe  themselves  to  be  lineal  descendants  of  Solomon. 
Whether  this  story  be  true  or  not,  it  is  thoroughly  in  consonance  with  the  very  lax 
morality  of  Abyssinian  females.  When  the  queen  returned  to  her  own  country,  she  was 
followed  by  a  number  of  Jews,  and  they  say  that  at  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  the 
Temple,  a  1  the  captivity,  a  great  multitude  of  fugitives  followed  their  compatriots,  and 
tuck  refugt.  in  Abyssinia. 

Numbers  of  Greeks  and  Portuguese  have  at  different  times  taken  up  their  residence 
in  Abyssinia,  and,  like  the  immigrant  Jews,  been  absorbed  into  the  country,  so  that  the 
native  name  of  H^bash  is  seen  to  be  well  deserved. 

Three  of  the  districts  or  sub-kingdom?  have  the  best  claim  to  the  title  of  Abyssinia, 
and  are  inhabited  by  Christians  of  that  peculiar  kind  to  which  allusion  has  just  been 
made.  The  first  is  the  Tigr^  (pronounced  Teegray)  country,  which  takes  its  name  as  a 
province  from  a  small  district  to  which  this  name  belongs.  It  extends  to  the  Bed  Sea  on 
the  east,  and  to  the  Taccazy  river  on  the  west,  ana  has  a  rather  uncertain  range  between 
lat.  15°  and  12°  N.  It  is  divided  from  Nubia  by  a  number  of  independent  tribes,  while 
some  of  the  Gallas  and  other  tribes  are  on  its  northern  boimdary. 

Westward  of  the  Taccazy  lies  the  second  kingdom  or  province,  called  Amhara,  in  the 
middle  of  which  is  situated  the  city  of  Gondar ;  and  the  third  is  Shooa,  which  lies  south- 
ward of  Tigr^  and  Amhara,  and,  strangely  enough,  is  separated  from  them  by  Gallas  and 
other  tribes. 

Of  these  three  districts,  Tigr^  seems  to  afford  the  best  characteristic  of  the  Abyssinians, 
and  therefore  the  chief  part  of  tho  account  will  be'  devoted  to  the  Tigr^ans.  Among  these 
people  Mr.  Mansfield  Parkyns  lived  tor  a  considerable  time,  and  to  him  we  are  indebted 
for  the  greater  part  of  our  information  concerning  this  remarkable  natioa 

As  a  rule,  the  Abyssinians  are  of  moderate  stature,  rather  below  than  above  the  English 
averaga  Mr.  Parkyns  saw  one  or  two  men  who  attahied  the  height  of  six  feet  two  inches, 
but  remarks  that  such  examples  were  very  rare.  * 

As  is  often  the  case  with  Africans,  the  complexion  is  exceedingly  variable,  sometimes 
being  of  a  very  pale  coppery  brown,  and  sometimes  almost  as  dark  as  the  negro.  This 
variation,  which  is  often  the  effect  of  locality,  is  attributed  by  Mr.  Parkyns  to  the 
mixture  of  races.  As,  moreover,  marriages  are  of  the  loosest  description  in  Abyssinia, 
Christian  though  it  be,  a  man  may  be  often  seen  with  a  number  of  children  by  different 
wives,  all  unlike  each  other  in  point  of  complexion ;  a  brother  and  sister,  for  example, 
being  totally  dissimilar,  one  short  and  black  as  a  negro,  and  the  other  tall  and  fair  as 
an  European. 

The  negro  element  seems  to  expend  itself  chiefly  in  colour,  the  peculiarity  of  the  negro 
form  having  been  nearly  obliterated  by  continual  mixture  with  other  races.  Now  and 
then  the  negro  Conformation  of  leg  shows  itself,  but  even  this  evidence  is  rather  un- 
common. 

The  women  of  the  higher  class  are  remarkable  for  their  beauty,  not  only  of  feature  but 
of  form,  and  possess  singularly  smdl  and  pretty  hands  and  feet,  all  of  which  beauties 
their  style  of  dress  exhibits  freely.  Their  features  are  almost  of  the  European  type,  and 
the  eyes  are  exceedingly  large  and  beautiful— so  large,  indeed,  that  an  exact  drawing 
would  have  the  appearance  of  exaggeration  to  persons  who  Were  unaccustomed  to  them. 
Ijj^is  said,  indeed,  that  the  only  women  who  can  be  compared  with  the  Abyssinians  are 
'  q,    'rench  half-castes  of  the  Mauritius.        , 

;    \e  accompanying  illustration  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the  features  and  general 
^      ttnce  of  the  Abyssinians. 


mm 


'\r: 


m 


t>!_ 


m 

I 


Mi 


'■I 


w 


Y16 


ABYSSINIA. 


Beginning  at  the  top,  ^e  have  first  a  profile  view  of  a  woman's  head,  to  show  the      the 
elaborate  way  in  which  the  hair  is  plaited  and  arranged.    Next  comes  a  front  view  of       the 
a  head,  showing  the  appearance  of  the  hair  as  it  is  teased  and  combed  out  before  plaiting. 
The  third  figure  gives  a  view  of  the  head  and  bust  of  u  lady  of  rank.    This  is  drawn  to       mc 
show  another  mode  of  arranging  the  hair,  as  well  as  the  elaborate  tattoo  with  which  the 
Women  love  to  decorate  every  inch  of  the  body  and  limbs  from  the  neck  to  the  tips  of  the 
fingers  and  toes. 


ABTBSINIAN  HEADS. 


i-4 

Si 


Below  are  the  portraits  of  two  men.  One,  a  priest,  has  covered  his  shaven  head  with 
a  white  turban,  the  mark  of  the  priesthood  among  the  Abyssinians,  among  whom  the  laity 
wear  no  head  covering  save  their  highly-decorated  and  well-greased  locks.    The  second 

?ortrait  is  the  profile  view  of  a  man,  and  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  cast  of  countenance, 
'he  reader  may  scarcely  believe  that  the  Abyssinians  have  been  cited  by  a  certain  schnpl 
of  philanthropists  as  examples  of  the  intellectual  capability  of  the  negro.  er^ 

Next  to  the  personal  appearance  of  the  Abyssinians  comes  their  dress.    Varyad 
slightly  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  changing  in  some  of  its  details  accordin{id 


GOING  TO  BED. 


717 


head,  to  show  the 
les  a  front  view  of 
out  before  plaiting. 
This  is  drawn  to 
too  with  which  the 
>k  to  the  tips  of  the 


aven  head  with 
whom  the  laity 
s.  The  second 
3f  countenance. 
i  certain  schi^l 


the  fitshion  of  the  day,  the  dress  of  the  Abyssinians  is  essentially  the  same  throughout 
the  kingdom.  The  principal  articles  of  dress  are  trousers,  and  a  largo  mantle  or  "  quarry." 

The  trousers  are  of  soft  cotton,  and  are  of  two  kinds,  the  one  descending  some  three 
inches  below  the  knee,  and  the  other  terminating  the  same  distance  above  it.  The  trousers 
are  very  tight,  and  an  Abyssinian  dandy  will  wear  them  of  so  very  close  a  fit  that  to  get 
them  on  is  nearly  an  houi^s  work. 

Bound  the  waist  is  rolled  the  sash  or  belt,  about  one  vavd  in  width.  This  is  also  of 
cotton,  and  varies  in  length  according  to  the  fineness  ot  the  nmtorial.  A  common  belt 
will  be  about  fifteen  yards  in  length,  but  a  very  fine  one,  which  only  contains  the  same 
amount  of  material,  will  be  from  fifty  to  sixty  yards  long.  From  thirty  to  forty  vards  is  the 
ordinkry  length  for  an  Abyssinian  gentleman's  belt.  It  is  put  on  by  holding  the  end  with 
one  hand  to  the  side,  and  getting  a  friend  to  spread  it  with  his  hands,  while  the  weareb 
turns  round  and  round,  and  so  winds  himself  up  in  the  belt,  just  as  our  oificers  did  when 
the  long  silk  sashes  were  worn  round  the  waist. 

These  belts  are  not  only  useful  in  preserving  health,  but  act  as  defensive  armour  in 
a  country  where  all  the  men  are  armed,  and  where  they  are  apt  to  quarrel  terribly  as  soon 
as  they  are  excited  by  drink.  Even  in  war  time,  the  belt  often  protects  the  wearer  from 
a  blow  which  he  has  only  partially  guarded  with  his  shield. 

Like  the  trousers  and  belt,  the  mantle  or  "  quarry  "  is  mode  of  cotton,  and  is  very  fine 
and  soft ;  and  is  made  in  a  rather  curious  manner.  The  ordinary  q^uarry  consists  of  three 
pieces  of  cotton  cloth,  each  fifteen  feet  long  by  three  wide,  and  having  at  each  end  a  red 
stripe,  some  five  or  six  inches  in  width. 

These  are  put  together  after  a  rather  curious  and  complicated  manner.  "  One  is  first 
taken  and  doubled  carefully,  so  that  the  red  stripes  of  each  end  come  exactly  together. 
A  second  piece  is  then  taken,  and  also  folded,  but  inside  out,  and  one  half  of  it  laid  under 
and  tho  other  half  over  the  first  piece,  so  that  the  four  red  borders  now  come  together. 
One  edge  of  this  quadruple  oloth  is  then  sewn  from  top  to  bottom,  and  the  last-mentioned 
piece  is  turned  back,  so  that  the  two  together  form  one  double  cloth  of  two  breadths.  The 
third  piece  is  now  added  in  a  similar  manner,  the  whole  forming  a  '  quarry '  which,  lest 
any  reader  should  have  got  confused  with  the  above  description,  is  a  white  double  cloth, 
with  a  red  border  near  the  bottom  only."  A  completed  quarry  is  seven  feet  six  inches 
long,  by  nine  feet  wide.  The  quarries  are  seldom  washed  more  than  once  a  year,  and,  in 
consequence  of  the  abundant  grease  used  in  the  Abyssinian  toilet,  they  become  horribly 
dirty.  The  natives,  however,  rather  admire  this  appearance.  An  Abyssinian  dandy 
despises  a  clean  quarry,  and  would  no  more  wash  his  mantle  than  a  fashionable  lady 
would  bleach  a  piece  of  old  lace. 

There  are  different  qualities  of  quarry,  the  best  being  made  of  materials  so  fine  that 
six  pieces  are  required,  and  it  is  folded  four  times  double.  The  coloured  stripe  at  the 
edge  is  of  red,  yellow,  and  blue  silk,  neatly  worked  together.  It  is  worn  in  various  modes, 
the  most  usual  resembling  that  in  which  a  Highlander  wears  his  plaid,  so  as  to  leave  the 
right  arm  at  libeity. 

The  quarry  forms  the  sleeping  costume  of  the  Abyssinians,  who  take  off  their  trousers, 
and  roll  themselves  up  so  completely  in  their  mantles  that  thoy  cover  up  their  entire 
bodies,  limbs,  Und  heads.  When  they  arrange  themselves  for  tlie  night,  they  contrive  to 
remove  their  trousers,  and  even  their  belts,  without  exposing  themselves  in  the  least ;  and 
when  we  remember  the  extreme  tightness  of  the  former  article  of  dress,  and  the  inordinate 
length  of  the  latter,  it  is  a  matter  of  some  surprise  that  the  feat  should  be  accomplished 
so  cleverly. 

Married  persons  pack  themselves  up  in  a  similar  manner,  but  in  pairs,  their  mantles 
forming  a  covering  for  the  two.  It  is  very  curious  to  see  how  they  manage  to  perform 
this  seemingly  impossible  task.  They  seat  themselves  side  by  side,  the  man  on  the 
woman's  right  hand,  and  place  the  short  end  of  the  quarry  under  them.  The  long  end  is 
then  thrown  over  their  heads,  and  under  its  shelter  the  garments  are  removed.  The 
quarry  is  rolled  tightly  round  the  couple,  and  they  are  ready  for  repose. 

So  large  a  mantle  is,  of  course,  inconvenient  on  a  windy  day,  and  in  battle  would  be 
a  fatal  encumbrance.    On  the  former  occasion  it  ii  oonnned  to  the  body  by  a  short 


■  ':■■  ■]  ] 


718 


ABYSSINIA. 


cape-like  garment  called  the  "dino"  or  "lemd,"  and  in  war  the  quany  is  laid  aside,  and 
the  dino  substituted  for  it  The  dino  is  often  a  very  elaborate  garment,  made  of  cloth, 
velvet,  or,  more  frequently,  the  skin  of  some  animal,  cut  in  a  peculiar  manner  so  as  to 
leave  eight  strips  pendent  from  the  lower  edge  by  vray  of  a  fringe. 

The  skins  of  the  lion  and  black  leopard  are  most  esteemed,  and  are  only  worn  on  gala 
days  by  chiefs  and  very  great  wamors.  They  are  lined  with  scarlet  cloth,  and  are  fitted 
with  a  number  of  amulets  which  appear  in  front  of  the  breast.  A  dino  made  of  the 
black-maned  lion  skin  will  often  be  vedued  at  eight  or  ten  pounds,  while  a  common  one 
will  scarcely  cost  one-tenth  of  that  amount.  A  very  favourite  skin  is  that  of  the  unborn 
calf,  which  takes  a  soft  lustre  like  that  of  velvet,  and  accordingly  can  only  be  worn  by 
dandies  who  are  rich  enough  to  purchase  it,  or  kill  a  cow  for  the  sake  of  this  skin.  An 
ordinary  calf-skin  is  contemned,  and  would  only  be  worn  by  a  man  of  the  lowest  class. 
A  peculiar  kind  of  sheep  is  kept  by  the  Abyssinians  for  the  sake  of  its  wool,  which  is 
sometimes  more  than  two  feet  in  length. 

The  sheep  lead  a  very  artificial  life,  are  kept  day  and  night  on  couches,  are  fed  with 
meat  and  milk,  and  their  fleeces  washed  and  combed  regularly  as  if  they  were  ladies'  lap- 
dogs.  The  result  of  this  treatment  is,  that  they  have  beautiful  fleeces,  which  are  worth 
from  twenty  to  thirty  shillings  each,  but  their  flesh  is  utterly  useless  for  consumption, 
being  very  small  in  quantity,  and  otfeusive  in  quality.  The  fleeces  are  generally  dyed 
black,  that  being  a  fashionable  colour  in  Abyssinia. 

,The  skin  of  the  hysena  or  the  dog  is  never  used  for  clothing,  and  the  natives  have 
a  superstitious  fear  of  the  red  jackal,  thinking  that  if  they  should  be  wounded  while 
wearing  a  dino  of  jackal  skin,  one  of  the  hairs  might  enter  the  v  ound,  and  so  prove  fatal 
to  the  sufferer.  The  leopard-skin  is  never  worn  by  ordinaiy  Abyssinians,  being  exclusively 
used  by  the  Gallas  and  Shooas,  and  by  a  certain  set  of  dervishes  called  the  Zaccbdri. 

Contrary  to  the  habit  of  most  African  nations,  the  men  wear  but  few  ornaments,  those 
which  they  employ  beirg  almost  always  signs  of  valour.  Amulets  are  found  on  almost 
every  man,  and  many  of  them  wear  whole  strings  of  these  sacred  articles,  crossed  over  the 
shoulders  and  falling  as  low  as  the  knees.  Most  Abyssinians  carry  a  pair  of  tweezers  for 
extracting  thorns  from  the  feet  and  legs,  and  the  wealthier  among  them  place  their  tweezers 
in  a  highly  ornamented  silver  case,  which  is  hung  from  the  handle  of  the  sword. 

Whenever  an  Abyssinian  is  seen  wearing  a  silver  chain,  he  is  known  to  have  killed  an 
elephant,  while  those  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  battle  are  known  by  a  sort 
of  silver  bracelet,  which  extends  from  the  wrist  nearly  as  far  as  the  elbow.  It  opens 
longitudinally  by  hinges,  and  is  fastened  with  a  clasp.  This  ornament  is  called  the  "  bitoa," 
and  is  often  very  elegantly  engraved,  and  adorned  with  gilded  patterns.  The  silversmiths 
who  make  these  and  similar  articles  are  rather  oddly  treated.  They  are  considered  as 
slaves,  are  not  allowed  to  leave  the  country,  and  yet  are  treated  with  considerable  kind- 
ness, save  and  except  the  payment  for  their  labour. 

Consequently,  the  silversmith,  finding  that  he  has  to  walk  a  very  long  time  for  his 
money,  and  probably  will  not  get  it  at  all,  is  forced  to  pay  himself  by  embezzling  a 
quantity  of  the  gold  and  silver  which  are  given  him  for  the  manufacture  of  the  bracelet, 
and  substituting  an  equal  amount  of  less  precious  metal.  Mr.  Parky ns  mentions  that  he 
has  known  a  man  to  receive  silver  equal  to  thirty  sequins,  and  to  use  in  the  work  rather 
less  than  eight 

Many  of  these  bracelets  are  ornamented  with  little  bell-like  pieces  of  silver  round  the 
edge,  which  tinkle  and  clash  as  the  wearer  moves.  Similar  bells  are  attached  to  a  sort  of 
silver  coronet  worn  by  very  great  men,  and,  together  with  the  silver  chains  to  which  they 
are  attached,  hang  over  the  ears  and  neck  of  the  wearer. 

As  to  the  weapons  of  the  Abyssinians,  they  consist  chiefly  of  the  sword,  spear,  and 
shield.  In  later  days  fire-arms  have  been  introduced,  but,  as  this  work  treats  only  of  the 
uncivilized  part  of  mankind,  these  weapons  will  not  be  reckoned  in  the  Abyssinian 
armoury. 

The  sword,  or  "  shotel,"  is  a  very  oddly-shaped  weapon.  The  blade  is  nearly  straiglit 
for  some  two  feet,  and  then  turns  suddenly  like  a  sickle,  but  with  a  more  angular  bend. 
The  edge  is  on  the  inside,  and  this  peculiar  form  is  intended  for  striking  downwards  over 


P     I 


THE  SPEAB  AND  SHIELD. 


nd^ 


is  laid  aside,  and 
int,  made  of  cloth, 
manner  so  as  to 

only  worn  on  gala 
)th,  and  are  fitted 
dino  made  of  the 
le  a  common  one 
hat  of  the  vmborn 
I  only  be  worn  by 
of  this  skin.  An 
[  the  lowest  class, 
its  wool,  which  is 

ches,  are  fed  with 
y  were  ladies'  lap- 
,  which  are  worth 
I  for  consumption, 
ire  generally  dyed 

I  the  natives  have 
)e  wounded  while 
and  so  prove  fatal 
,  being  exclusively 

the  Zacchari. 
V  ornaments,  those 
3  found  on  almost 
s,  crossed  over  the 
air  of  tweezers  for 
)lace  their  tweezers 
tie  sword. 

I  to  have  killed  an 

J  known  by  a  sort 

elbow.    It  opens 

called  the  "bitoa," 

The  silversmiths 
are  considered  as 
considerable  kind- 
long  time  for  his 

by  embezzling  a 
re  of  the  bracelet, 
mentions  that  he 
1  the  work  rather 

f  silver  round  the 
ached  to  a  sort  of 
ns  to  which  they 

sword,  spear,  and 
treats  only  of  the 
I  the  Abyssinian 

is  nearly  straight 
re  angular  bend. 
:  downwards  over 


the  enemy's  shielcL  In  order  to  give  weight  to  the  blow,  the  blade  is  much  wider  and 
heavier  towards  the  point  than  at  the  hilt.  As  if  this  form  of  blade  did  not  make  the 
sword  feeble  enough,  the  hilt  is  so  constructed  that  it  prevents  all  play  of  the  wrist.  The 
handle  is  made  of  a  pyramidal  piece  of  rhinoceros  horn,  five  inches  wide  at  one  end, 
and  three  at  the  other.  It  is  made  into  the  proper  shape  for  a  handle  by  cutting  out 
semicircular  pieces  along  the  sides,  leaving  the  four  sharp  comers  in  their  previous  form. 
When  the  sword  is  grasped,  one  of  the  four  angles  must  come  under  the  wrist,  so  that  if 
the  weapon  were  allowed  to  play  freely,  as  in  ordinary  swordsmanship,  the  point  would 
be  driven  into  the  wrist 

As  with  the  natives  of  Southern  Africa,  the  Abyssinians  prefer  soft  iron  to  tempered 
steel,  the  former  admitting  of  being  straightened  when  bent,  but  the  latter  being  apt  to 
snap.  The  sword  is  always  hung  on  the  right  side,  in  order  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the 
shield,  especially  when,  as  in  travelling,  it  ia  swung  backwards  and  forwards  with  the 
play  of  the  left  arm. 

The  sheath  of  the  sword  is  made  of  leather  or  red  morocco,  and  is  ornamented  by  the 
great  men  with  a  number  of  silver  plates.  At  the  end  of  the  sheath  is  a  metal  ball, 
called  "  lomita."  This  curious  ornament  is  mostly  of  silver,  and  is  almost  as  large  as  a 
billiard  balL    The  sword-belt  is  of  the  same  material  as  the  scabbard. 

The  spear  is  fit>m  six  to  seven  feet  in  length,  and  the  head  is  squared  like  that  of 
a  pike.  The  four  sides  are  mostly  grooved,  so  that  the  head  of  the  weapon  looks  some- 
thing like  a  quadrangular  bayonet.  This  spear  is  used  both  as  a  lance  and  as  a  javelin, 
a  good  soldier  being  able  to  strike  a  man  at  thirty  or  forty  yards'  distance.  The  cavalry 
always  carry  two  spears,  one  of  which  is  thrown,  and  the  other  retained  to  be  used  as  a 
lance.  They  have  rather  a  curious  mode  of  using  the  lance,  aiming  it  at  the  adversary  as 
if  they  meant  to  throw  it,  but  only  letting  the  shaft  slip  through  the  hand,  and  catching 
it  by  the  butt 

The  shafts  of  the  spears  are  very  neatly  made,  and  much  painis  are  bestowed  upon 
them.  They  are  made  of  very  young  trees,  which  are  cleared  of  the  bark  by  fire,  and  are 
then  straightened  and  dried.  This  operation  requires  a  very  skilful  manipulator,  as,  if 
the  wood  be  too  much  dried,  it  is  brittle  and  snaps ;  if  irregularly  heated,  it  never  will 
remain  straight;  and  if  not  dried  sufficiently,  it  warps  with  every  change  of  weather. 
When  properly  straightened,  the  shafts  are  greased  and  hung  over  the  fire  for  several 
months,  until  they  assume  the  proper  reddish -yellow  hue. 

When  not  in  use,  each  lance  is  kept  in  a  sheath,  to  the  top  of  which  is  fastened  a  loop 
by  which  it  can  be  hung  to  the  end  of  the  cow's  horn  which  does  duty  for  a  peg  in 
Abyssinian  houses,  and  which  is  just  long  enough  to  allow  the  lance  to  hang  straight 
without  touching  the  wall. 

The  Abyssinian  shield  is  made  of  buffalo-hide,  and  is  strong  enough  to  resist  any 
sword  cut,  and  to  throw''ofi'  a  spear  if  received  obliquely  upon  it  If,  however,  a  good 
spear  should  strike  the  shield  fairly,  it  will  pierce  it  In  ordar  to  preserve  the  needful 
obliquity,  the  shield  is  made  like  the  segment  of  a  sphere,  and  has  a  projecting  boss  in 
the  centre.  The  shield  is  almost  always  ornamented,  the  most  valued  decorations  being 
the  mane,  tail,  and  paw  of  the  lion,  arranged  in  various  ways  according  to  the  taste  of 
the  owner.  To  some  shields  is  attached  the  skin  of  the  Guereza  monkey,  which,  with  its 
bold  contrast  of  long  jetty-black  and  snowy-white  hair,  has  really  a  striking  and  artistic 
effect    This,  however,  is  always  discarded  when  the  native  kills  a  lion. 

Chiefs  always  have  their  shields  nearly  covered  with  silver  plates  and  bosses,  a 
fashion  which  is  imitated  in  brass  by  the  poorer  soldiers.  Still,  if  a  common  soldier  had 
a  good  shield,  he  would  not  hide  its  beauties  with  brass  plates.  A  chief  is  distinguished 
not  only  by  his  silver-mounted  shield,  but  by  his  silver-plated  sword-scabbard.  On  his 
head  he  wears  a  silver  frontlet  called  "  akodamir,"  having  silver  chains  hanging  from  it, 
and  a  white  feather  stuck  in  the  hair  behind  the  frontlet  If  a  man  of  notable  courage, 
he  also  wears  the  lion-skin  dino. 

Eound  the  edge  of  the  shield  are  pierced  a  number  of  holes,  through  which  is  passed 
the  thong  that  suspends  it  to  the  wall  when  not  in  use.  Each  day,  as  it  hangs  on  the 
.wsdl,  the  owner  taJces  it  down  and  shifts  the  thong  from  one  hole  to  another,  so  that 


:'l 


■IT 


■T  ' 


1:1     •■■!■' 


m\ 


I,      f'ilM 
III-    M-.i'-t 


i£v 


720 


ABTSSINIA. 


m 


1 


tne  shield  may  not  be  watped,  and  lose  its  prized  roundness.    The  shield  must  swing 
qui'^  clear  of  the  wall 

To  a  good  swordsman  the  shield  would  be  an  incumbrance,  and  not  a  means  of  safety. 
On  account  of  the  necessity  of  holding  out  the  shield  with  the  left  arm,  the  sword 
becomes  of  little  value  as  an  offensive  weapon,  the  owner  not  daring  to  strike  lest  he 
should  expose  himself  to  a  counter  blow.  Whereas  he  who,  like  Fitz-James,  finds  his 
"  blade  both  sword  and  shield,"  makes  very  light  of  an  Abyssinian  warrior's  prowess. 


A  HOUNTED  CBIBF. 

Mr.  Parkyns  says  on  this  subject,  that  any  ordinary  swordsman,  without  a  shield,  can 
easily  beat  tlie  best  Abyssinian  armed  with  sword  and  shield  also.  The  best  mode  of 
fighting  the  Abyssinian  warrior  is  to  make  a  feint  at  his  head.  Up  goes  his  heavy  shield, 
which  certainly  guards  his  head,  but  prevents  the  owner  from  seeing  that  his  adversary  is 
making  a  sweeping  cut  at  his  legs.  Should  the  cut  5  or  6  fail,  make  another  feint  at  the 
head,  and  follow  it  up  with  a  real  blow.  Anticipating  a  feint,  the  Abyssinian  lowers  his 
shield  to  protect  his  legs,  and  as  he  does  so,  receives  the  edge  of  the  sword  full  on  his 
unprotected  crown. 

Although  he  is  well  armed,  looks  very  fierce,  and  is  of  a  quarrelsome  disposition, 
the  Abyssinian  soldier  is  not  remarkable  for  courage,  and  prefers  boasting  to  fighting. 
He  never  seems  to  enter  the  battle  with  the  idea  of  merely  killing  or  routing  the  enemy, 
but  is  always  looking  out  for  trophies  for  himself  As  with  many  nations,  and  as  was  the 
case  with  the  Israelites  in  the  earlier  times,  the  Abyssinian  mutilates  a  fallen  enemy,  and 
carries  off  a  portion  of  his  body  as  a  trophy,  which  he  can  exhibit  before  his  chief,  and  on 
which  he  can  found  a  reputation  for  valour  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

So  much  do  the  Abyssinians  prize  this  savage  trophy  that,  just  as  American  Indians 
have  feigned  death  and  submitted  to  the  loss  of  their  scalps  without  giving  the  least 


)  shield  must  swing 

)t  a  means  of  safety, 
left  arm,  the  swoni 
ng  to  strike  lest  he 
^itz-James,  finds  his 
1  warrior's  prowess. 


TATTOOING. 


721; 


.;    > 


out  a  shield,  can 
The  best  mode  of 
his  heavy  shield, 
.t  his  adversary  is 
other  feint  at  the 
isinian  lowers  his 
sword  full  on  his 

iome  disposition, 
Jting  to  fighting, 
iting  the  enemy, 
I,  and  as  was  the 
illen  enemy,  and 
his  chief,  and  on 

tnerican  Indians 
jiving  the  least 


sign  of  life,  men  wounded  in  battle  have  suffered  an  even  more  cruel  mutilation,  and 
survived  the  injury.  An  Abyssinian  has  even  been  known  to  kill  a  comrade  in  order  to 
secure  this  valued  trophy,  when  he  has  been  unable,  either  from  mischance  or  want  of 
courage,  to  kill  an  enemy. 

We  come  now  to  the  women  and  their  dress. 

Young  girls  are  costumed  in  the  simplest  possible  style,  namely,  a  piece  of  cotton 
stuff  wrapped  round  the  waist,  and  descending  half  way  to  the  knee.  Should  the  girl  be 
rich  enough  to  afford  a  large  wrapper,  she  brings  one  end  of  it  upwards  and  throws  it  over 
the  left  shoulder.  In  Tigr^  the  girls  prefer  a  black  goatskin,  ornamented  with  cowries. 
A  married  woman  wears  a  sort  of  loose  shirt,  and  a  mantle,  or  quarry,  similar  to  that 
which  is  worn  by  the  men,  but  of  finer  materials.  Should  she  be  able  to  own  a  mule, 
she  wears  trousers,  which  are  very  full  at  the  waist,  and  decrease  gradually  to  the 
ankle,  where  they  fit  like  the  skin. 

As  to  their  ornaments,  they  are  so  numerous  as  to  defy  description.  That  which  costs 
the  least,  and  is  yet  the  most  valued,  is  the  tattoo,  which  is  employed  with  a  profusion 
worthy  of  the  Nt;v  Zealander. 

"  The  Tigr^an  ladies,"  so  writes  Mr.  Parkyns, "  tattoo  themselves ;  though,  as  this  mode 
of  adorning  the  person  is  not  common  excepting  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  capital 
and  persons  who  have  passed  some  time  there,  I  should  jiidge  it  to  be  a  fashion  imported 
from  the  Amhara. 

"  The  men  seldom  tattoo  more  than  one  ornament  on  the  upper  part  of  the  arm,  near 
the  shoulder,  while  the  women  cover  nearly  the  whole  of  their  bodies  with  stars,  lines, 
and  crosses,  often  rather  tastefully  arranged.  I  may  well  say  nearly  the  whole  of  their 
persons,  for  they  mark  the  neck,  shoulders,  breasts,  and  arms,  down  to  the  fingers,  which 
are  enriched  with  lines,  to  imitate  rings,  nearly  to  the  nails.  The  feet,  ankles,  and  calves 
of  the  legs  are  similarly  adorned,  and  even  the  gums  are  by  some  pricked  entirely  blue, 
while  others  have  them  striped  alternately  blue  and  the  natural  pink. 

"  To  see  some  of  their  designs,  one  would  give  them  credit  for  some  skill  in  the 
handling  their  pencil ;  but,  in  fact,  their  system  of  drawing  the  pattern  is  purely  me- 
chanical. I  had  one  arm  adorned ;  a  rather  blind  old  woman  was  the  artist ;  her  imple- 
ments consisted  of  a  small  pot  of  some  sort  of  blacking,  made,  she  told  me,  of  charred 
herbs,  a  large  home-made  iron  pin,  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  at  the  end  of  which  was 
ground  fine,  a  bit  or  two  of  hollow  cane,  and  a  piece  of  straw.  The  two  last-named  items 
were  her  substitutes  for  pencils. 

"  Her  circles  were  made  by  dipping  the  end  of  a  piece  of  cane  of  the  required  size 
into  the  blacking,  and  making  its  impression  on  the  skin ;  while  an  end  of  the  straw, 
bent  to  the  proper  length,  and  likewise  blackened,  marked  all  the  lines,  squares,  diamonds, 
&c.,  which  were  to  be  of  equal  length.  Her  design  being  thus  completed,  she  worked 
away  on  it  with  her  pin,  which  she  dug  in  as  far  as  the  thin  part  would  enter,  keeping 
the  supply  of  blacking  sufficient,  and  going  over  the  same  ground  repeatedly  to  msure 
regularity  and  unity  in  the  lines.  With  some  persons  the  fii-st  effect  of  this  tattooing  is 
to  produce  a  considerable  amount  of  fever,  from  the  irritation  caused  by  the  punctures, 
especially  so  with  the  ladies,  from  the  extent  of  surface  thus  rendered  sore.  To  allay 
this  irritation,  they  are  generally  pbliged  to  remain  for  a  few  days  in  a  case  of  vegetable 
matter,  which  is  plastered  all  over  them  in  the  form  of  a  sort  of  green  poultice. 

"A  scab  forms  over  the  tattooing,  which  should  not  be  picked  off",  but  allowed  to 
fall  off"  of  itself.  When  this  disappears,  the  operation  is  complete,  and  the  marks  are 
indelible ;  nay,  more,  the  Abyssinians  declare  that  they  may  be  traced  on  the  person's 
bones  even  after  death  has  bared  them  of  their  fleshy  covering." 

The  women  also  wear  a  vast  number  of  silver  ornaments,  such  as  several  chains  round 
the  neck,  three  pairs  of  silver  or  gilt  bracelets,  a  number  of  little  silver  ornaments  hung 
like  bells  to  the  ankles,  above  which  are  a  series  of  bangles  of  the  same  metal.  A 
wealthy  woman  has  also  a  large  flat  silver  case,  containing  talismans,  and  ornamented  with 
bells  of  the  same  metal,  suspended  by  four  silver  chains;  while  her  hair  is  decorated  with 
a  large  silver  pin,  elaborately  made,  and  furnished  with  a  number  of  pendent  ornaments. 

VOL.  I.  3  A 


if^'ll 


: : 


722 


Abyssinia; 


The  accompanying  illustration  exhibits  the  costume  of  an  Abjssininn  lady,  and  the 
difference  in  dress  between  herself  and  her  servants.  The  latter — who,  of  couise,  are  her 
slaves,  no  other  idea  of  servitude  entering  the  Abyssinian  mind — are  washing  clothes  in  a 
brook,  in  preparation  for  the  Feast  of  St.  John,  the  only  day  in  the  year  when  the  Abys- 
sinians  trouble  themselves  to  wash  either  their  clothes  or  themselves.  Other  slaves  are 
carrying  water-jars  on  their  backs— not  on  their  heads ;  and  in  the  foreground  stands 


V^^SHING-DAT. 


their  mistress  giving  her  orders.  The  reader  will  note  the  graceful  way  in  which  the 
mantle  is  put  on,  and  the  string  of  leathern  amulet  cases  which  hangs  by  her  side. 

As  to  the  hair  itself,  it  is  dressed  in  a  peculiar  manner.  It  is  gathered  into  a  multi- 
tude of  plaits,  beginning  at  the  very  top  of  the  head,  and  falling  as  low  as  the  neck.  !Both 
sexes  have  the  hair  plaited  in  this  manner,  but  the  men  wear  their  plaits  in  various  ways. 
According  to  strict  Abyssinian  etiquette,  which  has  greatly  faded  in  later  years,  a  youth 
who  has  not  distinguished  himself  ought  to  wear  his  hair  unplaited.  As  soon  as  he  has 
killed  a  man  in  battle,  he  shaves  his  head,  with  the  exception  of  a  single  plait,  and  for 
every  additional  victim  a  fresh  plait  is  added.  When  he  kills  the  fifth,  he  is  allowed  to 
wear  the  whole  of  his  hair  in  tresses. 

This  mode  of  dressing  the  hair  occupies  a  vast  amount  of  time,  but  time  is  of  no 
value  to  an  Abyssinian,  who  expends  several  hours  upon  his  head  once  eveiy  fortnight  or 
80.  The  plaits  are  held  in  their  places  by  a  sort  of  fixture  made  of  boiled  cotton-seeds, 
and  are  plentifully  saturated  with  butter.  Vast  quantities  of  this  latter  article  are  con- 
sumed in  Abyssinian  toilettes,  and  it  is  considered  a  mark  of  fashion  to  place  a  lai-ge 
pat  of  butter  on  the  top  of  the  head  before  going  out  in  the  morning,  and  to  allow  it  to 
be  melted  by  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  run  over  the  hair.  Of  course  it  drips  from  the  ends 
of  the  long  tresses  on  the  neck  and  clothes  of  the  wearer,  but  such  stains  are  considered 
as  marks  of  wealth.  Sometimes  it  runs  over  the  face,  and  is  apt  to  get  into  the  eyes,  so 
that  in  hot  weather  the  corner  of  the  quarry  is  largely  used  in  wiping  away  the  trickling 
butter. 

In  order  to  preserve  the  arrangement  of  the  hair  during  the  nigHt,  they  use  instead  of 
a  pillow  a  sort  of  short  crutch,  looking  very  like  a  common  scraper  with  a  rounded  top. 


CHAPTER  LXV. 


ABYSSIN  IJl— Continued. 


OOTSBmUMT  OV  IBTBOMXA — THB  XHPKBOB  AMD  BIS  QKnCAtOOT— TBI  THBKR  SIITBIOTI  AMD  THBm 
BULBB8 — ^TBB  IIINOB  CHIEFS  AND  THEIB  DIBTIMOUISHnrO  MMBLKMS — XINa  THMODOBM— A  BBIBF 
SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE — CABBBB  FBOH  THE  BANKS  TO  TUB  TUnONK— HIS  ATTKMPTS  AT  BEFOBU 
— ADIONISTBATION  OF  JITSTICB — A  UODBBN  BOLOHUN — MOOKS  OF  PI7NI8HMXNT — THB  LADIES' 
GAME — ABYSSINIAN  PLEADING — THB  TBIAL  BY  MrAHRB— QUABBRL80MR  OHABAOTBB  OF  THE 
ABTSSINIANS — THBIB  VANITY  AND  BOASTFULNESS — TUB  LAW  OP  DEBT — HOSPITALITY  AMD  ITS 
DUTIES — COOKEBY  AND  MODES  OF  EATING — TUB  BAW  FLXBH  FXABT— VIPPIB  SAVOB— THB 
V8B  or  THB    SHOTBL — ^A   ITBDDINO  FBAST — ^ABYSSINIAM   DXOISTIOir, 


% 

1^: 

i 
1 

The  government  of  the  Abyssinians  has  varied  several  times,  but  has  mostly  settled 
down  into  a  sort  of  divided  monarchy. 

There  is  an  emperor,  supreme  king,  or  Ncgust,  who  must  be  a  lineal  descendant 
of  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  and  who  must  be  crowned  by  the  high  priest  or 
Abuna,  an  ecclesiastic  who  con-esponds  very  nearly  with  the  Greek  Patriarch.  Mostly, 
the  king  holds  but  nominal  sway  over  the  fierce  and  insubordinate  chiefs  of  provinces, 
and,  as  is  likely,  the  fiercest,  cleverest,  and  most  unscitipulous  chief  ge  ierally  contrives 
to  manage  the  icing  much  as  he  likes.  Should  the  king  be  strong-minded  enough  to  hold 
his  own  opinions,  the  chiefs  become  dissatisfied,  and  by  degrees  fall  into  a  state  of  chronic 
rebellion,  as  was  the  case  during  the  last  years  of  Theodore's  life. 

Each  of  the  great  districts  has  its  own  Bas,  chief,  or  prince,  according  to  the  title  that 
may  be  used,  and  his  authority  is  absolute  in  his  own  province.  The  Kas  appoints  under 
him  a  number  of  great  chiefs,  who  bear  the  title  of  Deiasmatch  (commonly  contracted 
into  Dejatch),  corresponding  in  some  degree  with  our  ducal  rank.  Under  these  great 
chiefs  are  lesser  officers,  and  each  of  them  is  appointed  by  beat  of  the  great  drum  of 
ceremony  and  proclamation  by  the  heralds.  Men  so  appointed  have  the  privilege  of 
drums  beating  before  them  on  a  march  or  in  battle,  and  their  rank,  that  of  "  addy  negarie," 
CI  men  of  honour,  confers  the  same  practical  power  as  that  of  Dejasmatch,  the  title  alone 
being  wanting. 

It  may  be  as  well  to  mention  that  the  late  King  Theodore  held  the  title  of  Dejasmatch 
before  he  had  himself  named  King  of  Ethiopia ;  and  as  the  history  of  this  remarkable 
man  gives  some  idea  of  the  Abyssinian  mode  of  government,  a  very  brief  sketch  will  be 
given  of  his  progress  to  the  throne. 

Putting  together  the  various  histories  that  have  appeared,  and  rejecting  their  many 
discrepancies,  we  come  to  the  following  series  of  events. 

Kassai,  for  such  was  his  name  before  he  changed  it  to  Theodorus,  was  the  son  of  a 
very  small  chief  named  Hailu  Weleda  Georgis,  whose  only  distinction  seems  to  have  been 
his  reputed  descent  from  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  a  tradition  of  which  Kassai  afterwards  took 
advantage.  When  he  died,  his  little  property  was  seized  by  his  relations,  and  his  widow 
was  forced  to  support  herself  by  selling  the  "  kosso,"  the  popular  remedy  for  the  tape- 

3a2 


f.;r| 


li,     *,T; 


724 


ABYSSINIA. 


r 


1        I 


worm,  a  creature  which  is  singularly  prevalent  in  this  country.  Kassai,  then  a  hoy,  took 
refuge  in  a  nionutitury,  wlicro  ho  might  have  remained  until  this  day,  had  not  a  Dejasmatcb, 
who  had  turned  rebel  after  their  custom,  attacked  the  monastery,  burned  the  huts  of  which 
it  was  composed,  and  killed  the  boys  who  inhabited  it  by  way  of  avenging  himself  on  their 
parents.  Kassai,  however,  escaped  the  massacre,  ana  flea  to  a  powerful  and  warlike 
relation,  the  Dejasmatch  Coufu,  under  whom  he  learned  the  management  of  anus,  and  as 
much  of  tliG  art  of  war  as  was  known. 

His  uncle  however  died,  and  his  two  sons  immediately  fought  for  the  patrimony  ;  and, 
while  they  were  quarrel) 'ng,  another  powerful  Dejasmatch  saw  his  opportunity,  swept 
down  suddenly  upon  them,  and  made  himself  master  of  the  best  and  most  fertile  part  of 
the  district. 

Again  ejected  from  a  home,  Kassai  contrived  to  get  together  a  band  of  followers, 
whom  we  should  not  wrong  very  greatly  by  calling  robbers,  and  for  some  years  lived  a 
wandering  life  marvellously  resembling  that  of  David  in  his  earlier  years.  By  degrees 
his  band  increased  until  some  of  the  petty  chiefs  joined  him  with  their  followers,  and  he 
became  a  man  of  such  importance  that  the  well-known  Waisoro  Mennen,  the  crafty  and 
ambitious  mother  of  Has  Ali,  tinding  that  he  could  not  be  beaten  in  the  field,  gave  him  in 
marriage  the  daughter  of  the  Kas.  She,  however,  proved  a  faithful  wife  to  him,  and 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  schemes  of  her  grandmother.  At  last  Kassai  and 
Waisoro  Mennen  came  to  an  open  rupture,  and  fought  a  ^".ttle,  in  which  the  former  was 
victorious,  ami  captured  both  the  lady  and  her  fine  province  of  Dembea.  The  latter  he 
kept,  but  the  former  he  set  at  liberty. 

Ras  Ali  then  tried  to  rid  himself  of  hi.^  troublesome  son-in-law  by  assigning  Dembea 
to  Berru  Goshu,  a  powerful  Dejasmatch,  who  accordingly  invaded  the  district,  and  drove 
Kassai  out  of  it.  This  happened  in  1850,  In  less  than  two  years,  however,  Kassai 
reorganized  an  army,  attacked  the  camp  of  Berru  Goshu,  shut  him  with  his  own  hand, 
and  got  back  his  province.  Thinking  that  matters  were  now  becoming  serious,  Has  Ali 
took  the  ield  in  person  and  marched  against  Kassai,  who  conquered  him,  drove  him 
among  th(  Gallas  for  Ha>ty,  and  took  possession  of  the  whole  of  Amhara. 

Havirg  secured  this  splendid  prize,  he  sent  to  Bas  Oubi,  the  Prince  of  Tigr^,  and 
demandec  tribute.  Oubi  refused,  led  his  army  against  Kassai,  and  lost  both  his  province 
and  his  lioerty.  Tm  conqueror  k(!pt  him  in  prison  until  1860,  when  his  first  wife  died, 
and  he  married  the  daughter  of  Oubi,  whom  he  released  and  made  a  tributary  vassal. 

Being  now  practically  master  of  the  whole  country,  he  sent  for  Abba  Salama,  the  then 
Abuna  or  Patriarch,  and  had  himself  crowned  by  the  title  of  Theodorus,  King  of  the 
kings  of  Ethiopia.  Thi'  event  took  place  in  1855 ;  and  from  that  time  to  his  death 
Theodore  maintaiiiod  his  supremacy,  his  astonishing  personal  authority  keeping  in  check 
the  fierce  and  rebellious  spirits  by  whom  he  was  surrounded.  How  he  really  tried 
to  do  the  best  for  his  country  we  all  know.  Semi-savage  as  he  was  by  nature,  he 
possessed  many  virtues,  and,  had  he  known  his  epoch  better,  wotdd  still  have  been  on 
the  throne,  the  ruler  of  a  contented  instead  of  a  rebellious  people.  But  he  was  too  far 
ahead  of  his  age.  He  saw  the  necessity  for  reforms,  and  impatiently  tried  to  forre  them 
on  the  people,  instead  of  gently  paving  the  way  for  them.  The  inevitable  results  lollowed, 
and  Theodore's  mind  at  last  gave  way  under  the  cares  of  empire  and  the  continual 
thwartings  of  his  many  schemes.  Still,  even  to  the  last  he  never  lost  his  self-reliance  nor 
his  splendid  courage,  and,  thr)ugh  the  balance  of  his  mind  was  gone,  and  he  alternated 
between  acts  of  singular  kindness  and  savage  cruelty,  he  fought  to  the  last,  and  not  until 
he  was  deserted  by  his  soldiers  did  he  die  by  his  own  hand  at  the  entrance  of  his 
stronghold. 

He  saw  very  clearly  that  the  only  way  to  establish  a  consolidated  kingdom  was  to 
break  the  power  of  the  great  chiefs  or  princes.  This  he  did  by  the  simple  process  of 
putting  th  m  in  chains  until  they  yielded  their  executive  powers,  ?nd  contented  themselves 
rather  with  the  authority  of  generals  than  of  irresponsible  rulers.  He  was  also  desirous 
of  doing  away  with  tlie  custom  that  made  every  man  an  armed  soldier,  and  wished  to 
substitute  a  paid  standing  army  for  the  miscellaneous  horde  of  armed  men  that  filled  the 
country.    He  was  anxious  to  promote  agriculture,  and,  according  to  his  own  words,  not 


/^^ 


THE  TAME  LIONS. 


725 


only  to  turn  swords  into  reaping-hooks— a  very  easy  thing,  hy  the  way,  with  an  Abyssinian 
"^°,  "i"*^  *"  "^*^"  *  ploughing-ox  more  valuable  thiin  a  war-horse.  To  his  own  branch 
of  the  Church  he  was  deeply  attached,  and  openly  said  that  he  had  a  mission  to  drive 
Islamism  from  his  country,  and  for  that  reason  was  at  war  with  the  Gallas,  who,  as  well 
as  the  Shooas  and  other  tribes,  profess  the  religion  of  Mohammed.  That  being  done,  he 
intended  to  march  and  raze  to  the  ground  Mecca  and  Medina,  the  two  sacred  cities  of 
Islam ;  and  even  projected  a  march  to  Jerusalem  itself. 

His  most  difficult  task,  however  was  the  suppression  of  the  immorality  that  reigns 
throughout  Abyssmia,  and  which,  according  to  Mr.  Parkyns,  has  a  curious  effect  on  the 
manners  of  the  people.  Neither  men  nor  women  seem  to  have  any  idea  that  the  least 
shame  can  be  attached  to  immorality,  and  the  consequence  is  that  both  in  word  and 


THEODOBE  AND  THE  LIOXS. 


m 


manner  they  are  perfectly  decorous.  To  cope  with  so  ingrained  a  vice  seems  an  imprac- 
ticable task,  and  such  it  turned  out  to  be.  He  set  the  example  to  his  people  by  only 
taking  one  wife,  and  when  she  died  he  had  many  siiuples  about  the  legality  of  taking 
another,  and  did  not  do  so  until  after  consultation  with  European  friends  and  careful 
examination  of  the  Bible.  He  could  not,  however,  keep  up  the  fight  against  nature,  and 
in  his  last  years  he  had  resorted  to  the  old  custom  of  the  harem. 

As  the  reader  would  probably  like  to  see  what  kind  of  a  man  was  this  Theodoras,  1 
give  a  portrait  taken  from  a  sketch  made  of  him  while  he  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect 
health  of  body  and  mind,  and  while  he  was  the  irresponsible  ruler  of  his  country, 
knowing  of  none  greater  than  himself,  and  having  his  mind  filled  with  schemes  of 
conquest  of  other  lands^  and  reform  of  his  own.    The  poitrait  was  taken  by  M.  Lejean, 


vyaa 

P 


7» 


ABYSSINIA. 


ill 


I 


d 


some  ten  years  before  the  death  of  Theodorus ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  loss  of  )>:>  h&iv,  which 
ho  wore  short  in  the  last  ^ears  of  his  life,  and  of  the  ravages  which  tw  i  Hii.-.i6ty,  and 
misdirected  zeal  had  madti  in  his  features,  the  face  is  essentially  the  sam°  /^  ^ha*  of  the 
dead  man  who  lay  vathin  the  gates  of  Magdala  on  the  fatal  Good  Friday  oi  ;  a(jZ. 

Knowiti<^  the  character  of  the  people  over  whom  he  reigned,  Theodore  made  liborul 
use  of  extorniil  uccebsories  for  the  purpose  of  striking  awe  into  them,  such  as  magnificent 
robes  and  weapons  adorit<^  v<ith  the  precious  metals.  Among  the  most  valued  of  those 
accessories  were  four  tame  lions,  of  which  he  was  very  fond.  These  animals  travelled 
about  with  him,  and  even  lived  in  the  same  stable  with  the  horses,  never  being  chnincd 
or  shut  up  in  cages,  but  allowed  to  walk  about  in  perfect  liberty.  Tliey  were  as  tame 
and  docile  as  dogs,  and  M.  Lejean  states  that  the  only  objection  to  them  was  the  over- 
demonstrative  affection  of  their  manners.  Like  cats  they  delighted  to  be  noticed  and 
made  much  of,  and  were  apt  to  become  unpleasantly  importunate  in  soliciting  caresses. 

They  wore,  however,  somewhat  short-temperea  when  travelling  over  the  mountain 
ranges,  the  cold  weather  of  those  elevated  regions  making  them  uncomfortable  and 
snappish.  With  an  idea  of  impressing  his  subjects  with  his  importance,  an  act  in  which 
he  was  eminently  successful,  Theodore  was  accustomed  to  have  tiis  lions  with  him  wlion 
he  gave  audience,  and  the  accompanying  portrait  was  taken  from  a  sketoh  of  the  lion  n'l 
Abyssinia  seated  in  the  audience-chamMr,  and  surrounded  with  the  living  emblems  of  the 
title  which  he  bore,  and  which  he  perpetuated  in  his  royal  seal 

JusTiOR  is  administered  in  various  modes,  sometimes  by  the  will  of  the  chief,  and 
sometimes  by  a  sort  of  court  or  council  of  elders.  The  former  process  is  generally  of 
a  very  summary  character,  and  is  based  on  the  old  Mosaic  principle  of  an  eye  for  an 
eye,  and  a  touth  for  a  tooth.  If  one  man  murders  another,  for  example,  and  the  culprit 
be  detected,  the  Ras  will  direct  the  nearest  relation  of  the  murderer  to  kill  him  in 

Erecisely  the  same  manner  that  he  killed  his  victim.  One  very  odd  case  was  investigated 
y  Oubi,  the  Bas  or  Prince  of  Tigr^. 
Two  little  boys,  the  elder  eight  and  the  younger  five  years  of  see,  had  been  walking 
together,  when  they  saw  a  tree  laden  with  friiit  After  some  difticuUy,  the  elder  climbed 
into  the  tree,  and,  standing  on  a  branch,  plucked  the  fruit  and  threw  it  to  his  little 
companion  who  stood  below  him.  By  some  accident  or  other  he  fell  from  the  tree  upon 
the  head  of  his  playfellow,  and  killed  him  on  the  spot  The  parents  of  the  poor  child 
insisted  that  the  boy  who  killed  him  should  be  arraigned  for  murder,  and,  after  a  vast 
amount  of  consultation,  he  was  found  guilty.  Bas  Oubi  then  gave  sentence.  The 
culprit  was  to  stand  under  the  branch  exactly  where  had  stood  the  poor  little  boy.  The 
eldest  brother  was  then  to  climb  up  the  tree  and  fall  on  the  other  boy's  head  until  be 
killed  him. 

.  Theft  is  generally  punished  with  flogging,  the  whip  being  a  most  formidable  weapon, 
made  of  hide,  and  called,  from  its  length  ana  weight,  the  "gimfie."  A  thief  is  sometimes 
taken  into  the  market-place,  stripped  to  the  waist,  and  led  by  two  men,  while  a  third 
delivers  a  terrific  series  of  blows  with  the  giraffe  whip.  After  each  blow  the  delmquent  is 
forced  to  exclaim,  "  All  ye  who  see  me  thus,  profit  by  my  example." 

Many  other  offences,  such  as  sacrilege,  rebellion,  and  the  like,  are  punished  by  the 
loss  of  a  hand  or  a  foot,  sometimes  of  both.  The  forfeited  member  is  amputated  in  a  very 
clumsy  way,  with  a  small  curved  knife,  so  that  a  careless  or  maladroit  executioner  can 
inflict  frightful  suffering.  The  culprit  generally  gives  a  fee  to  the  executioner,  who  will 
then  put  as  keen  an  edge  as  possible  on  the  knife,  and  tell  the  sufferer  how  to  arrange  his 
hand,  and  spread  his  fingers,  so  that  the  tendons  may  be  stretched,  and  the  joint  separated 
easily.  One  man  of  rank,  who  had  been  condemned  to  lose  his  left  hand,  suffered  the 
operation  without  moving  a  muscle  of  his  countenance,  and  when  the  hand  was  severed, 
he  took  it  up  with  his  right,  and  flung  it  in  the  face  of  the  presiding  chief,  with  the 
exclamation  that  he  still  had  a  hand  >Vherewith  to  fling  a  spear.  With  the  same  equa- 
nimity he  dipped  the  bleeding  stump  into  the  boiling  oil  which  is  generally  used  as  a 
styptic.  Sometimes,  however,  the  use  of  the  hot  oil  is  forbidden,  and  the  sufferer  is  left 
to  bleed  to  death. 


;.i^sscS>Xi::_ 


THE  LADIES'  OAMK 


727 


The  AV>yssinians,  howovor,  aro  as  littlo  sensitivo  to  pain  as  most  African  tribes,  and 
ondtiro  with  euHu  injurii!H  wiiicli  would  kill  a  Eumpean.  Tho  young  men  have  a  curious 
amumiinunt,  which  well  oxeiuj>lihe»  thuir  insensibility  to  pain.  "  When  a  party  of  young 
men  are  seated  to<;ether,  the  ludie8  present  will  bring  bits  of  tho  pith  uf  nidlet  stems,  cut 
to  about  an  inch  long,  und  uf  the  tliiukiie.ss  of  a  man's  thumb,  or,  what  is  better  still, 
])ioce.s  of  old  nig,  rolled  tight,  so  us  to  form  a  i)ellet  of  similar  dimensions.  These  are 
iirranged  in  paltcrns  by  eaeli  lady  on  the  extended  arm  of  any  one  whom  she  may  choose, 
and  thttir  tops  lighted. 

"  Tho  only  merit  in  the  man  is  to  allow  them  to  burn  themselves  out  entirely,  without 
moving  his  arm  so  as  to  cause  them  to  full,  or  evincing  the  slightest  consciousness  of 
pain  either  by  word,  look,  or  gesture.    On  the  contrary,  ho  must  continue  a  How  of  agtw 


FLKAUEKU. 


able  conversation,  as  if  nothing  were  occurring.  The  lady  operator  usually  blows  her  firea 
to  keep  tliem  going,  and  the  material,  whether  pith  or  rag,  being  of  a  very  porous  nature, 
and  burning  slowly  like  tinder,  the  action  of  the  fire  is  felt  on  the  skin  long  before  it 
actually  reaches  it.  It  is,  in  fact,  an  operation  similar  to  the  '  moxa '  of  European  surgery. 
When  the  pellets  are  completely  burned  out.  the  lady  rubs  her  hand  roughly  over  the 
cauterized  parts,  so  as  to  remove  the  burnt  skin.  On  a  copper-coloured  person  the  scars, 
when  well  healed,  assume  a  polished  black  surface,  which  contrasts  very  prettily  with  the 
surrnuiuling  skin." 

The  courts  of  justice,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made,  are  composed  of  elders ;  or 
not  unfrequently  the  chief  of  the  district  acts  as  the  magistrate.  When  two  persons  fall 
into  u  dispute  und  bring  it  before  the  court,  ^  officer  comes  for  the  litigants,  and  ties 


11 


728 


ABYSSINIA. 


I 


ill' 
111- 


il 


'W'^'"'^! 
^l-*^\. 


together  the  comer  of  their  quarries.  Holding  them  by  the  knot,  he  leads  them  before 
the  magistrate,  where  eaeh  is  at  liberty  to  plead  his  own  cause.  From  the  moment  that 
the  knot  is  ti^,  neither  is  allowed  to  speak,  under  penalty  of  a  heavy  fine,  until  they 
h&ve  come  before  the  magistrate ;  and  when  the  trial  has  begun,  the  plaintiff  has  the  first 
right  of  speech,  followed  by  the  defendant  in  reply.  Neither  is  allowed  to  interrupt  the 
other  under  pain  of  a  fine ;  but,  in  compassion  to  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  the  non- 
speaker  may  grunt  if  he  likes  when  the  adversary  makes  any  statement  that  displeases 
him.  \ 

The  oddest  part  of  the  proceeding  is  the  custom  of  betting,  or  rather  paying  forfeits, 
on  the  result  of  the  investigation.  A  plaintiff,  for  example,  offers  to  bet  one,  two,  or 
more  mules,  and  the  defendant  feels  himself  bound  to  accept  the  challenge,  though  he 
may  sometimes  modify  the  amount  of  the  bet.  When  the  case  is  determined,  the  loser 
pays  the  sum,  not  to  the  winner,  but  to  the  chief  who  decides  the  case.  A  "  mule,"  by 
the  way,  does  not  necessarily  mean  the  animal,  but  the  word  is  used  conventionally  to 
represent  a  certain  sum  of  money,  so  that  a  "  mule "  means  ten  dollars,  just  as  among 
English  sporting  men  a  "  pony  "  signifies  £25. 

This  practice  is  carried  on  to  such  an  extent  that  Mr.  Parkyns  has  seen  ten  mules 
betted  upon  the  payment  of  a  small  quantity  of  com,  worth  only  two  or  three  shillings. 
The  object  of  the  "  bet "  seems  to  be  that  the  offer  binds  the  opposite  party  to  carry  out 
the  litigation,  and  when  it  is  offered,  the  chief  forces  the  loser  to  pay  iinder  the  penalty 
of  being  put  in  chains. 

It  may  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  observations  that  the  Abyssinians  are  rather  a 
quarrelsome  people.  This  arises  chiefly  from  their  vanity,  which  is  extreme,  and  which 
culminates  to  its  highest  point  when  the  brain  is  excited  and  the  tongue  loosened  by 
drink.  It  was  this  national  characteristic  which  induced  King  Theodore  to  imagine 
himself  the  equal  of  any  monarch  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  to  fancy  that  he  could 
cope  successfully  with  the  power  of  England. 

Mr.  Mansfield  Parkyns  gives  a  very  amusing  account  of  this  national  failing. 

"  Vanity  is  one  of  the  principal  besetting  sins  of  the  Abyssinians,  and  it  is  to  this 
weakness,  when  brought  out  by  liquor,  that  the  origin  of  most  of  their  quarrels  may  be 
traced.  I  remember  more  than  once  to  have  heard  a  remark  something  like  the  following 
made  by  one  of  two  men  who,  from  being  '  my  dear  friends,'  had  chosen  to  sit  next  to  each 
other  at  table :  *  You're  a  very  good  fellow,  and  my  very  dear  friend ;  but  (hiccup)  you 
aren't  half  so  brave  or  handsome  as  I  am  I'  The  'very  dear  friend'  denies  the  fact  in  a 
tone  of  voice  denoting  anything  but  amity,  and  states  that  his  opinion  is  exactly  the 
reverse.  The  parties  warm  in  the  argument ;  words,  as  is  usual  when  men  are  in  suck  a 
state,  are  bandied  about  without  any  measure,  and  often  without  much  meaning ;  insults 
follow ;  then  Uows ;  and  if  the  pail^les  round  them  be  in  a  similar  condition  to  them- 
selves, and  do  not  immediately  separate  them,  it  frequently  happens  that  swords  are 
drawn. 

"  Dangerous  wounds  or  death  are  the  consequence ;  or,  as  is  not  uncommon,  others  of 
the  party,  siding  with  the  quarrellers,  probably  with  the  idea  of  settling  the  affair,  are 
induced  to  join  in  the  row,  which  in  the  end  becomes  a  general  engagement.  I  have 
noticed  this  trait  of  vanity  as  exhibiting  itself  in  various  ways  in  a  drunken  Abyssinian. 
I  always  found  that  the  best  plan  for  keeping  a  man  quiet,  when  in  this  state,  was  to 
remark  to  him  that  it  was  unbecoming  in  a  great  man  to  behave  in  such  a  way,  that 
people  of  rank  were  dignified  and  reserved  in  their  manners  and  conversatioii. 

"  And  thus  I  have  argued  very  successfully  with  my  own  servants  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  flattering  them  while  they  were  tipsy,  and  then  payhig  them  off  with  a  five-foot 
male  bamboo  when  they  got  sober  t.^ain. 

"  I  recollect  one  fellow  who  was  privileged,  for  he  had  asked  my  leave  to  go  to  a 
party  and  get  drunk.  On  returning  home  in  the  evening,  he  staggered  into  my  room  in 
as  dignified  a  manner  as  he  could,  and,  seating  himself  beside  me  on  my  couch,  embraced 
me  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  made  me  a  thousand  protestations  of  attachment  and  affection, 
offering  to  serve  me  in  any  way  he  coidd,  but  never  by  a  single  expression  evincing  that 
he  considered  me  as  other  than  a  dear  friend,  and  that  indeed  in  rather  a  patronising 


fc^«i 


THE  LAW  OF  DEBT. 


729 


fashion,  although  the  same  fellow  was  in  the  habit  of  washing  my  feet,  and  kissing  them 
afterwards,  every  evening,  and  would,  if  sober,  have  no  more  thought  of  seating  himself, 
even  on  the  ground,  in  my  presence,  than  of  jumping  over  the  moon. 

"  With  his  fellow-servants,  too,  he  acted  similarly ;  for  though  he  knew  them  all,  and 
thcii-  characters  and  positions,  he  addressed  them  as  his  servants,  ordering  them  about, 
and  upbraiding  them  for  sundry  peccadilloes  which  they  had  doubtless  committed,  and 
which  thus  came  to  my  knowledge.  In  fact,  in  every  point  he  acted  to  perfection  the 
manners  and  language  of  a  great  man ;  and  so  often  have  I  seen  the  same  mimicry,  that 
it  has  led  me  to  believe  that  the  chief  mental  employment  of  the  lowest  fellow  in  the 
country  is  building  castles  in  the  air,  and  practising  to  himself  how  he  would  act,  and 
what  he  would  say,  if  he  were  a  great  man." 

The  law  of  debt  is  a  very  severe  one.  The  debtor  is  thrown  into  prison,  and  chained 
>  to  the  wall  by  the  wrist.  The  ring  that  encloses  the  wrist  is  a  broad  hoop  or  bracelet  of 
iron,  which  is  forced  asunder  far  enough  to  permit  the  hand  to  enter,  and  is  then  hammered 
together  tightly  enough  to  prevent  the  hand  from  being  withdrawn.  After  a  while,  if  the 
sum  be  not  paid,  the  bracele  'i  hammered  u  little  tighter;  and  so  the  creditor  continues 
to  tighten  the  iron  until  it  is  driven  into  the  flesh,  uie  course  of  the  blood  checked,  and 
the  hand  finally  destroyed  by  mortification. 

Should  the  Government  be  the  creditor  for  unpaid  tribute,  a  company  of  soldiers  is 
quartered  on  the  debtor,  and  he  is  obliged  to  feed  them  with  the  best  of  everything  under 
pain  of  brutal  ill-treatment.  Of  course  this  mode  of  enforcing  payment  often  has  the 
opposite  effect,  and,  when  a  heavy  tax  has  been  proclaimed  in  a  district,  the  people  run 
away  m  nuuse  from  the  villages.  In  such  a  case  the  head-man  of  the  village  is  respon- 
sible for  the  entire  amount,  and  sometimes  is  obliged  to  make  his  escape  with  as  much 
portable  property  as  he  can  manage  to  carry  oS. 

When  rightly  managed,  the  Al^ssinians  are  a  hospitable  people.  Some  travellers 
take  a  soldier  with  them,  and  demand  food  and  lodging.  These  of  course  are  given, 
through  fear,  but  without  a  welcome.  The  right  mode  is,  that  when  a  traveller  comes  to 
a  village,  he  sits  under  a  tree,  and  waits.  The  villagers  soon  gather  round  him,  question 
him,  and  make  remarks  on  his  appearance  with  peri'ect  candour.  After  he  has  undergone 
this  ordeal,  some  one  is  sure  to  ask  him  to  his  house,  and,  should  he  happen  to  be  a  person 
of  distinction,  one  of  the  chief  men  is  certain  to  be  his  host 

When  Mr.  Parkyns  was  residing  in  Abyssinia,  he  always  adopted  this  plan.  On  one 
occasion  the  head-man  invited  him  to  his  house,  and  treated  him  most  hospitably,  apolo- 
gising for  the  want  of  better  food  on  the  ground  that  he  had  lately  been  made  liable  for 
the  tribute  of  a  number  of  persons  who  had  run  away,  and  was  consequently  much  re- 
duced in  the  world.  It  proved  that  sixteen  householders  had  escaped  to  avoid  the  tax, 
and  that  the  unfortunate  man  had  to  pay  the  whole  of  it,  amounting  to  a  sum  which 
forced  him  to  seU  his  horse,  mule,  and  nearly  all  his  plough-oxen,  and,  even  when  he  was 
entertaining  his  visitor,  he  was  in  dread  lest  the  soldiers  should  be  quartered  on  him. 

The  question  of  hospitality  naturally  leads  us  to  the  cooking  and  mode  of  eating  as 
practised  in  Abyssinia,  about  which  so  many  strange  stories  have  been  told.  We  have 
all  heard  of  Bruce's  account  of  the  eating  of  raw  meat  cut  from  the  limbs  of  a  living 
bullock,  and  of  the  storm  of  derision  which  was  raised  by  the  tale.  We  will  see  how 
far  he  was  borne  out  by  facts. 

The  "staff  of  life"  is  prepared  in  Abyssinia  much  after  the  same  fashion  as  in  other 
parts  of  Africa,  the  grain  being  ground  between  two  stones,  and  then  made  into  a  sort  of 
very  thin  paste,  about  the  consistency  of  griiel.  This  paste  is  allowed  to  remain  in  a  jar 
for  a  day  and  night  in  order  to  become  sour,  and  is  thf.n  taken  to  the  oven.  This  is  a 
very  curious  article,  being  a  slab  of  earthenware  in  which  a  concave  hollow  is  made,  and 
furnished  with  a  small  cover  of  the  same  material.  A  fire  is  made  beneath  the  oven, 
or  "  magogo,"  aa  it  is  termed,  and  when  it  is  hot  the  baker,  who  is  always  a  woman, 
proceeds  to  work. 

She  first  rubs  the  hollow  with  an  oily  seed  in  order  to  prevent  the  bread  from 
adhering  to  it,  and  then  with  a  gourd  ladle  takes  some  of  the  thin  dough  from  the  jar. 


|:v5:i| 


Wk^ 


II     ;  ]  ,1 

mi 


tm 


V,;;; 


11!   : 


.,  l! 

'i  ' ! 
I  I 

% 

it- 
* 


730 


ABYSSINIA. 


The  gourd  holds  exactly  enough  to  make  one  loaf,  or  rather  cake.  With  a  rapid  move- 
ment the  woman  spreads  the  dough  over  the  entire  hollow,  and  then  puts  on  the  cover. 
In  two  or  three  minutes  it  is  removed,  and  the  bread  is  peeled  off  in  one  iiat  circular 
piece,  some  eighteen  inches  in  width,  and  about  the  eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  This 
bread,  called  "  teff,"  is  the  ordinary  diet  of  an  Abyssinian.  It  is  very  sour,  very  soft,  and 
very  spongy,  and  requires  an  experienced  palate  to  appreciate  it  There  are  severd  other 
kinds  of  bread,  but  the  teff  is  that  which  is  most  valued. 

As  to  the  meat  diet  of  the  Abyssiniaus,  it  may  be  roughly  divided  into  cooked  and 
iinccjked  meat.  Cooked  meat  is  usually  prepared  from  tlie  least  valued  pai-ts  of  the 
animal.  It  is  cut  up  into  little  pieces,  and  stewed  in  a  pot  together  with  other  ingre- 
dients, a  considerable  quantity  of  butter,  and  such  an  amount  of  capsicu.  i  pods  that  the 
whole  mess  is  of  a  light  red  colour,  and  a  dlx)p  of  it  leaves  a  red  stain  on  any  garment 


DINNER  PARTY 


on  which  it  may  happen  to  fall.  Tliis  paste  is  called  "  dillikh,"  and  is  made  by  grinding 
together  a  quantity  of  capsicum  pods  and  an  equal  amount  of  onions,  to  which  are  added 
gin<,'er,  salt,  black  pepper,  and  other  herbs,  according  to  the  taste  of  the  preparer. 

The  poorer  class,  who  cannot  afford  meat,  can  stUl  make  dillikh  paste,  and  live  almost 
entirely  on  teff,  clotted  milk,  and  dillikh. 

But  the  great  treat  for  an  Abyssinian  epicure  is  the  "  broundo,"  or  raw  meat,  about 
which  he  is  as  fastidious  as  the  European  bon  vivant  about  his  sauces  and  ragouts.  Not 
an  Abyssinian  will  eat  any  animal  which  has  incisor  teeth  in  its  upper  jaw,  and,  like  the 
Jews,  they  even  reject  the  camel,  because  it  has  not  a  cloven  hoof. 

According  to  the  account  given  by  Bruce,  when  a  dinner  party  is  assembled,  a  cow  is 
brought  to  the  door  of  the  house,  bound,  flung  down,  and  a  lew  drops  of  its  blood  poured 
on  the  ground  in  order  to  save  the  letter  of  the  Alosaic  law.  The  butchers  then  cut  large 
strips  of  meat  from  the  poor  beast,  taking  care  to  avoid  the  vital  parts  and  larger  vessels, 
and  managing  so  as  to  remove  the  flesh  without  much  effusion  of  blood. 

The  still  warm  flesh  is  taken  within  the  house,  where  it  is  sliced  into  strips  by  the 
men,  and  handed  to  the  women  who  sit  by  their  side.    The  women  cut  it  up  into  small 


Ni  : 


BRUCE'S  ACCOUNT. 


731 


squares,  lay  it  on  the  "  teff "  bread,  season  it  plentifully  with  the  diUikh  paste,  roll  it  np 
into  balls,  and  push  the  balls  into  the  mouth  of  their  companion,  who  eats  until  he  is 
satisfied,  and  then  reciprocates  the  attention  by  making  up  a  couple  of  similar  balls,  and 
putting  them  into  the  mouths  of  the  women. 

Mead  and  tedge  are  then  consumed  as  largely  an  the  meat,  and,  according  to  Brnce,  a 
scene  of  the  most  abominable  licentiousness  accompanies  the  conclusion  of  the  festival. 

These  statements  have  been  much  controverted,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that,  in  the 
main,  the  narrative  of  Bruce  was  a  truthful  one.  Many  of  the  facts  of  which  he  wrote 
have  since  been  corroborated,  while  the  changes  to  which  Abyssinia  has  been  subjected 
will  account  for  unimportant  variations.  Later  travellers,  for  example,  have  not  witnessed 
such  a  scene  as  has  been  narrated  by  Bruce,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  such  a  scene 
should  not  have  occurred.  The  most  important  part  of  it,  namely,  the  eating  of  raw  ilesh, 
has  been  repeatedly  conroborated,  especially  by  Mansfield  Parkyns,  who  lived  so  long  with 
the  Abyssinians,  dressed  like  them,  fed  like  them,  and  accommodated  himself  in  most 
respects  to  their  mode  of  life. 

He  found  that  meat  was  always,  if  possible,  eaten  in  the  raw  state,  only  the  inferior 
qualities  being  made  lit  for  consumption  by  cookery.  Hit*  description  of  the  mode  of 
eating  tallies  exactly  with  that  of  Bruce.  The  meat  is  olways  brought  to  the  consumer 
while  still  warm  and  quivering  with  life,  as  it  becomes  tough  and  strinpy  when  suffered 
to  become  cold.  Each  guest  is  furnished  with  plenty  of  tiff  and  the  invariable  pepper 
sauce.  His  fingers  take  the  place  of  a  fork,  and  his  sword,  or  shotel,  does  duty  for  a  knife. 
Holding  the  broundo  in  his  left  hand,  he  takes  into  his  capacious  mouth  as  much  as  it  can 
accommodate,  and  then,  with  an  adroit  upward  stroke  of  the  sword,  severs  the  piece  of 
meat,  and  just  contrives  to  avoid  cutting  off  his  nose.  He  alternates  the  pieces  of  meat 
with  teff  and  dillikh,  and,  when  he  has  finished,  refreshes  himself  copiously  with  drink. 

Such  food  as  this  appears  to  be  indescribably  disgusting,  and  very  unlit  for  a  r.ation 
that  prides  itself  on  its  Christianity.  Many  persons,  indeed,  have  said  that  no  one  could 
eat  raw  meat  except  when  pressed  by  starvation,  and  have  therefore  discredited  all 
accounts  of  the  practice. 

Perhaps  my  readers  may  remember  that  after  Broce's  return  o  gentleman  was  making 
very  merry  with  this  account  in  the  traveller's  presence,  treating  the  whole  story  as  a 
fabrication,  on  the  ground  that  to  eat  raw  meat  was  impossible.  Bruce  said  nothing,  but 
quietly  left  the  room,  and  presently  returned  with  a  piece  of  beef  rolled  and  peppered 
after  the  Abyssinian  fashion,  and  gave  his  astonished  o^<ipouent  the  choice  of  eating  the 
meat  or  fighting  him  on  the  spot.  As  Bruce  was  of  f 'gantic  strength  and  siature,  and 
an  accomplished  swordsman  to  boot,  the  meat  was  £<in  • ,  and  the  fact  proved  to  be 
possible. 

Mr.  Parkyns,  who,  when  in  Abyssinia,  very  Wisely  ^%iX  m  the  Abyssinians  do,  found 
that  he  soou  became  accustomed  to  the  taste  of  rav  meat,  and  learned  how  to  prefer 
one  part  of  an  auimal  to  another.  He  discovered  thttt  a  ^'fery  go?  d  imitation  of  an  oyster 
could  be  made  by  chopping  up  a  sheep's  liver  very  *i  ue,  and  seasoning  it  with  pepper,  vinegar, 
and  a  little  salt,  provided  that  the  consumer  «<hut  his  fyet?  while  eating  it.  He  even 
learned  to  appreciate  a  dish  called  chogera,  which  seems  to  be  about  the  very  acme  of 
abomination.  It  consists  of  the  liver  and  stomach  chopped  up  fine  mixed  with  a  little 
of  the  half-digested  grass  found  in  the  stomach,  fiaVoured  with  the  contents  of  the  gall 
bladder,  plentifully  seasoned  with  pepper,  salt,  and  onions,  and  eaten  uncooked. 

An  Abyssinian's  digestion  is  marvellous,  and  almost  rivals  that  of  a  pike,  which  will 
digest  half  of  a  fish  in  its  stomach  while  the  other  half  id  pnttruding  from  its  mouth. 
He  will  go  to  any  number  of  feasts  in  a  day,  and  bring  a  fine  fresh  appetite  to  each  of 
them,  consuming  at  a  meal  a  quantity  that  would  suffice  seven  or  eight  hungry  English- 
men. Mr,  Parkyns  once  gave  a  breakfast  to  fourteen  guests,  think! ti 7,  that,  as  they  were 
engaged  for  three  or  four  other  feasts  on  the  same  day,  they  would  piiliaps  eat  but  little. 

Keeping  up,  however,  the  old  hospitable  customs,  ho  lolletl  a  cow  and  two  fat  sheep, 
and  provided  many  gallons  of  mead  and  an  infinite  quantity  of  "  teff."  To  his  astonish- 
ment, the  whole  of  this  enormous  supply  vanished,  as  he  says,  "  like  smoke  "  before  his 
guests,  who  kit  scarcely  a  scrap  for  their  servants.    And,  after  this  feast,  the  whole  of 


tel' 


If: 


i'''  I 


t-^::. 


m 


ABYSSINIA. 


the  party  proceeded  to  another  house,  where  they  were  treated  in  a  similarly  liberal 
manner,  and  employed  the  day  in  a  series  of  four  or  five  such  banquets. 

The  Abyssinians  are  very  fastidious  respecting  the  part  of  the  animal  from  which  the 
broundo  is  cut,  and  have  a  vast  number  of  names  to  express  the  different  qualities  of  meat 
The  most  valued  portion  is  the  hump  of  the  shoulder,  the  first  cut  of  which  is  always 
given  to  the  man  of  the  highest  rank.  Consequently,  when  several  men  of  nearly  equal 
rank  meet,  a  polite  controversy  is  carried  on  for  some  time,  each  ofifering  the  cut  of 
honour  to  his  neighbour. 

On  one  occasion  this  piece  of  etiquette  produced  fatal  results  Several  Amhara  chiefs 
were  present,  together  with  one  Tigreaa  The  latter,  in  order  to  assert  the  superiority  of 
his  own  province,  drew  his  sword  and  helped  himself  to  the  first  cut,  whereupon  he  was 
immediately  challenged  by  two  Amhara  warriors.  He  accepted  the  challenge,  fought 
them  both,  killed  them  both,  and  so  vindicated  the  course  which  he  had  taken. 

Tlie  quantity  which  an  Abyssinian  will  eat  when  he  gets  the  chance  must  be  seen  to 
be  appreciated.  See  for  example  Mr.  Farkyns'  account  of  a  feast  at  an  Abyssinian 
wedding : — 

"  The  Abyssinian  guests  were  sqtiatted  round  the  tables  in  long  rows,  feeding  as  if 
their  lives  depended  on  the  quantity  they  could  devour,  and  washing  it  down  with  floods 
of  drink.  I  never  could  kave  believed  that  any  people  could  take  so  much  food,  and 
ceitainly,  if  the  reader  wishes  to  see  a  curious  exhibition  in  the  feeding  line,  he  has  only 
to  run  over  to  Abyssinia,  and  be  present  at  a  wedding-feast. 

"  Imagine  two  or  three  hundred  half-naked  men  and  women  all  in  one  room,  eating 
and  drinking  in  the  way  I  have  described  in  a  former  chapter,  but  with  this  difference — 
that  the  private  party  is  well  ordered  and  arranged,  while  the  public  '  liang-out '  is  a  scene 
of  the  n)ost  terrible  confusion.  Here  all  decorum  is  lost  sight  of;  and  you  see  the 
waiters,  each  with  a  huge  piece  of  raw  beef  in  his  hands,  rushing  frantically  to  and  fro 
in  his  desire  to  satisfy  the  voracious  appetites  of  the  guests,  who,  as  he  comes  within 
their  reach,  grasp  the  meat,  and  with  their  long  crooked  swords  hack  olf  a  lump  or  strip, 
as  the  case  may  be,  in  their  eagerness  not  to  lose  their  share. 

"  One  man  was  reported  on  this  occasion  to  have  eaten  '  tallak  *  and  '  tamash  *  of  raw 
beef  (each  weighing  from  four  to  five  pounds)  and  seven  cakes  of  bread,  and  to  have 
drunk  twenty-six  pints  of  beer  and  '  tedge.'  From  what  I  saw  I  can  believe  a  good  deal, 
but  this  appears  rather  a  '  stretcher.' 

"  We  of  the  Frank  sect  were  presented  with  our  share  of  the  '  broundo  ; '  but  as  our 
thoughtful  host  had  informed  us  that  a  dinner,  cooked  by  his  own  hands  in  the  Turkish 
style,  was  awaiting  us  in  an  inner  apartment,  we  merely,  for  formality's  sake,  tasted  the 
offered  delicacies,  and  then  handed  them  over  to  our  servants,  who,  standing  behind  us, 
were  ready  enough  to  make  away  with  them.  The  silversmith  Michael,  before  coming  to 
the  feast,  had,  it  would  appear,  been  pouring  a  tolerably  copious  libation  to  some  god  or 
other,  for  he  was  considerably  elevated,  and,  being  anxious  to  show  off,  commenced  eating 
in  the  Abyssinian  fashion,  nor  did  he  stop  until  he  had  cut  a  large  gash  in  his  nose." 

The  hands  are  always  carefully  washed  both  before  and  alter  a  meal.  Just  before  the 
feast  is  over,  the  servants  come  round  with  baskets  to  the  guests,  each  of  whom  places  in 
the  basket  a  portion  of  his  food.  As  to  the  little  boys,  they  crawl  about  under  the  tables, 
and  among  the  legs  of  the  guests,  and  are  always  ready  for  any  fragments  that  may  be 
accidentally  dropped  or  intentionally  given  to  them. 

The  beer,  or  "  tedge,"  and  mead,  which  have  been  mentioned,  are  favourite  drinks 
among  the  Abyssinians.  The  former  is  very  thick  and  gruel-like,  and  to  c  European  is 
very  repulsive.  The  latter,  however,  is  tolerably  good,  and  is  kept  carefully  in  large  jars. 
The  mouth  of  each  jar  is  covered  with  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  drawn  tightly  over  it.  This 
is  not  removed  when  the  mead  is  poured  out,  and  acts  as  a  strainer. 


m  t 


CHAPTER   LXVL 


ABYSSimA— Continued. 


BIBTH,  LIFB,   AND    DBATH  OF    TH:^    ABT88INIAMS — CERKHONIKg  AT   BIBTH — THE   CIIICTTMCISION  AND 
BAPTISM — CARR   AS  TO   THK   K.^ACT   DATE   OF  BACH  RITE — MARBIAQE,  CTVIL  AND  BELIOIOUS,  AND 

THEIR     DIFFERENT     CMARACTRR8 — THE     CIVIL      MARRIAGE     AND     ITS     ATTENDANT    CEREMONIES 

DEATH  AND  FUNERAL — SHAPE  OF  THE  ORnVE — THE  HIRED  MOURNERS — THE  SUCCESSIVE  COM- 
MEMORATIONS OF  THE  DEAD — RAISING  THE  HAI-HO — THE  RELIGION  OF  ABY88INIA — PASTING  AND 
FEASTING    BOTH  CARRIED    TO  EXTREMES — ST.  JOHN's  DAY  AND  THE  ANNUAL  WASHING — FRIENDLY 

SKIRMISHES — ABYSSINIAN    CHURCHES — THE    SANCTUARY    AND    THE    ARK — THE    ARK    IN   BATTLE 

IGNORANCE  OF    THE    PRIESTHOOD THE    BIBLE    A   SEALED    BOOK   TO   PRIESTS   AND    LAYMEN — LIFB 

OF  A  SAINT — SUPERSTITION — TRANSFORMATION — THE  BOUDA  AND  THE  TIGUTIYA — EXAMPLES 
SEEN  BY   MR.  PARKYNS ABYSSINIAN   ABCHITBCTUBS. 


We  will  now  cursorily  glance  at  the  life  of  an  Abyssinian  from  his  birth  to  his  funeral. 

As  soon  as  the  birth  of  a  child  is  expected,  all  the  men  leave  the  house,  as  they  would 
be  considered  as  polluted  if  they  were  ntider  the  same  roof,  and  vrould  not  be  allowed  to 
enter  a  church  for  forty  days.  The  women  take  immediate  charge  of  the  new  comer,  wash 
and  perfume  it,  and  mould  its  little  features  in  order  to  make  them  handsome.  Should 
it  be  a  boy,  it  is  held  up  to  the  window  until  a  warrior  thrusts  a  lance  into  the  room 
and  pokes  it  into  the  child'u  mouth,  this  ceremony  being  supposed  to  make  it  courageous. 
The  throat  of  a  fowl  is  then  cut  in  front  of  the  child,  and  the  women  utter  their  joy-cries 
— twelve  times  for  a  boy  and  three  times  for  a  girl.  They  then  rush  tumultnously  out 
of  the  house,  and  try  to  catch  the  men.  If  they  succeed,  they  hustle  their  captives 
about,  and  force;  them  to  ransom  themselves  by  a  jar  of  mead,  or  some  such  present. 

Next  come  the  religious  ceremonies;  and  it  is  not  the  least  curious  point  in  the  religious 
system  of  the  Abyssinians  that  they  have  retained  the  Jewish  rite,  to  which  they  super- 
added Christian  baptism.  Eight  days  after  birth  the  child  is  circimicised,  twenty  days 
afterwards  the  priests  enter  the  house,  and  perform  a  purification  service  which  restores  it 
to  general  use,  and  forty  days  afterwards  the  baptism  takes  place,  should  the  child  be  a 
boy,  and  eighty  days  if  a  girl.  A  plaited  cord  of  red,  blue,  and  white  silk  is  then  placed 
round  the  child's  neck,  as  a  token  that  it  has  been  baptized,  which  is  afterwards  exchanged 
for  the  blue  cord,  or  "  match,"  worn  by  all  Christian  Abyssinians.  There  is  a  curious  law 
that,  if  either  of  the  sponsors  should  die  without  issue,  his  godchild  becomes  the  heir  to 
his  property. 

The  priests  are  very  particular  about  the  date  of  the  baptism.  They  believe  that 
Adam  and  Eve  did  not  receive  the  spirit  of  life  until  they  had  been  created  forty  and 
eighty  days.  Should  the  father  miscalculate  the  date,  he  would  be  sentenced  to  a  year's 
fasting ;  while  the  priest  is  liable  to  a  similar  penalty  if  he  should  happen  to  assign  the 
wrong  day. 

A^  to  their  marriages,  the  Abyssinians  manage  them  very  easily.  As  soon  as  betrothal 
takes  place,  which  is  mostly  at  a  very  early  age,  the  couple  are  not  allowed  to  see  each 
other,  even  though  they  may  have  enjoyed  the  gi'eatest  liberty  beforehand.    So  rigidly  is 


i«" 


lire  I 


734 


ABYSSINIA. 


4* 


1 

E5  ^ 


this  practice  carried  out  in  Tigr^,  that  the  bride  never  leaves  her  father's  house  until  her 
marriage,  believing  that  if  she  did  so  she  would  be  bitten  by  a  snaka 

Just  before  the  Ai^edding-day,  a  "  dass,"  or  marquee,  is  built  of  stakes  and  reeds  for 
the  reception  of  the  wedding-party,  in  which  the  marriage-feast  is  prepared.  Certain 
distinguished  guest.8  have  special  places  reserved  for  them ;  but  any  one  is  at  liberty  to 
enter  and  eat  to  his  heart's  content  A  scene  of  great  turmoil  always  occurs  on  these 
occasions,  a  crowd  of  men  who  have  already  been  fed  trying  to  gain  re-admission,  whilst 
another  crowd  of  hungry  applicants  is  fighting  and  pushing  towards  the  entrance.  Order 
is  kept  to  some  extent  by  a  number  of  young  men  who  volunteer  their  services,  and  are 
allowed  to  exercise  their  office  as  they  think  best,  hitting  about  at  the  crowd,  and  no  man 
returning  their  blows.  As  soon  as  one  batch  of  guests  have  eaten  as  much  as  they  can 
be  expected  to  consume,  the  door-keepers  turn  them  out  by  main  force  and  admit  a 
fresh  batch. 

After  the  feast,  the  bride  is  carried  in  upon  a  man's  back,  and  put  down,  like  a  sack 
of  coals,  on  a  stool.  Music  and  dancing  then  take  place,  while  the  bridegroom,  attended 
by  his  groomsmen,  or  "arkees,"  is  proceeding  to  the  house,  accompanied  by  his  Iriends, 
and  preceded  by  music.  When  he  arrives,  the  marriage — which  is  a  civil  rather  than  a 
religious  '^vryjumy — takes  place,  an  address  being  delivered  to  the  married  couple  by  a 
priest,  shcMld  one  happen  to  be  present;  if  not,  by  an  elder;  and  the  actual  ceremony  is 
at  an  end 

Th'  ;.r!  ea  have  a  number  of  curious  offices  to  perform,  among  which  is  the  custom  of 
coUeoliuf,'  gui,3  for  the  newly-raarried  couple,  begging  with  songs  and  drum-beating  before 
th!>  iio  .'scs.  If  nothing  be  given  them,  they  take  it ;  and  after  a  wedding  the  robberies 
are  ',t>i  atlpss,  tho  arkees  being  privileged  persons  during  their  term  of  office.  They  are 
e-  an  dl'Mv  ■  ♦o  perjure  themselves — a  crime  which  is  held  in  the  deepest  abhorrence  by 
all  Abvis,  ( :  •  Christians.  Should  a  person  from  whom  any  thin/,'  is  stolen  offer  a  present 
as  a  ransom,  che  arkees  are  obliged  to  give  up  the  stolen  property ;  but  should  they  have 
tai..en  fowls  or  any  other  edibles,  there  is  no  restitution  possible,  the  arkees  taking  care  to 
have  them  cooked  and  eaten  at  once. 

Such  marriages,  being  merely  civil  ceremonies,  are  dissolved  as  easily  as  they  are 
made,  the  slightest  pretext  on  either  side  being  considered  as  sufficient  for  the  separation. 
Should  there  be  children,  the  father  takes  the  boys,  and  the  mother  the  girls,  and  each 
will  probably  marry  again  almost  immediately. 

In  consequence  of  this  very  easy  arrangement^  it  often  happens  that,  in  one  family  of 
children,  two  may  be  by  one  mother,  two  by  another,  and  one  or  two  more  by  a  third ;  and 
it  is  almost  invariably  the  case  that  the  children  of  one  father  by  different  mothers  hate 
each  other  cordially,  while  the  children  of  one  mother  by  different  fathers  live  together 
in  amity. 

Besides  these  civil  r  arriages,  which  are  really  no  marriages  at  all,  there  are  eccle- 
siastical marriages,  which  are  held  to  be  indissoluble.  These,  however,  are  very  seldom 
contracted  except  between  persons  who  have  been  civilly  married,  and  have  found,  after 
many  years  of  experience,  that  they  cannot  be  better  suited.  They  therefore  go  to  the 
church,  are  married  by  the  priest,  and  r-ceiv    'he  Communion  together. 

When  an  Abyssinian  dies,  the  funeul  takes  place  within  a  very  short  time,  the  same 
day  being  preferred  if  possible.  The  v'cath  being  anncu  .ced  from  the  house-top  by  the 
relatives,  and  by  messengers  to  the  rifiighbouring  villages,  a  grave  is  at  once  dug  by 
volunteers.  There  are  no  professional  grave-diggers  in  Abyssinia,  but,  as  the  act  of 
burying  the  dead  is  considered  as  a  meritorious  one,  plenty  of  assistance  is  always  found. 
The  body  is  then  placed  on  a  couch  and  carried  to  the  grave,  the  whole  of  the  Psalter 
being  repeated  as  the  procession  makes  its  way.  Six  halts  are  made  during  the  progress 
of  the  body  to  the  church,  at  each  of  which  incense  is  burned  over  it,  and  certain  portions 
of  the  Scriptures  are  read,  or  rather  gabbled,  as  fast  as  the  words  can  be  repeated.  In 
order  to  save  time,  each  priest  or  scribe  who  is  present  has  a  certain  portion  assigned  to 
him,  and  they  all  read  at  once,  so  that  not  a  word  can  be  caught  by  the  mournprs.  These, 
however,  are  making  such  a  noise  on  their  own  account  that  they  do  not  trouble  them- 
selves about  hearing  the  Scriptures.  ;,"-  i'" 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES. 


785 


I  house  until  her 


The  bearers  of  the  corpse  manage  so  that  their  seventh  halt  is  made  at  the  church 
gate.  Here  more  portions  of  Scripture  are  read  in  the  same  time-savinjj  fashion,  while 
the  body  is  wrapped  in  a  cloth  made  of  pahn-leaves,  this  being  emblematical  of  the  palms 
thrown  before  our  Lord  on  His  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem.  When  the  grave  is 
ready,  the  priest  descends  into  it  and  censes  it,  after  which  the  body  is  lowered  and  the 
earth  filled  in. 

In  consequence  of  the  rapidity  with  which  burial  follows  death,  the  mourning 
ceremonies  are  postponed  for  three  days,  so  as  to  give  time  for  assembling  the  mourners, 
and  making  the  coiTesponding  preparations. 

On  that  day  the  mourners  proceed  to  a  spot  near  the  church,  on  which  is  placed  a 
couch  containing  a  rude  figure  of  a  human  being,  supposed  to  represent  the  deceased 
person.  The  relations  appear  with  their  heads  shaven  like  those  of  the  priests,  and 
among  the  Tigr^ans  they  rub  their  foreheads  and  temples  with  the  borders  of  their 
robes  until  they  take  off  the  rkin,  and  produce  sores  which  often  occupy  many  weeks  in 
healing.  Mostly  the  injury  is  so  great,  that  when  the  skin  is  renewed  it  is  blacker  than 
t'le  rest  of  the  body,  and  remains  so  during  life,  giving  to  the  face  a  very  singular 
expression.    The  Amharas  do  not  employ  this  mode  of  showing  their  grief. 

Each  of  the  mourners  then  advances,  and  pronounces  a  sort  of  eulogy  on  the  deceased, 
generally  uttering  their  panegyrics  in  a  sort  of  rude  verse.  In  case,  however,  the  rela- 
tives should  not  be  good  poets,  a  number  of  professional  mourners  attend  the  funeral, 
some  being  hired,  but  the  greater  number  coming  merely  in  hope  of  a  fee  and  a  share  ta 
the  funeral  banquet  which  concludes  the  proceedings.  According  to  Mr.  Parkyns,  these 
people  will  give  minute  details  of  the  history  of  the  dead  man,  his  deeds,  character,  and 
even  his  property ;  and  this  to  a  great  length,  thiis :  "  O  Gabron,  son  of  "Welda  ^lousa, 
grandson  of  Ita  Garra  Raphael,  &c.  &c.  ;  rider  of  the  bay  horse  w  ith  white  feet,  and  of  the 
grey  ambling  mule ;  owner  of  the  Damascus  barrel-gun,  and  bearer  of  the  silver-mounted 
shield,  why  have  you  left  us?"  &c.,  entering  with  astonishing  readiness  into  every 
particular  of  the  deceased's  life  and  actions.  All  the  bystanders,  at  the  end  of  each  verse, 
break  in  with  a  chorus  of  sobbing  lamentations,  adapted  to  a  mournful  chant,  "  Moni ! 
wai  I  wai !  wailayay !  wailay !  wailayay  I  &c.,  which  has  a  pretty  plaintive  sound, 
especially  when,  as  is  usually  the  case,  a.  number  of  soft  female  voices  join  in. 

"  The  '  anibilta '  and  the  '  cundan  '  keep  time  with  them,  and  add  not  a  little  to  the 
effect.  This  continues  until  all  the  expected  friends  have  arrived,  and  had  their  fill  of 
wailing  ;  and  about  noon  the  whole  uarty  retire  to  the  house,  where  a  cow  is  killed,  and 
a  quantity  of  provisions  provided  for  those  who  have  come  from  a  distance.  Everytliing, 
except  the  cow,  is  usually  furnished  by  ',he  neighbours,  as  the  mourners  are  supposed  to 
be  so  overwhelmed  with  grief  as  to  be  unable  to  attend  to  such  preparations." 

The  "  ambilta,"  which  is  mentioned  above,  is  a  niusical  instrument  composed  of  a  set 
of  six  pipes,  each  performer  having  one  pipe,  and  each  pipe  only  having  one  note.  The 
"  cundan  melakhat "  is  made  of  four  long  cane  tubes,  each  having  a  bell,  and  a  reed 
mouth-piece,  like  that  of  a  clarionet.  They  are  played  in  succession  like  the  ambilta, 
and  give  forth  very  harsh  and  unpleasant  notes.  Both  instruments  are  generally  accom- 
panied by  a  small  drum.  Although  the  immediate  ceremonies  of  the  funeral  terminate 
with  this  feast,  they  are  not  totally  completed.  Indeed,  for  a  whole  year,  masses  are 
said  regularly  for  forty  days,  and  another  mass  is  said  on  the  eightieth  day.  A  second 
and  larger  edition  of  the  funeral  feast,  called  the  "  teskar,"  is  held  six  months  after  the 
burial,  and  sometimes  lasts  for  several  days. 

To  this  feast  come  all  the  poor,  who  claim  for  themselves  the  right  of  being  helped 
before  any  of  the  regular  guests.  They  seat  themselves  in  '.■  "  dass,"  and  pour  out  loud 
invocations,  until  an  official  comes  round,  and  slightly  taps  eac  ^  one  on  the  head  with  a 
stick.  The  man  who  has  been  thus  signalled  holds  out  his  hands,  and  receives  in  them  a 
portion  of  meat  rolled  up  in  "  teff  "  bread.  Wlien  all  have  been  served,  they  hold  the 
food  under  their  mouths,  and  call,  in  a  very  loud  voice,  "  Hai .  .  .  oh !  "  the  last  syllable 
being  protracted  until  they  have  no  more  breath. 

This  "  Hai ...  oh  "  is  thought  to  be  a  sort  of  benediction,  and  very  few  would  dare  to 
omit  it.    Such  an  omission  would  be  taken  as  a  drawing  down  of  the  maledictions  of  the 


•r 

1  •-:i| 


I'' 


736 


ABYSSINIA. 


I    J  I 


s9  & 


poor,  and  would  excite  the  greatest  contempt.  If  such  a  man  were  to  quarrel,  his  oppo- 
nent would  be  sure  to  say  to  him, "  Ah  I  you  are  the  man  who  made  no  '  hai . . .  oh '  for 
his  brother." 

On  the  next  day  the  priests  and  men  of  highest  rank  assemble,  and  day  by  day  the 
rank  of  the  guests  diminishes,  until  the  seventh  day  is  contemptuously  given  to  the 
women.  Six  months  after  the  teskar  another  feast,  but  of  a  larger  kind,  is  held,  and  on 
every  anniversary  of  the  funeral  food  is  sent  to  the  priests. 

\ 

We  now  naturally  come  to  the  religion  of  the  Abyssinians. 

This  is  a  kind  of  Christianity  which  consists  chiefly  in  fasting,  so  that  an  Abyssinian 
life  oscillates  between  alternate  severe  fasts  and  inordinate  gluttony.  The  fasts  of  the 
Abyssinian  Church  occupy  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  year,  and  are  measured  in  duration 
by  the  length  of  the  shadow.  One  fast,  for  example,  must  be  kept  until  a  man's  shadow 
measures  in  length  nine  and  a  half  of  his  own  feet,  another  until  it  is  nine  feet,  and  a 
third  until  it  is  ten  feet  long.  And  these  fasts  are  real  ones,  no  food  of  any  kind  being 
taken  until  the  prescribed  time,  and  no  such  modifications  as  fish,  &c.,  being  allowed  to 
mitigate  their  severity.  During  Good  Friday  and  the  following  Saturday  the  clergy,  and 
all  who  have  any  pretensions  to  religion,  fast  for  forty-eight  hours;  and  altogether, 
including  the  Wednesdays  and  Fridays,  two  himdred  and  sixty  days  of  fasting  occur  in 
the  year. 

During  the  long  fasts,  such  as  that  of  Lent,  which  lasts  for  fifty-five  days,  the  people 
are  allowed  to  eat  on  the  mornings  of  Saturday  and  Sunday,  but,  even  in  that  case,  meat 
in  any  form  is  strictly  forbidden. 

As  soon  as  the  lengthening  shadow  proclaims  the  end  of  the  fast,  the  feasting  sets  in, 
and  during  the  season  of  Epiphany  the  whole  night  is  passed  in  a  succession  of  eating, 
drinking,  singing,  dancing,  and  praying,  each  being  considered  equally  a  religious  duty. 
Then  there  is  a  sort  of  game,  much  resembling  our  "  hockey,"  at  which  all  the  people 
play,  those  from  one  district  contending  againgst  those  of  another,  much  as  the  Ashbume 
North  and  South  football  match  used  to  1^  conducted  on  Shrove  Tuesday. 

St.  John's  Day  is  a  great  feast  among  the  Abyssinians,  and  has  this  pre-eminence  over 
the  others,  that  all  the  people  not  only  wash  themselves,  but  their  clothes  also.  It  is 
the  only  day  when  the  Abyssinians  apply  water  externally,  with  the  exception  of  washing 
the  hands  before  and  after  meals,  and  the  feet  after  a  journey.  In  fact,  they  consider  that 
washing  the  body  is  a  heathenish  and  altogether  un-Christian  practice,  only  to  be 
practised  by  the  Mohammedans  and  such  like  contemptible  beings. 

Between  St.  John's  Day  and  the  feast  of  Mascal,  or  the  Cross,  the  young  people  of 
both  sexes  keep  up  a  continual  skirmishing.  In  the  evening  they  all  leave  their  houses, 
the  boys  with  bunches  of  nettles,  and  the  girls  with  gourds  tilled  with  all  kinds  of  filth. 
When  they  meet,  they  launch  volleys  of  abuse  at  each  other,  the  language  being  not  the 
most  delicate  in  the  world,  and  then  proceed  to  active  measures,  the  girls  flinging  the 
contents  of  the  gourds  at  the  boys,  while  the  latter  retaliate  by  nettling  the  girls  about 
their  naked  shoulders. 

The  day  on  which  the  greatest  ceremonials  take  place  is  the  feast  of  Mascal.  On  the 
eve  of  Mascal  every  one  goes  about  with  torches,  first  carrying  them  over  the  houses,  and 
peering  into  every  crevice  like  the  Jews  looking  for  leaven,  and  then  sallying  into  the 
air.  The  play  which  ensues  mostly  turns  into  a  fight,  which  reminded  Mr.  Parkyns  of 
the  town  and  gown  rows  at  college,  and  which  begin  in  the  same  way,  i.e.  with  the 
mischievous  little  boys.  These  begin  at  first  to  abuse  each  other,  and  then  to  fight. 
Next,  a  man  sees  his  son  getting  rather  roughly  handled,  drags  him  out  of  the  fray,  and 
pommels  his  antagonist.  The  father  of  the  latter  comes  to  the  rescue  of  his  son,  the 
friends  of  each  party  join  in  the  struggle,  and  a  general  fight  takes  place.  Mostly  these 
contests  are  harmless,  but,  if  the  combatants  have  been  indulging  too  freely  in  drink, 
they  are  apt  to  resort  to  their  weapons,  and  to  inflict  fatal  injuries. 

During  the  night  great  fires  of  wood  are  built  by  the  chiefs  on  the  highest  hills  near 
the  towns,  and  set  on  fire  before  daybreak.  Oxen  and  sheep  are  then  led  three  tinie.s 
round  the  fires,  slaughtered,  and  left  to  be  eaten  by  the  birds  and  beasts  of  prey.    Tliis 


iUu 


LOW  STANDAUD  OF  EDUCATION. 


m 


)  quarrel,  his  oppo. 
no  '  hai . . .  oh '  for 

rad  day  by  day  the 
)U8ly  given  to  the 
nd,  is  held,  and  ou 


hat  an  Abyssinian 
The  fasts  of  the 
laured  in  duration 
il  a  man's  shadow 
8  nine  feet,  and  a 
of  any  kind  being 
.,  being  allowed  to 
ay  the  clergy,  and 
i;  and  altogether, 
f  fasting  occur  in 

5  days,  the  people 
in  that  case,  meat 

le  feasting  sets  in, 
icession  of  eating, 
'  a  religious  duty, 
ch  all  the  people 
as  the  Ashburae 

re-eminence  over 
)thes  also.  It  is 
jption  of  washing 
hey  consider  that 
tice,   only  to  be 

young  people  of 
ave  their  houses, 
ill  kinds  of  filth, 
ge  being  not  tlie 
iris  flinging  the 
g  the  girls  about 

Mascal.  On  the 
'  the  houses,  and 
sallying  into  the 

Mr.  Parkyns  of 
y,  i.e.  with  the 
1  then  to  fight, 
of  the  fray,  and 

of  his  son,  the 
I.  Mostly  these 
Teely  in  driuk, 

ghest  hills  near 
led  three  times 
of  prey.    Tins 


is  distinctly  a  heathen  custom,  both  the  position  of  the  altar  and  the  mode  of  sacrifice 
designating  clearly  the  fire- worshipper.  When,  therefore,  the  people  awake  in  the 
morning  after  the  fatigue  and  dissipation  of  the  night,  they  find  the  whole  country 
illuminated  with  these  hill-fires. 

They  then  go  to  their  several  chiefs,  and  all  the  soldiers  boast  before  him  of  their 
prowess,  some  describing  the  feats  which  they  have  done  before  the  enemy,  and  others 
prophesying  the  feats  that  they  intend  to  do  when  they  happen  to  meet  an  enemy. 
Gifts  are  mostly  presented  at  this  time,  and  feasting  goes  on  as  usual;  eveiy  chief, 
however  petty,  slaughtering  as  many  cows  as  he  can  afford,  and  almost  bvery  .Vouse- 
holder  killing  at  least  one  cow. 

The  churches  of  Abyssinia  are  not  in  the  least  like  those  edifices  with  which  we 
generally  associate  the  name  of  church,  being  small,  low,  fiat-rooted,  and,  indeed,  very 
much  like  the  old  Jewish  tabernacle  transformed  into  a  permanent  building.  Some  of  the 
more  modern  churches  are  oblong  or  square,  but  the  real  ancient  Abyssinian  buildings 
are  circular,  and  exactly  resemble  the  ordinary  houses,  except  that  they  are  rather  larger. 
They  are  divided  into  three  compartments  by  concentric  walls.  The  space  between  the 
first  and  second  wall  is  that  in  which  the  laity  stand,  the  priests  alone  having  the  privi- 
lege of  entering  the  holy  place  within  the  second  wall. 

In  the  very  centre  is  a  small  compartment,  sometimes  square  and  sometimes  circular. 
This  is  the  Most  Holy  Place,  and  contains  the  ark,  which  is  venerated  aJmost  as  much 
by  the  Abyssinians  as  the  ancient  ark  was  reverenced  by  the  Jews.  The  ark  is  merely  a 
wooden  box,  in  many  churches  being  of  extreme  antiquity,  and  within  it  is  placed  the 
Decalogue.  Over  the  ark  is  a  canopy  of  silk  or  chintz,  and  around  it  are  a  vast  number 
of  silken  and  cotton  rags.  They  even  fancy  that  the  original  ark  of  the  Jews  is  deposited 
within  a  rock-shrine  in  Abyssinia. 

The  Abyssinians  also  follow  the  old  Jeteish  custom  of  taking  their  sacred  shrine 
into  battle. 

In  the  illustration  on  page  738,  which  represents  a  battle  between  the  Abyssinians 
and  Gallas,  is  seen  the  king,  shaded  with  his  umbrellas,  giving  ord./s  to  a  mounted  chief, 
whose  ornamented  shield  and  silver  coronal  denote  his  rank.  In  the  distance  may  be 
seen  villages  on  fire,  while  on  the  right  an  attack  is  being  made  on  one  of  the  lofty 
strongholds  in  which  the  people  love  to  entrench  themselves.  Si'viral  dt-ad  Qallas  are  seen 
in  the  foreground,  and  in  front  of  the  king  are  some  of  the  fallen  prisoners  begging  for 
mercy. 

In  the  right-hand  comer  of  the  illustration  is  seen  a  conical  object  on  the  back  of  a 
mule.  This  is  one  of  their  shrines,  which  accompanies  them  as  the  srk  used  to  accom- 
pany the  Israelites  to  battle.  The  shrine  mostly  contains  either  a  Bible  or  the  relics  of 
some  favourite  saint,  and  the  covering  of  the  mule  is  always  of  scarlet  cloth.  Two 
priests,  with  their  white  robes  and  turbans,  are  seen  guarding  the  mule. 

Paintings  of  the  rudest  possible  description  decorate  the  walls  of  the  church,  and 
are  looked  upon  with  the  greatest  awe,  though  they  are  no  better  in  execution  than  the 
handiwork  of  a  child  of  six.  Their  subjects  are  generally  the  Crucifixion  and  con- 
ventional portraits  of  saints,  St.  George  being,  perhaps,  the  greatest  favourite,  and  having 
the  most  numerous  representations. 

The  priesthood  are,  as  may  be  imagined,  no  very  good  examples  either  of  piety  or 
letters.  Some  of  them,  but  by  no  moans  all,  can  read ;  and  even  of  those  who  do  possess 
this  accomplishment,  very  few  trouble  themselves  to  understand  what  they  read,  but 
gabble  the  words  in  parrot  fashion,  without  producing  the  least  impression  on  the  brain. 

Such  being  the  education  of  the  teachers,  that  of  the  taught  u\ay  be  inferred ;  in  fact, 
no  Abyssinian  layman  can  read.  The  late  King  Theodore  was  a  brilliant  exception  to 
this  general  rule ;  but  then  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  had  passed  several  years  in  a 
monastery,  and  had  partaken  of  the  same  educational  privileges  as  those  who  were 
intended  for  the  priesthood.  Consequently,  the  Bibl'j  is  a  sealed  book  to  all  the  laity 
and  to  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  priests,  and  the  lives  of  the  saints,  and  the  various 
wiitten  charms  which  they  purchase  so  freely,  are  by  the  Abyssinians  valued  far  above 
the  sacred  volume  itseli  ^  -_ 

VOL.L  ^'%M 


f:'5 


738 


ABYSSINIA. 


iM. 


''* 


^rt» 


illll 


Aa  moreover  the  scribcB,  who  are  the  most  educated  men  in  the  country,  gain  their 
living  by  writiiiK'  oupiues  ut'  the  IMble,  uf  the  lives  of  the  suints,  and  by  writing  chuinia, 
it  ia  t?iuir  intcn  4  tu  keep  the  people  in  ignorance,  even  tliough  the  laity  were  to  nianilliit 
any  di-^ire  to  th  iik  for  themselves.  As,  however,  thinking  is  far  too  troublesome  a  i>roc('8s 
for  them,  they  v<'ry  contentedly  leave  all  tlunr  religious  matters  in  the  lands  ot  their 
clergy,  l^idx  niitu  to  his  own  buaiuesa,  say  they — the  warriors  to  tiglit,  the  prieuts 
to  i>'ay. 

xiA  for  these  lives  of  the  saints,  they  are  a  collection  of  the  muoi  murvellous  tales, 
often  ludicrous  mid  puurilo,  mostly  blasphemous  according  to  our  idodii  on  the  subject, 
but  sometimes  hijildy  poetic  and  even  touching  the  sublime.  Theri  ia  one  tale  of 
St  Gabro  Memlus  Kouddoa,  i,c.  Slave  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  contrives  to  comprise  in 


TUB    UATTLS-FiaLD. 


itself  all  thesfi  elements.  lie  was  born  a  saint,  stood  up  and  repeated  the  threefold  invo- 
cation three  days  ultcr  his  birth,  and  was  so  very  holy  that  for  his  entire  life  he  took  no 
nourishment  of  any  k;nd. 

Once  he  fell  over  a  precipice  three  hundred  feet  deep,  and  when  the  angels  spread 
their  wings  under  lum  ho  declined  their  assistance,  giving  his  reasons  at  such  length  that 
the  fall  must  have  been  a  very  slow  one.  The  apparently  blasphemous  portions  of  his 
life  I  omit,  and  proceed  to  the  end  of  it. 

He  would  go  on  living  for  such  an  unconscionable  time  that  at  last  the  angel  of  death 
was  sent  personally  to  fetch  him.  The  saint,  however,  declined  the  invitation,  and 
logically  argued  that,  as  he  had  neither  eaten  nor  drunk,  his  body  did  not  belong  to  earth, 
therefore  could  not  be  restored  to  earth,  and  that»  on  the  whole,  any  change  must  be  for 


SUPERSTITIOUS  LEGENDS. 


789 


J  country,  gain  their 
by  writing  chanus, 
lity  were  to  niauilt-st 
•oiibltsonie  a  process 
I  tlio  lands  ot  tlieir 
0  tight,  the  priebts 

Lut  umrvellous  tales, 
r^oiiii  on  the  subject, 
bori  is  one  tale  of 
rivea  to  comprise  in 


^s^:-  ,^; 


iy^^ 


he  threefold  invo- 
ke life  he  took  no 

the  angels  spread 
'  such  length  that 
13  portions  of  Lis 

he  angel  of  death 
e  invitation,  and 
t  belong  to  earth, 
lUge  must  be  for 


0  gather  wood,  and  came  back 
a  begun  to  jeer  at  him  for  a  wizard, 


the  worse.  All  the  previous  saints  came  and  tried  to  persuade  him,  aud  at  last  he  found 
himself  obliged  to  die.  But  then  there  was  a  great  controversy  as  to  the  destination  of 
his  bd'iy.  Air,  of  course,  would  not  take  it ;  and  as  the  saint  had  never  eaten  nor  drunk 
nor  used  a  fire,  neither  of  the  elements  could  receive  his  body  ;  and  so  he  was  a^^awi 
restored  to  it,  and,  still  living,  was  taken  up  to  heaven.  Any  of  our  readers  who  have 
]iorused  the  Talnnid  will  remember  a  similar  legend,  which  is  doubtless  the  origin  of  the 
above-mentioned  story. 

This  being  a  sample,  and  a  vory  mild  one,  of  the  religion  of  the  Abyssinians,  we  may 
easily  imagine  what  must  be  their  superstitions. 

These  are  of  the  genuine  African  cast,  and  have  survived  with  undiminished  strength 
in  spite  of  the  system  of  Christianity  which  has  so  long  existed  in  Abyssinia 

The  peoide  fully  believe  in  the  r  3wer  of  transformation.  There  is  a  sort  of  demon, 
called  Bouaa,  who  possesses  this  power,  and  is  supinised  to  be  the  special  demon  of 
blacksmiths.  Now  in  Abyssinia  the  trade  of  blacksmith  is  hereditary,  and  is  considered 
a  disgraceful  one.  all  smiths  being  looked  upon  as  s(  "vers.  This  idea  has  evidently 
trken  its  rise  from  times  of  great  antiquity,  when  ^jower  of  smelting,  forging,  and 

welding  iron  was  thought  to  be  too  wonderful  to  he  tm   sessed  by  ordinary  human  beings. 

Mr.  Parkyns  narrates  several  instances  of  this  1  in  transformation.     He  knew, 

for  example,  of  two  little  girls  who  had  been  in  the 
in  a  great  fright.    They  had  met  a  blacksmith,  and  hua 

asking  him  as  a  piuo*'  of  his  power  to  turn  himself  into  a  hyaena.  The  man  took  them 
at  their  word,  untied  i  corner  of  his  robe,  took  out  some  ashes,  and  sprinkled  them  over 
his  shoulders.  Immediately  his  head  changed  into  that  of  a  hy«;na,  hair  spread  itself 
over  his  body,  and,  before  they  could  recover  from  the  terror  which  paralysed  them,  the 
now  complete  hyseua  grinned  and  laughed  at  them,  and  then  trotted  into  the  neighbouring 
lush. 

Another  stoiy  curiously  resembles  some  of  the  transformation  tales  of  the  Arabian 
Nights. 

Two  Bouda  brothers  used  to  make  a  good  living  by  their  powers  of  transformation. 
One  of  them  would  change  himself  into  a  horse,  mule,  or  some  other  valuable  animal, 
and  was  then  sold  by  his  brother.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  the  transformed  niau 
resumed  his  human  shape,  and  walked  home  to  join  his  brother.  This  went  on  for  some 
time,  but  at  last  no  one  would  buy  from  them,  as  they  kept  no  stock.  No  one  knew 
where  they  obtained  the  animals  which  they  sold,  and,  moreover,  no  one  liked  to  buy 
animals  which  had  a  knack  of  always  escaping  before  twenty-four  hours.  At  last  one 
man  determined  to  solve  the  mystery.  One  of  the  Bouda  brothers  offered  for  sale  a 
peculiarly  handsome  horse.  The  man  bought  it,  and  as  soon  as  he  got  the  animal  out  of 
the  town,  he  drove  his  lance  through  its  heart,  and  killed  it  on  the  spot. 

He  theq  threw  himself  in  the  way  of  the  seller,  and  uttered  loud  lamentations  over 
his  hasty  temper,  which  had  caused  him  to  kill  so  splendid  an  animal.  The  Bouda 
contrived  to  hide  his  emotion  until  he  reached  his  home,  and  then  began  the  usual 
lamentations  for  the  dead,  rubbing  the  skin  off  his  temples  and  wailing  loudly.  On  being 
questioned,  he  said  that  he  was  mourning  the  death  of  his  brother,  who  had  been  robbed 
and  murdered  by  the  Gallas,  from  whom  he  had  been  buying  horses  for  sale. 

It  seems  also  that  the  Boudas  can  transform  other  persons  into  animals,  even  without 
their  consent. 

A  woman  had  died,  and,  immediately  after  the  funeral,  a  blacksmith  came  to  the  priest 
in  charge  of  the  cemetery,  and  bribed  him  to  give  up  the  newly-buried  corpse.  This  was 
done,  ar^l  the  neighbours  all  remarked  that  the  blacksmith  had  purchased  a  remarkably 
fine  douKcy,  on  which  he  always  rode.  There  was  this  peculiarity  about  the  animal,  that 
it  always  wanted  to  run  into  the  house  where  the  dead  woman  had  lived,  and  whenever 
it  met  any  of  the  young  people  brayed  loudly,  and  ran  towards  them. 

The  eldest  son  being  a  very  intelligent  young  man,  suddenly  declared  that  the  animal 
in  question  must  be  his  mother,  and  insisted  on  bringing  the  ass  and  its  rider  into  the 
hut.  Here  the  animal  seemed  quite  at  home :  and  the  smith  was  charged  with  being  a 
Bouda,  and  with  changing  the  body  of  the  woman  into  an  ass.    At  first  he  repudiated  the 

3b2 


i 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


?' 


A- 


k  '^ 


^^>^ 
^4^ 


% 


1.0 


I.I 


1^121    12.5 
^   Uo    12.0 


M 


IL25  in  1.4 


1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


\ 


4V 


^ 


•SJ 


<> 


^ 


6^ 


'^J%^ 


^.^' 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  USM 

(716)  •72-4503 


'«V 


740 


ABTSSINIA. 


assertion,  Imt  at  last,  by  dint  of  mingled  threats  and  promises,  he  confessed  that  he  had 
indeed  wiouffht  the  change.  The  woman  was  not  dead,  but  was  only  in  a  trance  into 
which  he  had  thrown  her,  and  could  be  restored  to  her  own  form  again.  Being  promised 
forgiveness,  he  b^n  his  incantations,  when  the  ass  gradually  threw  off  the  furry  coat 
and  assumed  the  human  form  The  transformation  was  nearly  complete,  when  one  of  the 
sons,  in  a  sudden  access  of  fury,  drove  his  spear  through  the  blacksmith  and  stopped  the 
transformation,  so  that  ever  afterwards  the  woman  had  one  human  foot  and  one  ass's  hoof 
Many  persons  told  Mr.  Parkyns  that  they  had  actually  seen  the  hoof  in  question. 

The  Bouda  exhibits  his  power  in  various  modes,  one  of  which  is  a  kind  of  possession,  in 
which  the  afflicted  person  is,  as  it  were,  semi-demoniacal,  and  performs  feats  which  are 
utterly  impossible  to  the  human  body  in  the  normal  condition.  Men  and  women  are 
alike  seized  with  the  Bouda  madness,  although  the  females  are  naturally  more  liable 
to  its  attacks  than  the  men,  generally  accounting  for  the  fact  by  stating  that  they  have 
rejected  the  love  of  some  Bouda  or  other.  The  chief  object  of  the  Bouda  seems  to  be  to 
lay  a  spell  on  the  afflicted  persons  which  will  cause  them  to  tsome  at  his  call.  Con* 
seqnently,  he  assumes  the  shape  of  the  hysena,  calls  the  victims  at  night,  and,  if  they  are 
not  bound  and  carefully  watched,  they  are  forced  to  go  to  the  hysena^  and  are  then 
devoured. 

A  remarkable  exam^e  of  this  Bouda  illness  was  watched  by  Mr.  Parkyns  with 
the  greatest  care.  The  afflicted  person  was  a  servant  woman  of  Bohabaita  The  complaint 
began  by  languor  and  headache,  and  then  changed  into  aik  ordinary  fit  of  hysterics, 
together  with  great  pain. 

"  It  was  at  this  stage  that  the  other  servants  began  to  suspect  that  she  was  under  the 
influence  of  the  Bouda.  In  a  short  time  she  became  quiet,  and  by  degrees  sank  int<> 
a  ptate  of  lethargy,  anproaching  to  insensibility.  Either  from  excellent  acting  and  great 
fortitude,  or  from  real  want  of  feeling,  the  various  experiments  which  were  made  on  her 
seemed  to  have  no  more  effect  than  they  would  have  had  on  a  mesmeric  somnambulist. 
We  pinched  her  repeatedly ;  but,  pinch  as  hard  as  we  could,  she  never  moved  a  muscle 
of  her  face,  nor  did  she  otherwise  express  the  least  sensation.  I  held  a  bottle  of  strong  sal- 
volatile  under  her  nose,  and  stopped  her  mouth ;  and  this  having  no  effect,  I  steeped 
some  rag  in  it,  and  placed  it  in  her  nostrils ;  but,  although  I  would  wager  any  amount 
that  she  had  never  either  seen,  smelt,  or  heard  of  such  a  preparation  as  liquid  ammonia, 
it  had  no  more  effect  on  her  than  roscwater. 

"  She  held  her  thumbs  tightly  inside  her  hands,  as  if  to  prevent  their  being  seen.  On 
my  observing  this  to  a  bystander,  he  told  me  that  the  thumbs  were  the  Bouda's  particular 
perquisite,  and  that  he  would  allow  no  person  to  take  them.  Consequently,  several  persons 
tried  to  open  her  hands  and  get  at  them ;  but  she  resisted  with  what  appeared  to  me 
wonderful  strength  for  a  girl,  and  bit  their  fingers  till  in  more  than  one  instance  she  drew 
blood.  I,  among  others,  made  the  attempt,  and,  though  I  got  a  bite  or  two  for  my  pains, 
yet  either  the  devil  had  great  respect  for  me  as  an  ^elishman  and  a  good  Christian,  or 
she  had  for  me  as  her  master,  for  the  biting  was  all  a  snam,  and  struck  me  as  more  like 
kissing  than  anythmg  else,  compared  with  the  fearful  wounds  she  had  infiicted  on  the  rest 
of  the  party. 

"  I  had  a  string  of  ornamental  amulets  which  I  usually  wore,  having  on  it.  many  charms 
for  various  maladies;  but  I  was  perfectly  aware  that  none  for  the  Bouda  was  among  them. 
Still,  hoping  thereby  to  expose  the  cheat,  I  asserted  that  there  was  a  very  celebrated  one, 
and  laid  the  whole  string  on  her  face,  expecting  that  she  would  pretend  to  feel  the 
effects,  and  act  accordingly ;  but,  to  my  surprise  and  disappointment,  she  remained  quite 
motionless.  Several  persons  had  been  round  the  village  to  look  for  some  talisman,  but 
only  one  was  found.  On  its  being  applied  to  her  mouth  she  for  an  instant  sprang  up,  bit 
at  it,  and  tore  it,  but  then  laughed,  and  said  it  was  weak,  and  would  not  vex  him. 

"  i  here  use  the  masculine  gender,  because,  although  the  patient  was  a  woman,  the 
Bouda  is  supposed  to  speak  through  her  medium ;  and,  of  whatever  sex  they  be,  the 
ftofferers,  or  rather  the  spirits,  when  speaking  of  themselves,  invariably  use  that  gender. 
I  deluged  her  with  bucketfuls  of  water,  but  could  not  either  elicit  from  her  a  start  or  a 
pant,  an  effect  usually  produced  by  water  suddenly  dashed  over  a  person. 


THE  BOUDA'S  SUPPER 


741 


"  At  night  she  could  not  deep,  but  became  more  restless,  and  spoke  several  times.  She 
even  remarked  in  her  natural  tone  of  voice  that  she  was  not  ill,  nor  attacked  Inr  the 
Bouda,  but  merely  wished  to  return  to  Adoun.  She  said  this  so  naturally  that  I  was 
completely  taken  off  my  guard,  and  told  her  that  of  course  she  might  go,  but  that  she 
must  wait  till  the  morrow.  The  other  people  smiled,  and  whispered  to  me  that  it  was 
only  a  device  of  the  Bouda  to  get  her  out  into  the  forest,  and  then  devour  her." 

By  one  of  those  curious  coincidences  that  sometimes  occur,  a  hyena,  who,  according 
to  the  popular  ideas,  was  the  transformed  Bouda,  was  heard  hooting  and  laughing  close 
to  the  village  for  the  whole  of  the  night,  that  being  the  only  time  mat  Mr.  Parkyns  had 
known  the  animal  do  so  during  the  whole  of  his  stay  at  Rohabaita  In  consequence  of 
the  presence  of  the  animal,  the  young  woman  was  tightly  bound,  and  sentinels  were 
placed  within  and  without  the  door  of  the  hut  Whenever  the  hysena  called,  the  woman 
moaned  and  started  up,  and  once,  after  she  had  been  quiet  for  nearly  an  hour,  and  the 
inner  sentinel  had  dropped  off  to  sleep,  the  hysena  came  close  to  the  hut,  and  the  woman 
rose,  without  her  bonds,  crept  on  all-fours  to  the  door,  and  had  partly  succeeded  in 
opening  it  when  one  of  the  sentinels  made  a  noise,  and  she  went  back  to  her  placa  In 
this  way  she  was  kept  under  the  strictest  watch  for  three  days,  during  which  time  she 
would  neither  eat  nor  drink,  rejecting  even  a  small  piece  of  bread  when  uie  had  swallowed 
it,  and  on  the  third  evening  she  mended  and  gradually  recovered. 

If  this  were  imposture,  as  Mr.  Parkyns  remarks,  it  is  difficult  to  find  a  motive.  She 
had  scarcely  any  work  to  do,  and  the  wonder  is  what  could  make  her  voluntarily  prefer 
three  days'  confinement,  with  pinches,  cords,  cold  water,  and  other  ill-treatment — not  to 
mention  that  severest  of  all  punishments  to  an  Abyssinian,  total  abstinence  from  food 
and  drink.  • 

According  to  the  people,  this  enchantment  is  caused  by  a  Bouda,  who  has  learned  the 
baptismal  name  of  the  afiTected  person.  This  is  always  concealed,  and  the  Abyssinians 
are  only  known  by  a  sort  of  nickname,  which  is  given  by  the  mother  as  they  leave  the 
church.  When,  however,  a  Bouda  learns  the  baptismal  name,  he  takes  a  straw,  bends  it 
into  a  circle,  mutters  charms  over  it,  and  puts  it  under  a  stone.  As  the  straw  is  bent,  the 
illness  begins ;  and  should  it  break,  the  victim  dies. 

Charms  of  certain  kinds  have  a  potent  effect  on  the  Bouda.  On  one  occasion  a  poor 
weakly  girl  was  lying  apparently  senseless,  on  whom  Mr.  Parkyns  had  uselessly  tried,  by 
the  appUcation  of  false  charms,  to  produce  an  effect.  Suddenly  the  woman  fiew  into 
violent  convulsions,  screaming  and  struggling  so  that  four  strong  men  could  scarcely  hold 
her.  Just  then  an  Amhara  soldier  entered  the  outer  court,  and  she  cried  out,  "  Let  me 
alone,  and  I  will  speak."  This  man,  it  appeared,  had  heard  that  a  patient  was  ill  of  the 
Bouda,  and  had  brought  with  him  a  charm  of  known  power. 

After  much  threatening  with  the  amulet^  accompanied  b^  fierce  and  frantic  rage  on 
the  part  of  the  possessed,  the  Bouda  promised  to  come  out  if  food  were  given  him.  It 
is  remarkable,  by  the  way,  that  the  Bouda  is  always  of  the  male  sex,  and,  whether  the 
possessed  be  a  man  or  a  woman,  always  uses  the  masculine  gender  in  language.  The  rest 
must  be  told  in  Mr.  Parkyns'  own  words : — 

"  A  basin  was  fetehed,  in  which  was  put  a  quantity  of  any  filth  that  could  be  found 
(of  fowls,  dogs,  &c.),  and  mixed  up  with  a  little  water  and  some  ashes.  I  took  the  basin 
myself,  and  hid  it  where  I  was  positive  that  she  could  not  see  me  place  it,  and  covered  it 
up  with  some  loose  stones  which  were  heaped  in  the  comer.  The  Bouda  was  then  told 
that  his  supper  was  prepared,  and  the  woman  rose  and  walked  down  the  court  on  all-fours, 
smelling  like  a  dog  on  either  side,  until,  passing  into  the  yard  where  the  basin  was,  she 
went  straight  up  to  it,  and,  pulling  it  out  from  the  place  where  it  was  hidden,  devoured  its 
abominable  contento  with  the  utmost  greediness.  The  Bouda  was  then  supposed  to  leave 
her,  and  she  fell  to  the  ground,  as  if  fainting.  From  this  state  she  recovered  her  health 
in  a  few  days." 

A  somewhat  similar  sort  of  possession  is  called  Tigritiya  In  this  case  the  patient 
falls  into  a  sort  of  wasting  away,  without  apparent  cause,  and  at  last  sits  for  several  days 
together  without  eating  or  speaking.  Music  is  the  only  means  of  curing  a  patient,  who 
wUl  then  spring  from  the  couch  on  which  he  has  lain,  apparently  without  strength  to  sit  up. 


742 


ABYSSINIA. 


and  will  dance  with  the  most  violent  contortions,  keeping  nn  the  exercise  with  a  vigour 
and  pertinacity  that  would  tire  the  strongest  man  in  perfect  nealth.  This  is  a  sign  that 
the  demon  may  he  driven  out;  and  when  the  music  ceases,  the  patient  falls  to  the  ground, 
and  then  begins  to  speak  (always  in  the  person  of  the  demon),  demanding  all  kinds  of 
ornaments— sometimes,  even  if  a  poor  woman,  asking  for  the  velvet  robes  and  silver- 
mounted  weapons  of  a  ohie£  These  cannot  be  obtained  without  much  expense,  but  at 
last  are  procured,  when  the  dancing  is  resumed,  and,  after  several  accessions  of  the  fit,  the 
patient  takes  off  all  the  borrowed  ornaments,  and  runs  at  fuU  speed  until  the  demon 
suddenly  departs,  and  the  possessed  person  loses  all  the  fictitious  strength  that  had 


IKTEBIOB  OF  HOUSB. 


animated  him,  and  falls  to  the  earth  in  a  swoon.  The  demon  takes  his  leave,  and  is 
deterred  from  returning  by  the  firing  of  guns,  and  a  guard  with  drawn  swords  that 
surrounds  the  prostrate  form  of  the  moaning  patient. 

1.  architecture  of  the  Abyssinians  is  simple,  but  characteristic.  Houses  differ  in 
form  according  to  the  means  of  their  owner,  those  of  the  commonalty  being  merely 
circular  huts,  while  those  of  the  wealthy  are  square  and  flat-roofed. 

A  rich  man's  house  is  rather  a  complicated  piece  of  architecture.  It  stands  in  an 
enclosure,  like  an  Indian  compound,  and  the  principal  gateway  is  covered  and  flanked  on 
either  side  by  a  porter's  lodge,  in  which  sleep  the  actual  gate-keeper  and  other  servants. 
Within  the  enclosure  are  generally  a  few  slight  huts  of  straw,  for  the  reception  of  strangers 
or  servants.  About  one-fourth  of  the  compound  is  divided  by  a  wall,  and  contains  the 
kitchen,  store-houses,  &c.  At  the  end  opposite  the  gateway  is  the  Adderash,  or  reception- 
loom,  which  is  square  or  oblong,  and  often  of  considerable  size.    The  roof  is  flat;  but 


AN  EASTEK  BANQUET. 


r48 


when  the  room  is  too  large  to  be  crossed  by  beams,  only  the  angles  are  roofed  In  the 
o];dindry  way,  so  as  to  leave  an  octagonal  opening  in  the  centre.  A  wooden  wall  about 
four  or  five  feet  high  is  next  built  ronnd  the  opening,  and  there  is  then  no  difficulty 
in  roofing  it 

The  Adderash  is  divided  into  three  rooms,  the  lafrgest  of  which  is  the  reception*room. 
At  the  end  is  the  stable,  the  horses  and  umles  passing  into  it  through  the  reception-room. 
The  "  medeb,"  or  bed-room  (if  it  may  be  so  called),  is  merely  a  strip  of  the  apartment, 
about  eight  feet  wide,  separated  by  a  partition  wall ;  and  if  the  owner  of  the  house  should 
be  a  married  man,  the  entrance  of  the  medeb  is  closed  by  a  curtain.  This  apartment 
takes  its  name  from  the  medeb,  or  divan,  which  is  simply  a  part  of  the  floor  raised  a  foot  or 
so  above  the  rest,  about  five  feet  in  width,  and  extending  for  the  whole  length  of  the  room. 
Opposite  the  medeb  is  a  small  alcove,  in  which  is  ^aced  the  couch  of  the  master  of 
the  house.  This  couch,  or  "  arat,"  is  a  stout  wooden  framework,  across  which  is  stretched 
a  network  of  raw  hide  thongs,  an  inch  or  two  in  width.  These  contract  when  drying, 
and  form  a  tolerably  elastic  bed. 

In  warm  weather  the  arat  is  placed  out  of  doors,  and  is  only  covered  with  a  slight 
cloth  roof.    One  of  these  outdoor  beds  may  be  seen  in  the  illustration. 

The  fioor  of  the  reception-room  is  covered  witii  grass,  just  as  in  the  olden  times  even 
palace-floors  were  strewn  with  rushes.  Whenever  a  visitor  enters,  fresh  crass  ia  strewn  ' 
to  make  a  clean  seat  for  him,  but  no  one  thinly  of  removine  that  which  already  has 
become  discoloured.  Consequently,  what  with  the  continual  washing  of  hands  by 
pouring  water  over  them,  the  spilling  of  beer  and  mead,  and  the  mud  that  clings  to  the 
horses'  feet  as  they  pass  to  and  from  their  stalde,  the  flooring  of  the  house  becomes 
nothing  more  or  less  than  a  fermenting  manure-heap.  At  last,  when  even  the  Abyssinian 
nose  can  endure  it  no  longer,  the  room  is  cleared,  And  left  empty  for  a  day  or  two  in 
order  to  rid  it  of  the  intolerable  odour  which  etill  clings  to  it 

Bound  the  walls  of  the  reception-room  are  a  number  of  cows'  horns  by  way  of  pegs, 
on  which  are  hung  the  spears,  shields,  horse-accoutrements,  drinking-horns,  and  other 
pro|)erty  of  the  owner. 

The  store-houses  contain  huge  earthenware  jars,  the  mouths  of  which  nearly  reach 
the  roof  of  the  house,  though  their  basds  are  sunk  a  yard  or  so  in  the  ground.  The 
Abyssiuians  vidue  these  jars  highly,  inasmuch  as  they  are  evidences  of  weauh. 

As  to  the  other  two  provinces,  Shoa  and  Amhara»  there  is  so  little  difference  between 
them  and  Tigci  that  there  is  no  need  to  occupy  space  with  them.  Practically  they  form 
one  kingdom,  just  as  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  there  is  among  them  a . 
very  strong  provincial  jealousy,  analogous  to  that  which  still .  prevails  among  the 
uneducated  members  of  our  own  United  Kin|;dom.  Even  Mr.  Parkyns  could  not  resist 
the  feeling,  and  was  a  strenuous  admirer  ci  Tigti,  cfmsideting  the  AmhaxM  as  fierocious 
tuid  overmaring  boors,  and  despising  the  Sboas  altogether. 

The  province  of  Shoa,  however,  is  by  no  means  a  despicable  one,  as  may  be  seen  from 
the  following  description  of  the  great  annual  feast  which  is  given  by  the  king  or  prince 
at  Easter.  This  hospitable  banquet  is  on  a  truly  royal  scale,  and  is  continued  for  a  whole 
week,  so  that  every  free  man  who  can  attend  the  capital  may  have  an  opportunity  of 
taking  part  in  it 

The  banqueting-room  is  a  very  large  and  lofty  chamber,  having  on  one  side  a  curtained 
alcove,  in  which  the  prince  sits.  Fresh  grass  is  daily  strewn  on  the  floor,  and  round  the 
room  are  set  the  tables,  which  are  low,  circular  pieces  of  wickerwork.  It  is  only  in  such 
houses  that  the  tables  are  uniform  in  shape  or  size.  Behind  the  tables  and  ranged  along 
the  wall  are  the  body  guards  of  the  prince,  armed  with  shields  and  a  sword  much 
resembling  the  old  Boman  weapon.  ' 

Troops  of  servants  are  in  waiting,  and  before  the  banquet  begins  they  bring  in  the 
bread  in  piles,  and  place  it  on  the  tables.  Sometimes  as  many  as  thirty  loaves  will  be 
placed  for  eaqh  guest,  the  finest  bread  being  always  at  the  top  and  the  coarsest  below. 

The  object  of  this  arrangement  is  to  suit  the  different  ranks  of  the  party.  Those  of 
highest  rank  come  first,  and  eat  the  finest,  using  the  second-class  bread  as  table-napkins. 


f 


yu 


ABYSSINIA. 


■ 


III 


EASTER  BANQUET. 


m- 


When  they  have  finished,  the  guests  of  the  next  rank  come  in,  eat  the  second-class 
bread,  and  wipe  their  fingers  on  the  third-class  bread,  and  so  on  until  the  whole 
is  consumed. 

Kound  the  room  are  hung  rows  of  shields,  lion  skins,  and  mantles  of.  honour  to  be 
conferred  by  the  prince  on  his  subjects,  while  above  them  is  a  wide  carpet,  on  which  aie 
depicted  lions,  camels,  horses,  and  other  animals. 


WIIHI 


THE  ART  OF  CONCEALMENT. 


745 


km 


All  being  ready,  the  guests  assemble,  and  the  prince  takes  bis  seat  in  the  alcove, 
vbere  he  gives  audienca  Professional  musicians  enliven  the  scene  vrith  their  instiu- 
nients,  and  professional  dancers  aid  their  efforts.  In  the  uieantiiue,  the  guests  are  eating 
as  fast  as  they  can,  the  servants  carrying  meat  from  one  guest  to  the  other,  and  making 
up  neat  little  sausages  of  meat,  bread,  and  pepper,  which  they  put  adroitly  into  the 
mouths  of  the  guesta  As  in  more  civilized  lands,  it  is  always  better  to  propitiate  the 
servants,  because  they  can  give  the  best  parts  of  the  meat  to  those  whom  they  like,  and 
reserve  the  gristle  and  toughest  parts  for  those  who  displease  them. 

The  politer  guests,  having  by  means  of  two  or  thi-ee  pounds  of  meat,  a  pile  of  bread, 
and  a  gallon  or  so  of  mead,  taken  the  edge  off  their  own  appetites,  make  up  similarly 
seasoned  balls,  and  put  them  into  their  neighbours'  mouths.  This  is  done  with  such 
rapidity  that  a  man  who  happens  to  have  made  himself  agreeable  to  his  right  and  left 
hand  neighbours  is  nearly  choked  by  the  haste  with  which  etiquette  requires  thet  he 
shall  despatch  the  highly-spiced  morsela 

After  this  preliminary  portion  of  the  feast,  in  which  cooked  mutton  is  mostly 
employed,  acting  as  a  provocative  to  the  real  banquet  which  is  to  follow,  the  servants 
biing  in  raw  meat  still  warm  with  life,  and  cut  from  a  cow  that  has  been  slaughtered  at 
the  door  while  the  mutton  and  bread  has  been  consumed. 

It  is  this  part  of  the  scene  which  has  been  chosen  for  the  illustration.  On  the  left  is 
the  giver  of  the  feast  sitting  in  his  alcove,  and  below  him  are  the  armed  guards.  The 
guests  are  sitting  at  the  wickerwork  tables,  using  their  curved  swords  with  the  national 
adroitness,  and  servants  are  seen  waiting  on  the  guests  and  carrying  great  pitifies  of  raw 
beef  about.  The  liquids,  by  the  way,  are  drunk  from  horns,  which  are  always  served  by 
women.  In  the  centre  are  seen  the  musicians,  playing  the  curious  fiddle  and  harp  of 
Shua,  and  a  little  further  on  are  the  dancers. 

/ 

As  to  the  other  tribes  which  are  either  in  or  about  Abyssinia,  a  very  few  words  must 
suffice  for  them.  ■ 

There  is  one  curious  and  very  wild  tribe,  known  by  the  name  of  Barea.  They  are 
inborn  marauders,  executing  their  raids  with  marvellous  rapidity  and  skill.  So  clever 
are  "they  at  concealing  themselves,  that  even  on  a  open  plain,  where  there  is  not  the  least 
cover,  they  manage  to  dispose  of  themselves  in  such  a  way  as  to  deceive  an  eye 
unpractised  in  their  arts. 

Once  Mr.  Parkyns  was  passing  through  a  district  over  which  one  of  the  bush  fires 
had  swept,  when  he  was  astonished  by  the  exclamation  of  his  guide,  that  Barea  were  in 
sight,  pointing  at  the  same  time  to  a  dead  tree,  standing  on  an  eminence  at  a  distance  of 
several  hundred  yards,  and  charred  black  by  last  year's  fires.  "  All  I  saw  was  a  charred 
stump  of  a  tree,  and  a  few  blackened  logs  or  stones  lying  at  its  foot.  The  hunter  declared 
that  neither  the  tree  nor  the  stones  were  there  the  Inst  time  that  he  passed,  and  that  they 
were  simply  naked  Barea,  who  bad  placed  themselves  in  that  position  to  observe  us, 
having  no  doubt  seen  us  fur  some  time,  and  prepared  themselves. 

*'  I  could  scarcely  believe  it  possible  that  they  should  remain  so  motionless,  and 
determined  to  explore  a  little.  The  rest  of  the  party  advised  me  to  continue  quietly  in 
the  road,  as  it  was  possible  that,  from  our  presenting  a  rather  foimidable  appearance,  we 
should  pass  unmolested ;  but  so  confident  was  I  of  his  mistake,  that,  telling  the  rest  to 
go  on  slowly  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  I  dro)>ped  into  the  long  grass  and  st.ilked 
towards  them.  A  shot  from  my  rifle,  at  a  long  distance  (I  did  not  venture  too  close), 
acted  on  the  tree  and  stones  as  promptly  as  the  fiddle  of  Orpheus,  but  with  the  contrary 
effect,  for  the  tree  disappeared,  and  the  stones  and  logs,  instead  of  running  after  me,  ran 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

"  I  was  never  more  surprised  in  my  life,  for  so  complete  was  the  deception,  that  even 
up  to  the  time  I  fired  I  could  have  declared  the  objects  before  me  were  vegetable  or 
mineral — anything  but  animal.  The  fact  was  that  the  cunning  rascals  who  represented 
stones  wci-e  lying  flat,  with  their  little  round  shields  placed  before  them  as  screens." 

Some  of  the  wild  tribes  of  India  act  in  the  same  manner.  There  is  a  well-known  stoiy 
of  an  officer  on  the  march,  who  was  so  completely  deceived  that  he  stood  close  by  one  of 


m 


m  4 


746 


ABYSSINIA. 


'     1 


11 


these  metamorphosed  men  for  some  time,  and  at  last  hung  his  helmet  on  a  projecting 
bough.  This  was  nothing  more  than  a  leg  of  the  dark  savage,  who  was  standing  on  his 
head,  with  his  limbs  fantastioally  disposed  tu  represent  the  branches  of  an  old  tree>stutnp, 
the  illusion  being  heightened  by  the  spear-sliafts,  which  did  duty  for  the  smaller  branches. 
This  mark  of  confidence  was  too  much  for  the  gravity  of  the  savage,  who  burst  into  a 
shriek  of  laughter,  turned  head-over-heels,  and  disappeared  into  the  jungle,  the  helmet 
still  attached  to  his  leg. 

These  clever  and  withal  amusing  mauraders  are  very  thorns  in  the  side  of  the 
Abyssinians,  who  never  know  when  the  Barea  may  not  be  upon  them.  In  many  respects 
they  resemble  the  warlike  tribes  of  the  Bed  Indians,  though  they  are  certainly  superior  to 
them  in  size  and  strength.  They  will  follow  a  travelling  party  for  days,  giving  not  an  indi- 
cation of  their  presence,  and  speaking  to  one  another  wholly  by  signs,  of  which  they  have 
an  extensive  vocabulary.  But  they  wfU  never  show  themselves  until  the  time  comes  for 
striking  the  long-meditated  blow,  when  they  will  make  their  attack,  and  then  vanish  as 
mysteriously  as  they  had  oome.  On  one  occasion  nearly  two  hundred  Barea  came  over 
ni<;ht  to  the  outskirts  of  a  village,  and  there  lay  in  wait.  In  the  early  morning,  two  of 
the  principal  men  of  the  village,  ono  a  man  who  was  celebrated  for  his  majestic  and 
somewhat  pompous  demeanour,  took  a  walk  towards  their  cotton-fields,  and  found  them- 
selves in  the  midst  of  the  Barea,  who  captured  them,  and  carried  them  off  to  be  sold  as 
slaves  to  the  Arabs,  who  would  probably  sell  them  again  to  the  Turks. 

When  the  Bariea  encamp  round  a  village,  they  keep  themselves  warm  for  the  night 
by  the  inj/enious  plan  of  eaon  man  digging  a  hole  in  the  ground,  making  a  small  fire  in 
it,  and  squatting  over  it  enveloped  in  hu  cloth,  so  as  to  retain  the  heat  and  to  prevent 
the  fire  from  being  seea 

StJRROUNDiNO  a  veiy  considerable  portion  of  Abyssinia  proper  are  various  tribes  of 
the  fierce  and  warlike  Gallas.  * 

The  Galla  men  are  a  fine  and  even  handsome  race,  extremely  variable  in  the  hue  of 
their  skin,  as  may  be  supposed  fram  the  very  large  extent  of  ground  which  is  inhabited 
by  their  tribes.  Moreover,  they  have  mixed  consid3rably  with  the  Abyssinians  proper, 
and  are  often  employed  as  slaves  by  them.  Female  Galla  slaves  are  frequently  kept  in 
the  households  of  Abyssinians,  and  the  consequence  is,  that  a  mixed  progeny  has  sprung 
up  which  partakes  of  the  characteristics  of  both  parents.  This  has  taken  place  considerably 
in  Shoa,  where  the  Galla  element  is  vety  conspicuous  among  the  population.  As  a  rule, 
iiowever,  they  are  much  darker  than  the  Abyssinians,  a  circumstance  which  has  induced 
Mr.  Johnstone  to  derive  their  name  from  the  word  "  calla,"  or  black.  Their  language  is  a 
dialect  of  the  Amhara  tongue,  but  varied,  like  their  skins,  according  to  the  precise  locality 
of  the  tribe. 

The  features  of  the  Gallas  have  none  of  the  negro  characteristics,  such  as  the  length 
of  the  skull,  the  contracted  (though  not  receding)  forehead,  and  the  full  development  of 
the  lips  and  jaws.  The  hair  resembles  that  of  the  Abyssinians,  and  is  dressed  in  various 
modes.  Sometimes  it  is  formed  into  long,  narrow  plaits,  hanging  nearly  to  the  shoulders, 
and  in  others  it  is  frizzed  out  into  tufts.  The  most  singular  way  of  dressing  the  hair  is 
to  collect  it  into  three  divisions,  one  occupying  the  top  of  the  head,  and  one  crossing  each 
temple.  The  divided  tresses  being  then  combed  and  ftizzed  to  the  greatest  possible  extent, 
the  whole  head  has  a  most  comical  aspect,  and  has  been  likened  to  the  ace  of  clubs. 

The  young  women  are  bold  and  handsome,  but  are  anything  but  good-looking  when 
they  grow  old.  Three  old  women  who  visited  Mr.  Johnstone,  and  evidently  acted  as 
spies,  were  remarkable  for  their  ugliness.  They  wore  the  hair  in  the  usual  multitudinous 
plaits,  which  they  had  connected  by  means  of  threads,  so  as  to  form  them  into  a  continuous 
curtain,  and  had  been  exceedingly  lavish  of  butter.  They  wore  a  sort  of  soft  leather 
petticoat,  and  had  on  their  feet  a  simple  sandal  of  ox-hide,  fastened  to  the  foot  by  a  lap 
passing  over  the  great  toe,  and  a  thong  over  the  instep.  They  came  ostensibly  to  sell 
tobacco  and  ropes.  The  latter  articles  they  made  even  while  they  were  bargaining,  a 
bundle  of  hemp  bemg  fastened  to  their  giixlles  in  front,  and  the  ropes,  as  fast  as  they 
were  twisted,  being  coiled  round  their  waists. 


'WiMWLIWtW 


ilmet  on  a  projecting 
n^as  standing  on  hia 
jf  an  old  tree-stump, 
he  smaller  branches, 
ge,  who  burst  into  a 
I  jungle,  the  helmet 

in  the  side  of  the 
1.  In  many  respects 
certainly  superior  to 
I,  giving  not  an  indi- 
of  which  they  have 
the  time  comes  for 
and  then  vanish  as 
sd  Barea  came  over 
irly  morning,  two  of 
)r  his  majestic  and 
Is,  and  found  them- 
m  otf  to  be  sold  as 

warm  for  the  night 
:ing  a  small  fire  in 
beat  and  to  prevent 


•e  various  tribes  of 

riable  in  the  hue  of 
which  is  inhabited 
Ibyssiniaus  proper, 
frequently  kept  in 
progeny  has  sprung 
I  place  considerably 
ilation.  As  a  rule, 
which  has  induced 
Their  language  is  a 
the  precise  locality 

such  as  the  length 
ull  development  of 
dressed  in  various 
y  to  the  shoulders, 
lessing  the  hair  is 
1  one  crossing  each 
est  possible  extent, 
ace  of  clubs, 
good-looking  when 
evidently  acted  as 
5ual  multitudinous 
n  into  a  continuous 
ort  of  soft  leather 
the  foot  by  a  lap 
I  ostensibly  to  sell 
vere  bargaining,  a 
es,  as  fast  as  they 


THE  BUFFALO  DANCR 


747 


The  Gallas  axe  a  warlike  race,  and  far.  more  courageous  than  the  Abyssinians,  who  are 
more  given  to  vapouring  than  fighting.  When  they  return  home  after  a  victory  they 
celebrate  a  curious  and  violent  dance,  called  the  Buffalo  Dance.  A  head  and  the  attached 
skin  of  a  buffalo  is  laid  on  the  ground,  and  the  men  assemble  round  it  armed  as  if  for 
war,  with  their  spears  and  crooked  swordi.  They  then  dance  vigorously  round  the 
buffalo  skin,  leaping  high  in  the  air,  striking  with  their  swords,  and  Uirusting  with  their 
spears,  and  going  through  all  the  manoeuvrea  of  killing  the  oniuaL  Hie  women  take 
an  active  part  in  the  dance. 


SCFFALO  DAXCB. 


Then  there  are  the  Dankalli  and  Somauli  tribes,  ench  of  them  subdivided  into  a 
number  of  smaller  tribes,  and  having  some  traits  peculiar  to  themselves,  and  others 
common  to  the  Abyssinians  proper.  Indeed,  Mr.  Johnstone  remarks  that  he  has  no 
doubt  that,  although  they  are  now  distinct  nations,  they  are  derived  from  a  common 
origin. 

The  Somaulis  are  a  warlike  people,  and,  instead  of  the  spears  and  shields  which  are 
almost  the  universal  weapons  through  this  part  of  Africa,  they  cany  light  bows  and  large 
quivers,  which  hang  under  the  left  arm  by  a  broad  strap  passed  over  the«ame  shoulder. 
The  bow,  though  light,  is  very  strong,  an^  is  much  after  the  classical  or  Cupid's  bow  foim. 
In  consequence  of  this  shape,  when  the  arrow  is  discharged,  the  string  comes  quickly 
against  the  handle,  and  if  the  archer  be  inexpert  his  thumb  gets  a  violent  blow. 

The  quiver  is  made  of  an  emptied  gourd,  the  mouth  of  which  is  closed  with  a  cover 
like  that  which  is  represented  on  several  of  the  African  quivera  mentioned  in  this  work. 
It  contains  about  a  dozen  arrows,  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  made  of  a  hollow  reed. 


\i 

•'■I 


('  ill 


i'ijR 


'V48 


'BYSSINIA. 


Each  is  trmed  wiih  a  head  of  Uae  lied.  shaped  somethiog  like  the  aoe  of  spades,  aud 
having  its  neck  lengthened  into  a  spike  about  an  inch  and  a  half  long ;  this  is  not 
attached  to  the  anow,  but  is  loose,  and  when  wanted  for  use  the  spike  is  simply  slipped 
into  the  unfeathered  end  of  tlie  hollow  shaft  Of  course,  when  the  weapon  strikes  its 
object,  the  shaft  falls  off,  aiAl  the  head,  which  is  poisoned,  remains  in  the  wound,  and  soon 
causes  death. 

Instead  of  the  sword,  they  carry  a  knife  with  a  blade  about  eight  inches  in  lengtl 
the  handle  being  merely  a  piece  of  wood  rounded,  and  slightly  hollowed  to  give  i 
firmer  grasp. 

The  dress  of  the  men  consists  of  a  "  fotah,"  or  waist  cloth,  and  a  robe  called  tl,< 
"  sarree."  Differinff  in  use,  these  cloths  are  of  exactly  the  same  shape  and  size, «'.«.  about 
eleven  feet  in  length.  The  fotah  is  wound  twice  round  the  waist,  the  end  bein'4  tucked 
in  behind,  and  the  whole  garment  made  secure  bv  the  broad  belt  which  holds  the  knife. 
The  sarree  is  worn  in  robe-fashion,  round  the  body,  and  a  mah  of  taste  disposes  it  so  as 
to  show  off  the  two  broad  stripes  of  blue  or  scarlet  at  the  end. 

The  women  also  wear  the  fotah,  over  which,  when  out  of  doors,  thev  wear  a  long 
bine  skirt  without  sleeves,  and  veiy  open  down  the  firont  This  is  laid  aside  in  the 
house,  where  nothing  but  the  fotah  ia  worn.  The  mode  of  dressing  the  hair  into  a 
continuous  veil  hafe  been  already  mentioned,  and  Mr.  Johnstone  was  fortunate  enough  to 
witness  the  process  of  dressing  "  this  entangled  mass,  which  reminded  me  of  the  hair  of 
Samson,  interwoven  with  the  web  of  the  loom.  The  lady  whose  hair  was  to  be  operated 
upon  sat  upon  a  stone  in  the  court  beneath  one  of  our  windows,  and  behind  her,  on  her 
knees,  was  a  stout  slave-girl,  who  held  in  both  hands  a  long-handled  w^ooden  fork-like 
comb,  having  four  very  strong  prongs,  which  she  dragged  through  the  woolly,  greasy,  and, 
black  hair  of  her  mistress,  with  the  force  of  a  groom  currying  a  horse's  tail  ' 

The  partioular  sub-tribe  to  which  the  people  belong  is  denoted  by  sundry  incised 
marks,  which  are  cut  with  a  firagment  of  obsidian,  and  are  formed  into  patterns  wbigli 
sometimes  extend  over  the  whole  beck  and  breast 


OLkt  Tin,  NUBU.  irnm  My  wUmMmi, 


I 


/ 


CHAPTEE  LXVII. 


NUBIANS  AND  HAMRAN  ABA6S. 


TXHT  ov  ram  wbiak  nw— dbbm  jhd  wbapomi  or  m  mar— fkovlub  swoib  Aire  kbovd — 

DBMS  ov  TKB  WOMBW— THB  BAHAT,  OB  THONO  APBON — AMVLBTS— ItUBIAlT  ABOHITROTVBB-— 
TKB  HAMBAB  ABABS — WBAPONB  OF  THB  MRN — OABR  TAKBN  07  THB  WBAP0N8 — BLKPHAMT 
HVNTWO — ADIOBABLB  HOBSBlIAlfSHIP — OATOHUfO  BAB00M8 — ^HCMTINO  THB  UON — OATOHINO  A 
BUVr ALO  BT  THB  TAIL — ^HABPOOHIKO  ZBB  BITPOPOTAMV*. 


Ikaskuoh  as,  in  spite  of  the  oontinnal  contact  with  oivili2ation,  caused  by  their  locality 
on  the  Nile  bank,  the  Nubians  have  preserved  their  ancient  style  of  dress  and  much  of 
their  aiicient  manners,  they  deserve  a  place  in  this  work. 

In  colour  the  Nubians  are  mostly  black,  some  being  of  quite 
a  jetty  hue,  while  others  are  of  much  lighter  colour.  Even  in 
the  blackest  Nubian,  however,  the  tint  of  the  skin  is  not  that  of 
the  tropical  negn^  but  there  is  a  certain  transparency  about 
it,  which,  in  the  sunbeams,  gives  a  sort  of  amber  hue  to  the 
limbs.  Besides  being  a  fine  and  well-built  race,  the  Nubians 
possess  pleasing  features,  the  only  fault  being  that  the  lower  part 
of  the  face  is  somewhat  apt  to  project 

While  young  the  boys  wear  no  clothing  whatever,  but  when 
adult  they  wear*short  trousers,  a  shirt,  and  a  kind  of  large  scarf 
which  passes  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  is  fastened  by  a  girdle 
round  the  waist.  Being  Mahometans,  they  shave  the  hair  except 
one  tuft  on  the  crown,  and  cove:'  their  bare  heads  with  a  white 
cotton  cap. 

The  Nubian  men  mostly  go  armed 
according  to  their  ability.  [Die  ususd 
weapons  are  the  sword,  dagger,  spear, 
and  shield.  The  sword  is  shaped  some- 
what like  that  of  the  Abyssinian,  but 
the  curve  is  not  so  abrupt.  The  general 
style  of  the  weapon,  however,  and  the 
sha^  of  the  handle,  proclaim  a  common 
origin.  With  some  of  the  Nubians 
the  favourite  weapon  is  the  straight 
sword,  like  that  of^the  Hamran  Arabs, 
which  will  be  described  in  a  future 
page. 

Perhaps  on  account  of  the  facility 
which  the  Nile  affords  for  travelling  into  shield  ako  bwobd 

South  Central  Africa,  they  wear  a  dagger 


750 


KUBIA. 


i1 


m 


ffutened  to  the  left  arm  juat  above  the  elbow,  exactly  aa  do  aeveral  of  the  tribei  that  aro 
found  near  the  sources  of  the  Nile.  Tliia  dagger  is  short  and  crooked,  and  is  kept  in  a 
red  leathern  sheath,  and,  on  account  of  its  position  on  the  arm.  is  covered  by  the  ^annenta 
The  spear  is  simply  the  ordinary  wooden  shaft  with  an  iron  head,  and  has  nothwg  about 
it  specialljT  worthy  of  notice. 

The  shield,  however,  is  remarkable  for  its  structure.  It  is  generally  made  of  the  hide 
of  the  hippopotamus  or  of  crocodile  skin,  and  is  easily  known  by  the  projecting  boss  in  the 
centre.  The  hide  is  stretched  on  a  wooden  framework,  and  the  boss  is  made  of  a  separate 
piece  of  skin.  The  Nubians  value  these  shields  very  highly,  and,  in  consequence,  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  procure  them.  The  shield  and  sword  which  are  given  in  the 
illustration  are  drawn  from  specimens  in  Colonel  lAue  Fox's  collection.  The  notches 
which  are  seen  in  the  edge  are  not  accidental,  but  are  made  according  to  the  iashion  of 
the  time. 

The  women  are  dressed  after  the  nsaal  African  manner. 

As  girls  they  wear  nothing  but  a  little  apron  of  leathern  thongs  called  a  rfthat.  This 
apron  is  about  nine  inches  or  a  foot  in  width,  and  perhaps  six  or  seven  in  depth,  and  in 
general  appearance  resembles  that  of  the  Kaffir  siri.  Instead  of  being  cut  flrom  one  piece 
of  leather,  each  thong  is  a  separate  strip  of  hide,  scarcelv  thicker  than  packthread,  and 
knotted  by  the  middle  to  the  tnong  which  passes  round  the  waist.  The  apron  is  dved  of 
a  brick-red  colour,  and,  after  it  has  been  in  use  for  any  time,  becomes  so  saturated  with 
the  castor-oil  which  stands  these  primitive  belles  in  lieu  of  clothing,  that  the  smell  is 
unendurable.  Travellers  often  purchase  them  from  the  Nubian  girls,  who,  as  a  rule,  are 
perfectly  willing  to  sell  them ;  but  the  buyers  are  obliged  to  hang  their  purchases  on  the 
top  of  the  meat  for  a  month  or  so  before  they  can  be  tiucen  into  the  cabia  One  of  these 
aprons  in  my  collection  has  still  the  familiar  castor-oil  odour  about  it,  though  many  years' 
have  passed  since  it  was  purchased  from  a  Nubian  girL 

Of  course  they  wear  aa  many  ornaments  as  they  can  procure ;  and  some  of  these, 
which  are  haaded  down  from  one  generation  to  another,  are  of  great  value.  Few 
characteristics  are  more  striking  to  an  observant  traveller  than  the  fact  that  a  Nubian 
girl  whose  whole  dress  may  perhaps  be  worth  threepence,  and  who  really  could  not  afford 
to  wear  any  clothing  at  all  if  it  cost  sixpence,  will  yet  carry  on  her  neck,  her  wrists,  her 
ankles,  and  in  her  ears,  a  quantity  of  gold  sufficient  to  purchase  a  handsome  equipment 

It  is  ratlier  a  remarkable  point  that  these  aprons  always  become  narrower  towards  the 
left  side.  The  daughters  of  wealthy  parents,  though  they  wear  no  clothing  except  the 
apron,  still  contrive  to  satisfy  the  instinctive  love  of  dress  by  covering  the  leathern 
thongs  with  beads,  white  shells,  and  pieces  of  silver  twisted  round  them.  When  the 
girls  marry,  they  retain  the  apron,  but  wear  over  it  a  loose  garment,  which  passes  over 
one  shoulder,  and  hangs  aa  low  as  the  knee. 

The  ornaments  with  which  they  profusely  decorate  their  persons  are  of  various 
materials,  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  woman  who  owns  them.  Those  of  the  wealthy 
are  of  gold  and  silver,  while  those  of  the  poorer  class  are  of  buffalo  horn,  brass,  and 
similar  materials.  The  metal  amulets  are  of  a  crescent  shape,  and  are  open  at  one  side, 
so  as  to  be  clasped  on  the  arm  or  removed,  according  to  the  wearer's  pleasure. 

The  hair  is  dressed  in  a  way  that  recaidls  the  ancient  E^ptian  woman  to  the  traVeller. 
It  is  jetty  black,  and  toleraUy  long,  and  ia  twisted  with  hundreds  of  small  and  straight 
tresses,  generally  finished  off  at  the  tips  with  little  knobs  of  yellow  clay,  which  look  at  a 
distance  as  if  they  were  Iqb^  of  gold.  Amulets  of  different  kinds  are  woven  into  the 
locks,  and  the  whole  ia  io  attoatra  with  oastor-oil  that  an  experienced  traveller  who 
wishes  to  talk  to  a  Nubian  wiman  takes  care  to  secure  the  windward  side,  and  not  to 
approach  nearer  than  is  absolutely  needful.  As  a  rule»  the  Nubian  women  are  not  so 
dark  as  the  men,  but  approach  neany  to  a  coffee  tint 

"  Two  beautiful  young  Nubian  women  visited  me  in  my  boat  with  hair  in  the  little 
plaits  finished  off  with  lumpe  of  yallow  clay,  burnished  like  golden  tags,  soft  deep  bronze 
skins,  and  lips  and  eyes  fit  for  Iris  and  Athor.  Their  very  dress  and  ornaments  were  the 
aame  as  those  represented  in  the  tombs,  and  I  felt  inclined  to  ask  them  how  maiiy 
thousand  years  old  they  were."    (Lady  Duff  Gordon's  "  Letters  from  Egypt") 


w 


THE  TUBKS  DISLIKED. 


781 


The  lame  writer  well  remarks  that  the  whole  oountiy  U  a  palimpseat,  in  which  the 
Bible  is  written  over  Herodotus,  and  the  Koran  over  the  Bible,  in  the  towns  the  Koruu 
is  most  visible ;  in  the  country,  Herodotus. 

One  of  these  graceful  Nubian  ^irls  is  represented  in  the  frontispiece  to  this  volume. 

The  amulets  which  have  been  just  mentioned  uiu  wurn  by  men  and  women  alike,  and 
are  sewn  up  in  red  leather  cases  like  those  of  tlie  Boruuans.  It  is  an  essential  part  of 
their  efficacy  that  their  contents  should  not  bo  known,  and  if  once  a  case  be  opened,  the 
enclosed  amulet  loses  its  power.  The  men  often  wear  great  numbers  of  them,  tying  them 
un  their  arms  above  the  elbows. 

The  houses  in  which  the  Nubians  live,  or  rather  in  which  they  sleep,  are  of  very 
simple  construction.  Besiding  among  the  ruins  of  palaces,  the  Nubians  have  never 
learned  to  build  anvthing  better  than  a  mud  hut  These  huts  are  of  much  the  same 
shape  as  the  old  Egyptian  buildings,  being  squared  towers,  laige  at  the  base,  and 
decreasing  towards  the  top,  which  is  square,  and  in  the  better  class  of  house  answers  as 
a  terrace.  The  roof  is  covered  with  palm-branches,  and  every  good  house  possesses  a 
sort  of  courtyard  surrounded  bv  walls,  in  which  the  women  can  pursue  their  different 
vocations  while  sheltered  from  the  sun. 

Granaries  are  seen  near  every  village,  and  consist  of  shallow  pits  sunk  in  the  ground 
and  covered  with  a  sort  of  white  plaster.  The  villages  also  possess  a  shed  fur  the  recep- 
tion of  strangers,  and  each  house  nas  a  jar  of  fresh  water  always  kept  ready  for  use. 

Fortunately  for  themselves,  the  Nubians  are  both  proud  and  fund  of  their  country ; 
and,  although  they  are  despised  by  the  Arabs  to  such  an  extent  that  a  Nubian  always 
tries  to  pass  himself  off  as  an  Arab  whenever  he  has  the  op^rtunity,  they  ore  ever 
boasting  of  the  many  perfections  of  the  land  which  they  thus  reject. 

How  long  the  Nubians  may  possos^i  this  land  is  doubtful.  The  Turk,  "  under  whose 
foot  no  grass  grows,"  is  doing  his  best  to  depopulate  the  country.  The  men  are  pressed 
for  soldiers,  as  many  as  thirty  per  cent,  having  been  carried  ofi^  in  one  conscription,  and 
they  are  always  being  seized  for  forced  labour — i.e.  a  life  somewhat  woise  than  tliat  of 
plantation  slaves.  Consequently,  as  soon  as  they  take  alarm,  they  leave  their  village 
and  escape  into  the  interior,  abandoning  their  crops  and  allowing  them  to  perish  rather 
than  serve  under  the  hated  rule  of  the  Turk.  The  least  resistance,  or  show  6i  resistance, 
is  punished  by  death,  and  several  travellers  have  related  incidents  of  cold-blooded  cruelty 
which  seem  almost  too  horrible  to  tell,  but  which  were  taken  quite  as  matters  of  ordinary 
occurrence.  Taxation,  too,  is  carried  out  to  a  simply  ruinous  extent,  and  the  natural 
result  is  fast  taking  place,  namely,  the  depopulation  of  the  land,  and  the  gradual  lessening 
of  the  number  of  tax-payers. 


1^1 


'hi 


i-m 


THE   HAMRAN   ARABa 


To  describe,  however  brie6y,  all  the  tribes  which  inhabit  the  vast  district  called 
Arabia,  would  be  a  task  far  beyond  the  pretensions  of  this  work.  Some  have  advanced 
very  far  in  civilization,  while  others  have  retained,  with  certain  modifications,  their 
pristine  and  almost  savage  mode  of  life.  I  shall  therefore  select  these  latter  tribes  as 
examples  of  the  Arab  life,  and  shall  briefly  describe  one  or  two  of  the  most  characteristic 
examples. 

South  of  Cassala  there  is  a  remarkable  tribe  of  Arabs  known  as  the  Hamrans,  wl.o 
are  celebrated  through  all  the  countiy  for  their  skill  in  hunting. 

They  possess  the  well-cut  features  and  other  characteristics  of  the  Arab  race,  and  are 
only  to  be  distinguished  by  the  style  of  wearing  the  hair.    They  permit  the  hair  to  grow 


752 


THE  HAMRAN  ARABS. 


to  a  great  length,  part  it  down  the  middle,  and  carefully  train  it  into  long  cnrls.  Each 
man  always  carries  the  only  two  weapons  he  cpres  about,  namely,  the  sword  and  shield. 
The  latter  is  of  no  very  great  size,  is  circular  m  shape,  and  about  two  feet  in  diameter, 
with  a  boss  in  the  centre  much  like  that  of  the  Nubian  shield  already  described.  It  is 
made  of  the  skin  of  the  hippopotamus,  and,  being  meant  for  use  and  not  for  show,  is 
never  ornamented. 

As  to  the  sword,  it  is  the  chief  friend  of  the  Hammn  Arab's  life,  and  he  looks  upon 
it  with  a  sort  of  chivalric  respect.  It  is  straight,  double-edged,  and  is  furnished  with  a 
cross-handle,  like  that  of  the  ancient  Crusaders,  from  whom  the  fashion  seems  to  have 
been  borrowed.  The  blades  are  of  European  make,  and  the  Arabs  are  excellent  judges  of 
^4teel,  valuing  a  good  blade  above  everything.  They  keep  both  edges  literalljr  as  sharp  as 
razors,  and  prove  the  fact  by  shaving  with  them.  When  a  Haniran  Arab  is  travelling 
and  comes  to  a  halt,  the  first  thing  he  does  after  seating  himself  is  to  draw  his  sword  and 
examine  both  edges  with  the  keenest  attention.  He  then  sharpens  the  weapon  upon  his 
leathern  shield,  and  when  he  can  shave  the  hair  on  his  own  arm  with  both  edges,  he 
carefully  returns  the  blade  into  the  sheath. 

The  length  of  the  blade  is  three  feet,  and  the  handle  is  about  six  inches  long,  so  that 
the  weapon  is  a  very  weighty  one,  and  a  fair  blow  from  its  keen  edge  will  cut  a  man  in 
two.  Still,  it  is  not  serviceable  in  single  combat,  as,  although  its  weight  renders  a 
successful  blow  fatal,  it  prevents  the  recovery  of  the  sword  after  an  unsuccessful  blow. 
Sir  S.  Baker,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  an  account  of  this  remarkable  tribe,  says  that 
a  Hamran  Arab,  with  his  sword  and  shield,  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  an  ordinary 
swordsman.  He  can  cut  and  slash  with  wonderful  energy,  but  knows  nothing  of  using 
the  point  or  parrying,  so  that,  if  a  feint  be  made  at  his  head,  he  will  instinctively  raise 
the  shield,  and  lay  his  whole  body  open  to  the  point  of  his  adversary's  sword. 

The  scabbard  in  which  the  sword  is  carried  is  very  ingeniously  made  of  two  strips  of 
soft  and  elastic  wood,  slightly  hollowed  to  receive  the  blade,  and  covered  with  leather. 
The  absurd  metal  scabbards  still  in  use  in  our  army  would  be  scorned  by  an  Arab,  who 
knows  the  value  of  a  keen  edge  to  his  weapon.  On  the  scabbard  are  fitted  two  projecting 
pieces  of  leather.  When  the  Arab  is  on  the  march,  he  slings  the  sword  on  the  pommel 
of  his  saddle,  and  passes  his  leg  between  these  leather  projections,  so  that  the  sword  is 
held  in  its  place,  and  does  not  jump  and  bang  against  the  sides  of  the  horse. 

Armed  with  merely  the  sword,  these  mighty  hunters  attack  all  kinds  of  game,  and 
match  themselves  with  equal  coolness  against  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  the  giraffe,  the 
lion,  or  the  antelope.  Their  mode  of  procedure  is  almost  invariably  the  same.  They 
single  out  some  particular  animal,  and  contrive  to  cut  the  tendon  of  the  hind  leg  with  a 
blow  of  the  sword,  thus  rendering  the  unfbrtunate  beast  helpless. 

When  they  chase  the  elephant,  they  proceed  in  the  following  manner.  The  elephant 
hunters,  or  aggageers,  as  they  call  themselves,  convert  their  swords  into  two-hanJed 
weapons  by  wrapping  thin  cord  very  closely  lound  the  blade,  for  about  nine  inches  from 
the  handle.  The  guarded  portion  of  the  blade  is  held  in  the  right  hand,  and  the  hilt  in 
the  left. 

Two  hunters  generally  set  out  in  chase  of  the  elephant.  Having  selected  the  bull 
with  the  largest  tusks,  they  separate  it  from  its  fellows,  and  irritate  it  until  it  charges 
thenL  One  of  the  aggageers  takes  on  himself  this  duty,  and  draws  the  attention  of  the 
elephant  upon  himself.  The  irritated  animal  makes  its  furious  onset,  and  goes  off  at  full 
speed  after  the  aggageer,  who  carefully  accommodates  his  pace  to  that  of  the  elephant,  so 
that  it  always  thinks  it  is  going  to  catch  him,  and  forsets  that  he  has  a  companion. 

Meanwhile,  the  other  aggageer  rides  close  to  the  side  of  the  elephant,  diffws  his  sword, 
springs  to  the  ground,  bounds  alongside  of  the  elephant,  delivers  one  tremendous  cut  on 
the  ankle  of  the  hind  foot,  and  springs  again  on  his  horse.  As  soon  as  the  elephant  puts 
the  injured  foot  on  the  ground,  the  joint  becomes  dislocated,  and  the  foot  turns  up  like  an 
old  shoe.  The  animal  is  now  helpless,  and,  while  its  attention  is  still  engaged  by  the 
aggageer  whom  it  has  been  pursuing,  the  swordsman  passes  to  its  other  side,  slashes  the 
ankle  of  the  remaining  leg,  and  brings  the  animal  to  a  dead  halt  The  sword  is  carefully 
wiped,  sharpened,  and  returned  to  the  sheath,  while  the  wounded  elephant  sinks  to  the 


'I' 


ito  long  curls.  Each 
16  sword  and  shield, 
two  feet  in  diameter, 
ady  described.  It  is 
and  not  for  show,  is 

5,  and  he  looks  upon 

I  is  furnished  with  a 
fihion  seems  to  have 
re  excellent  judges  of 

literalljr  as  sharp  as 
a  Arab  is  travelling 
>  draw  his  sword  and 
the  weapon  upon  his 
with  both  edges,  he 

inches  long,  so  that 
;e  will  cut  a  man  in 
is  weight  renders  a 
a  unsuccessful  blow, 
able  tribe,  says  that 
jrcy  of  an  ordinary 
vs  nothing  of  using 

II  instinctively  raise 
s  sword.  ' 
lade  of  two  strips  of 
>vered  with  leather. 
id  by  an  Arab,  Mho 
Stted  two  projecting 
)rd  on  the  pommel 

0  that  the  sword  is 
horse. 

dnds  of  game,  and 
Bros,  the  giraffe,  the 
y  the  same.  They 
he  hind  leg  with  a 

ner.  The  elephant 
s  into  two-handed 
t  nine  inches  from 
id,  and  the  hilt  in 

1  selected  the  bull 
it  until  it  charges 

lie  attention  of  the 
and  goes  off  at  full 
of  the  elephant,  so 
I  companion, 
t,  diffws  his  sword, 
remendous  cut  on 
I  the  elephant  puts 
[)t  turns  up  like  an 
ill  engaged  by  the 
r  side,  slashes  the 
sword  is  carefully 
bant  sinks  to  the 


THE  SWOBD  HUNTEBS. 


i-y 


a 


ground,  and  in  a  short  time  dies  from  loss  of  blood.    Thus  one  man  will  kill  ah  elephant 
with  two  blows  of  a  sword. 

It  is  evident  that  such  hunting  as  this  requires  the  most  perfect  horsemanship,  and  it 
is  accordingly  found  that  the  Hamran  Arabs  are  among  the  best  horsemen  in  the  world. 
They  and  their  steeds  seem  to  be  actu,ated  by  one  spirit,  and  they  sit  as  if  the  horse  and 
his  rider  were  but  one  animal.  In  his  trayels  in  Abyssinia  Sir  S.  Baker  gives  a  very 
grapMo  account  of  their  mode  of  riding. 


i£?«SSr%^ 


'-^  .-m 


■41- 


i>y»* 


AUUAUiilEBii  HUNTIKO  THK  KLCPUANT 


"  Hardly  were  we  mounted  and  fairly  started,  than  the  monkey-like  agility  of  our 
aggageera  was  displayed  in  a  variety  of  antics,  that  were  far  more  suited  to  performance 
in  a  circus  than  to  a  party  of  steady  and  experienced  hunters,  who  wished  to  reserve  the 
strength  of  their  horses  for  a  trying  journey. 

"  Abou  Do  was  mounted  on  a  beautiful  Abyssinian  horse,  a  grey;  Suldman  rode  a 
rough  and  inferior-looking  beast ;  while  little  Jali,  who  was  the  pet  of  the  party,  rode  a 
grey  mare,  not  exceeding  fourteen  hands  in  height,  which  matched  her  rider  exactly  in 
fire,  spirit,  and  speed.  Never  was  there  a  more  perfect  picture  of  a  wild  Arab  horseman 
than  Jali  on  his  mare.  Hardly  was  he  in  the  saddle,  than  away  flew  the  mare  over  the 
loose  shingles  that  formed  the  dry  bed  of  the  river,  scattering  the  rounded  pebbles  in  the 
air  from  her  flinty  hoofs,  while  her  rider  in  the  vigour  of  delight  threw  himself  almost 
under  her  belly  while  at  full  speed,  and  picked  up  stones  from  the  ground,  which  he 
flung,  and  again  caught  as  they  descended. 

"  Never  were  there  more  complete  Centaurs  than  these  Hamran  Arabs ;  the  horse  and 
man  appeared  to  be  one  animal,  and  that  of  the  most  elastic  nature,  that  could  twist  and 
turn  with  the  suppleness  of  a  snake ;  the  fact  of  their  separate  being  was  proved  by  the 
rider  springing  to  the  earth  with  his  drawn  sword  while  the  horse  was  in  full  gallop  over 
rough  and  difficult  ground,  and,  clutching  the  mane,  he  again  vaulted  into  the  saddle  with 
the  agility  of  a  monkey,  without  once  checking  the  speed. 

"  The  fact  of  being  on  hors' back  had  suddenly  altered  the  character  of  these  Arabs ; 

from  a  sedate  and  proud  bearing  they  had  become  the  wildest  examples  of  the  most 

savage  disciples  of  Nimrod ;  excited  by  enthusiasm,  they  shook  their  naked  blades  aloft 

till  the  steel  trembled  in  their  grasp,  and  away  they  dashed,  over  rocks,  through  thorny 

VOL.  L  So 


I.  I ! 


'K,: 


1  'T?l 


li 

f! 


ill 


i::-': 


1- 


l\ 


"f     7*  *■         Y^ 


'1 


;i| 


754 


THE  HAMBAN  ARABS. 


bush,  across  ravines,  up  and  down  steep  inclinations,  engaging  in  a  mimic  hni^t,  and 
going  through  the  various  acts  supposed  to  occur  in  the  attack  of  a  furious  elephant." 

This  capability  of  snatching  up  articles  from  the  ground  stands  the  hunters  in  good 
stead.  If,  for  example,  they  should  come  across  a  flock  of  sheep,  each  man  will  dash 
through  the  flock,  stoop  from  his  saddle,  pick  up  a  lamb,  and  ride  off  with  it.  xhey  oan 
even  catch  far  more  active  prey  than  the  lamb  or  kid.  On  one  occasion,  as  the  party 
were  travelling  along,  they  came  upon  a  large  troop  of  baboons,  who  had  been  gathering 
gum  arabic  from  the  mimosas.  "  Would  the  lady  like  to  have  a  baboon  ?"  asked  Jali,  the 
smallest  and  most  excitable  of  the  party. 

Three  of  the  hunters  dashed  off  in  pursidt  of  the  baboons,  and  in  spite  of  the  rough 
ground  soon  got  among  them.  Stooping  from  their  saddles,  two  of  the  aggageers  snatched 
each  a  young  baboon  from  its  mother,  placed  it  on  the  neck  of  the  horse,  and  rode  off  with 
it  Strange  to  say,  the  captive  did  not  attempt  to  escape,  nor  even  to  bite,  but  clung  con- 
vulsively to  the  mane  of  the  horse,  screaming  with  fear.  As  soon  as  they  halted,  the 
hunters  stripped  some  mimosa  bark  from  the  trees,  bound  the  baboons,  and  with  their 
heavy  whips  inflicted  a  severe  flogging  on  the  poor  beasts.  This  was  to  make  them 
humble,  and  prevent  them  from  biting.  However,  in  the  course  of  the  next  halt,  when 
the  baboons  were  tied  to  trees,  one  of  them  contrived  to  strangle  itself  in  its  struggles  to 
escape,  and  the  other  bit  through  its  bonds  and  made  off  unseen. 

For  such  work  as  this,  the  hunter  must  be  able  to  stop  his  horse  in  a  moment, 
and  accordingly  the  bit  must  be  a  very  severe  one.  The  saddle  is  a  very  clumsy  afl'air, 
made  of  wood  and  unstuffed,  while  the  stirrups  are  only  lai:ge  enough  to  admit  the 
great  toe. 

The  rhinoceros  gives  far  more  trouble  to  the  hunters  than  the  elephant.  It  is  mucl]| 
swifter,  more  active,  and  can  turn  more  rapidly,  spinning  round  as  if  on  a  pivot,  and 
baffling  their  attempts  to  get  at  its  hind  leg.  Unlike  the  elephant,  it  can  charge  on  three 
legs,  so  that  a  single  wound  does  not  disable  it.  Still  the  Hamran  ^rabs  always  kill  the 
rhinoceros  when  they  can,  as  its  skin  will  produce  hide  for  seven  shields,  each  piece  being 
worth  two  dollars,  and  the  horn  is  sold  to  the  Abyssinians  as  material  for  swoitl-hilts,  the 
best  horn  fetching  two  dollars  per  pound. 

Lion-hunting  is  not  a  favourite  pursuit  with  the  Hamrans,  as  they  gain  little  if 
successful,  and  they  seldom  come  out  of  the  contest  without  having  suffered  sevei-elj-. 
They  always  try  to  slash  the  animal  across  the  loins,  as  a  blow  in  that  spot  disables  it 
instantly,  and  prevents  it  from  leaping.  Sometimes  the  lion  springs  on  the  crupper  of 
the  horse,  and  then  a  back-handed  blow  is  delivered  with  the  two-edged  sword,  mostly 
with  fatal  effect 

The  buffalo,  fierce  and  active  as  it  is,  they  hunt  with  the  sword.  Nothing,  perhaps, 
shows  the  splendid  horsemanship  and  daring  courage  of  the  Hamrans  better  than  a  scene 
which  was  witnessed  by  Sir  S.  Baker. 

A  large  herd  of  buffaloes  was  seen  and  instantly  charged  by  the  aggageers,  and,  while 
the  buffaloes  and  hunters  were  mixed  together  in  one  mass,  the  irrepressible  little  Jali 
suddenly  leaned  forward,  and  seized  the  tail  of  a  fine  young  buffalo,  some  twelve  hands 
high.  Two  other  hunters  leaped  from  their  hoi-ses,  snatched  off  their  belts,  and  actually 
succeeded  in  taking  the  animal  alive.  This  was  a  great  prize,  as  it  would  be  sold  for  a 
considerable  sum  at  Cassala.  Now  as  Jali  was  barely  five  feet  three  inches  in  height, 
and  very  slightly  made,  such  a  feat  as  seizing  and  finally  capturing  a  powerful  animal 
like  a  buffalo  bull  was  really  a  wonderful  one. 

They  are  as  active  on  foot  as  on  horseback.  On  one  occasion,  three  of  them,  Jali  of 
course  being  one,  were  so  excited  with  the  chase  of  a  wounded  elephant  that  they  actually 
leaped  from  their  horses  and  pursued  the  animal  on  foot  The  elephant  was  mad  with 
rage,  but  seemed  instinctively  to  know  that  his  enemies  wanted  to  get  behind  him,  and 
always  turned  in  time  to  prevent  them.  Active  as  monkeys,  the  aggageers  managed  to 
save  themselves  from  the  charges  of  the  elepliant,  in  spite  of  deep  sand,  which  impeded 
them,  while  it  had  no  effect  on  the  elephant.  Time  after  time  he  was  within  a  yard  or 
80  of  one  of  the  himters,  when  the  other  two  saved  him  by  dashing  upon  either  flank, 
and  so  diverting  his  attention. 


v 


a  mimic  hunt,  and 
urious  elephant." 
the  hunters  in  good 

each  man  will  dash 
'  with  it.  Ihey  can 
ccaikion,  as  the  party 
>  had  been  gathering 
on  ?"  asked  Jali,  the 

In  spite  of  the  rough 
e  aggageers  snatched 
"se,  and  rode  off  with 
»  bite,  but  clung  cou- 
I  as  they  halted,  the 
oons,  and  with  their 
was  to  make  them 
the  next  halt,  when 
)lf  in  its  struggles  to 

horse  in  a  moment, 
X  very  clun)sy  affair, 
nough  to  admit  the 

?phant.  It  is  mucl^ 
is  if  on  a  pivot,  and 
)  can  charge  on  three 
Lrabs  always  kill  the 
Ids,  each  piece  being 
1  for  sword-hilts,  the 

they  gain  little  if 
ig  suffered  sevei-ely, 
that  spot  disables  it 
[TS  on  the  crupper  of 
edged  sword,  mostly 

Nothing,  perhaps, 
better  than  a  scene 

ggageers,  and,  while 
ipressible  little  Jali 
some  twelve  hands 

belts,  and  actually 
rould  be  sold  for  a 
■ee  inches  in  height, 

a  powerful  animal 

pee  of  them,  Jali  of 
t  that  they  actually 
thaut  was  mad  with 
et  behind  him,  and 
rageers  managed  to 
nd,  which  impeded 
a  within  a  yard  or 
upon  either  flank, 


HUNTING  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS. 


765 


They  hunt  the  hippopotamus  as  successfully  as  they  chase  the  elephant,  and  are  88 
mighty  hunters  in  the  water  as  upon  land.  j  i  rm. 

In  this  chase  they  exchange  the  sword  and  shield  for  the  harpoon  and  lance,  ihe 
former  weapon  is  made  on  exactly  the  same  principle  as  that  which  has  already  been 
described  when  treating  of  the  hippopotamus  hunters  of  South  Central  Afnca,  but  it  is 
much  lighter.  The  shaft  is  a  stout  bamboo  about  ten  feet  in  length,  and  the  head  is  a 
piece  of  soft  steel  about  a  foot  long,  sharply  pointed  at  one  end  and  having  a  smgle  stout 


»;'!'■ 


««^j 


HUNTING  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUa 


barb.  .One  end  of  a  rope,  about  twenty  feet  in  length,  is  firmly  attached  to  the  i^ead  and 
tx>  the  other  end  is  fastened  a  float  made  of  a  very  light  wood  caUed  ambatch.  which  is 

also  used  for  making  canoes  and  rafts.  ^     .i.    i  -i.  i.„  „„4.a  ««  hia  Tmntiinr 

When  the  hunter  sees  a  hippopotamus,  and  means  to  attack  it,  he  puts  on  his  hunting 

dress,  i.e.  he  braces  a  leathern  belt  round  his  waist,  and  takes  of!  all  his  ^lotjes^  H?tX 
fixes  the  iron  head  on  the  bamboo  shaft,  winds  the  rope  round  the  latter  and  M^^^ 
enters  the  water,  holding  the  harpoon  in  the  right  hand  and  ^^e  ambatch  float  m  the  tett 
As  soon  as  he  comes  within  striking  distance  of  his  victim,  the  hu.poon  ^^  hnyled.  and 
the  hunter  tries  to  find  a  spot  in  which  the  infuriated  animal  cannot  reach  hun.    The 

3c2 


m 


'Vee 


THE  HAMBAN  ARABa 


il 

i' ' 

i 


R 


wounded  hippopotamus  dashes  about,  first  in  the  river,  then  on  the  bank,  and  then  in  the 
river  again,  always  trailing  alter  it  the  rope  and  float,  and  so  weakening  itself,  and 
allowing  its  enemies  to  track  it.  Sooner  or  later  they  contrive  to  seize  Uie  end,  drag  the 
animal  near  the  bank,  and  then  with  Uieir  lances  put  it  to  death. 

Often,  when  they  have  brought  the  hippopotamus  to  the  shore,  it  charges  open- 
mouthed  at  its  tormentors.  Some  of  them  receive  it  with  spears,  while  others,  though 
unarmed,  boldly  await  its  onset,  and  fling  handfuls  of  sand  into  its  eyes.  The  sand  really 
seems  to  cause  more  pain  and  annoyance  than  the  spears,  and  the  animal  never  can 
withstand  it,  but  retreats  to  the  water  to  wash  the  sand  out  of  its  eye&  In  the  mean- 
time, wea|K)n  after  weapon  is  plunged  into  its  body,  until  at  last  loss  of  blood  begins  to 
tell  upon  it,  and  by  degrees  it  yields  up  its  life. 

Sir  S.  Bftker  gives  a  most  animated  description  of  one  of  these  strange  hunts. 

One  of  the  old  Hamran  hunters,  named  Abou  Do — an  abbreviated  version  of  a  very 
long  string  of  names — ^was  celebrated  as  a  howarti,  or  hippopotamus  hunter.  This  iine 
old  man,  some  seventy  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the  finest  conceivable  specimens  of 
humanity.  In  spite  of  his  great  age,  his  tall  form,  six  feet  two  in  height^  was  as  straight 
as  in  early  youth,  his  grey  locks  hung  in  thick  curls  over  hia  shoulders,  and  his  bronze 
features  were  those  of  an  ancient  statue.  Despising  all  encumbrances  of  dress,  he 
stepped  from  rock  to  rock  as  lightly  as  a  goat,  an^  dripping  with  water,  and  bearing  his 
spear  in  his  hand,  he  looked  a  very  Neptune. 

The  huntera  came  upon  a  herd  of  hippopotami  in  a  pool,  but  found  that  they  were 
too  much  awake  to  be  safely  attacked. 

"  About  half  a  mile  below  this  spot,  as  we  clambered  over  the  intervening  rocks 
through  a  gorge  which  formed  a  powerful  rapid,  I  observed,  in  a  small  pool  just  below^ 
the  rapid,  an  immense  head  of  a  hippopotamus  close  to  a  perpendicular  rock  that  formed 
a  wall  to  the  river,  about  six  feet  above  the  surface.  I  pointed  out  the  hippo  to  old 
Abou  Do,  who  had  not  seen  it. 

"  At  once  the  gravity  of  the  old  Arab  disappeared,  and  the  energy  of  the  hunter  was 
exhibited  as  he  motioned  us  to  remain,  while  he  ran  nimbly  behind  the  thick  screen  of 
bushes  for  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  below  the  spot  where  the  hippo  was  uncon- 
sciously basking,  with  his  ugly  head  above  the  surface.  Plunging  into  the  rapid  torrent, 
the  veteran  hunter  was  carried  some  distance  down  the  stream,  but  breasting  the  powerful 
current,  he  landed  upon  the  rocks  on  the  opposite  side,  and  retiring  to  some  distance  from 
the  river,  he  quickly  advanced  towards  the  spot  beneath  which  the  hippopotamus  was 
lying.  I  had  a  fine  view  of  the  scene,  as  I  was  lying  concealed  exactly  opposite  the 
hippo,  who  had  disappeared  beneath  the  water. 

"Abou  Do  now  stealthily  approached  the  ledge  of  rock  beneath  which  he  had 
expected  to  see  the  head  of  the  animal;  his  long  sinewy  arm  was  raised,  with  the 
harpoon  ready  to  strike  as  he  carefully  advanced.  At  length  he  reached  the  edge  of  the 
perpendicular  rock;  the  hippo  had  vanished,  but,  far  from  exhibiting  surprise,  the  old 
Arab  remained  standing  on  the  sharp  ledge,  unchanged  in  attitude. 

"  No  figure  of  bronze  could  have  been  more  rigid  than  that  of  the  old  river-king,  an 
he  stood  erect  upon  the  rock  with  the  left  foot  advanced,  and  the  harpoon  poised  in  his 
ready  right  hand  above  his  head,  while  in  the  left  he  held  the  loose  coils  of  rope  attached 
to  the  ambatch  buoy.  For  about  three  minutes  he  stood  like  a  statue,  gazing  intently 
into  the  clear  and  deep  water  beneath  his  feet 

"  I  watched  eagerly  for  the  reappearance  of  the  hippo ;  the  surface  of  the  water  was 
still  barren,  when  suddenly  the  right  arm  of  the  statue  descended  like  lightning,  and  the 
harpoon  shot  perpendicularly  into  the  pool  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow.  What  river-fiend 
answered  to  the  summons?  In  an  instant  an  enormous  pair  of  open  jaws  appeared, 
followed  by  the  ungainly  head  and  form  of  the  furious  hippopotamus,  who,  springing  half 
out  of  the  water,  lashed  the  river  into  foam,  and,  disdaining  the  concealment  of  the  deep 
pool,  he  charged  straight  up  the  violent  rapids.  With  extraordinary  power  he  breasted 
the  descending  stream ;  gaining  a  footing  in  the  rapids,  about  five  feet  deep,  he  ploughed 
his  way  against  the  broken  waves,  sending  them  in  showera  of  spray  upon  all  sides,  and 
upon  gaining  broader  shallows  he  tore  along  through  the  water,  with  the  buoyant  float 


wmmm 


sank,  and  then  in  the 
ireakening  itself,  and 
size  the  end,  drag  the 

)re,  it  chaiges  open- 
while  others,  though 
yes.  The  sand  really 
be  animal  never  can 
eyes.  Tn  the  mean- 
is  of  blood  begins  to 

;range  hunts, 
ted  version  of  a  very 
18  hunter.  This  fine 
iivable  specimens  of 
Bight,  was  as  straight 
ders,  and  his  bronze 
)rance8  of  dress,  he 
iter,  and  bearing  his 

rand  that  they  were 

te  intervening  rocks 
mall  pool  just  belo^v| 
lar  rock  that  formed 
)ut  the  hippo  to  old 

y  of  the  hunter  was 
the  thick  screen  of 
e  hippo  was  uncou- 
to  the  rapid  torrent, 
easting  the  powerful 
>  some  distance  Irom 
i  hippopotamus  was 
sxactly  opposite  the 

ath  which  he  had 
as  raised,  with  the 
tied  the  edge  of  the 
ag  surprise,  the  old 

e  old  river-king,  as 
poon  poised  in  his 
ils  of  rope  attached 
tue,  gazing  intently 

36  of  the  water  was 
I  lightning,  and  the 
What  river-fiend 
pen  jaws  appeared, 
who,  springing  half 
alment  of  the  deep 
power  he  breasted 

deep,  he  ploughed 
upon  all  sides,  and 

the  buoyant  float 


COURAGE  OF  THE  HUNTERS. 


767 


hopping  behind  him  along  the  surface,  until  he  landed  from  the  river,  started  at  fiill 
gallop  along  the  dry  shingly  bed,  and  at  length  disa]i*^eared  in  the  thorny  nabbuk  jungle.'' 

During  one  of  these  nights,  the  hippopotamus  took  it  into  his  head  that  the  ambatoh 
float  was  we  enemy  that  was  damaging  him,  and  attacked  it  furiously.  Taking  advantage 
of  his  pre-occupation,  two  hunters  swam  across  the  river,  carrying  with  them  a  very  long 
and  tough  rvpe,  and  holding  one  end  on  each  bank,  and  "  sweeping,"  as  the  sailors  say, 
they  soon  caught  the  float  in  the  centre  of  the  rope  and  brought  it  ashore.  The 
hippopotamus  then  made  a  charge,  and  the  slackened  line  was  imm^iately  coiled  round 
a  rock,  while  two  hunters  fixed  additional  harpoons  in  the  animal ;  and  though  he  made 
six  charges  at  his  foes,  bit  one  of  the  ropes  asunder,  and  crushed  the  lance-shafts  between 
his  teeth  like  straws,  the  hardy  hunters  got  the  better  of  him,  and  bis  death  was  a  mere 
matter  of  time. 

The  hippopotamus  is  nearly  as  great  a  prize  as  the  rhinoceros,  as  it  affords  an  almost 
unlimited  supply  of  food,  and  the  hide  is  extremely  valuable,  being  cut  into  strips  two 
inches  in  width,  which  are  used  in  the  mlnufacture  of  the  koorbash,  or  hide  whip,  so 
universally  employed  throughout  Africa. 

In  the  water,  the  croco  tile  is  even  a  more  dangerous  antagonist  than  the  hippopotamus, 
and  yet  the  Hamrans  attack  it  with  their  harpoons,  boldly  entering  the  water,  und  caring 
no  more  for  crocodiles  than  for  so  many  frogs. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

BEDOUINS,  HASSANIYEHS,  AND  MALAGASY. 

SIQNIVICATION  OV  THR  NAMR — OKNBBAIi  APPBABANCS  OF  THB  BBD0CIN8— THEIB  ROBBER  NATirBB 
— H08PITALITT  AND  ITS  DUTIB8 — I.IFB  AUONO  TUB  BBD0UIN8 — THB  BROOUIN  WOMRN — RIMPLB 
,  UODB  OF  OOVBRNHBNT— CONSTANT  FBCD8 — UODB  OF  OOOKINO — THB  OATR  AND  ITS  V8K8 — 
THB  HASSANIYBHS^KSENBRAI.  APPRARANCB — THBIR  VILLA0B8 — 8TBANOB  MARRIAOR  CUSTOMS — 
A  HABSANIYRH  DANCB— SOPRRSTITIONS  OF  THB  ARABS — THR  BAVNTRD  HOCSR — NOTIONS  OF 
TUB  MTRAGB — THB  INK  MIRROR — THB  MALAGASY  AND  THBIR  TRIBB8 — THE  FIRST  BRRF-BATBR — 
THR  HOVA  TRIBB — ARCHITRCTURB — THB  TRAVELLER'S  TRBB  AND  IT8  VSBS— TR^SATHENT  OF 
8LAVB8 — NOTIONS  OF  RBLIOION — ^THE   BLACKSMITH   TBIBB.  ' 


f< 

c 

8 

P 
CI 
tl 


[n    S; 


m 


Op  all  the  many  tribes  which  are  designated  by  the  common  title  of  Arab,  the  typical 
tribes  are  thoae  which  are  so  well  known  by  the  name  of  Bedouin,  or  Bedaween.  The 
former  is  the  more  familiar  mode  of  spelling  the  word,  and  it  will  therefore  be  employed. 

The  name  is  a  most  appropriate  one,  being  derived  from  an  Arabic  word  which 
signifies  the  desert,  and  meaning,  therefore,  a  man  of  the  wilderness.  The  Bedouins  are 
indeed  men  of  the  desert.  True  Ishtnaelites,  their  hand  is  against  every  man,  and  every 
man's  hand  against  them.  They  build  no  houses,  they  cultivate  no  lands,  they  conduct  no 
merchandise ;  but  are  nomad  and  predatory,  tiiisting  chiefly  for  their  living  to  the  milk  of 
their,  camels,  and  looking  upon  their  horses  and  dromedaries  as  means  whereby  they  can 
plunder  with  greater  security. 

As  Mr.  Palgrave  pithily  remarks,  while  treating  of  the  character  of  the  Bedouin : 
"  The  Bedouin  does  not  fight  for  his  home,  he  has  none ;  nor  for  his  country,  that  is 
anywhere ;  nor  /  for  his  honour,  he  has  never  heard  of  it ;  nor  for  his  religion,  he  owns 
and  cares  for  none.  His  only  object  in  war  is  the  temporary  occupation  of  some  bit  of 
miserable  pasture-land,  or  the  use  of  a  brackish  well;  perhaps  the  desire  to  get  such  a 
one's  horse  or  camel  into  his  own  possession." 

In  person  the  Bedouins  are  fine  specimens  of  the  human  race.  They  are  tall,  stately, 
with  well-cut  features,  and  have  feet  and  hands  that  are  proverbial  for  their  beauty. 
Their  demeanour  in  public  is  grave  and  haughty,  and  every  man  walks  as  if  he  were 
monarch  of  the  world.  While  other  Arab  tribes  have  lost  their  distinctive  manners  by 
contact  with  civilization,  the  Bedouins  alone  have  preserved  them,  and,  even  when  they 
visit  the  cities  which  they  hate  so  nmch,  they  can  be  at  once  distinguished  by  their 
demeanour.  Lady  Duff-Gordon  was  greatly  struck  with  it.  "  To  see  a  Bedawee  and  his 
wife  walk  through  the  streets  of  Cairo  is  superb.  Her  hand  resting  on  his  shoiilder,  and 
scarcely  deigning  to  cover  her  haughty  face,  she  looks  down  on  the  Egyptian  veiled 
woman,  who  carries  the  heavy  burden  and  walks  behind  her  lord  and  master." 

The  dress  of  the  Bedouins  is  simple  enough.  The  men  wear  a  sort  of  a  tunic  or 
shirt,  covered  with  a  large  thick  mantle  called  the  haik.  Another  cloth  is  disposed  over 
the  head,  and  falls  on  either  side  of  the  face  so  as  to  shield  it  from  the  sun,  and  is  kept 
in  its  place  by  a  cord  of  camel's  hair,  that  is  wound  several  times  across  the  brows.    An 


HOSPITALITT. 


759 


■i  K 


Z. 


fHEIR  B0BB7.R  NATTTBI! 
)OUIN  WOMEN — SIMFL8 
OATR  AND  ITS  VSKS — 
liARRIAOR  CUSTOMS — 
>  HOUSR — NOTIONS  OP 
:  FIB6T  BERF-EATEB — 
V8K8 — TBJATHSNT    0» 


of  Arab,  the  typical 
or  Bedaween.  The 
erefore  be  employed. 
Arabic  word  which 
The  Bedouins  are 
vexy  man,  and  every 
ids,  they  conduct  no 
living  to  the  milk  of 
IS  whereby  they  can 

er  of  the  Bedouin : 
his  country,  that  is 
lis  religion,  he  owns 
itiim  of  some  bit  of 
iesire  to  get  such  a 

ley  are  tall,  stately, 
il  for  their  beauty, 
ralks  as  if  he  were 
inctive  manners  by 
id,  even  when  they 
tinguished  by  their 
a  Bedawee  and  his 
n  his  shoulder,  and 
le  Egyptian  veiled 
naster." 

sort  of  a  tunic  or 
th  is  disposed  over 
e  sun,  and  is  kept 
9SS  the  brows.    As 


for  the  women,  they  wear  a  blue  shirt,  much  open  at  the  boaom,  and  care  for  no  other 
clothing. 

Being  a  predatory  race,  the  Bedouins  ar*  always  armed,  their  chief  weapon  being  the 
spear,  which  is  of  enormous  length,  and  often  so  weighty  that  a  powerful  as  well  as  a 
practised  arm  is  required  to  wield  it.  At  the  present  day  those  who  can  afford  fire-arms 
carry  guns  of  such  length  of  barrel  that  they  seem  to  have  been  made  in  emulf.tion  of 
the  spear-shafta  These  weapons  are  of  very  indifferent  quality,  and  the  Bedouin  is  never 
a  good  marksman,  his  clumsy  weapon  taking  a  long  time  to  load,  and  the  owner  'aking  a 
long  time  to  aim,  and  then  aiming  very  badly. 

In  consequence  of  the  robber  nature  of  the  Bedouins,  no  one  will  venture  to  pass 
through  their  districts  without  being  well  armed,  or  protected  by  a  sufficient  escort  At 
the  present  day,  Europeans  can  travel  with  comparative  safety,  as  they  have  a  way  of 
fighting  when  attacked,  and  ol  generally  hitting  their  mark  when  they  fire,  so  that  even 
the  wandering  Bedouins  have  conceived  a  respect  for  such  incomprehensible  beings,  and 
would  rather  receive  them  as  guests  than  fight  them  as  enemies. 

If,  however,  they  come  upon  a  solitary  traveller,  they  pounce  upon  him,  and  rob  him 
of  everything,  even  of  his  clothes.  Still,  they  are  not  bmtal  about  M,  except  perhaps  in 
enforcing  haste  by  a  menacing  gesture  with  a  spear.  They  seldom  accompany  robbery 
with  murder,  and  have  been  known  to  take  the  traveller  whom  they  have  robbed  into 
their  tents,  feed  him,  give  him  old  clothes  instead  of  the  new  which  they  have  taken 
from  him,  keep  him  all  night,  and  send  him  on  his  journey,  even  taking  the  trouble  to 
accompany  him  for  some  distance,  lest  he  should  lose  his  way.  The  robber  ^eels  no 
enmity  towards  the  man,  and  simply  looks  on  him  as  a  providential  benefit  cast  in  his 
way,  and  as  such  rather  respects  him  than  otherwise. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  the  Bedouin  takes  the  uan  to  his  tent  after  he  has 
robbed  him.  Had  he  begun  operations  by  allowing  the  traveller  to  enter  his  tent,  and 
partake  of  his  food,  he  could  not  have  robbed  his  guest  afterwards.  There  is  a  chivalrous 
sort  of  feeling  in  the  Arab  mind  that  the  person  of  a  guest  is  sacred;  and  if  the  fiercest 
Bedouin  had  received  a  man  under  the  shadow  of  his  tent,  he  would  be  bound  to  protect 
that  man  as  if  he  wera  his  own  son.  So  far  is  this  feeling  carried,  that  instances  have 
been  known  where  a  strange  Arab  has  taken  refuge  in  a  tent  and  received  protection, 
though  the  owner  discovered  that  his  guest  had  killed  one  of  his  nearest  i-elations. 

The  only  habitations  of  the  Bedouins  are  their  tents.  These  tents,  on  which  so  much 
poetry  has  been  lavished,  are  about  as  unpoetical  as  anything  can  be.  Any  one  can  make 
a  Bedouin  tent  in  five  minutes.  He  has  only  to  take  a  few  sticks,  some  five  feet  in 
length,  thrust  one  end  into  the  ground,  throw  over  them  a  piece  of  black  and  very  dirty 
sackcloth,  peg  the  edges  to  the  ground,  and  there  is  the  tent.  Being  only  some  four  feet 
in  height  in  the  middle,  no  one  can  stand  upright  in  it,  and  only  in  the  middle  can  any 
one  even  sit  upright.  But  as  the  tent  is  not  regarded  as  we  regard  a  house,  and  is  only 
used  as  a  sort  of  convenient  shelter  in  which  the  Arabs  can  sleep,  height  is  of  no 
importance. 

These  low,  dark  tents  are  almost  invariably  pitched  in  the  form  of  a  semicircle,  the 
openings  eastward,  and  just  enough  space  left  between  each  hut  for  the  passage  of  their 
camels  and  horses.  The  area  inclosed  between  the  arms  of  the  crescent  is  intended  for 
the  children,  as  a  place  wherein  they  may  disport  themselves  while  still  under  the 
mother's  eye.  When  new,  the  tents  are  mostly  striped  in  broad  bands  of  two  or  three 
feet  in  width,  but  the  rough  usage  to  which  they  are  subjected  soon  destroys  the  colour. 

Such  are  the  tents  of  the  ordinary  Bedouins.  The  sheikh,  or  chief  of  each  clan,  has 
a  larger  and  better  tent,  which  is  divided  into  compartments  by  curtains,  so  disposed  as 
to  leave  a  set  of  rooms  on  the  outside,  and  one  or  more  rooms  in  the  centre.  Those  on 
the  outside  are  for  the  men,  and  those  in  the  interior  for  the  women  belonging  to  the 
sheikh's  family.  A  certain  amount  of  privacy  is  gairc^,  which  belongs,  however,  only  to 
the  eye  and  not  to  the  ear,  the  partitions  being  nothing  more  than  curtains,  and  the 
Arabs  all  speaking  in  the  loudest  of  voices — a  bawling  nation,  as  a  French  traveller 
described  them. 

The  furniture  is  suitable  to  the  dwelling,  and  consists  merely  of  a  mat  or  two  and  a 


760 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


few  pots.  Some  of  the  wealthier  are  very  proud  of  possessing  V^ass  mortara  in  which 
thev  pound  their  coffee,  and  everv  morning  is  heard  the  musi  i.i  tinkle  of  the  coH'ee- 
maker.  Even  the  men  condescend  to  make  coffee,  and  the  sheikh  himself  mav  be  seen 
at  work  in  the  morning,  pounding  away  at  the  berries,  and  rejoicing  equally  in  the 
musical  sound  of  the  pestle  and  the  fragrant  odour  of  the  freshly-roasted  coffee. 

Thus  bred  entirely  in  the  open  air,  the  only  shelter  being  the  tattered  sackcloth  of  the 
tent,  the  true  Bedouin  can  endure  no  other  life.  He  is  as  miserable  within  the  walls  of  a 
town  as  a  wolf  in  a  trap.  His  eyes,  accustdmed  to  range  over  the  vast  expanse  of  desert, 
are  affronted  by  the  walls  over  which  he  cannot  see.  The  streets  oppress  him,  and  within 
the  atmosphere  of  a  room  he  can  scarcely  breatha    Both  he  and  his  camel  are  equally 


BSOOUm  CAMP. 


i! 


t 

! 


*  ) 


out  of  their  element  when  among  civilized  people,  and  they  are  ever  looking  forward  to 
the  happy  moment  when  they  may  again  breathe  the  free  air  of  the  desert. 

Life  among  the  Bedouins  is  not  pleasant  to  a  European,  and  is  by  no  means  the  sort 
of  paradisaical  existence  that  we  are  often  led  to  think.  It  is  certainly  a  free  life  in  its 
way,  and  has  that  peculiar  charm  which  is  felt  by  all  civilized  beings  when  first  allowed 
to  do  as  they  lika  But  it  has  its  drawbacks,  not  the  least  being  that  every  one  is 
equally  free ;  and  if  a  stronger  man  should  choose  to  assert  his  freedom  by  plundering 
the  traveller,  he  is  at  perfect  liberty  co  do  so. 

Then,  the  "  Arab  maids,"  who  look  so  picturesque— in  a  painting — are  not  quite  so 
pleasant  in  reality.  Dirt,  evil  odours,  screaming  voices,  and  detestable  manners  are  not 
seen  in  a  picture,  but  in  reality  force  themselves  on  more  senses  than  one. 

Even  in  youth  the  Bedouin  girls  are  not  so  handsome  as  is  generally  thought  They 
axe  tall,  well  made,  and  graceful,  but  are  deficient  in  that  gentleness  and  softness  which 


i 


SOCIAL  PECULIARITIES. 


761 


»s  mortars  in  which 
tinkle  of  the  cott'ee- 
himself  mav  be  seen 
icino  equally  in  the 
tsted  coffee, 
ered  sackcloth  of  the 
within  the  walls  of  a 
wt  expanse  of  desert, 
ress  him,  and  within 
8  camel  are  equally 


ooking  forward  to 

sert. 

no  means  the  sort 

'  a  free  life  in  its 

i^hen  first  allowed 

that  every  one  is 

om  by  plundering 

-are  not  quite  so 
manners  are  not 

le. 

y  thought    They 
id  softness  which 


we  naturally  associate  with  the  feminine  nature.  They  are  fond  of  tattooing  themselves, 
and  cover  their  arms  and  chins  with  blue  patterns,  such  as  stars  or  arabesque  figui-es.  Some 
of  them  extend  the  tattoo  over  the  breast  nearly  Us  low  as  the  waist  The  corners  of  the 
eyes  are  sometimes  decorated  with  this  cheap  and  indestructible  ornament  They  are 
fond  of  ornaments,  esj^cially  of  ear-rings,  which  can  scarcely  be  too  large  fur  them. 

Unlike  the  more  civilized  Mahometans,  they  care  little  about  veiling  their  faces,  and, 
in  fact  P^s  a  life  nearly  as  free  as  that  of  the  men.  Even  the  women's  apartment  of  the 
tent  is  thrown  open  by  day  for  the  sake  of  air,  and  any  one  can  see  freely  into  it 

Feminine  beauty  differs  as  mu'^h  among  the  Arabs  as  among  other  people.  Mr. 
Palgrave  says  wittily  that  if  any  onu  could  invent  an  instrument  which  could  measure 
beauty — a  kalometer,  as  he  calls  it — the  Bedouin  would  be  "  represented  by  zero,  or  at 
most  1°.  A  degree  higher  would  represent  the  female  sex  of  !Nejed ;  above  them  rank 
the  women  of  Shomer,  who  are  in  their  turn  surmounted  by  those  of  Djowf.  The  fifth 
or  sixth  degiee  symbolizes  the  fair  ones  of  Hasa ;  the  seventh  those  of  Katar ;  and  lastly, 
by  a  sudden  rise  of  ten  degrees  at  least  the  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  would  denote  the 
pre-eminent  beauties  of  Oman. 

"  Arab  poets  occasionally  languish  after  the  charmers  of  Uejaz ;  I  never  saw  any  one 
to  charm'  me,  but  then  I  only  skirted  the  province.  All  bear  witness  to  the  absence  of 
female  loveliness  in  Yamen ;  and  I  should  much  doubt  whether  the  mulatto  races  and 
dusky  complexions  of  Hadramout  have  much  to  vaunt  o£  But  in  Hasa  a  decided 
improvement  in  this  important  point  is  agreeably  evident  to  the  traveller  arriving  from 
Nejed,  and  he  will  be  yet  further  delighted  on  finding  his  Calvpsos  much  more  conversible, 
and  having  much  more  too  in  their  conversation,  than  those  he  left  behind  him  in  Sedeys 
and  Aared." 

It  is  popularly  thought  that  Arab  manners  are  like  those  of  the  Turk, — grave,  polite, 
and  majestic.  The  fact  is  far  difierent.  Though,  like  the  American  Indian,  the  Arab 
has  a  proud  and  stately  walk,  and  knows  well  enough  how  to  assume  a  regally  indifferent 
demeanour  on  occasion,  he  is  by  nature  lively  and  talkative,  not  caring  very  much  what 
he  talks  about;  and  fond  of  singing  Arab  songs  in  that  curious  mixture  of  high  screaming 
falsetto  and  guttural  intonation  which  he  is  pleased  to  consid'^r  vocal  music. 

Then  the  general  manners  are  by  no  means  dignified,  even  when  the  Bedouins  want 
to  do  special  honour  to  a  guest  Mr.  Palgrave  spent  much  time  among  them,  and  has 
drawn  a  vivid  picture  of  life  in  a  Bedr  -ip.  ncampment  It  is  no  unfavourable  one,  the 
inmates  being  described  as  "  ajaweed,"  or  gentlemen — though  the  author  remarks  rather 
wickedly  that,  if  they  were  gentlemen,  J  e  very  much  wondered  what  the  blackguards 
were  like. 

"  The  chief,  his  family  (women  excepted),  his  intimate  followers,  and  some  twenty 
others,  young  and  old,  boys  and  men,  came  up,  and,  after  a  kindly  salutation  Bedouin- 
wise,  seated  themselves  in  a  semicircle  before  us.  Every  man  held  a  short  crooked  stick 
for  camel-driving  in  his  hand,  to  gesticulate  with  in  speaking,  or  to  play  with  in  the 
intervals  of  conversation ;  while  the  younger  members  of  society,  leas  prompt  in  discourse, 
politely  employed  their  leisure  in  staring  at  us,  or  in  pinching  up  dried  pellets  of  dirt 
from  the  sand,  and  tossing  them  about 

"  But  how  am  I  to  describe  their  conversation,  their  questions  and  answers,  their 
manners  and  jests  ?  '  A  sensible  person  in  this  city  is  like  a  man  tied  up  among  a  drove 
of  mules  in  a  stable,'  I  once  heard  from  a  respectable  stranger  in  the  Syrian  town  of 
Homs,  a  locality  proverbial  for  the  utter  stupidity  of  its  denizens.  But  among  Bedouins 
in  the  desert,  where  the  advantages  of  the  stable  are  wanting,  the  guest  rather  resembles 
a  man  in  the  middle  of  a  field  among  untied  mules,  frisking  and  kicking  their  heels  in  all 
directions  around  him. 

"  Here  you  may  see  human  nature  at  its  lowest  stage,  or  very  nearly.  One  sprawls 
stretched  out  on  the  sand,  another  draws  unmeaning  lines  with  the  end  of  his  stick,  a 
third  grins,  a  fourth  asks  purposeless  or  impertinent  questions,  or  cuts  jokes  meant  for 
wit  but  in  fact  only  coarse  in  the  extreme.  Meanwhile  the  boys  thrust  themselves 
forward  without  restraint  and  interrupt  their  elders  (their  betters  I  can  haidly  say) 
without  the  smallest  rospect  or  deference. 


762 


THE  BEDOUJNa 


"  And  yet,  in  all  this,  there  is  no  real  intention  of  rudeneM,  no  desire  to  annoy— quite 
the  reverse.  They  sincerely  wish  to  make  themselves  agreeable  to  the  new  comers,  to 
put  them  at  their  ease,  nay,  to  do  them  what  good  service  they  can,  only  they  do  not 
exactly  know  how  to  set  about  it  If  they  violate  all  laws  of  decorum  or  courtesy,  it  is 
out  of  sheer  ignorance,  not  mtUiee  prepenae.  And,  amid  the  aimlessneiM  of  an  utterly 
uncultivated  mind,  they  occasionally  show  indications  of  considerable  tact  and  shrewd> 
ness ;  while,  through  all  the  fickleness  proper  to  man  accustomed  to  no  moral  or  physical 
restraint,  there  appears  the  groundwork  of  a  manly  and  generous  character,  such  •«  a 
Persian,  for  instance,  seldom  offers. 

"  Their  defects  are  inherent  in  their  condition,  their  redeeming  qualities  are  their 
own — they  have  them  by  inheritance  from  one  of  the  noblest  races  of  earth,  from  the 
Arabs  of  inhabited  lands  and  oiganized  governments.  Indeed,  after  having  travelled 
much  and  made  pretty  intimate  acquaintance  with  many  races,  African,  Asiatic,  and 
European,  I  should  hardiv  be  inclined  to  give  the  preference  to  any  over  the  genuine 
unmixed  clans  of  Central  and  Eastern  Africa.  Now  these  last-mentioned  populations 
are  identical  in  blood  and  tongue  with  the  myriads  of  the  desert,  yet  how  immeasurably 
inferior !  The  difference  between  a  barbarous  Highlander  and  an  English  gentleman,  in 
•  Bob  Roy '  or '  Waverley,'  is  hardly  less  striking." 

The  resemblance  between  the  gipsy  and  the  Bedouin  is  almost  too  evident  to  need 
mention,  and  the  author  of  this  passage  has  here  drawn  attention  to  the  singular 
resemblance  between  the  Bedouin  and  the  Highlander,  as  described  by  Scott  There  is. 
however,  in  the  "  Legend  of  Montrose,"  a  passage  which  is  worthy  of  being  quoted  in  tliis 
place,  so  strangely  close  is  the  parallel.  It  occurs  in  the  scene  where  the  wounded 
Mac-Eogh  is  dying  in  prison,  and  is  giving  his  last  commands  to  his  grandsoa  "  Keep 
thou  unsoiled  the  freedom  which  I  leave  thee  as  a  birthright  Barter  it  not,  neither  for' 
the  rich  garment,  nor  for  the  stone  roof,  nor  for  the  covered  board,  nor  for  the  couch  of 
down.  Son  of  the  Mist,  be  free  as  thy  forefathers.  Own  no  land — ^receive  no  law—- take 
no  hire — give  no  stipend — build  no  hut — inclose  no  pasture — sow  no  grain.  .  .  .  Begone 
—shake  the  dust  from  thy  feet  against  the  habitations  of  men,  whether  banded  together 
for  peace  or  war."  Shift  the  scene  from  Scotland  to  Arabia,  and  no  more  appropriate 
words  could  have  been  put  into  the  mouth  of  a  dying  Bedouin  chief. 

With  characters  so  impatient  of  control,  it  is  evident  that  there  can  be  no  government 
worthy  of  the  nama  Like  the  Son  of  the  Mist  they  acknowledge  no  lord,  and  there  is  no 
one  who  bears  even  by  courtesy  the  title  of  King  of  the  Bedouins.  Each  clan  is  governed  by 
its  own  sheikh,  and  occasionally  a  few  clans  unite  for  some  raid  under  the  presidency  of 
the  eldest  or  most  important  sheikh,  and  remain  united  for  some  time.  But  his  rule  only 
lasts  as  long  as  the  otners  choose  to  obey  him,  and  instead  of  being  a  sovereign,  or  even 
a  commander-in-chief,  he  is  but  primus  inter  pares. 

The  clans  themselves  vary  exceedingly  in  numbers,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  each  clan 
consists  of  one  family,  gathered  together  after  the  patriarchal  system.  Then  if  one  of 
the  men  should  happen  to  excel  his  fellows  he  is  sure  to  get  together  a  band  of  followers, 
to  separate  in  time  from  his  family,  and  found  a  clan  of  his  own. 

In  consequence  of  tliis  insubordinate  nature,  war,  as  we  understand  it  is  impossible, 
simply  because  discipline  cannot  be  maintained.  If,  for  example,  several  clans  unite 
under  the  presidency  of  one  of  their  number,  should  one  of  the  confederated  sheikhs  feel 
dissatisfied  with  the  commander,  he  will  go  off  together  with  his  people,  and  probably 
join  another  who  is  more  to  his  mind. 

Though  war  is  unknown,  the  Bedouins  live  in  a  chronic  state  of  feud,  no  one  knowing 
whether  his  encampment  may  not  be  assailed  by  another  clan,  all  his  little  property — 
dress  included — torn  from  him,  if  he  submits,  and  bis  throat  very  probably  cut  if  he 
resists.  No  one  ever  thinks  of  giving  notice  of  attack,  or  of  fighting  anything  like  equal 
numbers.  Should  they  not  be  far  superior  in  numbers,  they  contrive  to  project  their 
assault  secretly,  and  to  take  their  victims  by  surprise,  and  the  man  who  is  most  ingenious 
in  planning  such  raids,  and  the  most  active  and  courageous  in  carrying  them  out  ie  sure 
to  be  the  man  who  will  rise  to  a  sort  of  eminence  in  his  own  clan,  and  finish  by  founding 
one  of  his  own.    The  only  object  of  suou  a  raid  is  the  acquisition  of  property ;  and  even 


tisssBsssaassasM 


THEIR  COOKERY. 


768 


Bsire  to  annoy— quite 
>  the  new  oomen,  to 
Jan,  only  they  do  not 
am  or  courtesy,  it  ia 
mawa  of  an  utterly 
>le  tact  and  shrewdU 
no  moral  or  physical 
character,  such  a«  a 

i  qualities  are  their 
J8  of  earth,  ftom  the 
ker  having  travelled 
African,  Asiatic,  and 
jy  over  the  genuine 
sntioned  populations 
t  how  immeasurably 
Qglish  gentleman,  in 

too  evident  to  need 
on  to  the  singular 
by  Scott.  There  is, 
being  quoted  in  this 
where  the  wounded 
I  pandsoa  "  Keep 
-  It  not,  neither  for' 
or  for  the  couch  of 
jceive  no  law— take 
grain.  .  .  .  Begone 
er  banded  together 
0  more  appropriate 

a  be  no  government 
ord,  and  there  is  no 

clan  is  govei;:ed  by 

r  the  presidency  of 

But  his  rule  only 

sovereign,  or  even 

)ral  rule,  each  clan 
).  Then  if  one  of 
t  band  of  followers, 

i  it,  is  impossible, 
everal  clans  unite 
erated  sheikhs  feel 
>ple,  and  probably 

d,  no  one  knowing 
little  property — 
trobably  cut  if  he 
lything  like  equal 
B  to  project  their 
is  most  ingenious 
them  out,  is  sure 
inish  by  founding 
operty;  and  even 


a  handsome  horse,  or  a  remarkably  awift  dromedary,  will  canae  the  destruction  of  a 
whole  clan. 

Living  in  the  desert,  and  only  travelling  from  one  fertile  spot  to  another,  they  cannot 
be  expected  to  be  very  delicate  in  regard  to  provisions,  nor  to  possess  any  great  skill  in 
cookery.  Their  |;reatest  luxury  is  a  feast  on  boiled  mutton,  and  the  whole  process  of 
cooking  and  serving  is  almost  ludiurousljr  simple.  The  body  of  the  sheep  is  cut  up  and 
thrown  into  a  pot,  together  with  a  sufficiency  of  water.  The  pot  is  then  placed  on  the 
tire,  and  in  process  of  time  it  boils.    When  it  is  about  two-thirds  cooked,  according  to 


c^^ 


'•^y/JSf^A 


BEOOUm  COOKING  HIS  DINNER. 


our  ideas,  the  hungry  Bedouins  can  wait  no  longer;  it  is  all  turned  into  a  large  wooden 
bowl,  and  the  guests  assemble  round  it.  Their  hands  are  plunged  into  the  bowl,  the 
scalding  and  half-Taw  meat  is  quickly  torn  to  pieces,  and  in  five  minutes  nothing  is  left 
but  the  cleanly  picked  bones.  No  vegetAbles  are  added  to  it,  and  no  condiments  are 
thought  needful  Water  is  then  passed  round  in  another  bowl  or  pail,  a  deep  draught  is 
taken,  and  the  feast  is  over. 

The  bread  of  the  Bedouin  is  as  simple  as  the  cookery.     The  baker  pours  a  few 
handfula  of  floni  upon  a  circular  piece  ni  leather,  pours  a  little  water  upon  it,  and  kneads 


"64 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


:^:i 


,  f 


W 


.  it  into  dongh.  Another  man  has  in  the  meantime  been  preparing  a  fire,  and  aa  soon  as 
it  bums  up,  the  dough  is  patted  into  a  thin  circular  cake,  about  one  inch  thick  and  six 
inches  in  diameter.  This  is  laid  on  the  fire  and  covered  with  embers,  and  after  being 
turned  once  or  twice,  and  the  ashes  brushed  off  it,  it  is  taken  from  the  fire,  broken  up,  and 

•  eaten  as  it  is — "  half-kneaded,  half-raw,  half-roasted,  and  burnt  all  round."  Were  it  not 
eaten  while  still  hot,  it  would  become  so  tough  and  leathery  that  not  even  a  Bedouin 
could  eat  it  In  fact,  it  very  much  resembles  the  rough-and-ready  bread  of  the  Austndiau 
shepherds,  which  is  so  well  known  under  the  name  of  "  damper." 

One  advantage  of  this  style  of  bread  is,  that  it  can  be  readily  cooked  on  a  journey, 
and,  on  special  occasions,  a  camel-rider  can  even  bake  his  bread  while  on  the  back  of 
bis  dromedary. 

The  date  is,  however,  the  chief  resource  of  the  Bedouin,  and  on  that  fhiit  alone  he 
can  exist  for  a  long  time,  even  through  the  many  hardships  which  he  has  to  endure  in 
his^oumeying  through  the  desert.  In  England  we  do  not  know  what  the  date  really  is, 
nor  can  understand  the  rich  lusciousness  of  the  fruit  before  it  is  dried  and  preserved. 
In  the  latter  state  it  is  very  heating  to  a  European,  and  slightly  so  even  to  a  native, 
whereas  in  its  fresh  state  it  has  no  such  evil  qualities.    It  contains  a  marvellous  amount 

•  of  nourishment,  and  when  fresh  does  not  cloy  the  palate,  as  is  always  the  case  when  it 
is  dried. 

In  consequence  of  this  nourishing  property  of  the  fruit,  the  date-tree  is  not  onlv 
valued,  but  absolutely  honoured.  The  Arab  addresses  it  as  his  mother,  and  treats  it  with 
as  much  reverence  as  if  it  were  really  his  prent  A  single  date-tree  is  a  valuable 
property  among  all  Arab  tribes,  and,  although  the  genuine  Bedouins  own  none,  they 
reverence  it  as  much  as  their  more  stationary  brethren.  Cutting  down  the  date-trees  of 
au  enemy  is  looked  upon  as  the  last  extremity  of  cruelty,  while  planting  the  trees  on  a  ' 
new  piece  of  ground  is  a  sign  of  peace  and  prosperity. 

Tne  date  is  eaten  in  various  ways.  It  is  usually  preferred  while  fresh  and  full  of  its 
own  sweet  juices,  but,  as  it  cannot  be  kept  fresh  ve^  long,  it  is  dried,  pressed  together, 
and  so  storml  for  future  use.  When  the  dried  date  forms  a  portion  of  a  feast,  the  miit  is 
served  in  a  large  wooden  bowl,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  a  cup  containing  melted  butter. 
Each  guest  then  picks  out  the  dates  singly  from  the  mass,  and  dips  each  slightly  into  the 
butter  befoi;e  eating  it 

There  are  many  qualities  of  dates,  and  the  best,  which  grow  at  Kaseem,  are  in  great 
estimation,  and  are  largely  imported  to  the  non-producing  parts  of  Arabia.  At  Kaseem, 
the  date-palm  is  cultivated  to  a  grdat  extent,  and  probably  owes  its  peculiar  excellence  to 
the  constant  presence  of  water  six  or  seven  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The 
ripening  season  corresponds  with  our  autumn,  extending  through  the  latter  part  of  August 
and  the  beginning  of  September. 

Some  coimoisseurs,  however,  prefer  the  Khalas  date.  It  grows  only  in  Hasa,  and  fully 
deserves  its  name,  which  signifies  quintessence.  It  is  smaller  than  the  Kaseem  date, 
semi-transparent,  and  of  a  rich  amber  colour.  The  sale  of  this  particular  date  brings  in 
a  large  income  to  Hasa,  the  fruit  being  exported  as  far  as  Bombay  and  Zanzibar. 

Of  religion,  the  genuine  Bedouin  has  not  the  least  idea  He  is  nominally  a  Mahometan, 
and  will  repeat  certain  formulae  with  perfect  accuracy.  He  will  say  his  BismiUahs,  and 
Mashallahs,  and  other  pious  ejaculations  as  well  as  any  one,  but  he  has  not  the  least  idea 
who  Allah  may  be,  neither  does  he  care.  As  far  as  Mr.  Palgrave  could  ascertain,  their 
only  idea  of  Allah  was  that  of  a  very  great  sheikh,  who  would  have  about  the  same 
authority  over  them  in  the  next  world  as  their  own  sheikh  in  this  sphere.  That  is  to  say, 
they  consider  that  they  will  be  quite  as  independent  after  death  as  before,  and  that  they 
will  acknowledge  allegiance  to  this  great  sheikh  as  long  as  they  choose,  and  no  longer. 

Like  all  men  who  are  ignorant  of  religion,  they  are  superstitious  in  proportion  to 
their  ignorance.  Profoundly  illiterate  themselves,  they  have  the  greatest  reverence  for 
book-learning,  and  any  one  who  can  read  a  book  is  respected,  while  he  who  can  write  as 
well  as  read  is  regarded  with  a  curious  mixture  of  admiration,  envy,  and  fear.  The 
.  latter  feeling  is  excited  by  his  presumed  ability  of  writing  saphi&s,  or  charms,  which  are 
mostly  sentences  from  the  Koran,  and  are  supposed  to  possess  every  imaginable  virtue. 


GENERAL  APPEABANCE. 


766 


fire,  and  u  soon  u 
inch  thick  and  six 
ben,  and  after  being 
I  fire,  broken  up,  and 
und."  Were  it  not 
not  even  a  Bedouin 
ad  of  the  Australian 

looked  on  a  journey, 
tiile  on  the  back  of 

I  that  fruit  alone  he 
e  has  to  endure  in 
b  the  date  really  ia, 
Iried  and  preserved. 
JO  even  to  a  native, 
marvellous  amount 
s  the  case  when  it 

te-tree  is  not  only 
r,  and  treats  it  with 
i-tree  is  a  valuable 
18  own  none,  they 
n  the  date-trees  of 
ting  the  trees  on  a  ' 

resh  and  full  of  its 

d,  pressed  together, 
a  feast,  the  fruit  is 
ning  melted  butter, 
ch  slightly  into  the 

iseem,  are  in  great 
abia  At  Kaseem, 
suliar  excellence  to 
the  ground.  The 
tter  part  of  August 

in  Hasa,  and  fully 
the  Kaseem  date, 
liar  date  brings  in 
Zanzibar. 

lally  a  Mahometan, 
iis  fiismillahs,  and 
I  not  the  least  idea 
lid  ascertain,  their 
e  about  the  same 

e.  That  is  to  say, 
ore,  and  that  they 

and  no  longer. 
I  in  proportion  to 
test  reverence  for 

who  can  write  as 
Y,  and  fear.  The 
iharms,  which  are 
iginabie  virtue. 


Before  leavins  the  Bedouin  Arabs,  a  few  words  must  be  said  about  the  Arab  and  his 
liorse.  Many  tabs  are  told  of  the  love  that  exists  between  the  animal  and  its  master,  of 
the  attention  which  is  lavished  on  a  favourite  mare,  and  how  she  and  her  colt  inhabit  the 
ttint  together  with  the  children,  and  are  all  playfellows  together.  This  certainly  may  be 
the  caHA  occasionally,  but  not  invariably. 

That  they  are  brought  up  in  close  contact  is  true  enough,  and  that  the  animal  thereby 
acquires  an  intelligence  which  it  never  could  possess  under  less  sociable  treatment.  But 
the  Arab  has  no  more  real  affection  for  his  steed  than  has  many  an  Kiiglisli  gentleman 
ftr  bis  favourite  horse;  and  if  he  be  angered,  he  is  capable  of  treating  the  animal  with 
hasty  cruelty.  , 


THE  HASSANIYEH. 


Wb  are  come  to  a  branch  of  the  Arabs  called  the  Hassaniyeh,  who  inhabit  a  large 
tract  of  land  south  of  Khartoum.  They  are  paler  in  complexion  than  those  of  whom  we 
have  already  treated,  having  a  decided  tinge  of  yellow  in  their  skins.  They  are  dight, 
tall,  and  straight-featured.  The  men  part  their  hair  in  the  middle,  plait  it  into  long 
braids,  and  fasten  it  at  the  back  of  the  head,  so  that  they  have  rather  a  feminine  aspect 

The  villages  of  the  Hassaniyeh  are  mere  assemblages  of  slight  huts,  circular  in  shape, 
and  having  conical  roofs,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  by  way  of  a  chimney.  The  walls  are 
made  of  sticks  and  reeds,  and  the  roofs  of  straw,  and  at  a  little  distance  the  huts  look 
more  like  tents  than  houses.    Each  hut  is  surrounded  with  a  fence  of  thorns. 

As  among  other  Arab  tribes,  the  sheikh's  house  is  much  larger  and  better  than  those 
of  the  commonalty,  and  is  divided  into  several  chambers.  Sometimes  a  sort  of  serond 
hut  is  placed  in  the  interior,  is  made  of  fine  yellow  grass,  and  is  inhabited  by  the  women. 
Now  and  then  a  sheikh  has  his  tent  covered  with  camers-hair  cloth,  and  one  of  them, 
seen  by  Mr.  Bayard  Taylor,  was  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  contained  two  inner  chambers. 
rThe  walls  were  covered  with  skins,  gourds,  and  similar  articles ;  the  principal  chamber 
contained  a  large  bedstead  or  angarep ;  and  the  cloth  roof  was  decorated  with  great 
quantities  of  cowrie  shells,  sewn  upon  it  in  crosses,  stars,  and  other  pattema 

The  people  have  some  very  strange  customs,  among  which  is  one  that  is  almost 
peculiar  to  themselves,  though  an  analosous  cust<om  prevails  in  one  or  two  parts  of  the 
world.  A  woman  when  rhe  marries  doth  not  merge  her  identity  entirely  in  that  of  her 
husband,  but  reserves  tc  ^erself  one-fourth  of  her  life.  Consequently,  on  every  fourth 
day  she  is  released  from  her  marriage  vows ;  and  if  she  happens  to  take  a  fancy  to  any 
man,  the  favoured  lover  may  live  with  her  for  four-and-twenty  hours,  during  which  time 
the  husband  may  not  enter  the  hut.  With  this  curious  exception,  the  Hassaniyeh  women 
are  not  so  immoral  as  those  of  many  parts  of  the  world.  Wlien  a  traveller  passes  through 
the  country,  they  are  bound  to  fulfil  the  rites  of  hospitality  by  assigning  him  a  house 
during  the  time  of  his  visit,  and  lending  him  a  wife  for  the  same  peri(^.  Mr.  Taylor 
suggests  that  if  the  Hassaniyeh  would  tdso  lend  him  a  family  of  children  their  generosity 
would  be  complete. 

When  a  stranger  of  rank  visits  their  domains,  they  peiform  a  curious  dance  of 
welcome  by  way  of  salutation.  Mr.  Bayard  Taylor  has  well  described  one  of  these 
dances  which  he  witnessed  on  his  voyage  to  Khartoum.  He  had  won  the  hearts  of  the 
people  by  presenting  them  with  a  handful  of  toUacco  and  fourpence  in  copper.  "  In  a 
short  time  I  recei\  «id  word  that  the  women  of  the  village  would  come  to  perform  a  dance 
of  welcome  and  salutation,  if  I  would  allow  them.  As  the  wind  was  blowing  strongly 
against  us  and  the  sailors  had  not  finished  skinning  the  sheep,  I  had  my  carpet  spread  on 
the  sand  in  the  shade  of  a  group  of  mimosas,  and  awaited  their  arrival 


766 


THE  HASSANltEH. 


*  Presently  we  heard  a  sound  of  shrill  singing  and  the  clapping  of  hands  in  measured 
heat,  and  discerned  the  procession  advancing  slowly  through  the  trees.  They  came  two 
by  two,  nearly  thirty  in  all,  singing  a  shrill,  piercing  chorus,  which  sounded  more  like 
lamentation  than  greeting. 

"  When  they  had  arrived  in  front  of  me,  they  ranged  themselves  into  a  semicircle, 
with  their  faces  towards  uie,  and,  still  clapping  their  hands  to  mark  the  rhythm  of  the 
song,  she  who  stood  m  the  centre  stepped  forth,  with  her  breast  heaved  almost  to  a  level 
with  her  face,  which  was  thrown  back,  and  advanced  with  a  slow  undulating  r  )tion,  till 
fiha  hr4  reached  the  edge  of  my  carpet.    Then,  with  a  quick  jerk,  she  reversed  .ue  curve 


'A 


■.^  -Kit- 


r 
i- 

i, 


DANCE  OF  HASSANITEH  ARABa 


of  her  body,  throwing  her  head  forward  and  downward,  so  that  the  multitude  of  her  long 
twists  of  black  hair,  shining  with  butter,  brushed  my  cap.  This  was  intended  as  a 
salutation  and  sign  of  welcome ;  I  bowed  my  head  at  the  same  time,  and  she  went  back 
to  her  place  in  the  ranks. 

"  After  a  pause  the  chorus  was  resumed  and  another  advanced,  and  so  in  succession, 
till  all  had  saluted  me,  a  ceremony  which  occupied  an  hour.  They  were  nearly  all  young, 
between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  twenty,  and  some  were  strikingly  beautiful.  They  had 
the  dark-olive  Arab  complexion,  with  regular  features,  teeth  of  pearly  whiteness,  aud 
black,  brilliant  eyes.  The  coarse  cotton  robe  thrown  over  one  shoulder  left  free  the  arms, 
neck,  and  breasts,  which  were  exquisitely  moulded.  Their  bare  feet  and  ankles  were  as 
slender  as  those  of  the  Venus  of  Cleomenaii" 

All  the  women  took  their  part  successively  in  this  cnrious  dance,  and  by  far  the  most 
beautiful  and  graceful  of  them  was  the  wife  of  the  sheikh,  a  young  woman  barely  twenty 


ARAB  SUPERSTITIONS. 


767 


f  hands  in  mea9uied 

es.    They  came  two 

sounded  more  like 

58  into  a  semicircle, 
the  rhythm  of  the 
ed  almost  to  a  level 
iulating  r  ttion,  till 
}  reversed  .^e  curve 


Ititude  of  her  long 
I'as  intended  as  a 
nd  she  went  back 

1  so  in  succession, 
i  nearly  all  young, 
utiful.  They  had 
ly  whiteness,  and 
left  free  the  arms, 
id  ankles  were  as 

d  by  far  the  most 
lan  barely  twenty 


years  old,  with  features  compared  by  Mr.  Taylor  to  those  of  Guide's  Cleopatra,  the  broad 
round  forehead,  full  oval  face,  and  regal  bearing  all  adding  to  the  re8emblanc&  Her  hair 
was  plaited  into  at  least  fifty  braids,  and  was  thickly  plastered  with  butter,  and  upon  her 
head  was  a  diadem  of  white  beada  She  juoved  with  a  stately  grace  down  the  line,  and 
80  charmed  were  the  guests  with  her  mode  of  performing  the  curious  salutation,  that  she 
repeated  it  several  times  for  their  gratification. 

Even  the  men  took  part  in  the  dance,  and  one  of  them,  a  splendid  example  of  the 
purest  Arab  blood,  possessed  so  perfect  a  form,  and  moved  in  the  dance  with  such  entire 
and  absolute  grace,  that  he  even  drew  away  the  travellers'  attention  from  the  women. 

We  now  come  to  some  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Arabs,  which  are  not 
restricted  to  certain  tribes,  but  are  characteristic  of  the  Arab  nature.  Some  of  them  are 
remarkable  for  the  fact  that  they  have  survived  through  many  centuries,  and  have 
resisted  the  influence  of  a  comnaratively  new  religion,  and  the  encroachments  of  a 
gradually  advancing  civilization. 

As  may  be  expected,  their  superstitions  have  undergone  but  little  change,  and  the 
learned  and  most  civili;ied  Arab  acknowledges  their  power  in  his  heart  as  well  as  the 
ignorant  and  half-savage  Arab  who  never  saw  a  book  or  entered  a  house.  He  will  not 
openly  admit  that  he  believes  in  these  superstitions,  but  he  does  believe  in  them  very 
firmly,  and  betrays  his  belief  in  a  thousand  ways.  Educated  man  though  he  be,  he  has  a 
lingering  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  written  charms ;  and  if  he  should  happen  to  see  in  the 
possession  of  another  man  a  scrap  of  paper  covered  with  characters  he  does  not  under- 
stand, he  will  feel  uneasy  as  often  as  the  mysterious  writing  occurs  to  him.  Should  he 
get  such  a  piece  of  paper  into  his  own  possession,  he  cherishes  it  foudly,  and  takes  care 
to  conceal  it  from  others. 

In  consequence  of  this  widely-diffused  superstition,  travellers  have  passed  safely 
through  large  tracts  of  country,  meeting  with  various  tribes  of  Arabs,  all  at  variance  with 
each  other,  in  true  Arab  fashion,  and  yet  have  managed  to  propitiate  them  by  the  simple 
process  of  writing  a  sentence  or  two  of  any  language  on  a  scrap  of  paper.  One  favourite 
form  of  the  "  saphi^s,"  as  these  written  charms  are  called,  exhibits  a  curious  mixture  of 
medicine  and  literature.  A  man  who  is  ill,  or  who  wants  a  charm  to  prevent  him  from 
being  ill,  brings  to  the  saphi^-writer  a  smooth  board,  a  pen  and  ink.  The  saphi6  ia 
written  on  the  board,  and  the  happy  possessor  takes  it  home,  washes  off  every  vestige  of 
the  writing,  and  then  drinks  the  blackened  water. 

Even  at  the  present  day,  the  whole  of  the  Arabian  tribes  have  the  full  and  implicit 
belief  in  the  Jinns,  Efreets,  Ghouls,  and  other  superhuman  beings,  that  forms  the  chief 
element  in  the  "  Arabian  Nights."  This  belief  is  inbred  with  them,  and  no  amount  of 
education  can  drive  it  out  of  them.  They  do  not  parade  this  belief,  nor  try  to  conceal  it, 
but  accept  the  existence  of  these  beings  as  an  acknowledged  fact  which  no  one  would 
dream  of  disputing. 

According  to  their  ideas,  every  well  has  its  peculiar  spirit,  mostly  an  efreet  or  semi- 
evil  genius,  and  every  old  tower  is  peopled  with  them,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  house  that 
has  not  at  least  one  spirit  inmate.  Many  of  the  Ara*bs  say  that  they  have  seen  and 
conversed  with  the  efreets,  and  relate  veiy  curious  adventures. 

Generally,  the  efreet  is  harmless  enough,  if  he  be  only  let  alone,  but  sometimes  he 
becomes  so  troublesome  that  strong  measures  must  be  used.  What  was  done  in  the  way 
of  exorcism  before  the  discovery  of  fire-arms  is  not  known,  but  in  the  present  day,  when 
an  efreet  can  be  seen,  he  can  be  destroyed  by  a  bullet  as  if  he  were  a  human  being. 

Mr.  Lane  relates  a  most  curious  story  of  such  an  encounter.  It  is  so  interesting,  and 
is  so  well  told,  that  nothing  but  our  very  limited  space  prevents  its  insertion.  The  gist 
of  it,  ho^vever,  is  as  follows : — 

A  European  lady  had  been  looking  after  a  house  in  Cairo,  and  at  last  had  found  e^ 
very  handsome  one,  with  a  large  garden,  for  a  very  low  rent — scarcely  more  than  £12  per 
annum.  She  took  the  house,  which  pleased  Im  >ivell  enough,  though  it  did  not  have  the 
same  effect  on  the  maid-servants,  all  of  whom  left  it  as  soon  as  possible.  At  last  the 
reason  came  out.   The  house  was  haunted  by  an  efreet,  which  lived  mostly  in  the  bath,  and 


768 


THE  HASSANITEH. 


i  i 


h 


r^ 


■( 


,  H 


at  night  used  to  go  about  the  house,  banging  at  the  doors,  knocking  against  tlie  walls,  and 
making  such  a  perpetual  riot  that  he  had  frightened  tenant  after  tenant  out  of  it,  and  kept 
the  house  to  himselt  The  family  had  heard  the  noises,  but  attributed  them  to  the 
festivities  which  had  been  going  on  for  some  time  at  the  next  house. 

In  spite  of  the  change  of  servants,  the  noises  continued,  and  rather  increased  than 
decreased  in  violenc&  "  Very  frequently  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  we  were  sitting, 
late  in  the  evening  within  two  or  three  hours  of  midnight,  was  violently  knocked  at 
many  short  intervals.  At  other  times  it  seemed  as  if  something  very  heavy  fell  upon 
the  pavement,  close  under  the  windows  of  the  same  room  or  one  adjoining ;  and  as  these 
rooms  were  on  the  top  of  the  house,  we  imagined  at  first  that  some  stones  or  other  things 
had  been  thrown  by  a  neighbour,  but  we  could  find  nqthing  outside  after  the  noise  I 
have  mentioned.  The  usual  sounds  continued  during  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  and 
were  generally  varied  with  a  heavy  tramping,  like  the  walking  of  a  person  in  large  clogs, 
varied  by  knocking  at  the  doors  of  many  of  the  apartments,  and  at  the  large  water-jars, 
which  are  placed  in  recesses  in  the  galleries." 

During  the  fast  of  Ramadhan  the  house  was  free  from  noises,  as  efreets  are  supposed 
to  be  imprisoned  during  that  season,  but  as  soon  as  it  was  over  they  recommenced  with 
added  violence. 

After  a  while,  the  efreet  began  to  make  himself  visible,  and  a  new  door-keeper  was 
greatly  amazed  by  hearing  and  seeing  the  figure  walking  nightly  round  the  gallery.  He 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  fire  at  it,  and  at  last  he  was  permitted  to  do  so,  provided  that  he 
only  used  blank  cartridge.  The  man,  however,  not  only  put  balls  into  his  pistol,  but 
loaded  it  with  two  bullets  and  a  double  chai'ge  of  powder. 

Just  about  midnight  the  report  of  the  pistol  rang  through  the  house,  followed  by  the 
voice  of  the  door-keeper,  crying  out,  "  There  he  lies,  the  accursed ! ".  and  accompanied  by 
sounds  as  of  a  wounded  creature  struggling  and  gasping  for  breath. 

The  man  continued  to  call  to  his  fellow-servants  to  come  up,  and  the  master  of  the 
house  ran  at  once  to  the  spot  The  doer-keeper  said  that  the  efreet  had  appeared  in  his 
usual  shape,  a  tall  white  figure,  and  on  being  asked  to  leave  the  house,  refused  to  do  so. 
He  then  passed  as  usual  down  the  passage,  when  the  man  fired  at  him  and  struck  him 
down.  "  Here,"  said  he,  "  are  the  remains."  So  saying,  he  picked  up,  under  the  spot 
where  the  bullets  had  entered  the  wall,  a  small  mass  of  something  that  looked  like 
scorched  leather,  perforated  by  fire  in  several  places,  and  burnt  to  a  cinder.  This,  it 
appears,  is  always  the  relic  which  is  left  when  an  efreet  is  destroyed.  Ever  afterwards 
the  house  was  free  from  disturbance. 

The  reader  will  notice  the  curious  resemblance  to  the  efreet  stories  in  the  "  Arabian 
Nights,"  more  especially  to  the  story  of  the  Second  Calender,  in  which  the  efreet  and  the 
princess  who  fought  him  were  both  reduced  to  ashes.  The  idea,  too,  of  the  wells  being 
inhabited  by  efreets  repeatedly  occurs  in  those  wonderful  tales. 

Another  curious  tale  of  the  efreet  was  told  to  Mr.  Taylor  by  an  Arab  of  some  rank. 
He  was  walking  one  night  near  Cairo,  when  he  saw  a  donkey  near  him.  The  animal 
seemed  to  be  without  an  owner,  and,  as  he  happened  to  be  rather  tired,  he  mounted,  and 
rode  on  his  way  pleasantly.  In  a  short  time,  however,  he  became  startled  by  finding  that 
the  donkey  was  larger  than  it  was  when  he  mounted  it,  and  no  sooner  had  he  made  this 
discovery  than  the  animal  increased  rapidly  in  size,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  as  large  as 
acameL 

Of  course  he  was  horribly  frightened,  but  he  remembered  that  a  disguised  efreet 
could  be  detected  by  wounding  him  with  a  sharp  instrument.  Accordingly,  he  cautiously 
drew  his  dagger,  and  was  about  to  plunge  it  into  the  animal's  back.  The  efreet,  however, 
was  too  clever  for  him,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  dagger,  suddenly  shrunk  to  his  former 
size,  kicked  off  his  rider,  and  vanished  with  a  peal  of  laughter  and  the  exclamation,  "  Ob, 
you  want  to  ride,  do  you  ? " 

According  to  the  Arab  belief,  the  spirit  of  man  i&  bound  to  pass  a  certain  time  on 
earth,  and  a  natural  death  is  the  token  of  reaching  that  time.  Should  he  be  killed  by 
violence,  his  spirit  haunte  the  spot  where  his  body  was  buried,  and  remains  there  until 
the  term  on  earth  has  been  fulfilled.    The  same  Arab  told  Mr.  Taylor  that  for  many 


Y 


THE  MIRAGE. 


769 


igainst  tlie  walls,  and 
mt  out  of  it,  and  kept 
ributed  them  to  the 

either  increased  than 
hich  we  were  sitting, 
iriolently  knocked  at 
ireiy  heavy  fell  upon 
)ining;  and  as  these 
tones  or  other  things 
de  after  the  noise  I 
art  of  the  night,  and 
>erson  in  lai^e  clogs, 
the  large  water-jars, 

efreets  are  supposed 
y  recommenced  with 

lew  door-keeper  was 
id  the  gallery.  He 
50,  provided  that  he 
into  his  pistol,  but 

use,  followed  by  the  1 
ind  accompanied  by 

i  the  master  of  the 
lad  appeared  in  his 
e,  refused  to  do  so. 
im  and  struck  him 
up,  under  the  spot 
ig  that  looked  like 
a  cinder.  This,  it 
Ever  afterwards 

ts  in  the  "Arabian 

1  the  efreet  and  the 

of  the  wells  being 

irab  of  some  rank. 

him.    The  auime'. 
1,  he  mounted,  and' 
tied  by  finding  that 

had  he  made  this 
tes  was  as  large  as 

a  disguised  efreet 
ngly,  he  cautiously 
'he  efreet,  however, 
rank  to  his  former 

exclamation, "  Oh, 

i  a  certain  time  on 
)ld  he  be  killed  by 
emains  there  until 
or  that  for  many 


years,  whenever  he  passed  by  night  over  the  place  where  Napoleon  defeated  tho 
Mamelukes,  the  noise  of  battle  was  heard,  the  shouts  of  the  soldiers,  the  cries  of  the 
wounded,  and  the  groans  of  the  dying.  At  first  the  sounds  were  loud,  as  of  a  multitude ; 
but  year  by  year  they  gradually  decreased,  as  the  time  of  earthly  sojourn  expired,  and  at 
the  time  when  he  told  the  stoiy  but  few  could  be  heard. 

Among  some  of  the  tribes  ihey  have  a  rather  odd  superstition.  A  traveller  was 
struck  with  the  tastefulness  of  a  young  girl's  head-dress,  and  wanted  to  buy  it  She  was 
willing  enough  to  sell  it  for  the  liberal  price  which  was  offered,  but  her  father  prohibited 
the  sale,  on  the  ground  that  from  the  head-dress  could  be  made  a  charm  which  would 
force  the  girl  to  fly  to  the  possessor,  no  matter  in  what  part  of  the  world  he  might  be. 

It  is  not  wonderful  that,  saturated  as  they  are  with  these  ideas,  many  of  the  wonders 
of  nature  appear  to  them  to  be  of  supernatural  origin.  Chief  among  them  is  that  extras 
ordinary  phenomenon,  the  mirage,  in  which  a  place  fax  below  the  horizon  is  suddenly  made 
visible,  and  appears  to  be  close  at  hand.  Even  in  our  own  country  we  have  had  examples 
of  the  mirage,  thougn  not  in  so  striking  a  manner  as  is  often  seen  among  the  sandy  plains 
of  Arabia.  Water  is  a  favourite  subject  of  the  mirage,  and  the  traveller,  as  he  passes 
over  the  burning  plains,  sees  before  him  a  rolling  river  or  a  vast  lake,  the  palm-ti-ees 
waving  on  its  edge  and  reflected  on  its  surface,  and  the  little  wavelets  rippling  along  as 
driven  by  the  wind.  Beasts  as  well  as  men  see  it,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to  restrain  the 
thirsty  camels  from  rushing  to  the  seeming  water. 

The  Arabs  call  the  mirage,  "  Water  of  the  Jinns,"  and  believe  that  it  is  an  illusion 
caused  by  the  jinns — our  old  friends  the  geni  of  "  The  Arabian  Nights."  A  very  vivid 
account  of  this  phenomenon  is  given  in  St  John's  "  Egypt  and  Nubia :" — 

"  I  had  been  riding  along  in  a  reverie,  when,  chancing  to  raise  my  head,  I  thought  I 
perceived,  desertwards,  a  dark  strip  on  the  far  horizon.  What  could  it  be  ?  My  com- 
panion, who  had  very  keen  sight,  was  riding  in  advance  of  me,  and,  with  a^  sudden 
exclamation,  he  pulled  up  his  dromedary  and  gazed  in  the  same  direction.  I  called  to 
him,  and  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  yonder  strip,  and  whether  he  could  make  out 
anything  iiuit  distinctly.  He  answered  that  water  had  all  at  once  appeared  there ;  that 
he  saw  the  motion  of  the  waves,  and  tall  palms  and  other  trees  biding  up  and  down 
over  them,  as  if  tossed  by  a  strong  wind.  An  Arab  was  at  my  side,  with  ms  face  mufiied 
up  in  his  burnous ;  I  roused  his  attention,  and  pointed  to  the  object  of  our  inquiiy. 
'  Mashallah ! '  cried  th.  old  man,  with  a  face  as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost  ftod  stared  with  all 
his  might  across  the  desert 

"  All  the  other  Arabs  of  the  party  evinced  no  less  emotion ;  and  onr  interpreter  called 
out  to  us,  that  what  we  saw  was  the  evil  spirit  of  the  desert,  that  led  travellers  astray, 
luring  them  farther  and  farther  into  the  heut  of  the  waste,  ever  retreating  before  them  as 
they  pursued  it  and  not  finally  disappearing  till  its  deluded  victims  had  irrecoverably 
lost  themselves  in  the  pathless  sands.  Tms,  then,  was  the  mirage.  My  companion 
galloped  towards  it  and  we  followed  him,  though  the  Arabs  tried  to  prevent  us,  and 
erelong  I  could  with  my  own  eyes  discern  something  of  this  strange  phenomenon.  It 
was,  as  my  friend  reported,  a  broad  sheet  of  water,  with  fresh  green  trees  along  its 
banks ;  and  yet  there  was  nothing  actually  before  us  but  parched  yellow  sand.  The 
apparition  occasioned  us  all  very  uncomfortable  feelings,  and  yet  we  congratulated 
ourselves  in  having  seen  for  once  the  desert  wonder. 

"  The  phenomenon  really  deserves  the  name  the  Arabs  give  it,  of  Goblin  of  the 
Desert ;  an  evilispirit  that  beguiles  the  wanderer  from  the  safe  path,  and  mocks  him  with, 
a  false  show  of  what  his  heated  brain  paints  in  glowing  colours.  Whence  comes  it  thatr 
this  illusion  at  first  fills  with  uneasiness — I  might  even  say  with  dismay — those  even 
who  ascribe  its  existence  to  natural  causes  ?  On  a  spot  where  the  bare  sands  spread  out 
for  hundreds  of  miles,  where  there  is  neither  tree  nor  shrub,  nor  a  trace  of  water,  there 
suddenly  appeared  before  us  groups  of  tall  trees,  proudly  girdling  the  running  stream^  on. 
whose  waves  we  saw  the  sunbeams  dancing.  Hills  clad  in  pleasant  green  rose  before  us 
and  vanished ;  small  houses,  and  towns  with  high  walls  and  ramparts,  were  visible  among 
the  trees,  whose  tall  boles  swayed  to  and  bo  in  the  wind  like  reeds. 

"  Far  as  we  rode  in  the  direction  of  the  apparition,  we  never  came  any  nearer  to  it;  the 

VOL.  I.  8d 


770 


THE  HASSANITEa 


•'1 


whole  seemed  to  recoil  step  by  step  with  onr  advanca  We  halted,  and  remained  long 
in  contemplation  bf  the  magic  scene,  until  whatever  was  unpleasant  in  its  strangeness 
ceased  by  degrees  to  affect  us.  Never  had  I  seen  any  landscape  so  vivid  as  this  seeming 
one,  never  water  so  bright,  «r  trees  so  softly  green,  so  tall  and  stately.  Everything 
seemed  far  more  charming  there  than  in  the  real  world ;  and  so  strongly  did  we  feel  this 
attraction  that,  although  we  were  not  driven  by  thirst  to  seek  for  water  where  water 
there  was  none,  still  we  wotdd  willingly  have  followed  on  and  on  after  the  phantom ;  and 
thu8*we  could  well  perceive  how  the  despairing  wanderer,  who  with  burning  eyes  thinks 
he  gazes  on  water  and  human  dwellings,  will  struggle  onward  to  his  last  gasp  to  reach 
them,  until  his  fearful,  lonely  doom  befalls  him. 


TBAVELLEBB  AND  THB  ItlBAbfi. 


*  We  returned  slowly  to  our  Arabs,  who  had  not  stirred  from  the  spot  where  we  left 
them.  Looking  back  once  more  into  the  desert,  we  saw  the  apparition  gradually 
becoming  fainter,  until  at  last  it  melted  away  into  a  dim  land,  not  unlike  a  thin  mist 
sweeping  over  the  face  of  a  field  (Hochlander).  It  was  probably  this  phenomenon, 
which  is  beheld  as  well  in  Hadramaut  and  Yemen  as  in  the  deserts  of  Egypt,  which  gave 
rise  to  the  fable  of  the  G^arden  of  Irem,  described  in  the  stoiy  of  the  Phantom  Camel,  in 
the  'Tales  of  the  Bamad'han.' " 

I  cannot  part  from  the  Arab  superstitions  without  mentioning  one  which  is  of  very 
great  antiquity,  and  which  has  spread  itself  widely  ovei  the  world.  I  allude  to  the 
celebrated  ink-mirror  of  the  Arab  magicians,  in  which  they  see,  through  the  eyes  of 
another,  the  events  of  the  future  and  the  forms  of  persons  far  distant. 

The  mirror  is  made  as  follows : — ^The  magician  calls  a  very  young  boy,  not  old  enough, 
according  to  their  ideas,  to  be  tainted  with  sin,  and  makes  him  sit  on  the  groimd.  Tlie 
magician  sits  opposite  iiim,  holding  the  boy's  opened  right  hand  in  his,  and  after  repeating 


THE  INK-MIRROR 


771 


and  remained  long 
in  its  strangeness 
id  as  this  seeming 
ately.  Everything 
;ly  did  we  feel  this 
(rater  where  water 
the  phantom ;  and 
iraing  eyes  thinks 
I  last  gasp  to  reach 


prayers,  nnd  burning  incense,  he  draws  a  crossed  square  on  the  palm  of  the  hand — 

thus  T T — ^writes  cabalistic  words  in  all  the  angles,  and  pours  about  a  spoonful  of  ink 

into  the  centre.  More  prayers  and  suifumigations  follow,  and  the  boy  is  then  directed  to 
look  closely  into  the  ink.  Should  he  be  really  pure,  and  a  fit  subject  for  the  magic  art, 
he  sees  a  series  of  figures,  always  beginning  with  a  man  sweeping  the  ground,  and  ending 
with  a  camp,  with  the  sultan's  tent  and  flag  in  the  centre.  These  vanish,  and  the  mirror 
is  left  clear  for  any  figure  which  may  be  invoked. 

All  parties  seem  to  have  the  most  implicit  belief  in  the  proceeding ;  and  though 
several  boys  in  succession  may  fail  to  see  anything  but  the  reflection  of  their  own  faces, 
the  failure  is  set  dowa  to  their  bad  moral  character,  and  others  are  tried  until  one  is 
found  who  possesses  the  requisite  vision.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  magician  himself 
never  pretends  to  this  inner  sight,  the  sins  which  he  has  committed  being  an  effectual 
hindrance.  Educated  Europeans  have  often  witnessed  this  curious  ceremony,  and  have 
given  different  accounts  of  it.  With  some  it  has  been  an  utter  failure,  the  boy  evidently 
trying  to  deceive,  and  inventing,  according  to  his  ability,  scenes  wliich  are  supposed  to 
be  represented  in  the  mirror.  "With  others  it  has  been  as  singular  a  success,  European 
scenes  and  persons  having  been  described  accurately  by  the  boy,  though  the  greatest  care 
was  taken  that  no  clue  should  be  given  either  to  thie  magician  or  the  boy. 


sot  where  we  lefli 
arition  gradually 
inlike  a  thin  mist 
his  phenomenon, 
gypt,  which  gave 
lantom  Camel,  in 

fvhich  is  of  very 

I  allude  to  the 

ugh  the  eyes  of 

,  not  old  enough, 
tie  ground.  The 
d  after  repeating 


MADAGASCAR. 

We  complete  the  account  of  African  tribes  with  a  brief  notice  of  some  of  the  tribes 
which  inhabit  the  island  of  Madagascar.  For  my  information  I  am  chiefly  indebted  to 
Ellis's  well-known  work,  and  to  a  valuable  paper  read  by  Lieutenant  Oliver,  RA.,  before 
the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  on  March  3, 1868. 

The  name  of  Madagascar  is  entirely  of  European  invention,  the  native  name  for  this 
great  island  being  Nosindambo,  i.e.  the  island  of  wild  hogs.  The  inhabitants  are  known 
by  the  general  name  of  Malagasy,  and  they  are  divided  into  several  tribes.  These  tribes 
differ  from  each  other  in  their  colour,  mode  of  dress,  and  other  particulars,  and  may  be 
roughly  divided  according  to  their  colour  into  the  fair  and  the  dark  tribes,  each  consisting 
of  four  in  number,  and  ranging  through  almost  every  shade  of  skin,  from  the  light  olive 
of  the  Hovas  to  the  black  tribes  of  the  south.  According  to  Ellis,  the  entire  population 
is  only  three  millions,  while  Lieutenant  Oliver,  who  give^  the  approximate  numbers  of 
each  tribe,  estimates  them  at  five  millions. 

The  origin  of  the  Malagasy  is  rather  obscure,  and,  although  co  close  to  the  continent 
of  Africa,  they  have  scarcely  anything  in  common  with  the  African  races.  The  hypothesis 
which  has  been  generally  accepted  is  that  they  are  of  Malay  Origin,  their  ancestore 
having  been  in  all  probability  blown  out  to  sea  in  their  canoes,  and  eventually  landed  on 
the  island.  That  they  are  not  of  African  origin  has  been  argued  from  several  points, 
while  they  have  many  habits  belonging  to  the  oceanic  race.  For  example,  although  they 
are  so  close  to  Africa,  they  have  never  adopted  the  skin  dresses  which  are  generally 
found  throughout  the  savage  races  of  the  continent,  but,  on  the  contrary,  make  use  of  the 
hibiscus  bark  beaten  out  exactly  after  the  fashion  of  the  Polynesians. 

"  It  is  evident,"  writes  Lieutenant  Oliver,  "  that  the  Malagasy  have  never  deteriorated 
from  any  original  condition  of  civilization,  for  there  are  no  relics  of  primaeval  civilization 
to  be  found  in  the  country.  Yet  the  Malagasy  seem  to  have  considerably  advanced 
themselves  in  the  art  of  building  houses,  and  originating  elaborate  fortifications,  which 
they  have  themselves  modified  to  suit  their  offensive  and  defensive  weapons,  previous  to 
any  known  intercourse  with  civilized  people.    They  had  domesticated  oxen,  and  pigs. 


772 


MADAGASCAR 


1'    i' 
i  J' 


I'    ;  i 


mw 


iMth 


and  made  advances  in  the  cultivation  of  rice,  yams,  &c. ;  but  whether  by  their  own 
unaided  intellect,  or  by  external  example,  we  cannot  say." 

"With  regard  to  the  domestication  of  cattle,  they  themselves  refer  it  to  a  very  recent 
date,  and  even  state  that  the  use  of  beef  was  accidentally  discovered  during  the  last 
centuiy.  A  chief  named  Rabiby  was  superintending  the  plnnting  of  his  rice,  when  he 
noticed  tliat  one  of  his  men  was  remarkable  for  his  increase  in  strength  and  corpulence, 
and  interrogated  him  on  the  subject.  The  man  told  him  that  some  time  previo\isly  he 
ha|)iiL>ned  to  kill  a  bullock,  and  had  the  curiosity  to  cook  some  of  the  meat.  Finding  it 
to  b«  remarkably  good,  he  continued  to  kill  and  eat,  and  so  improved  his  bodily  condition. 
Ralnby  very  wisely  tried  the  experiment  for  himself,  and,  finding  it  successful,  had  a 
bullock  kijed,  and  gave  a  feast  to  his  companions.  The  general  impression  was  so 
favourable  that  he  gave  orders  for  building  folds  in  which  the  cattle  miirht  be  collected, 
and  he  further  extended  the  native  diet  by  the  flesh  of  the  wild  hog.  The  original  folds 
built  by  his  orders  are  still  in  existertce. 

Chief  among  the  Malagasy  are  the  HovA  tribe,  who  have  grndually  extended  them- 
selves over  a  considerable  portion  of  the  island,  and  are  now  virtually  its  masters.  They 
are  the  lightest  in  colour  of  all  the  tribes,  and  have  more  of  the  Spanish  than  the  nearo 
expression.  The  hair  is  black,  long,  and  abundant,  and  is  worn  in  several  fashions.  The 
men  usually  cut  the  hair  rather  short,  and  arrange  it  over  the  forehead  and  temples  much 
after  the  style  that  was  prevalent  in  the  days  of  the  Regency.  The  women  spend  much 
time  over  their  hair,  sometimes  frizzing  it  out  until  they  remind  the  spectator  of  the 
Fiji  race,  and  sometimes  plaiting  it  into  an  infinity  of  braids,  and  tying  them  in  small 
knots  or  bunches  all  over  the  head. 

Their  dress  has  something  of  the  Abyssinian  type.  Poor  people  wear  little  except  a 
cloth  twisted  round  their  loins,  while  the  more  wealthy  wear  a  shirt  covered  with  a  mantle 
called  a  lamba.  This  article  of  apparel  is  disposed  as  variously  as  the  Abyssinian's  tobe. 
The  Uovas  are  distinguished  by  having  their  lanibas  edged  with  a  border  of  five  broad 
stripes. 

Their  houses,  to  which  allusion  has  already  been  made,  are  formed  exclusively  of 
vegetable  materials.  The  walls  are  formed  by  driving  rows  of  posts  into  the  ground  at 
unequal  distances,  and  filling  in  the  spaces  with  the  strong  leaf-stalks  of  the  "  traveller's 
tree."  Each  leaf-stalk  is  about  ten  feet  in  length,  and  they  are  fixed  in  their  places  by 
flat  laths.  The  roof  is  thatched  with  the  broad  leaves  of  the  same  tree,  tied  firmly  on 
the  very  steep  rafters.  The  eaves  project  well  beyond  the  walls,  so  as  to  form  a  verandah 
round  the  house,  under  which  benches  are  placed.  The  floor  is  covered  with  a  sort  of 
boarding  made  of  the  traveller's  tree.  The  bark  is  stripped  off  and  beaten  flat,  so  as  to 
form  boards  of  twenty  feet  or  so  in  length,  and  fifteen  inches  in  width.  These  boards 
are  laid  on  the  floor,  and,  although  they  are  not  nailed,  they  keep  their  places  fii-mly. 

This  traveller's  tree  is  one  of  the  most  useful  plants  in  Madagascar.  It  is  a  sort  of  palm, 
and  ita  broad  leaves,  beside  supplying  thatch  and  walls  for  the  houses,  furnish  a  copious 
supply  of  fresh  water.  The  water  is  found  in  the  hollow  formed  by  the  manner  in  which 
the  base  of  the  leaf-stem  embraces  the  trunk  from  which  it  springs,  and  the  liquid  is 
obtained  by  piercing  the  leaf-stem  with  a  spear.  A  full  quart  of  water  is  obtained  from 
each  leaf,  and  it  is  so  pure  that  the  natives  will  rather  walk  a  little  distance  to  a 
traveller's  tree,  than  supply  themselves  with  water  from  a  stream  at  their  feet. 

The  Malagasy  have  some  knowledge  of  musical  sounds,  and  have  invented  some 
instruments  which  are  far  superior  to  those  of  the  African  tribes.  One  of  the  best  is  the 
remarkable  violin  which  is  shown  in  <':c  illustration  on  page  774  It  is  played  with 
a  bow  equally  rude  in  character,  and,  although  the  sounds  which  it  produces  are  not 
particularly  harmonious  to  English  ears,  they  are  at  all  events  quite  as  agreeable  as  those 
produced  by  the  stringed  instruments  of  China,  Japan,  or  even  Turkey. 

Slavery  exists  among  the  Malagasy,  but  is  not  of  a  very  severe  character,  and  may 
possibly,  through  the  exertiors  of  the  missionaries,  become  extinguished  altogether.  The 
slaves  do  all  the  hard  work  of  the  place,  which  is  really  not  very  hard,  and,  as  they 
take  plenty  of  time  over  everything  that  they  do,  their  work  would  be  thought  very  light 
by  an  ordinary  English  labourer.    Drawing  water  is  perhaps  the  hardest  labour  the 


ler  by  their  own 

b  to  a  very  recent 
I  during  the  last 
!iis  rice,  when  he 

and  corpulence, 
jne  prevjotisly  he 
neat.    Finding  it 

bodily  condition, 
successful,  had  a 
npression  was  so 
iuht  be  collected, 
["he  original  folds 

f  extended  them- 
s  masters.  They 
1  tlian  the  neirro 
al  fashions.  Tiie 
nd  temples  much 
nen  spend  much 
spectator  of  the 
g  them  in  small 

ir  little  except  a 
red  with  a  mantle 
Lbyssiuian's  tobe. 
ier  of  tive  broad 

exclusively  of 
o  the  ground  at 

the  "traveller's 

their  places  by 
3,  tied  firmly  on 
form  a  verandah 
?d  with  a  sort  of 
ten  flat,  so  as  to 
These,  boards 
laces  firmly. 
is  a  sort  of  palm, 
urnish  a  copious 
nanner  in  which 
md  the  liquid  is 
is  obtained  from 
le  distance  to  a 

feet. 

invented  some 
f  the  best  is  the 

is  played  with 
roduces  ara  not 
p^eable  as  those 

racter,  and  may 
altogether.  The 
xl,  and,  as  they 
ought  very  light 
dest  labour  the 


THE  AET  OF  TRAVEL 


773 


female  slaves  undergo,  and  it  is  not  such  very  hard  work  after  all.  They  draw  the  water 
by  means  of  cows'  horns  tied  to  ropes,  and  pour  it  into  ingenious  pails  made  of  bamboo. 


" 


TBAV£IiLINa  IN  MADAQA8CAB. 


The  hardest  work  which  the  men  do  is  acting  as  bearer  to  their  master's  hammock  or 
litter,  and,  as  the  roads  often  lie  through  uncleared  forests,  and  are  very  rough  and 


774 


MADAGASCAR. 


I'M  . 


rocky,  they  have  a  fatiffuiog  task.  These  litters  are  veiy  convenient,  and  are  covered 
with  a  roof  to  shield  the  oooupant  from  the  sun.  They  are  rather  unwieldy,  and  sometimes 
as  many  as  twenty  or  thirty  men  are  attached  to  each  litter,  some  hearing  the  poles 
on  their  shoulders,  and  others  dragging  it  hy  ropes,  while  the  whole  proceedings  are 
directed  by  a  superintendent 

Within  the  last  few  years,  Christianity  has  made  wonderful  progress  among  the 
Malagasy,  although  at  first  missionaries  were  driven  out,  and  the  native  converts  put  to 
death  with  frightful  tortures. 

The  old  superstitions,  however,  still  remain,  but  they  are  of  a  more  harmless  character 
than  is  generaUv  the  case  with  the  superstitions  of  a  people  who  are  only  beginning  to 
emerge  out  of  the  savage  state.  All  reptiles,  especially  snakes,  are  regarded  with  great 
veneration.  Whether  any  of  the  serpents  are  poisonous  is  not  clearly  ascertained,  though 
the  natives  deny  that  venomous  snakes  are  found  on  the  island.    Be  this  as  it  may,  they 

never  kill  a  snake,  and,  even  if  a  large  serpent  should 
come  into  their  house,  they  merely  guide  it  through  the 
doorway  with  sticks,  telling  it  to  go  away. 

They  do  not  appear  to  possess  idols,  though  Mr.  Ellis 
found  certain  objects  to  which  a  sort  of  worship  was  paid. 
These  were  simply  "  pieces  of  wood  about  nine  feet  high, 
not  square  and  smooth  at  the  base,  but  spreading  into  two 
or  three  branches  at  about  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
gradually  tapering  to  a  point."  Near  them  was  a  large 
basaltic  stone,  about  five  feet  high,  and  of  its  natural 
prismatic  form,  and  near  it  was  another  stone,  smooth  and 
rounded,  and  about  as  large  as  a  man's  head.  The  natives 
said  that  blood  was  poured  on  one  stonu,  and  fat  burned 
on  the  other,  but  they  were  very  averse  to  any  conversation 
on  the  subject,  and  very  probably  did  not  tell  the  truth. 

Some  of  their  domestic  superstitions — if  we  use  such 
a  term — aro  rather  curious.  Mr.  Ellis  had  noticed  that 
on  several  occasions  a  spot  of  white  paint  had  been  placed 
on  the  forehead,  or  a  white  circle  drawn  round  the  eye. 
One  morning  he  found  these  marks  adorning  nearly  the 
whole  of  his  bearers.  On  inquiring  into  the  cause  of  this 
decoration,  he  found  that  it  was  a  charm  to  avert  the 
consequences  of  bad  dreams.  As,  however,  they  had  par- 
taken copiously  of  beef  on  the  preceding  evening,  the  cause  of  the  bad  dreams  was 
clearly  more  material  than  spiritual. 

Partly  connected  with  their  superstitious  ideas  is  the  existence  of  a  distinct  class,  the 
Zanakambony.  They  are  hereditary  blacksmiths,  and  are  exempt  from  forced  labour 
except  in  their  own  line,  so  that,  as  Lieutenant  Oliver  writes,  they  will  make  a  spade,  but 
cannot  be  compelled  to  use  it.  They  have  the  right  of  carrying  deceased  kings  to  the 
grave,  and  building  monuments  over  them.  They  are  very  proud,  and  behave  most 
arrogantly  to  other  clans,  refusing  to  associate  with  them,  to  eat  with  them,  or  even  to 
lend  them  any  article  to  be  defiled  by  the  touch  of  plebeian  hands.  As  they  will  not 
even  condescend  to  the  ordinary  labour  of  their  count^men,  and  think  that  even  to  build 
a  house  is  a  degradation,  they  are  very  poor ;  as  they  refuse  to  associate  with  others,  they 
are  very  ignorant,  but  they  console  themselves  for  their  inferiority  in  wealth  and  learning 
by  constantly  dwelling  on  their  euurmous  superiority  in  rank. 


MADA0A80AB  VIOUN. 


END  OF  VOL.  L 


.  and  are  covered 
dy,  and  sometimes 
bearing  the  poles 
e  proceedings  are 

)gress  among  the 
converts  put  to 

larmless  character 
only  beginning  to 
^rded  with  great 
scertained,  though 
is  as  it  may,  tliey 
e  serpent  should 
le  it  through  the 
r. 

though  Mr.  Ellis 
worship  was  paid, 
ut  nine  feet  high, 
preading  into  two 
n  the  ground,  and 
them  was  a  large 
id  of  its  natural 
3tone,  smooth  and 
ead.    The  natives 
a,  and  fat  burned  • 
any  conversation 
t  tell  the  truth. 
I — if  we  use  such 
bad  noticed  that 
;  had  been  placed 
a  round  the  eye. 
)rning  nearly  the 
the  cause  of  this 
irm  to  avert  the 
er,  they  had  par- 
bad  dreams  was 

istinct  class,  the 
m  forced  labour 
lake  a  spade,  but 
ed  kings  to  the 
»d  behave  most 
hem,  or  even  to 
s  they  will  not 
at  even  to  build 
ith  others,  they 
ith  and  learning 


JNDEX. 


VOLUME  I., 


lAbTHinla,  714. 
I  AoRicuLTUUE,  among  the, 

Badema,  400.  Bakalai.SSl.  Ba- 
toka,  800.  Bayeye,  374.  Dinka, 
62S.  DJour,502.  Hottentot,  254. 
KafBra,  145-100.  Mangranjas, 
893.    OvompoB,  050-058.    Shek 

i     iani,  682. 

Amiiaras,  AbjMlnia,  748. 

Amakosa,  Africa,  2. 

Amapon.la,  Africa,  ?. 

Araoswazi,  Africa,  2. 

Amatouga,  Africa,  2. 

Arauzons,  Africa,  030. 

Araazulu,  Africa,  2. 

Amulets,  see  Charms. 

Amubbments,  among  the 

,  Apono,  643.  Bayeyo,875.  Bech- 
nanas,  328-329.  Bosjesman,  201- 
294.  Camma,  607-508.  Dama- 
ra8,347.  Fanti,G21.  (»alln8,747. 
Hottentots,  258-201.  Isliogo,  535. 
Kaffirs,  154-155.  Korrannaa,  802. 
Madi,480.  Makololo,  371.  Nam- 
aquas,  811.  Ovaral)o,850.  Shooas, 
702.  Tilxws,  705.  Tuaricks,706 
Wanyoro,  472.  Wanyamuezi, 
485-486.    Watusi,  454. 

Anecdote  of  the  Korannas,  800. 

Anecdotes  of  the  Bosjesman,  298. 

Angolese,  Africa,  422. 

Animals  of 
Africa,  128.    Kaffirs,  120-148. 

Apingi,  545. 

Apono,  541. 

Aprons  of  Kaffirs,  42. 

Arabs,  Africa,  707. 

AllCniTECTUHB  of 

Aby8sinia,742.  Apono,  548.  Ba 
kalai,  549.  Balonda,  418.  Bari, 
618.  Bayeye,  875.  Bechuanas, 
830-334.  Bedouins,  750.  Beg- 
harmis,  709.  Bonny,  671.  Bor- 
nuese,  697.  Bosjesmans,  274. 
Dahome,  630.  Damaras,  848 
Dor,  409.  Egbas,  602.  Oani 
477.  Hassaniyeh,  765.  Hotten- 
tots, 252.  Hovas.  772  Ishogo, 
533.  Kaffirs,  52-57.  Kanemboos, 
698.  Madi,  480.  Makalolo,  304. 
Malagasy,  772.  Obongos,  538. 
Ovampos,  851.  Shekiaiii,  583 
Shillooks,  527.  Shooas,  702.  Wa- 


ganda,  462.    Wanyamuezi,  482. 

Wazaramo,  440. 
Ashango,  Africa,  686. 
Anhanti,  Africa,  022. 
Ashira,  Africa,  555. 
Aasagais,  Africa,  04-102. 


B 


Badema,  Africa,  400. 

Baendi-pezi,  or  Go-nakeds  Bato&a, 

888. 
Bahuriotsi,  Africa,  812. 
Bakalai,  Africa,  649. 
Bakoba,  Africa,  878. 
Bakwaina.  Africa,  312. 
Balonda,  Africa,  408. 
Balonda,  Africa,  408. 
Bamairis,  Africa,  310. 
Bamangwato,  Africa,  335. 
Bantus,  Africa,  1. 
Banyai,  Africa,  809. 
Barca,  Abyssinia,  745. 
Bari,  Africa,  610. 
Barolongs,  Africa,  812. 
Batlapis,  Africa,  812. 
Batlares,  Africa,  810. 
Batoanas,  Africa,  878. 
Batoka,  Africa,  380. 
Batonga,  Africa,  386 
Bayeye,  Africa,  373. 
Beauty,  see  Women. 
Bechuanas.  Africa,  812. 
Bedouins,  Arabia,  758. 
Begharmis,  Africa,  708. 
Betrothal,  see  Marriage. 
Bonny,  Africa,  070. 
Bomuese,  Africa,  089. 
Bosjesman,  Africa,  265. 
Bubes,  Africa,  681. 
Burial  op  the  Dead,  among 

Abyssinians,  734.    Angolese,  425. 

Apingi,  548.    Apono,  544.    Ashi 

ra,562.    Balonda,  422.    Bari,  518 

Bechuanas,  334.     Camma,    580. 

Dahome,    657.        Damara,   848. 

Fanti,  619.    Hottentot,  264.  Kaf 

firs   230-225.         Karague,   449. 

Krumen,    616.        Latooka,   511. 

Makalolo,  872.     Manganjas.  398. 

Mpongwe,   589.     Olwngos,   640. 

Waganda,   406.      Wanyamuezi, 

440.    Wanyoro,  476.    Wazaramo, 

461. 


Buahmen,  Africa.  206. 
C 

Camma,  Africa,  508. 

Camnibalibm  among  the 
Bouny,  072.    Fans,  591,  600. 

Canob  Makiko,  and  skill  in  man- 
agement of,  among  Batoka,  888. 
Bayeye,  876.  Fanti,  617.  Kru- 
men, 610.  Makoba,  877.  Maka- 
lolo, 868. 

Caste  among  the 
Damaras,  ^6.    Karague,  442. 

Cattle  of  the 
Bolonda,  416.  Bosjesmans,  270. 
Damaras,  848.  Hottentots,  266. 
Kaffirs,  02-70.  Kytch,  486.  La- 
tookas,607.  Malagasy,  772.  Na- 
maquas,  810.  Shooas,  701.  Wa- 
tusi, 468. 

Ceremonies  connected  with 
Accession  of  son  Damaras,  848. 
Birth,  Abyssinians,  733.  Cement- 
ing Friendship,  Balondos,  419. 
Cooking  war  dish,  Ashangoa,  680. 
Coronation  Congoese,  686.  Mpon- 
gwe, 687.  Customs,  Dahomans,642 
Death  and  Mourning,  Cammas, 
680.  Entering  boyhao«l,  Kaffirs, 
10.  Going  to  War,  Bechuanas, 
824.  Hewl-worship,  Dahomans, 
655.  King  appearing  before,  Da- 
homans, 643.  Marriage,  Kaffirs, 
85.  Mpaza,  or  twin,  Ishngos.  688. 
Moon  full,  Cammas,  609.  Fans, 
608.  Karague,  445.  Ox  of  the 
Girl  Kaffirs,  85.  Ox  of  the  sur- 
plus Kaffirs,  85.  Receiving  Guests, 
Waganda,  463.  Religion,  Abys- 
sinia, 733.  Sacrificial,  Kaffirs 
180.  Sprinkling  of  water,  Daho- 
mans, 657. 

Charms  among 
Abyssinians,  740.  Angolese,  428. 
Apingi,  547.  Bechuanas,  324. 
Fans,  608.  Kaffirs.  100.  Kara- 
gue, 446.  Namaquas,  309.  Nu- 
bians, 751.  Waganda,  464.  Wan- 
yoro, 475. 

Cnn.DRBN  among 
Bakalai,  550.    Ishogo,  688.    Kaf- 
fir, 8-9.      Mani,  479.     Wanya- 
muezi, 432. 

Christie's  sketcli ,  Bosjesman,  297. 

■Chuanas,  Africa,  312. 


: 


'<   i 


m. 


m\ 


la: 


;\ ,  i 


CLBAiruineM  among 
AbyMinlans.  748.    Bakalid.  581 
Kafflra,  88.     Madl,  479.     Man- 
gM^M,  896.    WeeMe,  48S.  Wan 
jroro,  407.    Watiul.  454. 

Oomml,  Africa,  568. 

COMPLBXIOM  of 
AbrninlanB,  718  AnonleM,  422. 
Apingl.  645.  Bakalal.  550.  Ba 
londo,  409.  Batoka.  886.  Bea 
harmis,  710.  Boaiennana,  207. 
Camma,564.  DJlbbas,  519.  Eg 
baa.  659.  Fans,  500.  Fanti,  618. 
Oallai,  746.  Hottentots,  241. 
Hovas,  772.  Karague,  448.  Kru 
men,  612.  Makalolo,  862.  864 
NeamNam,  489.  Nubians,  740. 
Obongos,  688.    SheUani  588. 

Congoese,  Africa,  685. 

Cooking,  see  Food. 

-Crowing"  of  Dainaraa,  848. 

Cruelty  to  tlie  aged  among 
Namaquas,  810. 

Customs,  Dahome,  643. 

Customs  curious  among 
Aslianti,  Yam  and  Adai,  636.  Ka- 
nemliooB,  698.  Olx>ngos,  domm 
tic,  588.  Ovambaa  at  meals, 
858. 


Daliomans.  Africa,  020. 

Dumaras,  Africa.  837. 

Dancing,  see  Amusements. 

Dances  uf 
A!X>uos  giant,  543.  Becliuanas, 
8'i8.  Bosjfsuinn,  201.  Comma, 
gorilla,  fiU8.  Damaros,  847.  Fans, 
full  moon,  OO.'i.  Hottentots  mel- 
on. 2o0,  Kaliir  wedding,  83.  Ko- 
rannos,  803.  Ijatookos  fn.\r<iil, 
513.  Madi,  480.  Sliooas,  .0:1 
Wanvaiuuezi,  43>'>.    Watuai,  404. 

Oankal'li,  Africa,  747. 

Dingan,  Kaffir  Chief,  visit  to,  00. 

Dingan  at  home,  228. 

Dinkas,  Africa,  623. 

Djibbas,  Africa,  519. 

Djour,  Africa,  503. 

Dors.  Africa,  494. 

DitEsg  among  the 
A  liysainians,  717-723.  Aping!, 
645.  Apono,  541.  Asliango,  630. 
Aolianti,  022.  Asliira,  5.55.  Ba 
kalai,  550.  Balonda,  400.  Bari 
518.  Batoka,  3S0.  Bayeye,  87,') 
Bechnanas.  812.  Bedouins,  768 
Bonny,  074.  Bomuese,  089.  Bos 
jeaman,  271.  Bulxis,  681.  Con 
goese,  687.  Dahomans,  658  Din 
kas.  624.  Djibbas,  631.  Dor,  498. 
Egbas,  600.  Fans,  590.  Fanti, 
018.  Gallas,  740.  Uani,  478. 
HottontotR,  241.  Ilovas,  772. 
Ishogo.  531.  Knffirs,  19-44. 
Chan(>e  of,  on  betri  thai,  Kaffir, 
44.  Kanembons,  098.  Karogue. 
447.  Korannos,  801.  Krumen 
612.  Kytch,4a5.  Latookas,505 
Madi,  480.  Makoba,  37ft.  Mako- 
lolo,  864.    Malagasy,  772.    Man- 


INDEX. 

eai\ia,804.  Mpongwe,  886.  Mas 
gueae,  711.  Namaquas,  806, 
Neam-Nam,  480.  Nubians.  760 
Nuehr.  822.  Obbo.  482.  Obon 
gos,  688  Ovambos,  851.  Shil 
looks,  837.  Bhir,  514,  Shooas, 
708.  Somaulis,  748.  Tibboos, 
704  Tuaricks,  706.  Wagogo 
428.  Wanyamnezi,  480.  Wasa- 
gara,  481.  Watusi,  452.  Wa 
aaramo,  450. 

Drinks  Imtoxicatiito  of 
Abyssinia.  782.  Apingi,  84' 
Apongo,  841.  Ashira,  568.  Bu- 
londa,  417.  Congoese,  088.  Fans. 
602.  Kaffir,  108.  Karague.  444 
Krumen,  618.  Mangauja,  897 
Wanyamnezi,  487. 

Dutulu,  adventures  of,  65. 

E 

Egbas,  AfVlca,  (HiO. 

Blophant  catching  in  Bayeye,  875. 

Enaurance,  see  Htrengtii. 

Etiqubttb  among  Aby88inianH,732. 
Ashiras,  558.  Balonda,  418.  Ba 
tokaa,  890.  Bonny,  071.  Camma, 
604-530.  Dahomans,  088, 043, 053. 
Kaffirs,  .V„  167,  171.  Mnkalolo, 
803  W.,jj:anda,  455.  Wanya 
muezl,  43<).    Watusi,  452. 


Fans,  Africa,  500. 
Fanti,  Africa,  617. 

FBA8T»  of 

Abyssiniann,  raw  fiesli,  782.  Ab 
yssinians,  wedding,  784.  Fans, 
marriage,  003.  Kaffir  first  fruite 
180. 

Female  Soldiers.  Dahomans,  036. 

FotiBlicB,  Ashanti,  030. 

Fiiiu  MAKING  among 
Kaffirs,  101. 

FianiNG  among 
Badema  with  nets,  400.  Balonda, 
417.    Bayeye,  375.     Kanemboos, 
009.    Ovambos,  360.     ShillookB. 
528. 

Food  of,  and  modes   of  eating 
among 

Abyssinians,  729.  Angole8e,438 
Asliira,  657.  Bnkalai,  661.  Bii 
londa,  410.  Banyai,  403.  Becli 
nanas,  837.  BoBJosmans,  275 
Dauiaros,  340.  Fans,  .697.  Hot- 
tentots, 256,  250.  Kaffir,  130- 
138,  160-168,  100.  Kytcli,  486. 
Makalolo,  303.  Itlandingoes,  070. 
M})ongwe,  587.  Neam  Nam,  401 . 
Ovambos,  86».  Shir  Tribe,  516. 
Shooas,  743.  Wanyamuezi,  433. 
Wanyoro,  473. 

Funerals,  see  Burials. 

FuimiTUKE  of 
Kaffirs,  230,  see  Architecture. 

a 

Gallas,  Africa,  746. 
Oames  of 
Abyssinians,  737.    Makalolo,  308. 


Wanyamtiesi,  488. 

Oani,  Africa.  477. 

Obou  Damup,  Africa,  887. 

Uold  Washing,  Ashanti.  038. 

Uonaquas,  Africa,  804. 

Qoura,  musical  instrument  of  the 
Boi^esmans,  204. 

Govbrmmbnt,  mode  of,  among 
Abyssinians,  72U.  Angolt«e.422. 
Balonda,  406.  Banyai,  U99.  B«cli- 
uanas,  818.  Bomuese,  090.  Cam, 
ma.  608.  Krumen,  618.  Mako- 
]olo,8H0.  Manganja,898.  Mimng- 
we,  587.  Ovanibo,  866.  Sheklani, 
582.  Shillooks,  620.  Wanyuru, 
407. 

Ooza's 
Portrait  of,  27.     Warrion  of,  27. 
His  Wiv.-s,  71. 

Orajiple  jtlant,  287. 

Oriquas,  Africa,  804. 


Hatti  DRRSsiKn,  mode  of  among. 
Abyssinians,  723.  Balonda,  400. 
Batoka.  380.  Bomuese,  680.  Eg- 
bas, 669.  Fanti,  618.  (iallaa 
740.  Uani.  478.  Hovas,  772.  Is- 
hogos,  631.  Krumen,  012.  Mus> 
guese,  713.  Nubians,  749.  So 
niaulis,  748.  i 

Ham  ran  Ari\bs,  Africa,  761.  ' 

Harem  of  Kaffir,  73. 

Hassaniyehs,  Africa,  705. 

Head-Dressbs  of 
Ishogoe,  .631.    Kaffir,  &1. 

Honesty  of 
Apono,  641.  Ashira.  866  Ba> 
rea,  740.  Bayoy«/,  878  Bechua- 
nas,  817.  Krumen,  018  Latou- 
kas,  511.  Makol)H,  876.  Maka 
lolo.  863  OvanilM>s,  850.  Shil- 
looks,  639.    1'uaricks,  706. 

HOKSBMANSIIIP  of  tile 

Hamran,  Aral>8,  753. 

Hospitality  of 
Abysdinians,  720.  Apingl,  547. 
Batoka.  31)0.  Qunl,  477.  Ishogos, 
636.  KutUr,  7.  Makololo,  OOU. 
Manganja.  304.  Slioas,  14'i. 
Shooas,  703.    Wazoramo,  451, 

Hottentots,  Africa,  340. 

Ilovas,  Africa,  773. 

HuN'TiNa  nuiong  the 
Aaiiira,  600.  Badema,  400.  Ba- 
toka, 890.  Banyui,  400-401 
Bayeye,  374.  BoHJusmans,  270, 
380.  Camma,  608.  Dahomann, 
040.  Dinkas,  634.  Dor,  404,  41)0. 
Fans,  607-008.  Hamran  Aral)R, 
753-767.  HottentotB.  265.  Kaf- 
fir, 138-144.  Kanemboos,  Oni), 
Mflkoba,  370.  Neaiu  Nam,  41)3. 
Shooas.  700. 


iNnXTBTRY  of 
Bubes,  683.  Congoese,  088.    Fan- 
ti,  017.    Man<{anja,  803.    Ovam- 
1x1,  363.    WtttuBi,  464. 

Ishogo,  Africa;  631. 


aneal,  485. 
!»,  477. 

lup,  Afirlca,  887. 
linff,  AilinnU.  038. 
Affica,  804. '' 
uic4l  initrument  of  the 
u»,  294. 

BMT,  mtido  of,  amontr 
ani,  72».  Anfjmli!M<.483. 
,  408.  Rnnyai,  Vm.  BmIi- 
18.  Borntiuw.  OUO.  Cam. 
Rrntnmi,  flIH.  Make 
Mantfunja,  8U8.  Mpoofr- 
Ovanib<».  U/Jfl.  8h«kianl, 
lllooka,  829.     Wanyoro, 


of,  27.     Warriors  of,  27. 

Ill,  71. 
unt,  287. 
frica,  804. 

H 

I8INO,  mode  of  amotifr. 

va.%,  73:3.     Dalonda,  401). 

180.  Biirnutnu,  089.  E^f. 
Fanti,  018.     (lallna 

nl,  478.    Ilovaa.  772.  W 

1.    Krutni!n,OI2.    Muti. 

3.    Nubiaua,  749.      Ho 

48.  , 

iiJm.  Africa,  731.  1 

^afllr.  73. 

8,  Africa,  703. 

ISRS  of 

581.    Kaffir,  85. 

f 

41.     ABhira.  O.'^O      Ba. 

Bayoy./,  878     Becliua- 

Kriuncn,  018     Latoo- 

MakoliR,  870.    Maka- 

OvanilM)8,  830.    Hhil- 

\.    Tuarlck§,  700. 

mip  of  tho 

Aralm,  758. 

•Yof 

ns,  739.     Aplnprl.  547. 

00.  Gani,477.  IbIio^os, 
Hr,  7.    Makdlolo,   mi. 

1.  804.         Shoaw.    74a 
33.    Wiwnramo,  451. 
Africa.  240. 

•a,  773. 
uoug  the 

10.  Bmlema,  400.  Ba- 
'.  Banyul,  400-40A 
174.  BoHJusmanH,  27rt, 
nma,  508.  DuliomariH, 
lian,534.  Dor,4»4, 41W, 
-008.  Hatnran  Aral)ii, 
IIottentofB,  255.  Kaf- 
W.  Kaneinl)f)08,  001). 
J79.  Nuam  Naju,  4U3. 
0. 


.  ConproPBe,  088.   Frh- 
lan^anja,  898.    Ovam- 
A'atusi,  454. 
a;  581. 


INDKI 


iM-baTt,  Kaffln,  03. 

lanlkoko,  or  head  ring  Kaffir,  85. 

K 

KAmn,  Africa,  1.  Chlvaliy  of  80 
I'ictureaquu  aaptMst  of,  80.  Per- 
fume of,  88.  Gallantry  of,  50 
OMuntatlon  of,  54.  Harem  In 
mates  of,  00.  Dread  of  death,  73 
Law  of  inheritance,  75.  Court' 
■hip,  70.  Mamea,  mode  of  chooe- 
infr,  88.  Love  of  Justice,  157. 
Love  of  Ilonoy,  100.  Fondnoae 
for  tobacco,  170.  Torture  for  be 
wllohiuir,  201.  Bleeping  accom- 
modatlona,  230. 

Kanumbooa,  Africa,  898. 

Karague,  Africa,  443. 

IC  k.f'O  H  IB  A 

Cliief  of'Obbo,  483.  Ilia  family 
483.  Cliaracter,  488.  Palace,  484 
Treatment  of  guests.  484. 

Katema,  tho  Balonda  Chief,  418. 

Knob-kerry  of  Kaffir,  108. 

Kona's  Illness  and  its  results,  201. 

Kora,  Africa,  800. 

Korannas,  Africa.  800. 

Koraqnas.  Africa,  800. 

Kraal  of  Kaffir,  00. 

Krumen,  Africa,  810. 

Kytob,  Africa,  485. 

Lakocaob  of 
Bfl^jesmans,  208.  Hottentots,  257. 
Maudingojs,  077. 

Latookas,  Africa,  505 

Laws,  code  of  among 
Abyssinians,  730.    Karague,  440, 
Makololo,  880.     Waganda,  455 

Legends  of 
Apono,  844.  Balonda,  431.  Babes, 
681.     Fanti,  018.     Kaffirs,  149. 
Namaqoas,  807. 

Lite,  human,  value  of  among 
Bechuanas,  817.    Dahomans, 
646.     Fans  802.      Tenacity   of, 
among  Hottentots,  208.    Wagan' 
da.  456. 

M 

Madagascar,  Africa,  771. 

Madi,  Africa,  479. 

Makoba,  Africa,  876. 

Makololo,  Africa,  800. 

Mala^tasy,  Africa,  773. 

MandingoeB,  Africa,  077. 

Manonko  la  command,   Balonda, 
415. 

Manganjas,  Africa,  893. 

Mantatees,  Africa,  819. 

Manufactures,  skill  in,  among 
Apingi.  645.  Banyai,  403,  404. 
Bechuanas,  812-815.  Djour,  603 
-608.  Fans,  694.  Hottentots, 
849-253.  Kaffirs,  89-41,  90-103, 
165-100,220-338.  Latookas.  608. 
Mpongwe,  680.    Shir,  615. 

Mabhiaob  among 
Abyssinhms,  788.    Angolese,  435, 
Apingi,  646.    Banyai.  400.    Bor. 
naese,  697.      Bosjesmans, 


r>a' 


fl      ^,  683.  Dahi     mm.  054, 
nil.       .  348.  FaoH     01.     Uam 
y«h,  /65.    Hotli        \  a.T^ 
firs,    71-79.      In   1^    latfi 
Krumen,  614.    Kyt(ii.4'^'. 
ololo,   806.      MandiuK'H 
Namaquas,  810.    ObuoK" 
Ovambos,867.    Wagandu 

Mbondemo,  Africa,  688. 

Mbicho,  Africa,  083. 

Mbouslia,  Africa,  683. 

Medicine,  see  treatment  of  sick. 

Medicine  men  of  Kaffirs,  15. 

Mnande,  burial  of,  338. 

Moheenda,  Africa,  443. 

MouRMiNO  among 
Abyssinians,  784.     Bakalai,  654 
Camma,  580.    Damaras,  848. 
Mpongwe,  689. 

.VIpongwe,  Africa,  680. 

Mum^  Jumlw,  among  the  Bonny, 
075. 

.Musguese,  Africa,  711. 

Music  of 
Balonda,  414.     Bosjesman,  291- 
290.    Damaras,  847.    Kaffirs,  399 
Korannas,  803. 

Musical  Instuuhbntb  of 
Abyssinians,  785.  Balonda,  414. 
Batoka,  891.  Becliuanas,  828 
Bosjesman,  292-208.  Camma, 
607.  Dors,  600.  Fans,  603.  Kaf- 
firs, 61,  280,  233.  In  Karague, 
447,  Latookas,  613.  Madi.  480. 
Malagasy,  773.    Shillooks,  580, 

N 


(}""''•    -.888.     Bhil- 
Blu     i'ril«,515.  Wa. 
WaiP  xuaexi,    4iM). 
k«8.      >^     anuuo,  430. 
Africa,  ;i.>0, 
ifrica,  BJiO 
V  frica.  850. 
M\,  Africa,  855. 
•..  Africa,  888. 
Oyos,  Atriea,  634. 
Ox  of  the  girl  Kaffira,  85. 
Ox  of  the  surplus,  P5. 


Obbo,4P 
ii     looks,  Ss' 

Watu^ 
■  >vali<ir( 

(*.|Ovainp(» 
atj" 


Namaquas,  Africa,  804. 

Names    among    Bosjesman,    268, 

Kaffirs,  87.    Krumen,  012.    Man 

ga^jas,  897. 
Neam  Nam,  Africa,  487. 
Necklace,  talismanic,  Kaffir,  218 
Nuehr,  AMca,  621. 
Nubians,  Africa.  749. 

O 

Obbo,  Africa,  482. 

ObongoR,  Africa,  638. 

Oerlams,  Africa,  304. 

OmenS)  see  Superstitions. 

Ordeals  of 
Angolese,  424.    Ashira,  501.   Ba- 
toka, 891.     Bechuanas.  834-320. 
Camma,  570.    Congoese,  688. 

Order  of  the  Scar,  Bechuanas,  830, 

Ornaments  of 
Abyssinians,  718,  721.  Ashango, 
537.  Ashanti,  034.  Balonda,  411. 
Bayeye,  875.  Bechuanas,  816 
Bedouins,  701.  Bosjesmens,  271. 
Damaras,  841.  Dinkas,  634. 
Diibba,  620  Djour,  602.  Dor, 
499.  Egbas,  000.  Fanti,  618 
Gani,  478.  Hottentots,  246.  Kaf- 
firs, 29-35, 216.  Kanemboos,  698 
Latookaa,  605-606.  Madi,  480. 
Makololo,  864.  Manganjas,  895. 
Mpongwe,  686.  Musguese,  711 
Namaquas,  806.  Neam  Nam, 
490.    NabUns,750.    Nuehr,  522, 


Pain,  indiflbrence  to,  of  the 

Bosjesman,  278.    Damaras,  040. 
Panda,  song  in  honor  of,  89. 
Pasuen,  Africa,  690. 
Pelelo  or  lip  ring,  Mangai^as,  895. 
Pipes  of 

Bo8Jesman,868.    Kaffirs,  177, 182. 

See  Smoking. 
Poison, 

of  Bosjesman,  285,  in  wells,  288. 

drank  by  Mr.  Moffiit,  288.  grub 

the  N'gwa,  280. 
Poison  Grub  the  N'gwa,  280. 
Politeness  «f 

Batokas,889.  Bedouins,  701.    \x 

Karague,   443.        Watuai,   454. 
Poltoamt  among  the 

Bomuese.  097.  Egbas,  668.  Hot- 

tentoto,   257.      Kaffirs,   71,   73. 

Makalolo,  806.    Shillooks,  628. 
Ponda,  Africa,  2. 
Prophetess,  Kaffir,  808. 
Profhei's  among 

Kaffirs,   18^-198,  202-205,  218. 

preparation  of,  188,  consultation 

of,  194,  fate  of  false  prophet,  807. 

Bechuanas,  823. 


R 

Rain  Making  among 
Kaffirs.  129, 208^12. 


Namaquas, 


Rank,  distinction  of  among 
Bosjesman,  268. 

Religion  of 
Abyssinians,  736-740.  Angolese, 
434.  Apingi.  547.  Apono,  644. 
Ashangos,  630.  Ashanti,  027 
Ashira,  500.  Bakalai,  658.  Bar 
londa,  420.  Banyai,  400.  Bato- 
kas,  891.  Bechuanas,  821.  Be- 
douins, 764.  Bomuese,  096.  Cam- 
mas,  508.  Congoese,  080.  Daho- 
mans, 630.655.  Damaras,  848. 
Egbas,  665.  Fans,  002.  Fanti, 
619.  Hottentots,  267.  Kaffirs, 
183.  Krumen,  614.  Malagasy, 
774.  Mandingoes,  077.  Man. 
ganjas,  897.  Namaquas,  800. 
Ovambos,  858.  Waganda,  406. 
Wanyamuezi,  488.  Wanyoro, 
473.  Wazaramo,  451.  Bob  Boy, 
a  Kaffir,  05. 

S 
Sacrificb  among 
Ashanti,  instruments  of,  626.  Da- 


Wa. 


Efl 


hoowBt.  M7. 

tAOMIFIOM  tmtmg 
K«fln  wilnua,   lM-187. 
gutU,  46S. 

Salotatiom,  mode  of  MBonjr 
Aabim  S57.  Balond*.  41S.  Kg. 
bM.  681.  Oul,  477.  Huwaiyeh. 
7W.  In  KarKgno,  448.  Among 
Mikkololo,  808.  ManBMOM.894. 
Nnehr,088.  Ornmbo.SW.  Wi 
7MBn«wl.489.    Wntwi.  488. 

gMoa,  AMen,  874. 

HeehiuuiM,  AMen,  1. 

Sheklnnl.  AMcn.  S88. 

8hield«of  Kaffln,  110. 

Shlllooka,  AMcn.  687. 

Hhir,  AMca,  014. 

HhoM.  AMea,  748. 

BhnoM,  AMo».  700. 

Sick,  treatmunt  of,  among 
Angoleae,  428.    Aalilra.580.  Da- 
mans,  840.       HnttvntoU, 
Kafflra,  100-200.    Korannaa,  804. 
Makoba,    88S.      Makololo,    872. 
Namaquaa,  800.    Toaricka,  707. 

Bicknesa,  theory  of  Anguleae,  425. 

Singing,  aee  amnaementa. 

SiiAVBRT  among 
Aahira.558.    Oallas,  746.    Mata 
gasy,  778.    Muagoeae,  711. 

Sleop,  power  of  Hottentot,  8S0. 

Smokiko  amongtbe 
A8hlra,S50.  Batokaa,880.  Bay 
eye,  hemp,  87S.  Boajeamana,  207, 
291.  Damaraa  hemp  or  daglia, 
170.  DJour,  S04.  KalBra,  177- 
182.  Jtekololo.  871.  Wanya- 
muesi,  486. 

Snake  worahip,  Dahomana,  681. 

Snaff-boxea,  Kaffirs,  178. 

Snuff  Ukingt  Kafflra,  171. 

SOMOS  of 
Kaffir  war,  80, 155, 280.    Makan 
naa  gathering,  210.      See  amuae- 
ments. 

Somaulia,  Abrsainia,  747. 

SoocBaaiOK,  law  of,  among 
Angoleae,  422.      Aalianti,   626. 
In  Karagne,  443.    Ovamboa,  858. 

4   Waganda.461. 

8vr«B«TiTioir  among  the 
A^leae,  424.        Apingi,   547. 
Arabs,  767, 709.    Aslumgoa,  587 
Ashira.560.    Bakalai,558.    Ban- 
7ai,406.    Bedouins,  764    Bonny, 


INDEX. 

676.  Camma.  860.  Damaraa, 
848.  Egbaa,  668.  Fans,  6U2. 
FanU,  618.  Kaffira,  88. 188,  807. 
Makoba.  884.  Malagasy,  774. 
Maadlngoea,678.  Hheklani,  685, 
Waganda.  468.  :Vanyama«sl, 
488.  Wanyuro,  478.  Waiaramo, 
451. 

Bwaai,  AMca,  9. 

SwiMMiRo  among 
Bo^jesman,  882. 

T 

Taboo  of  Banyai,  406. 

Taboo,  aee  Tapu. 

Tattooimo  among 
AbTsainlana,  721.  Apingi,  648. 
Bedoulna,  760.  B<)mueae,NO.  Da- 
homana, 058.  Egba8,060.  Fana, 
501.  Manganjaa,  880.  Soman 
lia,  748.  Wanyamuexi,  481.  Wa- 
tuai.  458. 

Toliaka  suspected  of  death  of  moth 
er,  127. 

Tchaka'a  Tiaion,  Kaffir  chief,  184. 

Tehaka  at  ftmeral  of  mother,  221. 

Tlbbooa,  AfHca,  704. 

Tigre,  AMca,  748. 

Tobacco  among 
Kafflra.  171-178, 178. 

Toola,  see  Manufactures. 

TRAiTSifiOBATiOH,  belief  In,  by 
Makoba.  884.    Shekianl,  588. 

Treea  of  Africa,  thorns,  235,  grap- 
ple plant,  237,  wait-a-bit,  nook 
and  prick,  and  monkey  mpes,  fU 
-280.    UovtM  traveler,  772. 

Tuaricka,  Africa,  700. 

U 
Uaaramo,  AfHca,  450. 
Usinto,  AfHca,  79. ,  ^ 

W 

Waganda,  Africa,  455. 

Wagogo,  Africa,  427. 

Wahuma.  Africa,  442. 

Wanyambo,  Africa,  442. 

Wanyamuezi,  Africa,  480. 

Wanyoro,  Africa,  467. 

War,  see  Sacrifice  aongs,  Warfare. 

Wahfaiib  among 
Aahangns,    536.     Balonda,   418 
Barea,  746.    Bari.  516.    Batoka, 
892.    Bechu»nas,820.    Bedouins, 


768.  Bfegharmis,  700.  Bomnass 
600.  Btiiiesman,  880.  Camma, 
0<i6.  Congoese,  088.  Daliomani, 
686.  Dinkaa,528.  DJIhbaa,  Oltt 
Dor,  406.  Egbaa.  603.  Fana,  002. 
tiallaa,  747.  Hotttfiitota,  862. 
Kafflra,  11,08, 110  127,  215,  216. 
Latookaa,  500.  Masgueae,  712. 
Neam  Nam,  408.  Nublana.  751. 
Somaulia,  747.  TibtMKw.  705.  Wa- 
ganda.459.  Watiogo,  428.  Wa- 
saramo,  450. 

Wasagara,  Africa.  451 

Watusi,  Africa,  452. 

WatuU  Tribea,  Africa;  440. 

Wasanmo,  440. 

Wbaponb  of 
Abraainiana,  718-710.  Apono, 
648.  Aaltangua,  030.  Aalianti, 
625.  Balonda,  411  Banyai  axe, 
403.  Bari,  518.  UfHihnanaa,  820. 
Bedoulna,  7.'S9.  Begliarmia,  700. 
Bornueae,  (103.  Bcwjiwuana,  289 
-290.  Cong«M<se,  (W5.  Dalio 
mana,  680.  Dauiann,  345.  Din 
kaa,  524.  Djiblwa,  019.  Dor,  404 
Fans,  592.  llaniran  Arabs,  7021 
Hottcntuto,  255.  labogoa,  532 
Kafflra,  94, 05, 102-114.  Kangue. 
442.  Utu«>kaa,  500.  Madi,  480 
Musgueae,  713.  Neam  Nam,  402. 
Nubiana,  jiecullar  sword,  740) 
Ovamboa,  805.  Shekianl,  5821 
Shir,  514.  Somaulia.  747.  Tib. 
boca,  705. 

We<lding,  seeDanceaandMarriaga 

Weesees,  Africa,  430. 

Witchcraft  among 
Ashanti,  027.  Bakalai,  658.  Canv 
ma,  576-570    Fana,  602.   Kaliira 
109-204.     Shekianl,   588.     NVar 

W^nda,  402.  Wanyamuezi,  440 
OMEN,  condition  ot,  among 
Angoleae,  422.  Aaliira,  655.  Ban' 
yai,  400.  Bonny,  074.  CongoeH^ 
688.  Dahomana,  058.  Daniarau^ 
848  Oani,  478.  Kafflra,  15-ld 
90.  In  Karague,  446.  among 
Latookaa,  607.  Makololo,  8«4 
Musgueae,  711.  Shooaa,  70!i 
Waganda,  458.    Wanyoro,  473. 


Zingian  Tribes.  AfHca.  1. 
Zulua,  AlHca.  2. 


m 


kffharaiii.  709.  BoroaeM 
Ui^flaman,  980.  Cmuim, 
ConmieM*.  089.  Daliomani, 
[)lDka»,ft2».    DJIhbM,  Oltf, 

M.  EirbM.  ma.  kkm,  002. 

,    747.       HottentoH,    202. 
I,  11,08. 110  137,815,818. 
M,   800.   AfuBKueM,    713. 
Nam,  408.     Nubians,  781.1 
Ua.747.  TIWmkw,  708,  Wa-I 
480.    WaKogo,428.    Wa-f 
>,  450. 

s,  AMoa.  451 
Africa,  458. 
rribw,  Africa;  440. 
lo,  440. 
■  of 

Qiana,   718-710.      Apono,| 
Aahanflfoa,  SOO.     AaluuiU.f 
Jalonda,  411     Banyalaxo, 
iari,  518.    IkMjhnanaa,  820. 
na,  750.     Begkarmia,  700. 
««,  (iOd.    Bcwjtwuaiia,  282 

C"on<r<H'«»,    085.       Daliol 
180.    Dauiaraa,  845.    Dia 
i.    DJibUfl,  510.  Dur,  401 1 
108.    llantran  Araba,  75a 
tota,   255.     lalioffoa,    632 
04. 05. 108-114.  Karagutt 
raUN)kaa,  500.     Madi,  480 
»«,  7 1 2.    Neam  Nam,  402, 
a,    iMJculiar   aword,    74ftl 
9S,   855.     Shekiani,    tm 
14.    SonuLulia,  747.    Tib' I 
»5. 

,  aee  Dances  and  Marriasra 
Africa,  480. 
AKT  among 

I.  027.  Bakalai,  658.  Cam- 
1-878  Fans,  603.  Kallirn 
t.  Shekiani,  588.  War 
403.  Wanyamuizi,  440 
conditiuu  of,  among 
w,  422.  Aahira,  555.  Ban- 
I.  U<)nn7,fl74.  Congoetn^ 
'aliouians,  058.  Danmrai^ 
anl,  478.    Kaffiw,  15-18 

Karague,  440.  among 
us,  507.  Makololo,  8G{ 
«e,  711.  Shooaa,  70a 
da,  458.    Wanyoro,  473. 


'ribea,  Africa,  1. 
ica.8. 


